Earlier this morning, the Northudankton Broadcast Network's NORB Network, operated by Jonathan Freeman, was blocked from uploading the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead to YouTube, which was intended to be hosted at tv.northudankton.org. The version of the film uploaded was sourced directly from Wikimedia Commons, which clearly identifies the work as public domain under United States copyright law.
Freeman downloaded the file from Wikimedia Commons at 9:01 AM Northudankton time. Shortly afterward, the video was uploaded to the official Northudankton YouTube channel to be used for the NORB Network's NORB at Night movie block. However, YouTube automatically removed the video upon upload, displaying a message indicating that it had been taken down due to a copyright removal request submitted by Image Ten, Inc. on May 22, 2025.
The takedown notice referenced “Night of the Living Dead” as infringing content. Freeman attempted to view the uploaded video at 9:47 AM and confirmed that it had been blocked. At 10:04 AM, he submitted a formal appeal to YouTube, explaining that the version uploaded was entirely unaltered, legally public domain, and did not infringe on any valid copyright. At 10:18 AM, Freeman also sent an email to Image Ten, requesting that they withdraw their claim with YouTube, as their takedown violated his right to use, distribute, alter, and share a work that legally belongs to the public.
In both the YouTube appeal and email to Image Ten, Freeman cited the film’s 1968 release without a valid copyright notice—an omission that placed the work into the public domain under the law in force at the time. The uploaded version contained no modifications, trademarks, or overlays, and was identical to the one hosted on Wikimedia Commons, which links the film to the Internet Archive and affirms its public domain status.
If Image Ten and YouTube fail to respond satisfactorily or reverse the takedown, Freeman has indicated that he will escalate the matter to the U.S. Copyright Claims Board (CCB.gov). The Copyright Claims Board provides a simplified process for pursuing wrongful DMCA takedowns and allows claimants to seek compensation for misuse of copyright law without needing to hire a lawyer.
Freeman is currently tracking the exact amount of time that the film remains unavailable for hosting on the tv.northudankton.org platform due to this takedown. He considers the takedown to be an interference with his and Northudankton’s right to freely use public domain works, and stated that he is prepared to seek formal remediation if necessary.
Further updates will be issued by the Northudankton Broadcast Network as the situation develops.