YouTube has blocked Greenpeace's Lego 'Everything is NOT awesome' video after it received a copyright claim from Warner Brothers.
Greenpeace immediately moved the video to Vimeo and has confirmed that it is talking to YouTube about their reasoning for suspending the video.
With over three million views in less than three days the video depicted an idyllic town made of Lego which was then flooded by oil. It's part of Greenpeace's campaign asking Lego to cut all ties with the oil company Shell which is planning to start drilling in the Arctic.
The environmental organisation claims that YouTube was incorrect in suspending their work on the grounds that it is a work of satire that was made in the public interest.
Ian Duff, lead Arctic campaigner for Greenpeace said:
"Our film was designed as a creative way of letting people know about the threat to the Arctic from Shell and the role Lego has in the story. It seems to have struck a nerve with some important corporate bigwigs, but this crude attempt to silence dissent won’t work. We fully intend to challenge this claim, and we’re asking supporters to upload the video wherever they can."
Greenpeace has also released a statement saying that, 'it will argue the video uses satire and parody, is in the public interest, and thus protected under the right to free speech.'
"According to a YouTube search there are 772 other videos on the site that use the ‘everything is awesome’ song and many more that depict characters from the Lego movie."
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