# Copyright Takedown on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook > Someone in Malaysia reposted your video or photo? You do not need a US DMCA letter. Use each platform's copyright form, with proof and one link per post. - URL: https://www.awarexone.com/research/copyright-takedown-dmca-instagram-tiktok-facebook - Author: Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon, Founder & CEO, AwareXone - Published: 2026-10-05 - Topics: Instagram, Content removal, Malaysia - Related service: Content removal: https://www.awarexone.com/social-media-recovery/social-media-content-removal ## Short answer If someone posted your original photo or video without permission, file a copyright report with the platform: Meta's copyright form for Instagram, Threads and Facebook, or TikTok's in-app report or Copyright Infringement Report form. Only the owner or an authorised agent may file. Give one link per copied post and proof of your original. The platform decides. ## Summary - A DMCA takedown is the US name for a copyright report, and in Malaysia you simply use each platform's own copyright form or in-app report. - Only the copyright owner or someone they have authorised, such as a lawyer or agent, may file, and a claim over someone else's work is misuse. - Before you file, save the link to every copied post, the link or file of your original, and screenshots with the date and URL showing. - Meta and TikTok may pass your name, email and report details to the uploader, so use a business email and keep the tone factual. - False or exaggerated claims can get your own account terminated and may create legal liability, so never file against criticism, ideas or work you do not own. - The platform decides every report and nobody can promise a removal, so ignore anyone selling guaranteed takedowns or asking for your login. You made the video, edited it and posted it. Now another account has it, sometimes with your watermark cropped off, collecting the views and the comments. You search "how to file DMCA on Instagram" and find a wall of US legal language. The short answer: you do not need a US lawyer or a separate DMCA letter. Instagram, Facebook, Threads and TikTok each have their own copyright report, and that is the route Malaysian creators use. You file it as the owner, with a link to every copied post and proof that the original is yours. This guide covers who may file, the evidence to gather, the steps on each platform, what the uploader learns about you, and why false claims backfire. It is general information, not legal advice. Last checked: 5 October 2026. ## How Do You File a Copyright Takedown on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook? Use the platform's own copyright report. For Instagram and Threads, Meta's [copyright report form](https://www.instagram.com/help/ipreporting/report/copyright/) is linked from the [Instagram copyright help page](https://help.instagram.com/126382350847838). For Facebook, use Meta's [Facebook copyright form](https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/copyrightform). For TikTok, report the video in the app under the intellectual property option, or use TikTok's [copyright infringement web form](https://www.tiktok.com/legal/report/Copyright). Only the copyright owner or their authorised representative may file. Give the exact link to each copied post and describe your original. The platform makes the decision; nobody outside it can remove content for you. ## DMCA, Copyright Report, Takedown: What the Words Mean Here DMCA is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a United States law setting out how a copyright owner asks a website to remove infringing material and how the uploader can push back. The term stuck worldwide, but a Malaysian creator does not need to invoke it. Both Meta and TikTok build their copyright forms around the DMCA "or similar laws in other countries", in the words of [TikTok's Intellectual Property Policy](https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/global/copyright-policy/en). Filling in the platform's form is the takedown. At home, Malaysian copyright comes from the Copyright Act 1987. [MyIPO's copyright basics page](https://www.myipo.gov.my/copyright-basic/) sets two conditions: enough effort went into making the work original, and it has been recorded or reduced to material form, as a video on your phone is. No registration is needed; section 26A of the Act offers only an optional voluntary notification to MyIPO, which can help as evidence. ## First Check: Is This Really a Copyright Problem? A copyright report protects a specific work you created, not everything that feels like theft. [Facebook's intellectual property page](https://www.facebook.com/help/intellectual_property) says copyright does not protect facts and ideas, or names, titles and slogans, which trademark may cover instead. MyIPO says the same about ideas, procedures and methods. *Matching a copied post to the right report, based on Meta, TikTok and MyIPO guidance at the time of writing.* | What happened | Right route | Copyright report? | | --- | --- | --- | | Another account reposted your photo or video, unchanged or lightly edited | Copyright report for each copied post | Yes, if you made it or own the rights | | An account pretends to be you or your business | Impersonation report for the account | Only for the posts that copy your work | | A shop uses your brand name or logo | Trademark report (see our [trademark report guide](https://www.awarexone.com/research/trademark-report-fake-brand-account)) | No, unless they also copied your photos | | Someone copied your idea, format or recipe but made their own video | Usually none; ideas are not protected by copyright | No | | A video criticises, reviews or parodies your work with clips | May be fair dealing under Malaysian law; think twice and consider legal advice | Often not | | A video you appear in, but someone else filmed | Privacy or harassment report if it harms you | No, the copyright usually sits with whoever made it | Section 13(2) of the [Copyright Act 1987](https://www.myipo.