YouTube due to a legal dispute with SESAC highlights significant issues within the music licensing landscape. SESAC, a performing rights organization that has represented songwriters since 1930, licenses public performances for over 1.5 million songs . The conflict arises from YouTube's efforts to renegotiate a licensing agreement that had yet to expire, which is indicative of broader strategic tactics employed by corporations in negotiations .
Over the past day, YouTube Music users in the US have encountered songs marked with an exclamation mark that cannot be played or tapped in the list view. There’s also a fullscreen Now Playing error message: “Song unavailable – This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.” 
On main YouTube, there are no pre-warnings and you can open these music videos, but the aforementioned error then appears in the player.
US have encountered songs marked with an exclamation mark that cannot be played or tapped in the list view. There’s also a fullscreen Now Playing error message: “Song unavailable – This video contains content from SESAC. It is not available in your country.” 
On main YouTube, there are no pre-warnings and you can open these music videos, but the aforementioned error then appears in the player.
SESAC to renew our existing deal. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we were unable to reach an equitable agreement before its expiration. We take copyright very seriously and as a result, content represented by SESAC is no longer available on YouTube in the US. We are in active conversations with SESAC and are hoping to reach a new deal as soon as possible.” Reps for SESAC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
SESAC stands for the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, which has been around since 1930 and, according to its website, “...currently licenses the public performance of more than 1.5 million songs on behalf of its 15,000+ affiliated songwriters, composers, and music publishers.”
According to an unnamed source cited by Variety, this could be a negotiating tactic by YouTube because, they say, “the previous deal actually does not expire until next week.”
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