What a copyright strike is
When a copyright owner sends a valid legal removal request about something you uploaded, the platform removes it and records a strike against your account. Under the US DMCA, platforms must have a policy for terminating repeat infringers to keep their own legal protection. Strikes are how they count. That is why three strikes so often ends in termination: the platform is protecting itself.
YouTube copyright strikes
Content ID claim
- Raised automatically when an upload matches a rights holder's reference file.
- Usually means the video is blocked, monetised by the owner, or has its audio muted.
- Does not count toward termination.
- Can turn into a strike if you dispute it without good reason and the owner then files a removal request.
Copyright strike
- Follows a legal removal request that YouTube reviewed and found valid.
- The video is removed and the strike is applied to the channel.
- Three active strikes: the account and its channels are subject to termination.
- Expires after 90 days if you complete Copyright School.
According to YouTube's help centre, a strike can be resolved in three ways:
- Wait for it to expire. Complete Copyright School, and the strike lapses after 90 days as long as you have fewer than three.
- Get a retraction. Ask the person who filed the request to withdraw it. This is often quickest when the claim is a misunderstanding or you already had a licence.
- File a counter notification. If the video was removed by mistake or is fair use. This is a legal step: your contact details go to the claimant, and they can respond by suing. What filing a counter-notice involves.
Some requests are filed as scheduled removals. YouTube then gives you seven days to delete the video yourself and avoid the strike. If you see one, use the seven days.
Twitch DMCA strikes
Twitch applies the same idea. Under its DMCA guidelines, an account with three copyright strikes is treated as a repeat infringer and its access to Twitch is terminated. Strikes are not permanent, but there is no fixed expiry date either. Twitch keeps them on an account for as long as it needs to judge whether the infringement is repeated.
Most Twitch DMCA notices concern music: songs played during a stream, which then live on in past broadcasts (VODs) and clips. Notices often arrive in batches covering old clips. Many streamers delete their VOD and clip archive when the first one arrives, so a single complaint doesn't become several. Twitch also accepts retractions and counter-notifications, with the same legal weight as on YouTube.
What plays the role of a strike for websites
Google Search does not give strikes. But each copyright removal request accepted against your domain does two things that work in a similar way:
- The URL is delisted. Each accepted request removes the URLs it names from Google results.
- The requests add up. Google has said that the number of valid copyright removal notices a site receives is one of its ranking signals. A site with many accepted notices can lose visibility across the whole domain, not only on the listed URLs. How copyright removals affect rankings.
Unlike a YouTube strike, nothing tells you when this happens. There is no dashboard and no count in Search Console. Google only sends a Search Console message in some cases. The record is public, though. Every request is published in Google's Transparency Report, so you can check your domain and see the same count Google sees.
FAQs
How long does a YouTube copyright strike last?
A strike expires after 90 days if you complete Copyright School and have fewer than three active strikes. Otherwise it stays until resolved. You can also clear it with a retraction from the claimant or a successful counter notification.
What happens with three copyright strikes?
On YouTube, the account and its associated channels are subject to termination, and you cannot create new channels. On Twitch, an account with three strikes is treated as a repeat infringer and its access is terminated.
Is a Content ID claim the same as a copyright strike?
No. A Content ID claim is an automated match that usually blocks, monetises or mutes the video and does not count toward termination. A strike follows a legal removal request that YouTube found valid.
Do Twitch DMCA strikes expire?
Twitch says strikes are not permanent but does not set a fixed expiry. It keeps them on the account for as long as it needs to judge whether the infringement is repeated.
Can a website get a copyright strike from Google?
Not as a formal strike. But each accepted copyright removal request delists the URLs it names, and Google counts valid notices as a ranking signal. The requests are public, and a DMCA check shows how many name your domain.
Keep reading
How a DMCA counter-notice works
What a DMCA counter-notification is, what it must contain, the statutory waiting period, and the real risks — including consenting to a court's jurisdiction. Informational only, not legal advice.
What a copyright removal does to your search traffic
A delisted URL loses its Google traffic while the page stays online and healthy in your analytics. What removals cost, when volume becomes a site-wide signal, and how to tell a delisting from a ranking drop.
False and abusive DMCA takedowns
How copyright-removal requests get misused — bulk-list errors, copyfraud, competitor attacks and reputation suppression — and how to build an evidence trail when it happens to you.
How to run a DMCA check on any domain
Run a free DMCA check on any domain. See how many Google copyright-removal requests name it, who filed them, and which URLs were listed.