how do I reach a human at YouTube?

[cellio]

A long time ago, I created a YouTube account to post a video to which I hold copyright. Later, Google bought YouTube. Time passed and I mostly forgot about that video.

Recently it's attracted attention and a troll. I would like to take it down.

Old YouTube accounts no longer work; you can't sign in with them. They have a way to claim old accounts, but it is not accepting the password I used (and recorded) at the time, nor any plausible variants. I can prove it's my account; I get email when somebody interacts with it (which is how I was alerted to the newer attention).

I've long since learned my lesson about relying on third-party media-hosting services (yeah, still have a lot of pictures hosted at LJ and Google that I haven't yet cleaned up on this journal). But I need to repair this error from the past.

I could file a DMCA takedown request, but that's the nuclear option and I don't know what repercussions it will have for the account owner, i.e. me.

Does anybody reading this know a better path? No, there's no "contact us" form, and their Twitter responder doesn't do anything other than send links to help I've already read.

Comments

[cellio]

Yeah, it's one of those messy conditionals. *If* they say I can't have the account because it's not me, then this mysterious other account is violating my copyright. But if it's me, as I say it is, then past-me can't violate my copyright. Each of us can use the other's argument to counter the other's claims.

I just want them to give me control long enough to delete the video and then the account. :-(

[rhialto]

Ah, but one way of reasoning is that *Youtube* is showing the video in violation of your copyright. Which they are, since they have taken away control from the rightful owner. Which makes it perfectly sensible for you to file a complaint.