# Does Giving Credit Make It Legal? Copyright Myths

Source: https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/attribution/does-credit-make-it-legal/
Published: 2026-09-25
Updated: 2026-09-25
Author: Ema Zamboni, video editor (https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/about/)
Section: Credits and Rights (https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/attribution/)

**In short:** No. Giving credit does not make using a YouTube clip legal; credit is a license condition, not a license. Permission comes from the rights holder, a license such as CC BY, public domain status or an exception like fair use. Disclaimers, short excerpts and non-commercial intent do not replace it, as YouTube Help's copyright myths page states.

## Does crediting the creator make using a clip legal?

No. Crediting a creator does not give you the right to use their clip. Credit is a license condition, not a license: it is what a Creative Commons license asks of you after the license has already said yes.

As of September 2026, [YouTube's page of common copyright myths](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2797449) opens with this one. YouTube Help says giving credit does not automatically give you the rights to use the content, and names Creative Commons Attribution licenses as the exception. The [U.S. Copyright Office fair use FAQ](https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-fairuse.html) agrees that acknowledging the source does not substitute for permission. A name in your description says where the footage came from, not that you were allowed to use it.

A right to use a clip comes from one of four places: your own footage, the rights holder's permission, a license such as CC BY, or an exception such as fair use that only a court can confirm. The routes and their conditions are laid out in [can you use YouTube clips in your video](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/attribution/using-youtube-clips-in-your-video/).

> **Note:** This is general information, not legal advice.

## Which copyright myths do editors hear most?

YouTube Help's myths page answers 8 copyright myths that editors hear from clients and in comment sections. The table sets each myth against what the primary source says.

| Myth | Reality | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "I credited the creator, so I can use it." | Credit does not automatically grant rights; CC BY is the exception because the license already allows reuse | YouTube Help; U.S. Copyright Office fair use FAQ |
| "No copyright infringement intended." | Disclaimers like this, "I do not own" or "all rights go to the author" give no legal protection | YouTube Help: Common copyright myths |
| "It is non-commercial or educational." | A non-profit or educational purpose does not by itself allow use without permission | YouTube Help: Common copyright myths |
| "I only used a few seconds." | Any amount used without permission, even a few seconds, may result in copyright issues | YouTube Help; U.S. Copyright Office fair use FAQ |
| "I bought the song or the film." | Buying a copy is not a right to publish it on YouTube | YouTube Help: Common copyright myths |
| "I recorded it off TV myself." | Recording a broadcast does not give you the right to upload it | YouTube Help: Common copyright myths |
| "Other channels use it." | Similar videos on YouTube are not your authorization | YouTube Help: Common copyright myths |
| "I changed it enough to make it mine." | Parodies, covers and translations usually still need the owner's permission | YouTube Help: Common copyright myths |

The seconds myth has no safe number behind it. The [U.S. Copyright Office fair use FAQ](https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-fairuse.html) says no legal rule allows a set number of words, notes or percentage of a work, and [is using a YouTube clip fair use?](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/attribution/fair-use-youtube-clips/) walks through the four factors that decide it instead.

## Does "no copyright intended" protect you?

No. A line such as "no copyright infringement intended" or "all rights go to the owner" has no legal effect, and YouTube Help lists such disclaimers among the myths. Infringement does not depend on what you intended.

All a disclaimer honestly signals is that the uploader knew the footage was someone else's. The difference between an automated claim and a legal takedown is explained in [copyright claim vs copyright strike on YouTube](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/attribution/copyright-claim-vs-strike/).

Write a factual line in place of the disclaimer, and only when it is true: "Used with permission of Example Channel", or "Licensed under CC BY 4.0", followed by the title, the creator and the link. That line states why you may use the clip.

## Is non-commercial use always allowed?

No. Non-commercial use is not automatically allowed. YouTube Help says a non-profit, educational or entertainment purpose does not by itself permit using copyrighted content without permission.

In US fair use, purpose is the first of four factors a court weighs; a non-commercial purpose can help but never decides the case alone. A free tutorial that plays someone's footage as filler b-roll still takes their work, monetized or not.

A Creative Commons license with the NC element forbids commercial use, while CC BY allows it with attribution. Read the license on the video page before you assume either way.

