Hello,
I've seen videos in YouTube of TV shows where the uploader changes the original speed of the audio and doesn't show the original video in full screen, but shrinked, with a background around it. Then they receive money from advertising.
Is this legal? Can I just do that to the audio and video of copyrighted material and profit from it? Would I succeed in court if I get sued?
Are you in the US, Haniver? If so, what is the name of your state? If not, what is the name of your country?
Altering or modifying copyright-protected works can still infringe on the copyright holders' rights. The works that result can be viewed as derivatives. Creating derivatives is one of the
exclusive rights granted to the holder of a copyright.
In addition to infringing on copyrights, the videos can also infringe on trademark rights. Television shows (their titles, characters, character names, catch phrases, etc) are often protected as trademarks.
And the people who portray the various characters on television shows have publicity rights that protect their names and images and other aspects of their persona (e.g., voices) from unauthorized use by others.
If someone wants to use rights-protected material, especially for commercial gain, they should seek out permission from the holder of the rights in the material. For television shows, you often have several rights-holders. If permission is not granted, you should not use the material.
To use rights-protected works without permission puts the unauthorized user at risk of facing a costly lawsuit. How big of a risk depends on several factors, including the litigiousness of the rights-holder. Whether anyone can successfully defend against a law suit depends on the specific facts. A lawsuit loss seems more likely than a lawsuit win with what you have described.
This is the same for music videos.
