Yesterday, I uploaded a raw, a cappella video of me singing The Star-Spangled Banner in my living room. No music. No backing track. Just my voice. Within minutes, YouTube flagged it.
The claim? That I was using copyrighted material supposedly “owned” by Hexacorp Media Publishing, a company that works with the music rights platform Orfium.
This made no sense. I’m not signed with a record label. I’m not monetizing the video. And The Star-Spangled Banner is in the public domain. So I fought back.
First, I disputed the claim through YouTube. Then — thanks to a little help from ChatGPT — I found Orfium’s direct contact information and sent them a formal email. I explained exactly what the video was, why the claim was incorrect, and demanded they review it.
And to my surprise, I got a response. A man named Drew Delis from Orfium emailed me, asking for the video link. I sent it within five minutes. But that’s all I’ve heard. No explanation. No apology. Just… silence while they “look into it.” Or at least I hope they do…
This isn’t just a one-off annoyance. It’s part of a larger problem — creators being silenced by automated copyright systems that are often wrong, vague, and hard to challenge. And we’re expected to just… take it. Well, I won’t.
This is my voice. My performance. My right to share it.
I may be one person. But I’m not quiet. And if you’ve ever felt steamrolled by a system that treats your work like it’s disposable — I see you. This one’s for all of us.
Let’s stand up.
Let’s speak out.
Let’s Free the Anthem.
