Video Transcriber MCP Server

# Legal Considerations ## ⚠️ Important Legal Information This tool is provided for **educational, accessibility, and research purposes only**. Please read and understand the following before using this software. ## YouTube Terms of Service YouTube's Terms of Service generally prohibit downloading content unless explicitly permitted by the content creator or YouTube. Key points: ### What YouTube's ToS Says From [YouTube's Terms of Service](https://www.youtube.com/t/terms): - You may access content for streaming only - You may not download content unless a download button or link is provided - Circumventing technical protection measures may violate the ToS ### This Tool's Position **video-transcriber-mcp** uses `yt-dlp` to download audio for transcription purposes. While the tool itself is neutral, **how you use it matters**. ## Legal & Ethical Use Cases ### ✅ Generally Acceptable Uses 1. **Your Own Content** - Transcribing videos you uploaded - Creating captions for your own content 2. **Accessibility** - Creating transcripts for deaf/hard of hearing individuals - Making content accessible to those who need text versions - Educational accommodations 3. **Fair Use / Fair Dealing** (jurisdiction-dependent) - Research and academic purposes - Criticism and commentary - Educational use in classroom settings - Personal study notes 4. **With Permission** - Content where the creator has granted permission - Public domain or Creative Commons licensed content - Content explicitly marked as downloadable ### ❌ Generally Unacceptable Uses 1. **Commercial Redistribution** - Republishing transcripts without permission - Selling transcribed content - Building commercial databases of transcripts 2. **Copyright Infringement** - Transcribing copyrighted content for redistribution - Using transcripts to create derivative works without permission 3. **Terms of Service Violations** - Bulk downloading of content - Automated scraping at scale - Circumventing paywalls or premium content ## Regional Laws ### United States - Fair Use (17 U.S.C. § 107) may permit some uses - DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) considerations - ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) may support accessibility use cases ### European Union - Copyright Directive exceptions for accessibility - GDPR considerations if processing personal data - Digital Single Market provisions ### Other Jurisdictions - Laws vary significantly by country - Check your local copyright and fair use laws - Some countries have stronger fair dealing provisions ## Responsible Use Guidelines ### DO: ✅ Use for personal educational purposes ✅ Create accessibility features (captions, transcripts) ✅ Respect copyright and creators' rights ✅ Only transcribe content you have permission to access ✅ Give credit to original content creators ✅ Use transcripts for research and study ✅ Check if videos already have official transcripts ### DON'T: ❌ Redistribute transcripts without permission ❌ Use for commercial purposes without authorization ❌ Bulk download or scrape at scale ❌ Circumvent paywalls or premium content ❌ Violate YouTube's Terms of Service ❌ Claim transcripts as your own work ❌ Use to create competing content ## Similar Tools & Precedent This tool is similar to: - **yt-dlp**: Widely used for downloading YouTube content - **youtube-dl**: The original YouTube downloader - **Whisper**: OpenAI's transcription model - Browser extensions for caption extraction **Note**: The existence of similar tools doesn't automatically make their use legal in all contexts. ## Disclaimer ### No Legal Advice The information in this document is **not legal advice**. Consult with a qualified attorney in your jurisdiction for legal guidance. ### User Responsibility **You, the user, are solely responsible for:** - Ensuring your use complies with applicable laws - Respecting YouTube's Terms of Service - Respecting content creators' rights - Obtaining necessary permissions ### No Warranty This software is provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind. The authors and contributors: - Make no representations about legal compliance - Are not responsible for misuse of the software - Do not encourage or endorse ToS violations ## MIT License This software is licensed under the MIT License (see [LICENSE](LICENSE) file). This license: - Grants permission to use, modify, and distribute the software - Does NOT grant permission to violate third-party terms of service - Does NOT grant permission to infringe copyrights - Places responsibility on the user for lawful use ## Recommendations ### Before Using This Tool 1. **Read YouTube's ToS**: [https://www.youtube.com/t/terms](https://www.youtube.com/t/terms) 2. **Check Copyright Status**: Is the content copyrighted? 3. **Verify Permission**: Do you have permission to download? 4. **Consider Alternatives**: Does the video already have transcripts? 5. **Assess Your Use Case**: Is your use educational, accessible, or fair use? ### Best Practices - **Start Small**: Don't bulk download - **Keep Private**: Don't redistribute transcripts - **Give Credit**: Always cite original sources - **Check Official Captions**: Many videos have official transcripts - **Ask Permission**: When in doubt, ask the content creator ## Accessibility Exception Many jurisdictions provide explicit exceptions for accessibility purposes: - Creating captions for deaf/hard of hearing - Text versions for screen readers - Educational accommodations for disabilities **If using for accessibility, document your legitimate need.** ## Contact Content Creators Consider reaching out to content creators: - Many creators appreciate accessibility improvements - Some may grant permission for transcription - Official collaboration is always better than gray-area use ## Future Considerations YouTube may: - Update their Terms of Service - Implement technical measures - Take action against ToS violations Stay informed and adjust your usage accordingly. ## Resources ### Official Documentation - [YouTube Terms of Service](https://www.youtube.com/t/terms) - [YouTube Copyright Center](https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/policies/copyright/) - [US Copyright Office - Fair Use](https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/) ### Tools - [yt-dlp Documentation](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp) - [OpenAI Whisper](https://github.com/openai/whisper) ### Legal Information - [EFF - Fair Use](https://www.eff.org/issues/fair-use) - [Stanford Copyright & Fair Use](https://fairuse.stanford.edu/) --- ## Summary ✅ **This tool CAN be used legally** for: - Personal educational purposes - Accessibility (creating captions) - Your own content - Fair use cases (research, criticism) ❌ **This tool should NOT be used for**: - Commercial redistribution - Bulk scraping - Copyright infringement - Circumventing paywalls ⚖️ **Your Responsibility**: - Ensure your use is legal in your jurisdiction - Respect YouTube's Terms of Service - Respect content creators' rights - Use ethically and responsibly --- **When in doubt, don't. Ask permission first.** Last Updated: November 2025