If your video got a Content ID claim, you can dispute a claim if you have a valid reason, such as:
- Having all the necessary rights to the content in your video.
- Using the content in a way that qualifies as a copyright exception, such as fair use.
- Believing your video was misidentified or an error was made.
When you dispute a Content ID claim, the person that claimed your video (the claimant) is notified. The claimant has 30 days to respond.
Before you dispute
Before you dispute a Content ID claim, you may want to learn more about public domain and copyright exceptions like fair use or fair dealing. Keep in mind that these are NOT legitimate reasons to dispute a claim:
- Giving credit to the copyright owner
- Owning a copy of the video or song
- Choosing not to monetize on the video
If you don't submit a dispute, there are a few other ways to resolve a Content ID claim, such as removing the claimed content from your video.
Ultimately, YouTube can’t decide whether you should dispute a claim. If you’re not sure what to do, you may want to seek legal advice before you dispute.
Keep in mind that you should only dispute a claim if you're confident that you have all the necessary rights to use the claimed content. Repeated or malicious abuse of the dispute process can result in penalties against your video or channel.
Submit a dispute
To dispute a Content ID claim:
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- From the left menu, select Content
.
- In the Videos tab, find the video with the claim you want to dispute.
- To find the video more easily, you can click the filter bar
Copyright.
- To find the video more easily, you can click the filter bar
- In the Restrictions column, hover over Copyright.
- Click SEE DETAILS.
- Under the Content identified in this video section, find the relevant claim and click SELECT ACTIONS
After you dispute
After you submit a dispute, the person that claimed your video (the claimant) has 30 days to respond.
- Release the claim: If the claimant agrees with your dispute, they can release their claim. If you were previously monetizing the video, your monetization settings will be restored automatically when all claims on your video are released. Learn more about monetization during Content ID disputes.
- Reinstate the claim: If the claimant believes that their claim is still valid, they can reinstate it. This means that your dispute was rejected and the claim stays on your video. You may be eligible to appeal this decision.
- Submit a takedown request: If the claimant believes that their claim is still valid, they can submit a copyright takedown request. If the takedown request is valid, your video is removed from YouTube and your channel gets a copyright strike. Learn more about options for resolving a copyright strike.
- Let the claim expire: If the claimant doesn’t respond within 30 days, the claim on your video will expire and be released from your video.
Learn more about the dispute process in this video's chapter "Dispute Process for Content ID":
Content ID Claims & Dispute Process: Manage & Action Claims in Studio
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What happens if my dispute is rejected?The initial dispute and the appeal are reviewed by the claimant because YouTube can’t make ownership determinations. YouTube doesn’t know what content was properly licensed and can’t determine what qualifies for exceptions to copyright, such as fair use or fair dealing.
The appeal step ensures a more thorough review by the claimant because, if they choose to reinstate their claim, they're required to submit a copyright takedown request (a legal process) to keep the video down. After that, if you decide to submit a counter notification, the claimant is then required to file a lawsuit to keep your video down.
The initial dispute option can take up to 30 days for the claimant to respond to the dispute. If they reject your dispute, you may be able to appeal the decision. The claimant then has 7 days to respond to the appeal.
The Escalate to Appeal option is only available for Content ID claims that block your video. This option skips the initial dispute step, which gives the claimant 30 days to respond, and starts the process with an appeal. The claimant then has 7 days to respond, so the process can be resolved faster.
If the claimant rejects your appeal, they could then submit a copyright takedown request. If the takedown request is valid, your video would be removed from YouTube and your channel would get a copyright strike. Keep in mind that you can still submit a counter notification if you're confident that a takedown request is invalid.