Copyright Thieves and the DMCA
A lot of people hate on the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act), and I agree that it does have it’s flaws. However, I have found it to be quite useful when people steal and re-upload my videos to YouTube. I spend a lot of time making videos, so as you can imagine, I am very frustrated when someone downloads my videos and re-uploads them as their own. In such a case, I utilize the DMCA to remove that content quickly and easily.
YouTube has an easy method for taking down videos. You simply submit a DMCA take-down request, and the content is removed. The request is a legal document, and filing a false DMCA take-down is punishable by law. In the event that someone files a false or incorrect DMCA take-down request, you can file a counter-DMCA take-down and the only response to a Counter-DMCA request is a lawsuit. I’ve never had to file a counter-DMCA take-down, and no one has filed one against me.
I have had to submit over twenty DMCA take-downs over the last few months, and in every case it was someone who re-uploaded my video. After I submit the request, the infringing video is taken down and they receive a copyright strike. If they were to file a counter-DMCA notice (which would be perjury), I could sue them for a substantial amount of money. One guy even had the audacity to upload five of my videos. Well, I submitted five DMCA take-downs, and three strike is enough to get your account banned.