If you receive a “copyright strike” from YouTube, it means that someone claiming to be the copyright owner has filed a legal takedown request with the platform, alleging infringement. If you are indeed violating someone’s copyright, YouTube will likely remove your video in order to comply with federal law.

The mere removal of your video does not resolve your strike though. Depending on the violation, YouTube may enforce the following penalties:

1. You’ll have to go to “Copyright School.” Yes, that’s right; YouTube has a copyright course to help content creators better understand copyright law and how it’s enforced on the platform. You’ll be asked to watch a video lecture that’s part of the Happy Tree Friends internet series. Strikes can be removed once you’ve completed the program.
2. Your ability to live stream may stop. If you violate someone’s copyright while livestreaming on the platform, your ability to access this tool may be restricted for seven days.
3. You may not be able to monetize your account. Your ad revenue may cease until you address the strikes against you.
4. If you’re facing a third copyright strike, your account may be subject to complete termination and all of your uploaded videos will be removed. You will not be permitted to create new channels in the future, either.

It’s important to note that just because you receive a copyright strike does not necessarily mean that you’ve infringed on someone’s copyright. Mistakes happen, and unfortunately, competitors, bad actors, and internet trolls may falsely flag your content as a copyright violation.

If you feel the copyright strike was issued in error, you can do one of two things:

1. Contact the person who filed and have them issue a retraction of their claim if you can amicably prove they were in error.
2. You can also submit a counter notification to YouTube, which is a legal request for YouTube to reinstate a video that was taken down in error. You will need to follow very specific instructions and provide documentation during this process.

Of course, copyright strikes can also lead to threats of litigation. A copyright holder may report you to the platform and then continue to come after you for any damages for the infringement. If this occurs, don’t push it to the wayside. Contact an attorney as soon as possible so that you can work to resolve the issue as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. If you need assistance or you’d like to speak to one of our copyright attorneys, we invite you to contact 888-666-0062 to schedule an appointment.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a substitute for obtaining legal advice from an attorney.