Copyright strike basics

This content is about copyright strikes. If you're looking for information about Community Guidelines strikes, which are different than copyright strikes, go to our Community Guideline strikes basics.

If you get a copyright strike, that means your video has been taken down from YouTube because a copyright owner sent us a complete and valid legal request asking us to do so. When a copyright owner formally notifies us that you don’t have their permission to post their content on the site, we take down your upload to comply with copyright law.

Keep in mind that videos can be removed from the site for different reasons, not all of which are copyright-related. Also, Content ID claims don't result in a strike.

Deleting a video with a strike won’t resolve your strike. Click below to see how to resolve a copyright strike.

What happens when you get a copyright strike

We all make mistakes. When you get a copyright strike, it acts as a warning. However, copyright strikes may affect your ability to monetize. In addition, if your live stream or archived live stream is removed for copyright, your access to live streaming will be restricted for 90 days.

If you receive three copyright strikes:

  • Your account, along with any associated channels, is subject to termination.
  • All the videos uploaded to your account will be removed.
  • You won't be able to create new channels.
How to get information about your strike
  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. From the left menu, select Videos.
  3. Click on Copyright claim next to the respective video under the Monetization column, if available. Otherwise, you’ll see this option the Visibility column.
  4. Click on View Copyright claim details.

Creator Studio Classic instructions

  1. Sign in to YouTube.
  2. In the top right, click your account icon.
  3. Click Creator Studio.
  4. On the left, click Video manager.
  5. Select Copyright notices.
  6. Click Copyright strike next to a video to learn more about the removal.
How to resolve a copyright strike

There are three ways to resolve a copyright strike:

  1. Wait for it to expire: Copyright strikes expire after 90 days, as long as you complete Copyright School.
  2. Get a retraction: You can contact the person who claimed your video and ask them to retract their claim of copyright infringement.
  3. Submit a counter notification: If your video was mistakenly removed because it was misidentified as infringing, or qualifies as a potential fair use, you may wish to submit a counter notification.

 

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