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Copyright-Act-1987-Act-332.pdf) allows fair dealing for research, private study, criticism, review or news reporting, with an acknowledgement, and also parody, pastiche or caricature. Someone reviewing or mocking your video is not automatically infringing. If the real problem is harassment, use a harassment report. ## Evidence Checklist Before You File Copied posts vanish and accounts get renamed once reports start. Save everything first. - The direct link (URL) to every copied post. Meta asks for web addresses that lead directly to the content. - A screenshot of each copied post with the date, the username and the URL visible. - The link to your original post, and its posting date. - The original file: the raw video, the uncropped photo or the project file. File details such as the creation date help show it started with you. - Anything showing deliberate copying: a cropped watermark, your caption pasted word for word, your face or voice in the video. - If someone files for you, a short written authorisation from you naming them as your representative. - A business or professional email address you are comfortable sharing with the uploader. - A log of each report: platform, date, the link reported and the report number you receive. For a single TikTok reupload, see [getting a reuploaded TikTok removed](https://www.awarexone.com/research/remove-tiktok-video-reupload-of-my-content). ## Instagram and Threads: Meta's Copyright Form Instagram and Threads share one process. The [Instagram copyright report page](https://help.instagram.com/277982542336146) lists the online form, Brand Rights Protection for rights holders with access to it, and the DMCA designated agent. 1. Open Meta's copyright report form from the Instagram copyright help page and confirm you are the rights owner or reporting on their behalf. 2. Give your contact details. Meta will share the rights owner's name and your email with the uploader, so choose a business address. 3. Describe your original work and add a link to it where you can. 4. Paste the direct link to each infringing post rather than a link to the profile, so the team can find exactly what copies your work. 5. Explain briefly how the post copies your work, then read the declaration before you submit it. 6. Save the automated email with your unique report number. Meta's page on [what happens after you report](https://help.instagram.com/746718085394495) says to keep that number and to reply directly if the team asks for more information. The declaration is a legal statement: under penalty of perjury, you confirm you are the owner or authorised to act for them, and that you believe in good faith the use is not authorised by the owner or the law. ## Facebook: The Same Meta Process Facebook uses the same approach. Its page on [reporting copyright infringement](https://www.facebook.com/help/325058084212425) repeats that only the copyright owner or their authorised representative may file, and that Meta regularly shares the rights owner's name, your email and the report details with the person who posted the content. Meta's list of [what a copyright report must include](https://www.facebook.com/help/231463960277847) is the clearest checklist of the three platforms: - Your complete contact information: full name, postal address and phone number. - A description of the copyrighted work you say has been infringed. - A description of the content on Facebook that you say infringes it. - Information that lets Meta find it, ideally URLs leading directly to the content. - The good faith, accuracy and authority declaration described above. - Your electronic or physical signature. ## TikTok: In-App Report or the Copyright Web Form TikTok's [Intellectual Property Policy](https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/global/copyright-policy/en) says you can file a Copyright Infringement Report in the app or through its online form. In the app, open the copied video, tap Share, tap "Report" and choose the intellectual property option; at the time of writing it sits under "Counterfeits and intellectual property", though labels vary by app version and region. For several copied videos, the [web form](https://www.tiktok.com/legal/report/Copyright) is easier with your saved links. TikTok's policy adds: - Missing information may get the report denied, and TikTok may contact you with questions. - On the web form you can ask TikTok to prevent future copies. If the video is removed, TikTok says it will use its best efforts to stop it reappearing. - TikTok encourages contacting the user first. With a hostile account, file directly instead. TikTok also says it bans, in appropriate circumstances, users who repeatedly infringe copyright. Meta's help centres describe similar consequences for repeat infringers. ## What the Uploader Sees, and What Happens Next A copyright report is not anonymous. Meta's page on [what happens after a copyright report](https://help.instagram.com/746718085394495) says it regularly gives the person who posted the content the report number, the rights owner's name, the email address you provided, the details of the report and instructions on how to appeal. TikTok's policy says it may tell the user the name of the copyright owner. > Note: **If the uploader knows you personally.** If the person behind the account has harassed or threatened you, think before you file. An authorised representative can file in the owner's name, and a business email keeps your personal inbox out of it. If you feel unsafe, contact the police first. The uploader can push back with an appeal or, under the DMCA, a counter-notification. TikTok says it may forward the appeal to you, including the uploader's contact details, and may reinstate the content if it does not infringe or if the claimant does not seek a court order to keep it down. At that point it is a legal dispute, and a lawyer is the right next step. If your own post was the one removed, read [what to do when Instagram removes your post for copyright](https://www.awarexone.com/research/instagram-post-removed-copyright) instead. ## False Claims Are Misuse, and They Can Backfire A copyright report is a legal claim, not a general complaint button. Instagram's page on [what to consider before reporting](https://help.instagram.com/1624041234305603) calls it a serious matter with potential legal consequences, and says intentionally misleading or fraudulent reports may lead Meta to take action, including terminating your account. For copyright, it adds possible liability for damages under section 512(f) of the DMCA or similar laws elsewhere. TikTok's web form says misuse, such as submitting false information, may lead to suspension of the form or other legal consequences. > Warning: **Never file a claim you cannot stand behind.