Is a YouTube Copyright Claim Giving You a Headache? The Answer Is Here!

A copyright claim is a way for copyright holders to exercise their rights and stop copyright infringement. Under copyright laws, such claims can be formalized through a lawsuit or a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notice.

If someone is using your original content in their YouTube videos, you can choose to act by submitting a copyright claim—also called Content ID claim—or a copyright takedown notice.

YouTube Copyright Dispute Options

If you’re not sure how copyright works on YouTube, you should know that several options exist for claiming copyright infringement, with varying severity levels. The following table points out the biggest differences between available methods:

Those who regularly post videos on YouTube or suspect copyright infringement could benefit from learning more about how to copyright their work officially, how long copyright lasts, and how valid copyright notices are in reality.

What To Do if a Copyright Owner Using Content ID Claimed Some Material in Your Video

Content ID claims on YouTube are usually not a big deal. While in some cases content owners can mark videos containing their work for blocking or removal, most often they want to collect statistical data, monetize the video by collecting ad revenue or restrict its availability in certain areas.

If your video gets a Content ID claim, you can choose between the following courses of action, depending on the circumstances:

• Dispute the claim
• Trim out the infringing content
• Swap the music that is causing the infringement for content from YouTube’s Audio Library
• Remove the questionable content
• Share revenue (applicable for members of the YouTube Partner Program)
• Leave it as it is (good for situations when you agree with the claim and don’t find the repercussions too serious)

What if I Own Content on YouTube and It Gets a Copyright Notice?

Your content on YouTube might get a copyright notice or a Content ID claim even when there’s no case of infringement. The Content ID system is not perfect and doesn’t recognize whether you have a license for the music used in your video or not. It may mark your videos by mistake.

While the users who have access to making manual claims should abstain from abuse, some might try to fool the system and falsely claim ownership. According to YouTube Help, such behavior may result in liability and termination of the partnership.

If you get a copyright claim on YouTube that you don’t agree with or find unjustified, you can dispute it.

How To Dispute a Copyright Claim on YouTube

Before disputing a Content ID claim, you should make sure that you have enough proof to back up your statement and familiarize yourself with what fair use and public domain encompass.

Once you’re ready, follow these steps to dispute a copyright claim:

1. Open YouTube Studio and log in if required
2. Click on Videos in the left sidebar
3. Hover above Copyright claim in the Restrictions section next to the video
4. Hit See details and then Select action in the pop-up window
5. Choose Dispute
6. Follow the rest of the on-screen instructions

To ensure a successful resolution, check out this table of valid and invalid dispute reasons:

What Happens After Disputing a Copyright Claim?

Once you click on Submit, the alleged copyright owner has 30 days to review it and respond to your dispute. They can choose one of the following actions as a response:

• Submit a copyright takedown request
• Uphold the claim
• Release the claim
• Do nothing

If they uphold the claim, you will have a chance to appeal it, depending on your account’s age and verification status. If the owner doesn’t act on your dispute, the copyright claim will expire automatically.

Which Videos Won’t Get Copyright Claimed?

While it’s impossible to predict whether your content will get flagged manually or by the Content ID system, there is a lot you can do to minimize copyright infringement claims or increase your chances of success if you dispute them:

1. Avoid copyrighted material and use licensing services or royalty-free music sites
2. Remove the copyrighted content using YouTube’s tools or reupload an edited video
3. Contact Creator Support, ask for help in the Help Community, or tweet @teamyoutube
4. Post your videos as private at first to deal with possible Content ID claims before the videos go public
5. Save all obtained licenses or copyright registration certificates for the used content

File a DMCA Notice With DoNotPay if Your Copyrights Get Abused

If you run into a video that uses your original work and want to make them stop, you won’t have to rely on YouTube’s automated system for copyright claims. DoNotPay allows you to create and send well-written and highly efficient copyright takedown notices under the DMCA protection.

When faced with copyright infringement, many people hire expensive lawyers or attempt to familiarize themselves with copyright law requirements and terminology. Methods like these will cost you a lot of time and hundreds of dollars, while using our service requires just these few steps:

1. Create your DoNotPay account in any web browser
2. Select DMCA Takedown after you log in
3. Provide basic info about your original content and links to relevant websites
4. Check your contact details and confirm your identity
5. Hit Sign and Submit

DoNotPay will ensure the protection of your copyrights even if you haven’t registered your creative work with the United States Copyright Office or don’t own other proof of ownership.

Don’t Stop With Copyright Protection—Use DoNotPay for More!

DoNotPay carries the name of the world’s first AI Consumer Champion. Copyright infringement is one of our specialties, but we can help you with so much more.

Our service was built around the protection of consumer rights, and it provides shortcuts for various administrative troubles, whether you’re having issues with parking tickets or securing refunds for purchases that went wrong.

You can access all of our features from any web browser and make your life easier right away. The list of DoNotPay solutions to various bureaucratic issues includes:

• Stopping text spam
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