Understand copyright strikes

Copyright strikes are different from Community Guideline strikes and Content ID claims.

If you get a copyright strike, it means your content was removed due to a legal copyright removal request. These requests are reviewed and, if they appear to be valid, we have to remove the content to comply with copyright law.

Copyright strikes expire in 90 days if you complete Copyright School and your channel has fewer than 3 copyright strikes. You can also resolve them by getting a retraction or submitting a counter notification. Channels that get 3 copyright strikes in 90 days are subject to termination.

Understanding Copyright Strikes

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What happens when you get a copyright strike

When your channel gets a copyright strike, we’ll email you and explain why. We'll also explain how to resolve the copyright strike. Official notifications come from no-reply@youtube.com.

Here’s what happens to your channel:

1 copyright strike:

  • We remove the content from YouTube.
  • You can complete Copyright School to have the strike expire in 90 days, otherwise it will remain active on your channel.

2 copyright strikes:

  • Same steps as above.
  • If Copyright School was completed, the strike will expire in 90 days, otherwise it will remain active on your channel.

3 copyright strikes:

  • If your channel has 3 active copyright strikes, or if any channels linked to yours have 3 active copyright strikes, your channel is subject to termination.
  • If your channel is terminated, content uploaded to your channel will be inaccessible.
  • You can’t create new YouTube channels.
Note:
  • Content can be removed from the site for reasons other than copyright.
  • Videos can only have 1 copyright strike at a time.

Resolve a copyright strike

There are 3 ways to resolve a copyright strike:

Note: If the copyright removal request was scheduled, it means you have 7 days to delete your content and avoid the copyright strike. To see if you have this option, check the copyright strike email sent from no-reply@youtube.com. In all other cases, deleting a video doesn’t resolve a copyright strike.

Get info about a copyright strike

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. On the Dashboard  look under Active copyright strikes for info about copyright strikes.

or

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. From the left menu, click Content .
  3. Click the filter bar and then Copyright.
  4. In the Visibility column, find a video with “Removed” status.
  5. In the Restrictions column, hover over Copyright.
  6. Click See details.
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.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What is Copyright School?
Copyright School consists of 4 questions about how copyright works on YouTube.
Do I need to complete Copyright School to clear a copyright strike?
Yes, to clear active copyright strikes on your channel, you’ll need to complete Copyright School. After completing, your strike will clear 90 days from the day it was applied to your channel. You only have to complete Copyright School once.
Can live streams get copyright strikes?
Yes, if your active live stream is removed for copyright, your channel will get a copyright strike and your live streaming access will be restricted for 7 days. If your channel gets another copyright strike, the live stream restriction will last 14 days.
I got a claim on my video, does that mean I’ll get a copyright strike?
Content ID claims are different from copyright strikes. If you get a Content ID claim on your video, it typically doesn't result in a copyright strike.
However, if you dispute a Content ID claim without a valid reason, the copyright owner has the option to submit a copyright removal request for your content. If the copyright removal request appears valid, your content would be removed from YouTube and your channel would get a copyright strike.
What happens if a channel that's linked to mine gets a copyright strike?
If a channel linked to yours has 3 active copyright strikes, your channel is also subject to termination.
Similarly, if your channel has 3 active copyright strikes, other channels linked to yours are subject to termination.

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