How Do I Stop Someone from Using My Content on YouTube?
All of your original content on YouTube has copyright. If anyone infringes your video, you can contact them to take it down. If the other party refuses, report the video by mentioning how it violates the copyright. The last resort can be to issue a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notice.
YouTube allows you to explore your creativity. You can upload original content through videos and music and share it with the world. Millions can view and enjoy your content. However, there may be unfortunate instances when someone uses your content as their own.
When anyone infringes on YouTube's content copyright, the company takes such breaches seriously. The video-sharing platform takes down any infringing video and penalizes the offenders with one strike.
If content creators get three strikes, the company removes the offender and their channel. You can stop infringement of content on YouTube by taking a few steps. Contacting the company also helps to resolve the issue.
Ensure That Your Content Is Completely Original
Start by checking if you 100% own the content. If any part of the video uses another person's content illegally, your claim would be invalid. To establish clear ownership over your videos, verify the entire content, including the images and music you select.
If the entire content within your video does not belong to you, it is almost impossible to successfully pursue a legal claim regarding an infringement of your content. You could avoid this issue if you obtain all necessary permissions and licenses.
Additionally, check if you gave credits to everyone who had a contribution to your content.
Contact the Offender
Directly contact the person or company who is using your content on YouTube. At times, some users may use your content without knowing about its copyrights. A threat of serious actions works in most instances.
Make sure to send an email mentioning the video and the reasons you believe it violates the copyright. Then, the other party is most likely to take down the content immediately.
Flag the YouTube Video
If the other person fails to respond or refuses to take down the content, you can flag that video.
Stop someone from copying content on YouTube by flagging a video in the following steps:
- Select the flag icon below the video.
- Choose the "Infringes my rights" option.
- Now, you can select the problem from the subcategory of issues. It includes options such as "Infringes my copyright" and "Invades my privacy."
- Mention the video's timestamp from where it infringes your copyright.
- Enter additional details regarding the content when prompted.
- You can skip the above step if the complete video violates your copyright.
- Finally, click on the "Submit" option to file the report.
The company reviews the content and the channel within 24 hours of the report's submission. If your complaint proves valid, YouTube removes the video and penalizes the offender.
If you face issues during the process, you can contact customer care.
Issue a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Notice
If the content is on other platforms as well or if the above steps do not work, you can issue a takedown notice through DMCA in the following steps:
- Sign in to your YouTube account.
- Choose "Copyright" from the menu.
- Go to "Making Claims" and scroll to the "Webform" section.
- Click on DMCA web form link and fill in the details to submit.
You may contact customer service if any issue arises.
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