A copyright removal request, also known as a "takedown notice" or simply a "takedown", is a legal request to remove content from YouTube due to alleged copyright infringement.
How the process works
If a copyright owner finds their copyright-protected content on YouTube without their permission, they can submit a copyright removal request.
After a removal request is submitted
After a removal request is submitted, YouTube reviews it to make sure it has the information required by applicable copyright law and shows no signs of abuse. If the removal request passes the review, YouTube removes the allegedly infringing content to comply with applicable copyright law.
If the removal request is missing information or if more detail is needed, YouTube will reach out to the claimant (the person who submitted the removal request) for more information. For example, claimants may be asked to:
- Provide a more specific title of the copyrighted work
- Submit evidence of authorization to act on behalf of the copyright owner, if applicable
- Confirm whether copyright exceptions, such as fair use or fair dealing, have been considered.
Until we’ve received the required information, the content in question may remain on YouTube.
If content is removed
If the removal request is processed, the content is removed from YouTube and a copyright strike is applied to the uploader’s channel. The uploader has 3 options to resolve a copyright strike.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Copyright removal requests are reviewed using a combination of automated systems and human reviewers.
Our automated systems use machine learning to process copyright removal requests. The systems are continuously trained on data from previous decisions made by human reviewers, and only process removal requests when there’s a high degree of confidence that the request has all the legally required elements and isn’t abusive. Abusive requests are when someone is intentionally and maliciously attempting to remove content from YouTube through a likely false assertion of copyright ownership.
When our automated systems are unsure if the removal request is valid (has all the legally required elements and isn’t abusive), then a trained human reviewer evaluates the request. If they need more information to validate the request, then a human reviewer will email the claimant and ask for more information. For example, claimants may be asked to:
- Provide a more specific title for their copyrighted work
- Submit evidence that they’re authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner they’re representing
- Confirm that they’ve considered whether the video could be protected by copyright exceptions, such as fair use or fair dealing
If a claimant doesn’t respond to the email or doesn’t provide the required information, the content in question will remain on YouTube.
Automated systems are used to provide faster and more efficient responses to the high volume of removal requests we receive while maintaining a high level of accuracy.
For example, in 2022, YouTube received copyright removal requests for over 16 million videos. Despite this high volume, using automation to process removal requests that are more likely to be valid enables us to provide faster response times, without sacrificing accuracy. In fact, we see that removals processed by our automated systems are appealed less often than removals processed by human reviewers.
Learn more about how YouTube's systems review content.
Here's how to get a video's URL:
- Find the video in question on YouTube.
- In the address bar at the top, there should be a video URL like this one: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxxxxxxxxx
To submit a copyright request, follow the steps here.
In accordance with applicable copyright law, we require a copyright removal request to be sent for each allegation of copyright infringement.
The easiest way to submit another removal request is to sign in to YouTube and use our webform.
Keep in mind that we offer additional copyright management tools for copyright owners with frequent copyright management needs.If you find your YouTube video on another platform without your permission, you'll have to follow their process for requesting the removal of the video. YouTube can't request the removal for you.
Most sites that permit creators to upload videos rely on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s (DMCA) Safe Harbor. When they get a complete and valid copyright removal request from a copyright owner, they should remove the content. There are some exceptions, but if you're sure the copy of your work doesn't qualify for a copyright exception, like fair use or fair dealing, you can request its removal.
To understand what you need to include in a copyright removal request, review the requirements of a DMCA takedown notice.
Sites that rely on the DMCA must have contact information for a designated DMCA agent listed with the US Copyright Office and on their website. If you find your video on one of these sites without your permission, you can send your copyright removal request to the appropriate email address below. If the site you're looking for isn't listed below, you can also check the US Copyright Office's DMCA agent database.
Dailymotion: [email protected]
Instagram: [email protected]
Facebook: [email protected]
TikTok: [email protected]
Twitter: [email protected]
Vimeo: [email protected]