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HHello everyone, I’m an independent Indian YouTube creator facing a serious issue with a Content Management System (CMS) that added my channel without any signed agreement. Now, they are refusing to remove it and monetizing my videos without my consent.
What Happened?
This CMS added my channel based on a verbal confirmation over a phone call.
Later, they sent me a contract, but I refused to sign and asked them to remove my channel.
They refused and said I can only leave if I:
1. Sign a 5-year contract.
2. Stop uploading videos for 3 months.
Instead of removing me, they claimed my video revenue through YouTube’s Topic feature.
YouTube says it’s between me and the CMS, and they won’t intervene.
My Questions:
1. Is a verbal agreement legally binding in India in such cases?
2. Can a CMS legally hold my channel hostage without a signed contract?
3. What legal actions can I take to get my channel removed from their system?
4. Has anyone faced a similar issue with an MCN/CMS in India?
I need urgent legal guidance on this matter. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Many independent creators in India might be facing similar exploitation, so this is a larger issue too.
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UNAL ( all the information i am giving you is from a google search so please ask a lawyer)
so verbal contracts are binding in india, but if you choose to leave the contract, it is on the CMS to prove that they had clearly communicated to you the terms of the contract and the consequences of leaving the contact. if they want to take you to court (which i highly doubt they will), the court will look at all the circumstances including your actions to see if you both were truly in a contract.
How is the CMS monitizing your content? do they have the password to your account? I mean you can just walk away from them and change your password. And if they try to harass you just defend yourself on social media. You can also expose them to your fans, usually fans have a loyality to you and not the CMS.
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HWhile verbal agreements can be legally binding in India, they are difficult to enforce without clear proof. In cases like yours, where intellectual property rights and monetization are involved, a written contract is necessary to establish terms. Since you never signed anything, the CMS has no legal authority to retain control over your channel or monetize your videos. Acting solely based on a verbal conversation is unlawful, and their refusal to release your channel is completely unjustified.
Send a Cease & Desist Notice to both the CMS and YouTube, demanding immediate removal of your channel from their system and full payment of all revenue earned from your videos within 7 days. Make sure this notice is documented and sent via email and registered post.
Also, YouTube has a copyright dispute feature that allows you to challenge unauthorized monetization. File a copyright claim and takedown any videos they are profiting from without your consent. If they still refuse to comply, escalate the matter to YouTube’s Legal Support with proof that you never signed an agreement.
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