How to Remove Fake Copyright Strike On YouTube! Counter Copyright Procedure

In this blogpost we’re going to discuss how to remove a fake copyright strike on your YouTube channel which is also known as counter copyright procedure. If you’re sure that it’s a fake copyright strike, then rest assured you’ve nothing to worry about, it is most likely to be removed soon.

Difference between copyright claim and copyright strike

At this point we hope that you’re aware about the difference between copyright claim and copyright strike. When you intentionally or unintentionally use someone else’s creation (like a portion of video, audio or image) who has content id activated, then you might be sent a notifying email saying that ‘this particular copyrighted content has been found in your video’. This type of notification is a copyright claim and NOT a copyright strike. A copyright claim doesn’t impose a strike on your channel. Depending upon the original creator’s choice, you might have to share revenue of the video with them, or your video may be declared ineligible for monetization. The creator may even take all of the revenues earned through that video.

However a copyright strike is an entirely different thing. It is basically a punishment that the original creator of the content imposes on your YouTube channel. Because of this your alleged video may be removed from YouTube. Three such strikes within three months of time and consider your channel as good as gone.

But there is some similarity between content id claim and copyright strike: you can file a dispute against each of them. When you start a dispute procedure against a copyright strike, it’s called ‘counter copyright procedure’.

First be sure whether or not the copyright strike claim is fake

As mentioned above if you gather three consecutive copyright strikes within three months of time, YouTube may decide to terminate your channel. Although after the third strike they will notify you about this probable termination and give you one week of time to try any counter copyright. If you’re unsuccessful in doing that properly, then no one can save your channel from termination.

Also keep in mind that YouTube copyright team consists of really capable and efficient people, so you can’t possibly con any of them. This is why it’s pointless to create and submit any false counter copyright claim. But if you’re sure that the copyright strike was imposed on your channel wrongfully, then you have every right to fight against it.

And also, you should try a counter copyright procedure immediately after you get the first copyright strike. That means, you shouldn’t wait for more copyright strikes to take place on your channel and then fight them altogether. That’s pointless and stupid, because when you get two strikes of same type (copyright or community), you’re punished in one way or another. YouTube may disable your channel to upload further videos, they even might demonetize all your videos, who knows?! So our point is, it’s always good to be cautious.

Remember You gotta have patience

YouTubing is surely a very interesting job now a days. If you can shine in it you may be able to earn handsome amount each month, some even became millionaires. But these are just some pros of YouTubing, you should also come to know about the cons of it: you may get community or copyright strike at any time no matter how sincerely you work. Yes, you might be a victim of misunderstanding, that’s why there are options for you to file a counter copyright claim.

So patience plays an important role while you have strikes. Patience also helps you remain confident. You have to be digital when it comes to your confidence, that means there is no intermediate position when you’re justifying yourself regarding the strike. You are either totally innocent or totally guilty (even if a tiny fraction of copyrighted material is found in your content, knowingly or unknowingly).

That’s why you first have to scrutinize the whole video that has received a copyright strike. In order to be able to do that you got to have all your YouTube videos downloaded previously. YouTube gives you an option to do that. Now once you find that the whole content of the video rightfully belongs to you, then you have nothing to worry about; you’ll just have to start a counter copyright procedure for that. Otherwise the strike will be permanent on your channel; and if you receive further strikes, your channel may be terminated.

What if you found yourself guilty?

Now after you scrutinize the video, you may find that a part of audio, or footage or even a single image has been wrongfully used in that. Since it is someone else’s copyright content, so you’ll then have to assume that the strike was real. In that case, you have two options open for you: either to wait for three months after which period the strike will expire on its own. This might be okay if the total number of strikes on your channel is less than three. But should you choose to wait, you’ll have to remain careful in the meantime not to receive any further strikes of the same type (copyright).

If you don’t prefer to wait, then you can try the ‘retract’ option which you should find next to the video removed due to copyright. When you start that procedure, you’ll have to humbly request the ‘copyright imposer’ in a language like the following:

‘Dear Sir/Madam,

It was my mistake to use your copyrighted content in my video. I swear to God that I did it mistakenly and not knowingly. So I’d like to request you to please withdraw your copyright claim off my video and hence save my channel from a strike. I promise you that once the strike is lifted, I’ll simply delete that video.

Best regrads

(Your official name)’

Here you might even provide the link to your removed video and your channel’s url. Well, if that guy pleases and pardons you, then it’s good news for you. Otherwise, you’ll just have to go through the three months period of punishment, provided that the total number of strikes is less than three.

What if it’s a fake copyright strike?

If you’re sure that it was a false copyright claim, then you first may choose to request the guy to lift the strike/claim and the language you should be using in that mail is given above. But if the guy pays no attention to you, then you’ll just have to file a counter copyright notification. In order to do that first you’ll have to visit this page. Here you’ll see how many copyright strikes you currently have and also their details. So to file a counter copyright notification, you’ll just need to click a particular notice and follow the instructions.

At this stage, let us remind you that you need to be 100% sure before submitting a counter copyright notification. You have to be sure that it was a fake/wrong copyright claim. If you try to play with YouTube copyright team and get caught in the act, they may disable (terminate) your account once and for all. It’s just a warning to you from our part, not that no one has ever been able to get away after submitting a false counter  copyright notification.

For your information, while you file the counter copyright notice, you’ll need to give your contact details and the reason why you think it was a false copyright claim. I guess you should read the following article from our blog, this one will give you further information regrading YouTube’s copyright and counter copyright systems.

Copyright infringement claim system on YouTube: NOT perfect

Probable response from YouTube about the counter copyright submission

Now that you have submitted the counter copyright file, you’ll have to wait a couple of days for the reply from YouTube’s copyright team. If they say they found you guilty, then you can’t possibly do anything else after that. But if they demand further explanation from you as to why you haven’t infringed someone else’s copyright, then you’ll have to present the explanation in a different manner. If possible, you may just counsel an Internet/YouTube lawyer: they might be able to give you a better text for reason.

This ‘demand for further explanation’ indicates that YouTube’s copyright team is NOT exactly sure what’s going on here and whether you’re innocent. In my opinion, it’s a good news for you, because they haven’t quit on you yet and you might just be able to prove yourself justified.

When YouTube forwards your reason to the copyright claimant

If YouTube team feels that you might be saying the right thing, then they’re left with no other choice but to forward your ‘reasoning text’ to the copyright claimant. They also tells that party to get a restraining order from court against you, so that you can neither upload the alleged video again nor demand to restore it. Many times, it may not be possible for the claimant to get such a restraining order form court, so they may quit in that case. If so, then you may just get relieved of the messy copyright situation.

Instead of restraining order, YouTube might even demand from the claimant for evidence that the content was rightfully theirs and claim was okay. This is also a tough thing to present, if you ask me. Lastly, let me give you a nice piece of information: if you think someone is just harassing you over and over with false copyright claims, then you may choose to complain against them, just write to copyright@youtube.com.

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