Content ID claim or copyright strike: what happened to your clip

Content ID claim

Content ID is YouTube's matching system. Rights holders upload reference files and it flags matches automatically.

The claimant chooses what happens: monetise the video and take the revenue, track it, or block it in some countries.

A claim on its own is not a penalty against the channel. It does affect whether you earn from that upload.

You can dispute a claim if you have a licence or a genuine exception. A wrong dispute can escalate into a takedown.

Copyright strike

A strike follows a complete legal removal request from the rights holder, under notice-and-takedown law.

The video comes down. The strike sits on the channel and restricts features while it lasts.

YouTube's policy is three strikes: the channel and its videos are removed, and new channels are not permitted.

A strike expires after 90 days if it is not retracted, and completing the copyright course is part of that.

Your three options on a strike

Each has a real cost. There is no version where waiting is free.

• Ask the claimant to retract it. Slow, sometimes effective, and free.
• Wait 90 days for expiry. Cheap, but the restrictions run the whole time.
• File a counter-notification. This is a legal statement, and it hands the claimant your contact details.

Why a counter-notification is not a shortcut

In the United States a counter-notice under 17 U.S.C. §512(g) means consenting to a court's jurisdiction.

The claimant can then keep the video down by filing suit. Do not send one on a clip you had no right to post.

If your basis was real, say so, keep the paperwork, and take it seriously. If it was not, do not bluff.