** Only the rights holder or their authorised agent may file. Do not report a post to silence criticism, win an argument or hurt a competitor. Do not ask friends or followers to file for your work, because they are not the owner. Do not exaggerate what was copied. Each of these is misuse of the process and puts your own account at risk. Ownership can also be less obvious than it looks. MyIPO says the copyright owner can be the author or any person with a legal interest in the work. If a client commissioned the video, or you made it as part of your job, check your contract before you file, and ask a lawyer if you are unsure. ## Takedown Sellers and Fake Copyright Notices Two scams sit around this topic. The first is the paid takedown: a stranger offers to remove any post or ban any account. They cannot do more than the free forms above, some file false claims in your name, and some ask for your login so they can take your account too. Nobody outside the platform can promise a removal. The second runs the other way: fake "copyright violation" messages dressed as Meta or TikTok, linking to a lookalike appeal page that collects your password and codes. Our guide to [spotting a fake copyright violation message](https://www.awarexone.com/research/fake-copyright-violation-message) shows what to check. Filing a copyright report never needs your password, a login code or a backup code, and nobody legitimately helping you will ask for one. ## Malaysian Routes Beyond the Platform When the copying is commercial or large scale, Malaysian law offers more than a platform report. This is general information, not legal advice. - Civil action: MyIPO says a copyright owner can sue, and the court may order statutory damages, an account of profits, an injunction, damages or other orders. A lawyer is the starting point. - Criminal complaint: MyIPO says infringement can be reported to the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Enforcement Division or the Royal Malaysia Police. [MCMC's complaint page](https://www.mcmc.gov.my/en/make-a-complaint/make-a-complaint) also lists copyright and trademark infringement under the Copyright Act 1987 as a matter for KPDN, not MCMC. - Scams using your content: anyone who paid a copycat should call their bank or the National Scam Response Centre on 997, then make a police report. ## What the Platforms Can and Cannot Do When a report succeeds, the platform removes the specific post and may act against a repeat infringer's account. TikTok's policy says it is not in a position to adjudicate disputes between third parties and may not be able to remove the content or suspend the account reported. Reports can be declined where the use may be permitted or the evidence is thin, and a removed video can return from a new account. If it does, file again with the new link. ## When a Case Review Makes Sense Most creators can file these reports alone. A second opinion helps when copies keep returning across platforms, when copied content is used to scam your customers, when a client or employer muddies ownership, or when an uploader has counter-notified. SocialSafe by AwareXone, our recovery and digital identity service, reviews the case first and tells you honestly whether the free forms are enough. We file only rights-based reports through official channels, only for work the client owns or is authorised to act for, and we never ask for your password or login codes. You can read how our [content removal service](https://www.awarexone.com/social-media-recovery/social-media-content-removal) works, and our [Trust Center](https://www.awarexone.com/trust) sets out what we will and will not do. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Do I need to register my video with MyIPO before I can report it? No. Under the Copyright Act 1987, copyright exists once an original work is recorded in material form. MyIPO's voluntary notification is optional, though it can help as evidence in a dispute. ### Can I file a copyright report for a friend's stolen video? No. Meta and TikTok accept reports only from the copyright owner or someone the owner has authorised, such as a lawyer or agent. Tell your friend so they can file it themselves. ### They reposted my video but credited me. Can I still report it? Usually yes, because credit is not the same as permission. If the post is commentary, review or parody, it may count as fair dealing, so consider whether the use is permitted before you file. ### Can I report a whole account that keeps stealing my content? Copyright reports work best one post at a time, with a direct link to each. If the account also pretends to be you, add an impersonation report for the account itself. ### How long does a copyright report take? Neither Meta nor TikTok publishes a fixed review time. Keep your report number, reply promptly if the platform asks for more information, and check your email while you wait. ## Official sources - [Instagram Help Center: Copyright (read 5 October 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/126382350847838) - [Instagram Help Center: Report copyright infringement on Instagram or Threads (read 5 October 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/277982542336146) - [Instagram Help Center: What to consider before submitting an intellectual property infringement report (read 5 October 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/1624041234305603) - [Instagram Help Center: What happens when you submit a copyright report (read 5 October 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/746718085394495) - [Facebook Help Center: Intellectual Property (read 5 October 2026)](https://www.facebook.com/help/intellectual_property) - [Facebook Help Center: How do I report copyright infringement on Facebook? (read 5 October 2026)](https://www.facebook.com/help/325058084212425) - [Facebook Help Center: What information you need to include in a copyright report to Meta (read 5 October 2026)](https://www.facebook.com/help/231463960277847) - [TikTok: Intellectual Property Policy (read 5 October 2026)](https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/global/copyright-policy/en) - [TikTok: Report copyright infringement web form (read 5 October 2026)](https://www.tiktok.com/legal/report/Copyright) - [MyIPO: Copyright Basic (read 5 October 2026)](https://www.myipo.gov.my/copyright-basic/) - [MyIPO: Copyright Act 1987 (Act 332) (read 5 October 2026)](https://www.myipo.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Copyright-Act-1987-Act-332.pdf) - [MCMC: Make a complaint (read 5 October 2026)](https://www.mcmc.gov.my/en/make-a-complaint/make-a-complaint) --- AwareXone is an independent Malaysia-based provider, not affiliated with any platform. The platform makes the final decision on every account. 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