Appeal a Content ID claim

If you disputed a Content ID claim, but the claim was reinstated, you may be eligible to appeal this decision. If a Content ID claim blocked your video, you may be able to skip the initial dispute step and start the process with an appeal.

When you appeal a Content ID claim, the person who claimed your video (the claimant) is notified and has seven days to respond.

Before you appeal

You can check if you're eligible to appeal on your channel features page. If you're not eligible, you may need to complete a one-time verification before you can appeal.

Bear in mind that you should only appeal if you're confident that you have all the necessary rights to use the claimed content. Repeated or malicious abuse of the appeal process can result in losing the eligibility to appeal or other penalties against your video or channel.

Submit an appeal

Appeal a reinstated claim

If you disputed a Content ID claim and it was rejected, the claim gets reinstated on your video. You may be able to appeal this decision. To appeal a reinstated claim:

Sign in to YouTube Studio .
From the left menu, select Content .
In the Videos tab, find the video with the claim that you want to appeal.
- To find the video more easily, you can click the filter bar Copyright.
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 Appeal.

Escalate to appeal

If you got a Content ID claim that blocked your video, you may be able to skip the initial dispute step and start the process with an appeal. This option is called 'Escalate to appeal'.

For block claims that you're confident are invalid, the Escalate to appeal option can provide a quicker resolution to the overall dispute process, since claimants have seven days to respond to appeals. It also means that your video can be viewable on YouTube as quickly as possible.

Keep in mind that if a claimant rejects an appeal, they can submit a copyright takedown request. If that takedown request is valid, your video would be removed from YouTube and your channel would get a copyright strike. However, if you're still confident that you have all the necessary rights to use the claimed content, you can still submit a counter notification.

To choose the Escalate to appeal option:

Sign in to YouTube Studio .
From the left menu, select Content .
In the Videos tab, find the video with the claim that you want to appeal.
- To find the video more easily, you can click the filter bar Copyright.
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 Dispute.
On the Options page, select the Escalate to appeal option.

After you appeal

After you appeal a claim, the claimant has seven days to respond.

What the claimant can do

Release the claim: If the claimant agrees with your appeal, they can release their claim. If you were previously monetising the video, your monetisation settings will be restored automatically when all claims on your video are released. Learn more about monetisation during Content ID disputes.
Submit a takedown request: If the claimant believes that their claim is still valid, they can submit a copyright takedown request to remove your video from YouTube. They can choose either a:
- Standard takedown request: If the takedown request is valid, your video would be removed from YouTube and your channel would get a copyright strike .
- Scheduled takedown request: If the takedown request is valid, you have seven days to cancel your appeal before your video is removed from YouTube and your channel gets a copyright strike .
Let the claim expire: If the claimant doesn't respond within seven days, their claim on your video will expire and be released from your video.

If your video was removed from YouTube, but you're still confident that you have all the necessary rights to use the claimed content, you can submit a counter notification.

How to cancel an appeal

If you change your mind, you can cancel your appeal after you've submitted it. To cancel an appeal:

Sign in to YouTube Studio.
From the left menu, select Content .
In the Videos tab, find the video associated with the appeal that you want to cancel.
- To find the video more easily, you can click the filter bar Copyright.
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 Cancel appeal.

Note: Once you cancel an appeal, the claim can't be appealed again.

Learn more about the appeal process in this video's chapter 'Appeal process for Content ID':

Content ID claims and dispute process: manage and action claims in Studio

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What's the difference between the dispute and Escalate to Appeal options?

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 seven 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 seven 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. Bear in mind that you can still submit a counter notification if you're confident that a takedown request is invalid.

When should I choose the Escalate to appeal option?

If your video got a Content ID claim that blocked your video, you can choose the Escalate to appeal option. Escalate to appeal could be a good choice if you're confident of your right to use the content and you're looking for a faster resolution to the dispute process.

But, bear in mind that if a claimant rejects an appeal, they have the option to submit a copyright takedown request. If that takedown request is valid, your video would be removed from YouTube and your channel would get a copyright strike. However, if you're still confident that you have all the necessary rights to use the claimed content, you can still submit a counter notification.

Ultimately, it's up to you when you want to escalate to appeal. If you're not sure what to do, you may want to seek legal advice.

Why is the Escalate to appeal option only available for Content ID claims that block my video?

Videos that get block claims aren't viewable on YouTube, either globally or in certain countries/regions (depending on the claimant's policy). For block claims that you're confident are invalid, choosing the Escalate to appeal option can resolve the claim faster. This means that your video can be viewable on YouTube as quickly as possible.

With the other claim types (monetise and track) your video remains live on YouTube, despite the Content ID claim. Bear in mind that with monetise claims, when both you and the claimant are trying to monetise the claimed video, the video's revenue will continue to be generated while the dispute process is going on. After the dispute is resolved, that revenue is paid out to the appropriate party. Learn more about how monetisation works during Content ID disputes.

Can I cancel an appeal after it's submitted?

Yes, you can cancel your appeal after you submit by following these steps. Bear in mind that once you cancel, you won't be able to appeal the claim again.

What can I do if my appeal was rejected and my video was taken down?

If you're confident that your appeal was rejected due to a mistake or misidentification of your content, including fair use cases, you can submit a counter notification. A counter notification is a legal request for YouTube to reinstate a video that was taken down for alleged copyright infringement.

Other options include:

If you have less than three active copyright strikes, you can wait 90 days for your copyright strike to expire.
You can try to get in touch with the claimant directly to request that they retract their claim of copyright infringement. Some creators list ways in which they can be contacted on their channel.

If I appeal multiple claims on a video at the same time, could that result in multiple copyright strikes?

A video can get more than one Content ID claim or takedown request, but can only get one copyright strike at a time.

More info

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