What is copyright?
Copyright is a legal right that gives creators control over how their original works are used. When someone creates a video, they automatically hold copyright over that content. This means:- Only the copyright holder can authorize copying, distributing, or publicly displaying the work
- Copyright applies automatically — no registration is required
- Copyright protection lasts for the creator’s lifetime plus 70 years (in most countries)
- Copyright applies to the expression of an idea, not the idea itself
What is fair use?
Fair use is a legal doctrine (primarily in U.S. law) that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission in certain circumstances. Courts consider four factors:| Factor | Description |
|---|---|
| Purpose and character | Is the use commercial or educational? Transformative uses (commentary, criticism, parody) are more likely fair use |
| Nature of the work | Factual works receive less protection than creative works |
| Amount used | Using a small portion is more likely fair use than copying an entire work |
| Market effect | Does the use reduce the market value of the original? |
Fair use is determined on a case-by-case basis. No single factor is decisive. Other countries have similar but different concepts (e.g., “fair dealing” in the UK, Canada, and Australia).
When downloading is generally acceptable
These scenarios are widely considered acceptable uses:Content you have permission to download
- Videos you created and uploaded yourself
- Content where the creator explicitly allows downloading (Creative Commons, public domain)
- Videos shared with a download link or explicit permission from the rights holder
- Content from platforms where downloading is part of the terms of service
Personal archival and backup
- Saving a copy of content you’ve legitimately purchased or have access to
- Archiving content that may be removed or become unavailable
- Creating a personal offline backup of educational material you’re enrolled in
Educational and research purposes
- Downloading lecture recordings from courses you’re enrolled in
- Saving reference material for academic research
- Archiving publicly available educational content for personal study
Public domain and Creative Commons
- Content where copyright has expired
- Works released under Creative Commons licenses that permit downloading
- Government-produced content that is in the public domain
When downloading may not be acceptable
Be cautious in these scenarios:Terms of Service violations
Many platforms prohibit downloading in their terms of service, even for content that is freely viewable. Violating ToS is typically a contractual issue, not a criminal one, but can result in account suspension.Commercial use without permission
Downloading content to use in your own commercial projects (ads, presentations, products) without the creator’s permission is generally not acceptable, even if the original is freely available online.Redistribution
Downloading content and re-uploading or sharing it publicly — especially on competing platforms — is likely copyright infringement regardless of whether you credit the original creator.DRM-protected content
Content protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) is explicitly locked by the rights holder. Circumventing DRM protections may violate the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in the U.S. or equivalent laws in other countries.SaveMate does not circumvent DRM. It detects standard, unprotected streaming formats (HLS, DASH, MP4, WebM). If a stream uses DRM encryption, SaveMate cannot and will not detect or download it.
SaveMate’s position
What SaveMate does
- Detects unprotected video streams delivered via standard web protocols
- Downloads content locally to your device — nothing is re-hosted or redistributed
- Processes everything in your browser — no content passes through SaveMate’s servers
- Complies with Chrome Web Store policies, including restrictions on YouTube downloading
What SaveMate does not do
- Circumvent DRM or encryption
- Bypass paywalls or access controls
- Redistribute or host downloaded content
- Encourage or facilitate copyright infringement
Your responsibility
SaveMate provides the technical capability to download video streams. Whether a specific download is legal depends on:- The copyright status of the content
- The terms of service of the source platform
- Your intended use of the downloaded content
- The laws of your jurisdiction
Best practices
- Check the platform’s terms — Before downloading, review whether the site’s ToS permits it
- Respect creators — If a creator asks you not to download their content, respect that request
- Keep downloads personal — Don’t redistribute downloaded content publicly
- Use for legitimate purposes — Education, personal archival, offline viewing, accessibility
- Credit creators — If you reference downloaded content in your work, credit the source
- Prefer official channels — When a platform offers official download or offline viewing, use that first
- Delete when appropriate — If you downloaded course content, consider removing it after completing the course