No, my complaint is that Youtube gives partnership to Machinima and TGS (and their 'subpartners'), knowing that they're violating the rights of copyright holders, but it's basically impossible to get partnership as an independent video game video maker. Even if you have the necessary rights!
You're assuming they dont have permission, which is unknown. I bet they do.
That's a highly unfair playing field considering that you have to go through Machinima and TGS to even get simple stuff like custom thumbnails.
Then don't. Youtube of recent years have made fantastic efforts to lets folks make money of their uploaded videos. But they're not the only folks out there. GO to twitch or blip or the other lessor known video sites.
And then or, I suppose, before, get permission to put up the LPs. It seems like you want this permission thing to be easier, but I dont see why it has to be easier. It may take time, money and lots of effort to get an actual yes or no on LPs. But so what. Why does it have to be easy?
The simple fact is that it's almost impossible to get partnership without going through these businesses. There might be exceptions but even if you have 20k subs you probably won't get full blown partnership and all the benefits without the approval of Machinima or TGS. While at the same time Machinima and TGS can (and do) give partnership to small channels with less than 10k subs who are violating rights of copyright holders. It's a messed up situation.
It sounds like you're assuming a lot with how their business model, and the legal side of works. Do have citation for these claims, even an AMA from reddit?
I mean, just going over the Direct Program details and the ToS, it sounds like Machinima is very well aware of copyright law, and have very organize system for handling it. For instance machinima will decline video with other copyrighted materiel in it. (such as music or images). They seem to be very focus with just video game materiel.
I dont see how they're for knowingly letting folks violate copy right law. Nor do I see how they stop others, or have a monopoly over video game machinima and lps.
THis is a pretty neat video, describing his experience with getting a partnership with machinima. It doesnt seem to support your view on the subject.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=CO&hl=es-419&v=tM-Nc1XwpOo