Understand copyright strikes

Content & IP Rights · Company practice

A copyright strike means your content was removed after a legal copyright removal request

A copyright strike means YouTube removed your content because of a legal copyright removal request. YouTube says it reviews these requests and, if a request appears to be valid, it has to remove the content to comply with copyright law. A copyright strike is separate from a Community Guideline strike and from a copyright claim. A Content ID claim typically does not lead to a strike, but if you dispute a claim without a valid reason, the copyright owner can submit a removal request; if that request appears valid, the content is removed and your channel gets a strike.

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Copyright strikes are different from Community Guideline strikes and copyright 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.

If you get a Content ID claim on your video, it typically doesn't result in a copyright strike.

If the copyright removal request appears valid, your content would be removed from YouTube and your channel would get a copyright strike.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Removal follows only requests that appear to be valid after review.
• "Typically" means a Content ID claim usually, not always, avoids a strike.

Not stated here

• The page does not describe who reviews removal requests or the standard used to decide a request appears valid.
• The linked pages on copyright claims, claim disputes and removal requests are not supplied, so their terms are not part of this analysis.

Content & IP Rights · Company practice

At one or two strikes, YouTube removes the struck content

The page lists what happens to your channel by strike count. With 1 copyright strike, YouTube removes the content from YouTube. With 2 copyright strikes, the same steps apply: the content is removed, and each strike follows the same Copyright School rule for expiring or staying active.

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Here’s what happens to your channel:

1 copyright strike:

We remove the content from YouTube.

2 copyright strikes:

Same steps as above.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Expiry depends on Copyright School; see the card on strikes staying active.

Cross-references

• qualified by (model-proposed): A live stream removed for copyright brings a strike and a 7-day live streaming restriction — 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.

Content & IP Rights · Context

Content can be removed for other reasons, and a video carries at most one copyright strike

The page notes that content can be removed from YouTube for reasons other than copyright, so a removal is not always a copyright strike. A video can only have 1 copyright strike at a time.

Details not recorded for this card

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Content can be removed from the site for reasons other than copyright.

Videos can only have 1 copyright strike at a time.

Not stated here

• The other removal reasons are not listed on this page.

Content & IP Rights · Restriction or exception

Deleting a video avoids a strike only when the removal request was scheduled, within 7 days

If the copyright removal request was scheduled, you have 7 days to delete your content and avoid the copyright strike. The copyright strike email from no-reply@youtube.com shows whether you have this option. In all other cases, deleting a video does not resolve a copyright strike.

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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.

Qualifications & exceptions

• Applies only to scheduled removal requests.
• Whether you have this option is shown in the copyright strike email.

Not stated here

• The page does not say when the 7 days start.

Content & IP Rights · Company practice

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

Copyright claims are different from copyright strikes, and a Content ID claim on your video typically does not result in a strike. However, if you dispute a copyright claim without a valid reason, the copyright owner has the option to submit a copyright removal request for your content. If that request appears valid, your content is removed from YouTube and your channel gets a copyright strike.

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

If you get a Content ID claim on your video, it typically doesn't result in a copyright strike.

However, if you dispute a copyright 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.

Qualifications & exceptions

• "Typically" means a claim usually, not always, avoids a strike.
• The copyright owner may, not must, submit a removal request after an unfounded dispute.
• A strike follows only if the removal request appears valid.

Not stated here

• The page does not define a "valid reason" for a dispute; the linked dispute and review pages are not supplied.