[PandaChi]

We tried keeping the issue to only publishers, but basically MCNs and other cuts were just grouped into publisher for simplicity sake -- oftentimes YouTubers join networks (kind of like a music label) where the rights of their works are managed for a cut. As to your point, YES, definitely YouTubers can and do publish entirely original work, but oftentimes still need to publish covers, or video game gameplay, etc. that they don't have the rights to -- this is usually the only way to grow their audience and channel, as these are the only works that garner any real SEO when people are searching for videos.