What to do if you get a copyright infringement notice?

Asked by: scraper  |  Last update: August 27, 2026
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Do not ignore the notice. Read it carefully to identify the exact content in question, the claimant, and the requested action. Immediately preserve all related documents, and take down the material if you are at fault. Seek legal advice if you intend to dispute the claim.

Should I be worried about a copyright infringement notice?

Whether you should be worried depends entirely on the type of notice you received and the context of the claim. Generally, an initial notice is meant to be a warning rather than an immediate lawsuit, but it should not be ignored.

What should someone do if they receive a copyright infringement notice?

Read the Notice Carefully

Examine the document you received to identify exactly what material is being claimed as infringing. The notice should specify the work in question and provide some proof that the sender either owns the rights or acts on behalf of the rights holder.

How serious is an infringement notice?

An infringement notice formally notifies a recipient that they are allegedly infringing on someone's trademark rights. Receiving such a notice has serious legal implications and may result in litigation.

How to respond to a copyright infringement notice?

If you never had access to their work, then you should make that clear in your response. You can even describe why it is unlikely that you had or even could have had access to the work (for instance, if you have no relationship with the claimant and their work is not publicly available).

What To Do If You Receive A Trademark Infringement Notice

24 related questions found

How to beat copyright infringement?

  1. Use only your original work in your project.
  2. Get written permission to reproduce another's work. UT's Crash Course in Copyright, especially the "Getting Permission" section. ...
  3. Use content licensed with Creative Commons agreements. The Search identifies content that you can use. ...
  4. Use un-copyrighted, public domain material.

What is the 3 month rule for copyright?


In US copyright law, the "3-month rule" dictates that registering a creative work within three months of its first publication gives you massive legal advantages. Most importantly, it allows you to sue for "statutory damages" (up to $150,000 per infringement) and attorney fees.

Can I go to jail for copyright infringement?

Yes, you can go to jail for copyright infringement, but it is rare and typically reserved for willful, large-scale commercial piracy rather than everyday, accidental use.

Do I have to pay if I get a warning?

Warning tickets do not require paying a fine and are not reported to your local DMV. Warnings are used internally by police departments to censure errant drivers and caution them to follow the law. However, Commercial License Holder (CDL) drivers can be affected by written warnings.

Can I ignore a copyright claim?

People ignore copyright infringement lawsuits for various reasons. Whatever their reasons, all the “avoiders” share in common the belief that by doing nothing, the case will go away. And this couldn't be more false, the reason being “default judgments.”

How to win a copyright infringement case?

These are some of the most common defenses available in copyright infringement disputes:

  1. Defense #1: There is no substantial similarity between the original work and the new work. ...
  2. Defense #2: Use of the work was licensed. ...
  3. Defense #3: The fair use doctrine applies. ...
  4. Defense #4: The plaintiff does not own the copyright.

What should I do if I receive a notice of claimed copyright infringement?

What Do I Do If My Copyrights Are Being Infringed?

  1. Request Credit or Removal. ...
  2. DMCA Notice. ...
  3. Social Media Reporting Options. ...
  4. Formal Cease and Desist Letter. ...
  5. File a CASE Act Claim. ...
  6. File a Court Case.

What are the three things not protected by copyright?

Copyright law exclusively protects original expressions, not the underlying concepts. The three fundamental categories of things not protected by copyright include:

What to do if you get a copyright notice?

Whether you determine that copyright infringement exists or you can prove that you had permission or the work is yours, reply to the notice. Your reply can be as simple as informing them you have removed the infringing content or a receipt from Shutterstock attesting to the license to use an image.

How serious is copyright infringement?

Copyright infringement is a serious offense with severe civil and criminal penalties, including fines up to $150,000 per work for willful infringement and up to five years in prison. Offenders can face lawsuits resulting in massive damages, attorney fee payments, and court-ordered destruction of illegal copies.

Does the FBI investigate copyright infringement?

Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment.”

How many years does copyright expire?

For works created in the U.S. after January 1, 1978, copyright generally lasts for the author's life plus an additional 70 years. Once it expires, the work enters the public domain.

Do copyright strikes go away after 90 days?

Resolve a copyright strike

Complete Copyright School and wait 90 days: Copyright strikes expire after 90 days if Copyright School is completed. Get a retraction: You can get in touch with the person who submitted the copyright removal request and ask them to retract the copyright removal request.

What is the time limit for copyright infringement?

Under U.S. federal law, the civil statute of limitations for copyright infringement is three years from the date the claim accrued.

How many years in jail for copyright infringement?

Yes, you can go to jail for copyright infringement, but it is rare. Criminal penalties are typically reserved for large-scale, willful infringement for profit (e.g., running pirated streaming sites or counterfeiting networks) rather than personal, accidental, or individual use.

What is the most common remedy for copyright infringement?

Damages. The most common remedy for copyright infringement is awarding damages to the copyright owner.

What to say to avoid copyright infringement?

Saying you "don't own the copyright" is typically done using an attribution or credit statement (e.g., in video descriptions or photo captions).

Can I be sued for copyright?

Yes, you can absolutely get sued for copyright infringement. If you use, copy, distribute, or publicly display someone else's copyrighted work without their permission, the copyright owner can sue you in civil court to recover damages and stop your unauthorized use.

What not to do with copyright?

Since all original content is protected under copyright law unless otherwise indicated, a good best practice is not to reuse ANYTHING unless you get the owner's consent, or unless you are absolutely sure that they have granted permission for others to reuse the work, or the intellectual property clearly falls under ...

Is a copyright claim serious?

If you have copyright claims that have been resolved, you will likely still be approved as long as you've adhered to all of their other guidelines. On the other hand, copyright strikes are serious offenses and they may reject your application at their discretion, even after the strikes have expired.