If someone has reuploaded your video or copied substantial parts without permission, you will usually work through YouTube's copyright and reporting workflows. This page is a high-level checklist only. It is not legal advice; consult a qualified professional when stakes are high.
1. Confirm what you control
Make sure you understand what material you own or have licensed. Fair use, licences, collaborations, and platform-specific music rights can all affect whether a takedown is appropriate.
2. Gather evidence
Collect URLs, your original upload date, the suspected copy's upload date, and notes on what overlaps: identical audio, matching script, shared description text, and so on. Screenshots can help your own records; YouTube's forms will ask for specific information.
3. Use YouTube's official removal / copyright tools
To line up URLs and evidence before you open Google's forms, Pro subscribers can use our DMCA helper (checklist and copyable template — you still file with YouTube yourself). Then continue with YouTube's official flow.
YouTube publishes step-by-step help for copyright complaints and related tools. Start from their official documentation (for example the copyright on YouTube topic) so you use the correct form and understand consequences such as counter-notices.
4. Optional: contact the uploader first
Some creators resolve issues with a polite message before escalating. That is a personal choice; keep copies of correspondence if you pursue formal action later.
5. Improve discovery for the next incident
Reuploads rarely arrive in a single tidy inbox. Combining Studio tools (when available) with periodic search habits — or a dedicated scanner — reduces the chance you only find copies months later.
GuardMyVideos helps you find and document candidate matches across several similarity signals before you open a complaint. Sign up for trial scans or read what “similar” means beyond the title.