Someone Reuploaded My Video: How to Get It Taken Down
Short answer: Save the link and a screenshot, then file a copyright report through the platform where the reupload lives. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and X each have a copyright form. If your channel is in the YouTube Partner Program, YouTube's Copyright Match Tool can find reuploads of your videos for you.
Reupload accounts take your videos, trim the intro, and post them as their own. Sometimes they're farming views, sometimes they're monetizing your work. Either way, the views and income should be yours. Here is how to get reuploads taken down.
Is it actually infringement?
A full or near-full copy of your video posted without permission is infringement. Short clips used for commentary, criticism, or review may be fair use, which is decided case by case. Filing against a genuine commentary video can backfire through a counter-notice, so save takedowns for real reuploads.
Where to report, by platform
- YouTube: submit a copyright removal request from YouTube Studio or the YouTube Help Center. When YouTube removes a video for copyright, the uploader's channel gets a copyright strike. See our YouTube guide.
- TikTok: use TikTok's copyright report. See our TikTok guide.
- Instagram: use the intellectual property report in the Help Center. See our Instagram guide.
- X: use X's copyright form. See our X guide.
- Websites: send a DMCA notice to the site, then its host if it ignores you. Our free DMCA notice generator builds one in your browser.
Finding reuploads you haven't seen
Most reuploads are found by fans, which means most aren't found at all. A few ways to look:
- Search each platform for your video titles and your channel name
- Reverse image search your thumbnails, which reuploaders often keep
- On YouTube, use the Copyright Match Tool if your channel is eligible
Proprias scans Google, image results, X, Reddit, Instagram, TikTok, and the open web daily for your content, including thumbnails and stills from your videos, and turns confirmed matches into ready-to-file notices. It doesn't scan inside YouTube itself, so pair it with YouTube's own tools. See content protection for creators.
What happens after you report
The platform reviews the report and, if it's valid, removes the video and tells the uploader. The uploader can file a counter-notice; if they do, the platform may restore the video unless you start legal action within the legal window.
Keep a record of every report. Repeat uploads from the same account help show a pattern, and most platforms ban repeat infringers.
FAQs
Can I get a reuploaded video taken down if they gave me credit?
Yes. Credit isn't permission. If you didn't authorize the upload, you can report it.
Does reporting a reupload give the channel a strike?
On YouTube, yes: a video removed because of a copyright removal request results in a copyright strike on the uploader's channel. Other platforms have their own repeat-infringer rules.
What if the reupload is on a site outside the US?
Many hosts and platforms still respond to DMCA notices. If the site doesn't, ask Google to remove the page from search results, which cuts off most of its traffic.