YouTube is running ads on those videos and taking that money -- they may or may not give some to the video producer. YT also takes a large cut of subscriptions,

YouTube is running ads on those videos and taking that money -- they may or may not give some to the video producer. YT also takes a large cut of subscriptions, tips and "superchats". YouTube is making money here. The issue is that YT (Google/ Alphabet) is making so much money from so many folks that they don't consider it significant to mistakenly screw over one producer at a time, because they've got millions of others. Even for large channels, YT allows false copyright claims by large companies to hit the producer in the wallet, because Channel Bob 1M Subscribers doesn't compare to Mouse That Thanks China For Filming Near The Concentration Camps. But the whole time, Youtube is making money on ads.