Toei Launches “Toei Tokusatsu World Official” YouTube Channel, Channel Removed Immediately for Copyright Strikes

Spencer Baculi |

Apr 7, 2020

Within hours of Toei launching a new channel for free featuring English-subbed episodes of classic tokusatsu shows, YouTube deleted the entire channel due to an abundance of self-copyright strikes against the channel’s content.

On April 6^th, Toei began to upload officially licensed episodes of classic tokusatsu (Japanese super hero shows that feature an extensive use of special effects, such as costumes, miniatures, pyrotechnics) series to the Toei Tokusatsu World Official YouTube channel. Some of the series included Kikaider, Inazuman, and Magical Girl Chukana.

However, within hours of these episodes being uploaded, the entire channel was removed, with an alert noting that this action was taken due to “multiple third-party claims of copyright infringement regarding material the user posted”:

TOEI KILLED THEIR OWN CHANNEL WITH THEIR OWN COPYRIGHT STRIKES pic.twitter.com/5RtH3Y3u8J

— Gorudan (@ZaGorudan) April 5, 2020

Upon hearing of the channel’s deletion, some users on Twitter indulged in what they saw as a small bit of ‘karmic payback’ for Toei’s rampant use of the YouTube copyright system against content creators:

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE ON THE RECEIVING END OF IT? TRY UPLOADING TEN SECONDS OF DRAGON BALL Z AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. pic.twitter.com/DKCzdoYyEs

— Gorudan (@ZaGorudan) April 5, 2020

They claimed my ENTIRE video of Sailor Moon vs Crystal, even claiming my own copyrighted character. I beat them and had the strike taken away, but this seriously brightened my morning 🤣

— AnimeAmerica (@AnimeAmerica) April 6, 2020

If this doesn’t prove how broken the copyright system is, I don’t know what will.

— JinxazuMarai! (@JinxazuMarai) April 5, 2020

Now they know what it’s like to be TeamFourStar

— Siejax (@SiejaxVO) April 6, 2020

The channel has since been restored, with the first two episodes of multiple series now available for streaming, with more series slated to be added over the coming weeks.