Graphics by Baek Hyeong-seon

A YouTube channel dedicated to short-form content, primarily featuring clips around one minute in length, has uploaded 114 edited segments from Netflix’s reality cooking competition, “Culinary Class Wars,” which premiered on Sept 17. In less than a month, the combined duration of these short-form videos has surpassed 114 minutes, exceeding the length of a full episode, which is approximately 70 minutes. On average, each video receives around 670,000 views.

Another channel has uploaded 71 short-form clips from the same show, with several surpassing 10 million views. These unauthorized edits are circulating on YouTube and being shared on platforms like ByteDance’s TikTok and Meta’s Reels. Most of these videos have been posted without permission from the production company or Netflix.

The issue lies in the fact that both YouTube and the creators of these illegal clips are profiting from the ad revenue generated by the views. For instance, one channel focused on “Culinary Class Wars” short-form content has garnered 162.78 million views, earning an estimated 97.15 million won (approximately $71,655) in just one month. YouTube, in turn, retains 55% of this revenue, benefiting from the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material.

The surge in unauthorized short-form content can be attributed to YouTube’s policy change on ad revenue sharing for such videos, introduced early last year. Before this, creators did not earn revenue from ads placed on short-form content. However, since February last year, YouTube adopted a model where the platform retains 55% of ad revenue, and 45% is shared with the creators. An industry expert remarked, “While Google is producing Nobel Prize-winning scientists, it is simultaneously profiting from illicit content in the background.”

Graphics by Baek Hyeong-seon

The production cost of “Culinary Class Wars” is reported to be around 10 billion won ($7.37 million). Illegal content creators, often utilizing AI, are able to generate short-form videos swiftly, sometimes in a matter of minutes, profiting from ad revenue sharing with YouTube. Thousands of illegal short-form videos from the show are now circulating on platforms like YouTube, exploiting high-budget productions for illicit gain. A representative from a drama production company expressed their frustration, saying, “It’s devastating to see carefully crafted content reduced to fodder for unauthorized short-form videos,” and added, “It’s hard to believe that a company as big as Google could be involved in intellectual property violations.”

The strategy for these illegal short-form creators revolves around producing as many clips as possible in a short timeframe to maximize their chances of engaging viewers. One channel that had posted 114 “Culinary Class Wars” clips by the 10th of the month has been uploading an average of five videos per day. About 25% of the channel’s total content (454 videos) relates to “Culinary Class Wars.” Their aggressive approach has proven successful, with a video titled “Best Lines from Culinary Class Wars” garnering 3.71 million views and the total views for all 114 videos reaching 77.16 million. The estimated ad revenue for this channel from short-form content is up to 10.42 million won per month. Another channel, which uploaded 88 videos, including 71 related to the show, is estimated to have earned 97.15 million won in the past month alone. One of their videos, featuring judge Paik Jong-won sampling chef Jung Ji-sun’s “Deep-Fried Siraegi,” has already surpassed 10 million views.

YouTube’s official policy claims that “if someone re-edits and uploads another creator’s content without permission, no revenue will be paid, and the video will be removed upon the copyright holder’s request.” In practice, however, this rarely happens. Enforcement depends on the rights holders filing claims, but the sheer number of unauthorized short-form videos makes it nearly impossible for creators to manage. Even when claims are submitted, new illegal videos quickly surface. Netflix, the platform streaming “Culinary Class Wars,” has voiced similar concerns, with a representative stating, “There are far too many short-form videos to track, and handling them would require substantial time and resources.”