The Copyright Match Tool can automatically identify videos that are matches or potential matches of other videos on YouTube. This article explains how the Copyright Match Tool works. If you have other questions, check out our article explaining how to use the Copyright Match Tool.
How to use the Copyright Match Tool
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How the Copyright Match Tool works
- The Copyright Match Tool scans for full reuploads of your videos on other YouTube channels. The tool scans videos uploaded after yours, so it’s important you’re the first one to upload the content to YouTube.
- The Copyright Match Tool is meant to find full or nearly-full matches to your videos. If someone used a short clip of your video, it may not be surfaced. If you know of a reupload of one of your videos that you’d like removed, you can always report it using the copyright removal request webform.
- You don’t have to take action on each match. You can simply archive a match to remove it from your Matches tab. We’ll only surface each match once, so if you archive it, it won’t appear in your Matches tab again.
Get access to the Copyright Match Tool
- The Copyright Match Tool is available to any channel that’s filled out a valid copyright removal request or this form.
- Once your removal request is approved, the Copyright Match Tool starts scanning YouTube uploads for potential matches to the videos reported in your removal request. Then, you can review these potential matches and decide what action to take.
- For channels in the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), the tool is available on the Copyright
page in YouTube Studio.
page in Learn about takedowns
- YouTube relies on copyright owners to tell us about unauthorized uses of their content. We can only tell who uploaded a video first, not who owns it or has permission to upload it.
- Many creators give other channels permission to reupload their videos. Sometimes, creators will reach a licensing agreement after the reupload, or collaborate on videos and upload copies to several channels.
- Not every use of your content may be infringing on your copyright. Fair use and public domain are a few examples of reasons a reupload of your content may be valid.
- To balance the rights of uploaders with the rights of original copyright owners, the Copyright Match Tool tries to give creators info about reuploads. Then, after they carefully review the match, the Copyright Match Tool allows them to decide what they want to do.
Learn about your removal requests
We have numerous safeguards in place against abuse of the copyright removal request process. Our system makes sure that channels have an opportunity to address copyright strikes before being terminated.
If you submit numerous removal requests against a channel that's still live, then it's likely that one of those mechanisms is in effect. The number of removal requests against a channel is considered in our enforcement policies. If you continue to come across content, you can submit another removal request.
Report a channel for abuse
If someone uses another individual's personal info to deceive people into thinking they're someone else on YouTube, we consider that impersonation. If you feel that you're being impersonated, report it using our impersonation webform.
If those criteria don’t apply, you can use our copyright removal request webform to report videos you feel infringe on your copyright.