Submit a copyright removal request
If your copyrighted content is on YouTube without your permission, you can submit a copyright removal request, which is a legal process. For videos, you can submit in YouTube Studio or by email, fax, or mail. For non-video content, such as channel banner images, submit by email, fax, or mail.
What to know before you submit:
Do not submit false information. Misuse of our processes, such as submitting fraudulent documentation, may result in the termination of your account or other legal consequences.
Submit in YouTube Studio
Copyright removal requests for videos can be submitted directly in YouTube Studio:
Submit a copyright removal request
To get to this form in YouTube Studio:
Submit by email, fax, or mail
Copyright removal requests for video as well as non-video content, such as channel banner images, can be submitted by email, fax, or mail.
Send all the required information below (expand each section for details) in the body of an email (not as an attachment) to copyright@youtube.com or send it by fax or mail:
YouTube and the uploader of the content you’re asking to remove may need to get in touch with you about your request. In your request, include one or more of the following:
Clearly and completely describe the copyrighted content you’re trying to protect.
If you believe more than one of your copyrighted works have been infringed, you may alternatively supply a representative list of these works in your request.
Copyright removal requests must include direct links to the allegedly infringing content. Links must be sent in a specific URL format, depending on the type of content:
www.youtube.com/channel/UCxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
OR
www.youtube.com/user/xxxxxxxxx
Effects (Shorts)
www.youtube.com/effect/xxxxxxxxxx
Keep in mind: Videos that have already used the Effect aren’t affected by the removal of the Effect.
Also include the channel URL:
www.youtube.com/channel/UCxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
OR
www.youtube.com/user/xxxxxxxxx
Also include the playlist URL:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
For expedited removal of profile pictures, copyright removal requests for profile pictures may be submitted through Google’s form.
Also include the channel URL:
www.youtube.com/channel/UCxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
OR
www.youtube.com/user/xxxxxxxxx
Agree to and include the following 2 legally required statements:
"I have a good faith belief that the use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law."
"The information in this notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, I am the owner, or an agent authorized to act on behalf of the owner, of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed."
Complete and valid copyright removal requests require the physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a representative authorized to act on their behalf.
To meet this requirement, the copyright owner or authorized representative should enter their full legal name as their signature at the bottom of the copyright removal request. A full legal name should be a first and last name, not a company name.
Copyright Operations
YouTube (Google LLC)
901 Cherry Ave.
San Bruno, CA 94066
USA
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
After a copyright removal request is submitted, we review it to make sure it has the information required by copyright law and appears valid. If the request passes the review, we remove the content to comply with copyright law.
If the copyright removal request is missing information or if more details are needed, we reach out to the claimant (the person who submitted the removal request). For example, claimants may be asked to:
Until we have all the required information, the content in question may stay up on YouTube during this process.
To comply with copyright law, a copyright removal request must be sent for each allegation of copyright infringement.
To view the copyright removal requests you’ve submitted to YouTube:
The uploader of the allegedly infringing video can request a copy of your removal request with the following information:
If you don’t have access to your channel, you can find info about your copyright strike in the email YouTube sent (from no-reply@youtube.com) to notify you that your content was removed.
