microsoft had a rare chance here to actually stand up for developers in a way that would gain them a lot of mindshare, goodwill and respect. i wish they would’ve taken it.
He did still require code to be removed in order to reinstate the repository and the RIAA still managed to cause turmoil, so I would call this too little, too late.
* Complied with a DMCA take-down request which he had no legal reason to comply with. DMCA takedown requests are for infringing content. DMCA bans anticircumvention measures, but that's between youtube-dl and RIAA. RIAA does that by initiating litigation, or sending a demand letter to the youtube-dl project.
* Took down forks of youtube-dl, which he had no reason to do. Those should have been independent DMCA requests.
* Threatened to ban users who forked youtube-dl, in violation of his own ToS and DMCA policy.
If Nat was doing the bare minimum required to maintain legal compliance, I wouldn't fault him. Legally, he's zealously pursuing youtube-dl and acting as the RIAA's lapdog. At the same time, he's publicly making statements of empathy towards youtube-dl.
Pathetic.
And Microsoft is part of the RIAA...
Microsoft can lobby for further exceptions to §1201 anti-circumvention.
Microsoft can issue a statement formally protesting RIAA's action.
Microsoft could offer an Amicus brief or other statements in favour of youtube-dl developers.
Whilst we're discussing monopolists, Google could issue a statement that the rotating is not in fact an anti-circumventiion device.