Hits from Adele and Nirvana disappeared from YouTube in the US over a legal dispute

Many popular songs by artists such as Adele, Nirvana, Kendrick Lamar and others have disappeared on YouTube and YouTube Music in the US. The reason was a legal battle with SESAC - Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, which despite the name, is engaged in protecting the copyrights of musicians, songwriters and publishers in the United States.

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The conflict stemmed from a disagreement over song licensing terms, which led to the content being removed from the YouTube platform. Users trying to listen to the songs see a message saying the videos are not available in their country.

SESAC or the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, founded in 1930, licences the public performance of over 1.5 million songs. Despite its smaller size compared to organisations such as BMI and ASCAP, SESAC represents many well-known artists. YouTube has stated that it is negotiating in good faith with SESAC to extend the existing agreement, but has yet to reach a fair agreement. According to Variety, this could be a tactical move by YouTube, as the current agreement doesn't expire until next week.

Source: Variety