Full songs, episodes or films: copyright takedown and strike
YouTube may take the video down and give the account a strike.
Last verified
What triggers it
Uploading someone else's copyrighted work (full songs, TV episodes, films, sports broadcasts, other creators' videos) without permission, which can lead to a legal takedown request.
What YouTube says
“Channels that get 3 copyright strikes in 90 days are subject to termination.”
We last checked this against YouTube's page on .
How to fix it
Don't upload full works; add transformative commentary and keep borrowed portions short, or get a licence.
Good to know
Watch for long stretches of third-party footage or music with no commentary. Fair use depends on transformation; 'no copyright infringement intended' disclaimers don't help.
Can FYProof spot it?
A full check of your video looks for it in what's shown. What a check finds is an estimate, not a guarantee.
- Video: looked at for this rule
- Speech: not for this rule
- On-screen text: not for this rule
- Caption: not for this rule
- Hashtags: not for this rule
It doesn't recognize songs or match clips against copyright catalogs, so it can't tell whether you have the rights to them.
Related YouTube rules
Platforms change their rules often. This page sums up what YouTube publishes; it isn't legal advice.