IFPI Requested EU Watch List Status for yt-dlp
The industry group aims to classify the popular open-source tool as a piracy risk in the 2027 European report.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Software
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The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has submitted a request to the European Commission to include the open-source software yt-dlp on its 2027 Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List. The move marks a formal escalation in efforts to curb the tool, which the industry group alleges enables unauthorized content downloads.
Why it matters
IFPI asserts that the widespread accessibility of the project, which facilitates stream ripping, complicates copyright enforcement across streaming platforms. The submission represents a strategic effort to leverage regulatory frameworks to restrict software that the music industry views as a threat to its business model.
The yt-dlp repository currently holds over 190,000 stars and 16,000 forks on GitHub, maintaining a top-32 ranking among all repositories. This popularity reflects the utility of the tool, which parses webpage and player data to interface directly with platform-specific playback endpoints.
The players
IFPI
An international organization representing the recording industry, focused on copyright enforcement and anti-piracy initiatives.
European Commission
The executive branch of the European Union responsible for policy implementation and maintaining the Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List.
GitHub
A Microsoft-owned platform for software development and version control that hosts the yt-dlp repository.
The details
The software functions as a command-line tool that interacts with web-based streaming platforms by parsing metadata and platform-specific playback endpoints—the digital addresses where media content resides. By automating these requests, the software allows users to save content locally, a practice the music industry identifies as stream ripping. Because the project is open source and distributed through decentralized repositories, IFPI claims the software is uniquely difficult to contain through traditional legal injunctions.
Timeline
October 2020: RIAA used a DMCA notice against youtube-dl.
2021: The yt-dlp project launched.
November 2024: Hamburg Court of Appeal rejected the Uberspace appeal.
September 29, 2026: Article publication date.
2027: Release of the new EU Watch List edition.
The Tech Race
This move marks a shift from targeting hosting providers to challenging the underlying software tools directly within the European Commission's Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List. It follows a pattern of heightened industry pressure that has previously seen legal action against hosting services like Uberspace.
Should the European Commission include the project on its list, it could lead to increased pressure on hosting services and distribution platforms to restrict access to the repository. While the software currently remains operational, its status as a regulatory target may influence future developer support and availability.
The takeaway
The industry's focus on classifying open-source utility tools as piracy engines signals a new, more aggressive phase in copyright enforcement strategy. Readers should monitor the 2027 European Commission publication of the Watch List to see if the proposal successfully impacts the project’s infrastructure.
What happens next
The European Commission will review submissions and determine the final list of targets to be included in the 2027 edition of the Watch List.
Further reading
For broader trends in open-source development and regulatory oversight, visit Software.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Torrentfreak.
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