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Content Protection
October 26, 2026
6 min read

My Course Was Leaked: What to Do Next

My Course Was Leaked: What to Do Next

Short answer: Save the URLs, send DMCA notices to the sites and their hosts, and ask Google to remove the pages from search results. That last step matters most, because most buyers of pirated courses find them through search. Then keep watching: leaked courses resurface.

A leaked course or membership hurts twice: every free copy is a sale you may not make, and "free download" pages often rank for your own course name. Here is how to take the leaks down and make the next one harder.

Where leaked courses show up

  • "Free course" and forum sites that list your course with a download link
  • File hosts and cloud drives that hold the actual files
  • Reddit and Telegram, where links get shared and reshared
  • Google results for "[your course name] free" or "download"

Search your course name with those words to see what a would-be buyer sees.

Step-by-step takedown

  1. Save every URL, plus a screenshot of the listing and, where you can see it, the file host link.
  2. Send a DMCA notice to the site. Many have a DMCA or abuse contact.
  3. Send a notice to the file host too. Removing the files breaks every page that links to them.
  4. If a site ignores you, send the notice to its hosting provider. Our leak sites and hosts guide covers the escalation path.
  5. For Reddit and Telegram, see our Reddit and Telegram playbooks.

Cutting off search traffic

Even when a pirate site won't respond, Google will remove infringing pages from its search results after a valid copyright request. Most people looking for a free copy of your course search for it, so deindexing removes most of the harm. See Google DMCA removal for creators.

Making the next leak harder

  • Use your course platform's own protections, such as streaming-only video and download limits
  • Add forensic watermarks to files where you can, so a leaked copy can be traced back to its source
  • Put your name and course URL inside the content, so pirated copies still point buyers to you
  • Monitor continuously, because a leak taken down today is often reposted next month

Proprias scans Google, forums and leak sites, Reddit, and the open web daily for your content, keeps the evidence, and prepares DMCA notices. On Defend we send them and follow up for 30 days; VIP also pursues hard platforms like Telegram. See content protection for creators.

FAQs

Can I stop my course from ever being leaked?

No. Anything a student can watch can be recorded. The goal is to make leaks harder to find and quick to remove, so buying stays easier than pirating.

Do DMCA notices work on sites outside the US?

Often, because many hosts and file services respond to them regardless of location. When a site doesn't, Google search removal still works.

Should I contact the person who leaked it?

If you can identify a student who shared it, your course terms may let you revoke their access. Beyond that, talk to a lawyer before contacting them about legal claims.