How To File A YouTube DMCA Takedown Notice

Last Updated on March 10, 2023

YouTube is a massive online social media platform that attracts nearly half of all internet users. Every single day, over one billion hours of content are consumed on YouTube. With so much content and so many eyes on the site, it is really frustrating (and potentially damaging to your reputation) when someone takes your copyrighted work and uses it for their gain. Luckily, YouTube has a system to prevent copyright infringement.

YouTube DMCA Policy

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is a piece of United States copyright law that protects copyright owners from having their content stolen online. If you create any kind of original content, it becomes your intellectual property from the moment it is created, and no one else is allowed to use it without your permission.

YouTube copyright infringement is taken very seriously, and content creators on the platform are forbidden from using copyrighted content without the owner’s permission. If you find that someone has wrongfully used your original work, you can file a takedown notice with YouTube. Once YouTube accepts your notice, they will take the video in question down and apply a copyright strike to the channel.

How To Get YouTube To Remove A Video

Thankfully, YouTube makes it really straightforward to identify and remove the copyrighted material. If you have uploaded YouTube videos yourself, the site uses a technology called Content ID to scan the site for duplicate videos. If a match comes up, you will be notified in the copyright section of your YouTube Studio Dashboard and can take action from there.

Even if you have never uploaded your content directly to YouTube, you can still file a takedown notice using their DMCA web form. The content does not need to be in video format in order for you to file a complaint, as you will be able to choose from a range of media. As long as it’s yours and someone else has posted it without your permission, you can fill out the form in a few simple steps.

How To Submit A Copyright Claim On Youtube (Step-By-Step)

1. YouTube Studio Dashboard

Sign in to your Youtube account (as long as you have a Google account, you will automatically have a YouTube account as well. Click on your profile picture in the top right-hand corner of the page, then select “YouTube Studio” to be taken to your channel dashboard.

2. Channel Copyright

On the left-hand side, click “Copyright”. If you have previously uploaded videos and there is a Content ID match, they will appear on this page. If you have never uploaded YouTube videos, but someone has stolen your work from elsewhere, click “New Removal Request” in the top right to bring up the complaint form.

3. Request Videos For Removal

Here, you will fill in information about your original content. Select the type of content – you can choose between video, original song, software, artwork, live performance, copyrighted logo, or other. Fill out all of the boxes of information that it asks for, including links to where you originally posted the work.

You will also need to provide a link to the content to be removed, to make sure you have that to hand.

4. Content Owner Information

Here you will need to fill out all of your contact information, such as your full name, address, relationship to the content, email, and phone number. YouTube does not share this information unless this issue escalates to court. You will not be able to file the complaint until you fill out all of the required information.

5. Removal Options

You can now decide to either give the person seven days to take their video down or file the claim immediately. If you give them the seven-day notice, they can avoid getting a copyright strike if they take the video down within that timeframe. If you choose to file now, YouTube will remove the video as soon as the request is accepted and the channel will get a copyright strike.

Usually, it’s best to just select “Standard: Removal Request Now”. They took the chance of stealing your content, so why give them a notice period?

Check off the box at the bottom so that YouTube can prevent any more uploads of your content from appearing on the site.

6. Legal Agreements & Signature

Check off all of the boxes in this section to state that you understand all of the legal agreements and that the information you have provided is correct and truthful. Fill out your full legal name as it appears on your official identification documents.

7. Submit Your Request

Click the “Submit” button at the top right-hand of the page to send your removal request. If your complaint is validated, the channel will receive a copyright strike. YouTube will terminate any channel that gets three copyright strikes within a 90-day period.

Keep in mind that the person your complaint is against could decide to submit a counter notice, in which case you may have to take legal action.

Closing:

Removing unwanted content about you online can be tricky. Follow these steps to file a DMCA takedown notice on YouTube to remove stolen content. If you need help removing negative online content, the expert team at Reputation911 is here to help with all your online reputation management needs. Contact us today for a free consultation.

About The Author

William DiAntonio

William DiAntonio is the Founder & CEO of Reputation911, a reputation management firm he founded in 2010 that has earned the trust of its clients for over a decade by helping individuals, businesses and brands control their online search results.