When an online video creator receives a notice instructing them to take down a video because it contains copyrighted material - such as a snippet of a TV show or, until recently, even the song "Happy Birthday" - they often have few options but to comply.
Copyright battles can often prove expensive and drag on for years, presenting a challenge for video creators and for video sharing sites, which have often cracked down harshly in a bid to stop the spread of pirated material.
Now, YouTube is offering an alternative, announcing on Thursday that it will begin providing "legal support" to a handful of users so they can fight claims from copyright holders.
If the copyright-holder sues, the tech giant will assist users by paying up to $1 million in legal fees.
The company says the move is intended to correct some of the power balance that can be directed against content creators.