Understand copyright strikes

Account & Service Control · Company commitment

YouTube emails you about a strike, why it happened and how to resolve it

When your channel gets a copyright strike, YouTube says it will email you, explain why, and explain how to resolve the strike. YouTube states that official notifications come from no-reply@youtube.com.

Supporting quotations

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.

Not stated here

• The page does not say how quickly the email is sent.

Account & Service Control · User right or choice

A strike stays active unless you complete Copyright School; then it expires 90 days after it was applied

A copyright strike does not simply wear off. If you complete Copyright School, the strike expires 90 days from the day it was applied to your channel; otherwise it remains active on your channel. The opening summary adds a condition: strikes expire this way when your channel has fewer than 3 copyright strikes. The FAQ says you only have to complete Copyright School once.

Supporting quotations

Copyright strikes expire in 90 days if you complete Copyright School and your channel has fewer than 3 copyright strikes.

to have the strike expire in 90 days, otherwise it will remain active on your channel.

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

Complete Copyright School and wait 90 days: Copyright strikes expire after 90 days if Copyright School is completed.

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.

Qualifications & exceptions

• The 90 days run from the day the strike was applied to your channel, not from the day you complete Copyright School.
• Expiry through Copyright School applies when the channel has fewer than 3 copyright strikes.
• Without Copyright School, the strike remains active.

Not stated here

• The page does not say what happens if Copyright School is completed more than 90 days after a strike was applied.
• The page does not say whether completing Copyright School once covers strikes received later.

Cross-references

• qualifies (model-proposed): Three strikes make your account and associated channels subject to termination — Whether a strike still counts toward the 3-strike termination threshold depends on whether it has expired through Copyright School or remains active.

Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception

Three strikes make your account and associated channels subject to termination

With 3 copyright strikes, your account, along with any associated channels, is subject to termination. "Subject to termination" means termination can happen; the page does not say it is automatic. The opening summary describes this as 3 strikes in 90 days, while the strike list and FAQ describe 3 strikes or 3 active strikes; because strikes can stay active without Copyright School, these descriptions are not identical. The same 3-strike list says you can't create new YouTube channels. A channel linked to one with 3 active strikes is also subject to termination.

Supporting quotations

Channels that get 3 copyright strikes in 90 days are subject to termination.

3 copyright strikes:

Your account, along with any associated channels, is subject to termination.

You can’t create new YouTube channels.

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

Qualifications & exceptions

• Termination is possible ("subject to termination"), not stated as automatic.
• The summary counts 3 strikes in 90 days; the FAQ counts 3 active strikes.
• Linked channels share the termination risk.

Not stated here

• The page does not say whether the bar on creating new channels starts at the third strike or only after termination, or how long it lasts.
• The page does not define "associated" or "linked" channels.

Cross-references

• contrast (model-proposed): Three active strikes on one channel put linked channels at risk of termination too — The opening summary ties termination to 3 strikes received in 90 days, while the FAQ ties it to 3 active strikes. Because a strike stays active unless Copyright School is completed, 3 active strikes can build up over more than 90 days. The page states both without reconciling them.
• qualified by (model-proposed): A strike stays active unless you complete Copyright School; then it expires 90 days after it was applied — Whether a strike still counts toward the 3-strike termination threshold depends on whether it has expired through Copyright School or remains active.

Account & Service Control · Company practice

If your channel is terminated, its uploads become inaccessible; reinstatement options are in YouTube Studio

If your channel is terminated, content uploaded to it becomes inaccessible. You can still log into YouTube Studio to see the options you have to reinstate your channel.

Supporting quotations

If your channel is terminated, content uploaded to your channel will be inaccessible.

You will be able to log into YouTube Studio to see the options you have to reinstate your channel.

Not stated here

• The reinstatement options themselves are not described on this page.

Account & Service Control · Procedure

YouTube Studio shows active strikes, their impact and the claimant; the email is the fallback

You can see your active copyright strikes on the YouTube Studio Dashboard, or find a removed video through the Content page's Copyright filter and open its details. The overview shows the strike's impact on your video and channel, its current status and the content used. The details show the claimant's name and where the claimant's content appears in your video, including an infringing audio track if the strike was issued against one. If you can't access your channel, the removal email from no-reply@youtube.com has the strike information.

Details not recorded for this card

Supporting quotations

look under Active copyright strikes for info about copyright strikes.

On the overview page, you can see the impact of the copyright strike on your video and channel, the current status and content used.

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.

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.

Account & Service Control · Procedure

Copyright School is a 4-question course you must complete once to clear active strikes

Copyright School consists of 4 questions about how copyright works on YouTube. To clear active copyright strikes on your channel you need to complete it; after you do, a strike clears 90 days from the day it was applied to your channel. You only have to complete Copyright School once. The opening summary limits this route to channels with fewer than 3 copyright strikes.

Supporting quotations

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.

Copyright strikes expire in 90 days if you complete Copyright School and your channel has fewer than 3 copyright strikes.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Clearing runs 90 days from the day the strike was applied, not from completion.
• Applies when the channel has fewer than 3 copyright strikes.

Not stated here

• The Copyright School course itself is on a linked page that is not supplied.
• The page does not say whether one completion also covers strikes received after it.

Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception

A live stream removed for copyright brings a strike and a 7-day live streaming restriction

If your active live stream is removed for copyright, your channel gets a copyright strike and your live streaming access is restricted for 7 days. If your channel gets another copyright strike, the live stream restriction lasts 14 days.

Supporting quotations

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.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Applies to an active live stream removed for copyright.
• A further strike extends the restriction to 14 days.

Not stated here

• The page does not say whether "another copyright strike" must also come from a live stream.
• The page does not say when the restriction period starts.

Cross-references

• qualifies (model-proposed): At one or two strikes, YouTube removes the struck content — For a live stream removed for copyright, the strike also restricts live streaming for 7 days (14 days after another strike), beyond the content removal listed by strike count.

Account & Service Control · Restriction or exception

Three active strikes on one channel put linked channels at risk of termination too

If a channel linked to yours has 3 active copyright strikes, your channel is also subject to termination. The rule works both ways: if your channel has 3 active copyright strikes, other channels linked to yours are subject to termination. "Subject to termination" means termination can happen; the page does not say it is automatic.

Supporting quotations

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.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Counts active strikes; strikes stay active unless cleared.
• Termination is possible, not stated as automatic.

Not stated here

• The page does not define when channels count as linked.

Cross-references

• contrast (model-proposed): Three strikes make your account and associated channels subject to termination — The opening summary ties termination to 3 strikes received in 90 days, while the FAQ ties it to 3 active strikes. Because a strike stays active unless Copyright School is completed, 3 active strikes can build up over more than 90 days. The page states both without reconciling them.