The website of Marhaba Cricket India Ltd has been hacked in response to the termination of the YouTube channel of Australian cricket enthusiast and content creator Robelinda2.
The channel by the name Robelinda2 was one of the most-loved channels and had been active for the past 14 years. It is reportedly deemed the biggest archive of cricket on the internet.
Owner Rob Moody took to X, formerly Twitter, on 5th November to announce that his YouTube channel was officially terminated. “Robelinda2 YouTube channel has been officially terminated. 14 years of fun it was! Thanks for watching!”
Robelinda2 YouTube channel has been officially terminated.
— Rob Moody (@robelinda2) November 5, 2023
14 years of fun it was! Thanks for watching!
Rob Moody had alleged that he was receiving threats from an account named @MarhabaCricketIndia, which warned him of the copyright strikes for using their “legitimate and exclusive digital rights” in Bangladesh.
Following backlash from Robelinda2 fans, Marhaba Cricket India issued a statement. “We respect the passion and dedication of the cricket community, and it is never our intention to disrupt the enjoyment of the sport. However, protecting our intellectual property rights is a responsibility we cannot neglect,” it stated.
2/3 https://t.co/fU4H6r6B3R pic.twitter.com/eBa4McbQYs
— Marhaba Cricket India Ltd (@MarhabaCricket) November 6, 2023
It further added, “For those who disagree with our actions, we reiterate that counter-notification process is available and is the appropriate channel for contesting our claims.”
Marhaba Cricket stated, “We have encountered issues with content from a specific 1-2 tours. Despite our efforts to resolve these issues amicably, we have been met with challenges. We needed the cooperation of content holders and other uploaders in that case especially robelinda2 to remove specific videos that infringed on the rights we hold, particularly from Bangladesh vs Australia 2006 series 2-5 videos from 2700+ uploads.”
However, shortly after the termination of Robelinda2 YouTube channel, the website of Marhaba Cricket got hacked demanding that the body retract copyright strike against Robelinda2. The text on the website reads, “Karma? Retract copyright strike M* Marhaba Cricket India Ltd!!!”
The message on the hacked website further reads, “Hello beautiful, The real horror day is you guys getting Robelinda2 killed! You are going to face consequences because of this! We will find you, then locate you and then destroy you and finally make you to restore robelinda2! but you have 72 hours, remove copyright strike!”
Meanwhile, Rob Moody shared on his X account the YouTube termination email. Responding to one of his fans, Moody said that he was never told which videos he had to remove. “They never told me which ones, I thought there was 3 maybe, but I received no warning at all, just termination. I’ve always had good communication with copyright holders when they specify which videos, usually they send a link, and I act on it. A general threat is useless.”
They never told me which ones, I thought there was 3 maybe, but I received no warning at all, just termination. I’ve always had good communication with copyright holders when they specify which videos, usually they send a link, and I act on it. A general threat is useless.
— Rob Moody (@robelinda2) November 6, 2023
Robelinda2 was one of the most-viewed cricket channels on YouTube and viewership on most videos ran into millions. Fans on social media have been seething with rage and many have been left disappointed.
