Your video is at risk of getting a copyright claim on YouTube if it has someone else’s copyright. Copyright claims mean that you have used someone else’s content in your video. Copyright claim alerts are common and mean that you have used someone else’s content in your YouTube video. This content includes images, video clips, or audio/music.
Copyright owners are vigilant when it comes to protecting their content. Different internet services help them with this. YouTube Content ID does the same. If you upload something on YouTube and receive a copyright claim notice, it means that YouTube Content ID has found you using someone’s copyright. It helps users identify, monitor, and monetize their content on YouTube.
You might have received a copyright claim because:
- You are using someone’s music
- YouTube mistakenly match the wrong songs
- False claim from an unauthorized person
YouTube keenly observes and scans the uploaded content and matches it against a database of audio and video content that is submitted to the Content ID system by the copyright owners.
If the content from the uploaded video matches content from the database, a copyright notice is sent.
Can a Copyright Claim be False?
It’s a possibility. Although very rare, it happens. There have been instances where the Content ID system matched content that is similar but not the same. This is quite a frequent occurrence in classical music. Moreover, when an artist is represented by different companies or the copyright owner claims copyrights on the same content to make as much money as possible.
Sometimes, authors don’t even know their content made it to the Content ID system. So, it varies from one situation to another. However, you have permission to use the music (license) there is no need to worry.
Fixing a Copyright Claim
If you get a copyright claim on your video soon after uploading it on YouTube, here are some things you can do:
- Delete the video from your channel
- Make the necessary adjustments to your video so it is copyright compliant
- Re-upload the video
If you think that the copyright claim is false or incorrect, here is how you can dispute the copyright claim:
Disputing the Claim
Follow the steps mentioned below if you wish to dispute a Content ID claim on your video:
- Go to your video and press the three dots menu
- Select Dispute
- Follow the prompts that will display on your screen and answer the questions as you go
Remember, according to YouTube, you cannot dispute a Content ID claim on your video based on the following reasons:
- You are not monetizing the video
- You have credit to the copyright owner
- You own a copy of the video or song
Usually one gets copyright claims for using music in the video. You should get the license or permission for using it in your video to avoid getting a copyright claim on your video. You could also get a copyright strike, which means the copyright holder manually found the violation and requests YouTube to take it down. Getting a second strike within the same 90-day period of your first strike can get you suspended from posting content for 2 weeks. It is best to resolve the copyright claim as soon as you get it.
