Understand copyright strikes

Copyright strikes are different from Community Guideline strikes and copyright claims.

• A copyright strike means your content was removed after a legal copyright removal request Content & IP Rights

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.

• A copyright strike means your content was removed after a legal copyright removal request Content & IP Rights

Copyright strikes expire in 90 days if you complete [Copyright School](https://www.youtube.com/copyright_school) and your channel has fewer than 3 copyright strikes. You can also resolve them by getting a retraction or submitting enough valid counter notification. Channels that get 3 copyright strikes in 90 days are subject to termination.

• A strike stays active unless you complete Copyright School; then it expires 90 days after it was applied Account & Service Control
• Three strikes make your account and associated channels subject to termination Account & Service Control
• You can resolve a strike by a retraction or a valid counter notification, besides Copyright School Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
• Copyright School is a 4-question course you must complete once to clear active strikes Account & Service Control

Understanding Copyright Strikes

Subscribe to the [YouTube Creators channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkRfArvrzheW2E7b6SVT7vQ) for the latest news, updates, and tips.

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.

• YouTube emails you about a strike, why it happened and how to resolve it Account & Service Control

Here’s what happens to your channel:

• At one or two strikes, YouTube removes the struck content Content & IP Rights

1 copyright strike:

• At one or two strikes, YouTube removes the struck content Content & IP Rights

• We remove the content from YouTube.
• • At one or two strikes, YouTube removes the struck content Content & IP Rights
• You can complete [Copyright School](https://www.youtube.com/copyright_school) to have the strike expire in 90 days, otherwise it will remain active on your channel.
• • A strike stays active unless you complete Copyright School; then it expires 90 days after it was applied Account & Service Control

2 copyright strikes:

• At one or two strikes, YouTube removes the struck content Content & IP Rights

• Same steps as above.
• • At one or two strikes, YouTube removes the struck content Content & IP Rights
• If Copyright School was completed, the strike will expire in 90 days, otherwise it will remain active on your channel.
• • A strike stays active unless you complete Copyright School; then it expires 90 days after it was applied Account & Service Control

3 copyright strikes:

• Three strikes make your account and associated channels subject to termination Account & Service Control

• Your account, along with any associated channels, is subject to termination.
• • Three strikes make your account and associated channels subject to termination Account & Service Control
• If your channel is terminated, content uploaded to your channel will be inaccessible. You will be able to log into [YouTube Studio](https://studio.youtube.com) to see the options you have to reinstate your channel.
• • If your channel is terminated, its uploads become inaccessible; reinstatement options are in YouTube Studio Account & Service Control
• You can’t create new YouTube channels.
• • Three strikes make your account and associated channels subject to termination Account & Service Control

Note:

• Content can be removed from the site for reasons other than copyright.
• • Content can be removed for other reasons, and a video carries at most one copyright strike Content & IP Rights
• Videos can only have 1 copyright strike at a time.
• • Content can be removed for other reasons, and a video carries at most one copyright strike Content & IP Rights

Resolve a copyright strike

There are 3 ways to resolve a copyright strike:

• You can resolve a strike by a retraction or a valid counter notification, besides Copyright School Legal Rights & Agreement Rules

• Complete Copyright School and wait 90 days: Copyright strikes expire after 90 days if [Copyright School](https://www.youtube.com/copyright_school) is completed.
• • A strike stays active unless you complete Copyright School; then it expires 90 days after it was applied Account & Service Control
• Get a retraction: You can get in touch with the person who submitted the copyright removal request and ask them to retract the copyright removal request.
• • You can resolve a strike by a retraction or a valid counter notification, besides Copyright School Legal Rights & Agreement Rules
• Submit a valid counter notification: If you think your content was removed by mistake, or qualifies as a copyright exception, like fair use, you can submit a counter notification.
• • You can resolve a strike by a retraction or a valid counter notification, besides Copyright School Legal Rights & Agreement Rules

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.

• Deleting a video avoids a strike only when the removal request was scheduled, within 7 days Content & IP Rights

Get info about a copyright strike

• Sign in to [YouTube Studio](https://studio.youtube.com).
• On the Dashboard look under Active copyright strikes for info about copyright strikes.
• • YouTube Studio shows active strikes, their impact and the claimant; the email is the fallback Account & Service Control

or

• Sign in to [YouTube Studio](https://studio.youtube.com).
• From the left menu, click Content .
• Click the filter bar Copyright.
• In the Visibility column, find a video with “Removed” status.
• In the Restrictions column, hover over Copyright.
• Click See details.
• On the overview page, you can see the impact of the copyright strike on your video and channel, the current status and content used.
• • YouTube Studio shows active strikes, their impact and the claimant; the email is the fallback Account & Service Control
• Click See details to see the claimant’s name and where in your video the claimant's content appears. If the strike was issued against a specific audio track, you will see this information under Infringing audio track.
• • YouTube Studio shows active strikes, their impact and the claimant; the email is the fallback Account & Service Control

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.

• YouTube Studio shows active strikes, their impact and the claimant; the email is the fallback Account & Service Control

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What is Copyright School?

• Copyright School is a 4-question course you must complete once to clear active strikes Account & Service Control

Copyright School consists of 4 questions about how copyright works on YouTube.

• Copyright School is a 4-question course you must complete once to clear active strikes Account & Service Control

Do I need to complete Copyright School to clear a copyright strike?

• Copyright School is a 4-question course you must complete once to clear active strikes Account & Service Control

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.

• A strike stays active unless you complete Copyright School; then it expires 90 days after it was applied Account & Service Control
• Copyright School is a 4-question course you must complete once to clear active strikes Account & Service Control

Can live streams get copyright strikes?

• A live stream removed for copyright brings a strike and a 7-day live streaming restriction Account & Service Control

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.

• A live stream removed for copyright brings a strike and a 7-day live streaming restriction Account & Service Control

I got a claim on my video, does that mean I’ll get a copyright strike?

• A Content ID claim typically brings no strike, but an unfounded dispute can lead to one Content & IP Rights

[Copyright claims](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6013276) are different from copyright strikes. If you get a Content ID claim on your video, it typically doesn't result in a copyright strike.

• A copyright strike means your content was removed after a legal copyright removal request Content & IP Rights
• A Content ID claim typically brings no strike, but an unfounded dispute can lead to one Content & IP Rights

However, if you [dispute a copyright claim](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2797454) without a valid reason, the copyright owner has the option to [submit a copyright removal request](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2807622) for your content. If the copyright removal request appears [valid](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/13823830#review), your content would be removed from YouTube and your channel would get a copyright strike.

• A copyright strike means your content was removed after a legal copyright removal request Content & IP Rights
• A Content ID claim typically brings no strike, but an unfounded dispute can lead to one Content & IP Rights

What happens if a channel that's linked to mine gets a copyright strike?

• Three active strikes on one channel put linked channels at risk of termination too Account & Service Control

If a channel linked to yours has 3 active copyright strikes, your channel is also subject to termination.

• Three strikes make your account and associated channels subject to termination Account & Service Control
• Three active strikes on one channel put linked channels at risk of termination too Account & Service Control

Similarly, if your channel has 3 active copyright strikes, other channels linked to yours are subject to termination.

• Three active strikes on one channel put linked channels at risk of termination too Account & Service Control