## When does credit actually matter?

Credit matters most when a license requires it. The [Creative Commons attribution guidance](https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/Recommended_practices_for_attribution) says attribution is a condition of all CC licenses: credit the author and note the source and the license. Skip the credit on CC BY footage and you no longer meet the license that let you use it.

Creative Commons recommends four parts for a complete credit, known as TASL:

- **Title**: the name of the work, when it has one.
- **Author**: the creator, under the name they ask for.
- **Source**: a link to the original.
- **License**: the license name, linked to its deed.

For video, the same guidance suggests crediting in the video where reasonable and in the description. Ready-made lines for descriptions and on-screen text are in [how to credit a YouTube video](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/attribution/how-to-credit-a-youtube-video/).

## Where do B-ROLL's credit files fit?

B-ROLL's credits files are a record and a courtesy, not a legal shield. The credits option is on by default. After each download, B-ROLL writes a `.credits.txt` next to the file with the title, creator, channel link, video URL, upload date, the license as yt-dlp reports it and a copy-paste credit line, and adds the same block to a running `credits.txt` in the folder.

The License line has a known limit: when yt-dlp reports nothing, the file says "Standard YouTube License", even if the video page shows something else. If the metadata lookup fails, for example behind a sign-in wall, no credits file is written for that download. Always check the license on the video page itself; the file is a convenience, not proof of rights. Details are in [automatic credit files for every YouTube download](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/features/automatic-creator-credit-files/).

> **Careful:** Download only footage you have the right to use: your own uploads, Creative Commons, licensed or permitted material.

## What should you do instead of adding a disclaimer?

Replace the disclaimer with 1 of 4 actions: CC BY, permission, public domain or a short transformative excerpt. Then credit the clip properly.

1. **Check for CC BY.** Look for the Creative Commons license in the video's description on YouTube, and keep its conditions.
2. **Ask for permission.** Name the exact clip and use, and keep the written yes with the project, as in [how to ask a YouTuber for permission](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/attribution/ask-permission-youtube-video/).
3. **Use public domain footage.** Material with no copyright left needs no permission.
4. **Keep an excerpt short and transformative.** Take only what your commentary needs; fair use is decided case by case.

Each route has its own page in [credits, licenses and fair use for YouTube clips](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/attribution/).

## Frequently asked questions

Q: Why keep credits if they do not grant rights?
A: Credits are still worth keeping because Creative Commons licenses require them and because they record where every clip came from. When a claim or a client question arrives months later, the title, creator, URL and license are already written down, next to the footage. B-ROLL writes that record after each download when its credits option is on, as described in [automatic credit files for every YouTube download](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/features/automatic-creator-credit-files/).

Q: Do music rules differ?
A: No. Music follows the same rule: crediting the artist grants nothing. YouTube Help says buying a song does not give you the right to upload it, and a recording that catches background music still needs permission. Creative Commons guidance treats a song used as background music in a video as an adaptation, which matters for licenses that forbid derivatives.

Q: Does tagging the creator count as permission?
A: No. Tagging or mentioning a creator is a form of credit, and credit is not permission. Permission is the rights holder saying yes to a specific use, ideally in writing. A tag the creator never answers is silence, not consent. The wording for a request that gets a clear answer is in [how to ask a YouTuber for permission](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/attribution/ask-permission-youtube-video/).

## Sources

1. [YouTube Help: Common copyright myths](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2797449)
2. [U.S. Copyright Office: Fair use FAQ](https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-fairuse.html)
3. [Creative Commons wiki: Recommended practices for attribution](https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/Recommended_practices_for_attribution)

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B-ROLL is a free, donation-supported desktop YouTube downloader for video editors: it downloads videos, clips, playlists and channels, converts them automatically into edit-ready ProRes or DNxHR (or saves MP4, MKV, WEBM or audio), and includes built-in trimming, subtitles and automatic creator credit files. Part of [Credits, Licenses and Fair Use for YouTube Clips](https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/attribution/) on the B-ROLL website. Download B-ROLL, free for Windows 10 and 11 (macOS and Linux planned): https://b-roll-6hk.pages.dev/download/