Defend The Public’s Right to Share Shakespeare Recordings

Defend The Public’s Right to Share Shakespeare Recordings

John Underwood, a public access television producer and longtime Shakespeare event recordist, needs your support in defending his right to share Shakespeare recordings as public domain offerings. For over a decade, John’s YouTube channel, LOSALTVSTUDIO1, has provided free access to live Shakespeare recordings, benefiting educators, actors, and the public at no monetary gain to himself. However, these invaluable resources are now under threat from unfounded copyright claims by Canadian self-proclaimed Shakespeare “translator,” Julien Coallier.

The Issue

In 2012, Julien Coallier registered a copyright for what he claimed were his own “translations” of Shakespeare’s plays. In 2024, he escalated these claims by filing copyright (DMCA) takedown notices with YouTube, alleging that John’s recordings of All’s Well That Ends Well and The Taming of the Shrew—along with dozens of other Shakespeare performances recorded by various producers and posted on YouTube—infringed his copyright as somehow derivative of his own “translations.”

In his communications, Coallier went so far as to claim he “own[ed] rights over all [Shakespeare] plays” and that “any claim [that] Shakespeare is public domain is false as fact.” These claims initially went unchallenged by YouTube, resulting in the temporary and, in some cases, permanent takedowns of Shakespeare recordings across the country. Faced with these bold and unsubstantiated claims, many non-profit theatrical and academic recordings of Shakespeare have gone offline, including 12 years of live Shakespeare recordings by Underwood. Despite Underwood’s eventual vindication and YouTube reinstating his recordings, the threat of a lawsuit from Coallier remains.

The Facts

Underwood captured these performances with full permission from Shakespeare by the Sea, a nonprofit California-based theater company that creates its scripts using public domain versions of Shakespeare’s works. Shakespeare by the Sea has attested that their script revisions and stage blocking are entirely their own, dating back to 2012 when Underwood began recording their productions.

These recordings have served as vital educational tools and community resources for years. Despite the baseless nature of Coallier’s claims, his misuse of copyright law has had a chilling effect on those who engage in the production, recording, and dissemination of the Bard’s timeless words.

Why These Claims Are Baseless

John, with the help of legal counsel from Public Citizen Litigation Group and their associates, is fighting back. On behalf of himself and other Shakespeare producers across the country, Underwood has filed a lawsuit against Coallier, simply seeking declaratory relief that his recordings do not infringe on any valid copyright, allowing him to re-post his Shakespeare recordings for public viewing without the threat of a lawsuit.

Through the efforts of Mr. Underwood and his attorneys, legal and academic scholars has been asked to weigh in on this copyright grab by self-proclaimed Shakespeare “expert” Julien Coallier.

Dr. Jan Powell, a respected academic scholar of the Shakespearean canon, has stated:

“Coallier’s ‘translation’ is packed full of errors, most of which make significant differences in one’s ability to understand the text. Often, the errors are so disruptive they render the text quite unintelligible.” And she concluded by saying, "it appears to be a self-published vanity project, or perhaps a fraud perpetrated for his own financial gain.”

Why This Matters

This case has far-reaching implications. Coallier’s claims threaten the principle that Shakespeare’s works—and other classic public domain content—should remain free and accessible to all.

If left unchallenged, this precedent could harm creators, educators, and performers who rely on public domain works across various art forms, including opera, classical theater, literature, and historical preservation efforts.

How You Can Help

Legal battles are expensive. Even with largely pro bono representation, Mr. Underwood still faces significant personal expenses in his fight to keep Shakespeare in the public domain. Court costs, filing fees, documentation, and traveling expenses are necessary but burdensome personal costs to Mr. Underwood your contributions will directly support.

By contributing, you’re not just supporting John—you’re taking a stand for the right to share public domain works in all classical arts without fear of unjustified and onerous copyright claims.

This fight isn’t just about one creator’s YouTube channel—it’s about ensuring that public domain content remains accessible to all.

Join the Fight

Your support will help John and others stand up to those who misuse copyright law to claim ownership of works that belong to everyone.

Together, we can ensure that Shakespeare’s legacy—and the public domain—remain free for future generations to enjoy.

Help us preserve the classics as free to all. Keep Shakespeare in the public domain.

Watch the programs currently under threat:

Taming of the Shrew (2017) – Watch Here

All’s Well That Ends Well (2013) – Watch Here

Read the court case here:

Public Citizen Litigation – Underwood v Coallier

Find more related matters on the Public Citizen blog:

Keeping Shakespeare in the Public Domain

Explore more of John Underwood’s productions at LOSALTVSTUDIO1:

Visit LosAlTV Website