How to Report Copyright Infringement on YouTube

Your track appears under someone else's monetised upload. A reaction channel lifts ten minutes of your footage without a licence. A thumbnail steals your portrait from a paid shoot. Each case may look like a Report menu problem, yet YouTube treats ownership through copyright removal paperwork when you control the work.

The practical route for a straight repost is YouTube's copyright removal request, not the generic flag menu alone. That legal process is how rights owners ask Google to remove uploaded video when someone else copied their work.

This guide explains when copyright fits, what to gather before you file, how Studio and email differ, what Google may share with the uploader, and what to do if the thief keeps re-uploading. It is general information, not legal advice.

Last checked: 9 November 2026.

#Quick Answer

Open YouTube Studio, go to Content detection, and start a new removal request, or email copyright@youtube.com with the same facts in the message body. List each infringing video as a full watch?v= link, describe the work you own, include contact details, and add the two legal statements Google's copyright removal page requires, plus your signature. Consider whether fair use or a licence might apply, because a weak claim can be rejected or create legal risk for you.

#Is a Repost a Copyright Problem or Something Else?

Match the harm to the route.

#What Must You Include in a Copyright Removal Request?

YouTube's removal request page lists required fields. In practice, gather these before you start:

1. Your contact email, physical address and telephone number.
2. A complete description of the copyrighted work, including title and where you first published it.
3. A direct watch link for every infringing upload, in the format www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxxxxxxxxx.
4. The statement that you have a good faith belief the use is not authorized.
5. The statement that the information is accurate and you are authorised to act.
6. Your full legal name as signature.

#Does Giving Credit Mean the Repost Is Allowed?

No. YouTube's copyright myths page states plainly that giving credit to the copyright owner does not automatically give upload rights, and that phrases such as "no infringement intended" do not create permission either.

#How Do You File in YouTube Studio?

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio with the Google Account tied to your channel.
2. Open Content detection from the left menu.
3. Click New removal request.
4. Paste each infringing URL and complete the work description and legal statements.
5. If offered, use the option to help block future re-uploads of the same content.

You can also schedule a removal to take effect in seven days, which gives the uploader time to delete the copy and avoid a strike, as described on the same help page.

#What Happens After You Submit?

YouTube reviews whether the request has the information copyright law requires. If it passes, the video is removed. If details are missing, YouTube may email you for more proof.

• Google may share your name, email and legal name with the uploader so they can respond or counter-notify.
• The uploader may receive a copyright strike, which affects their channel under YouTube's rules.
• You may see the claimant name shown publicly on the removed video slot instead of the video itself.

#What If the Same Thief Re-uploads?

Each new upload needs its own request with a fresh watch link. YouTube's Studio flow can include options aimed at blocking duplicate copies when you use the official removal tool. Mass-reporting bots do not help; see our guide to YouTube mass report bots.

#Malaysia Context

Copyright complaints in Malaysia may also be referred to the Ministry of Domestic Trade under laws listed on MCMC's complaint page, but the fastest first step for a YouTube copy is still Google's copyright process. Keep dated screenshots for any later agency complaint.

#What If the Uploader Files a Counter-Notification?

After a valid removal, an uploader may submit a counter-notification arguing they had permission or that your claim was mistaken. YouTube may restore the video unless you take further legal steps within the time frames described in its copyright help. Keep your original project files, publish dates and contracts ready before you file the first request so you can respond factually if challenged.

#Common Mistakes Creators Make on Repost Reports

• Reporting as spam because the Studio copyright form looks heavier than the flag menu.
• Listing a channel home page instead of each watch link.
• Claiming copyright on music you licensed but do not own.
• Filing from a personal Gmail about a video your employer owns without authorisation.
• Expecting instant removal while fair-use review is still open.

#How Does a Repost Differ From Content ID?

Content ID is an automated match system for eligible partners. A manual copyright removal request is the route most Malaysian creators use when a stranger channel re-uploads a full file. If you receive a Content ID claim on your own channel while someone else hosts the duplicate, that is a separate inbox problem on your uploads, not a substitute for removing their copy.

#When a Case Review Makes Sense

Many reposts are a single Studio filing. SocialSafe by AwareXone, the recovery and removal service line of AwareXone, helps when the same actor runs many channels, when mixed impersonation and copyright claims need clean separation, or when YouTube keeps rejecting incomplete requests. We use the same copyright removal request anyone can file, organise watch links and ownership proof, and never ask for your Google password. We do not promise removal. See content removal and /trust.