Protect Channel From YouTube Copyright Claims & Strikes 2025

If you’re a YouTuber and you don’t fully understand how copyright works, you could get into big trouble without realizing it. Even a small mistake can cause serious problems for your channel. Imagine working for years to build your channel, only to lose everything because you broke a rule. It sounds scary, but this happens to a lot of creators who don’t pay attention to copyright laws and YouTube’s rules.

what are YouTube’s Community Guidelines? What is Fair Use, and how can you fix copyright issues if they happen? These are important questions every YouTuber needs to understand. If you don’t learn about copyright claims, copyright strikes, and YouTube’s guidelines, your entire channel could be at risk. In this video, I’ll explain everything in simple words so it’s easy to understand. You’ll learn what these terms mean, how to avoid strikes, and what you should do if you get a copyright claim.

I’ll also share something that might surprise you: some people actually make money by copying videos from others and uploading them. It seems like it shouldn’t be possible, right? But I’ll explain how they do it and why it works. If you skip even one part of this video, you might miss something really important. That could lead to mistakes that put your channel in danger. So, make sure you watch carefully to avoid losing all your hard work and success!

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The Difference Between Copyright Claims and Strikes

First, let’s talk about the difference between a copyright strike and a copyright claim, and how they can affect your channel. Here’s a simple story to explain it. Imagine you’re a YouTuber, but also a thief. Your neighbor just bought a shiny new car, and during the night, you sneak over and steal it. You think it’s all yours now, but YouTube acts like a guard who catches you after a few hours. This is similar to getting a copyright strike because you’ve taken something entirely from someone else without permission.

What Happens When You Try to Be Clever?

Let’s say you’re a smart thief. Instead of simply stealing the car, you repaint it a different color and think, “Now it’s mine, and no one will know it’s stolen!” But guess what? You’re wrong. YouTube still catches you. In this case, instead of issuing a copyright strike, YouTube will give you a copyright claim.

A copyright claim happens when you use someone else’s work and make small changes, like adding a few of your own clips or edits, thinking it becomes original. For example, imagine you take 5 minutes from someone’s 10-minute video and add 5 minutes of your own commentary or extra footage. Even if you try to make it different, YouTube can still detect the original part using its Content ID system, which scans uploaded videos for matches, and flag your video with a copyright claim.

Remember: A copyright claim doesn’t delete your video, but it means any revenue from that video goes to the original content creator instead of you. It’s a warning sign to play by the rules and create truly original or fair-use content.

What happens when you get these strikes or claims? Let’s start with strikes. If you get three strikes in 90 days, your channel will be shut down in 7 days. Here’s how it works:

Understanding YouTube’s Three-Strike System

YouTube’s three-strike system is designed to give creators a chance to learn and correct their mistakes before their channel faces termination. Here’s how it works:

1. First Strike: If you upload someone else’s entire video on your channel, YouTube will give you a warning. This is called a first strike, and it comes with some rules you have to follow. For 7 days, you won’t be allowed to upload videos, livestream, or post on your community tab. Don’t panic! It’s a sign that you made a mistake, and you need to be more careful to avoid doing it again.
2. Second Strike: If you make the same mistake within 90 days, you’ll receive a second strike. This strike brings stricter restrictions, and you’ll lose the ability to upload anything for an extended period.
3. Third Strike: If you break YouTube’s rules a third time within 90 days, your channel will be in serious trouble. YouTube will send you a warning that your channel will be shut down in 7 days. During this time, you can appeal and explain why you think the strike was unfair. While YouTube reviews your appeal, your channel will stay online, but if the appeal gets denied, your channel will be permanently deleted. Once it’s gone, there’s no way to bring it back.

Appealing a Strike

If you think you got a strike by mistake, you can ask YouTube to check it again by submitting an appeal. You have 7 days to do this. The review process can take a while—sometimes up to two months—but during this time, your channel will stay online. If YouTube decides that the strike was fair and rejects your appeal, your channel will be permanently removed, and there’s no way to bring it back.

Key Points to Remember

• Each strike remains on your channel for 90 days before it’s automatically removed, as long as no further violations occur.
• Accumulating three strikes in 90 days will result in the loss of your channel.

To avoid these risks, always ensure your content complies with YouTube’s policies and copyright rules. Understanding the strike system is crucial to maintaining your channel’s safety and longevity.

Are Copyright Claims as Dangerous as Strikes?

No, copyright claims aren’t as dangerous as copyright strikes. A copyright strike directly affects your channel, but a claim only applies to the specific video it’s on. Your channel won’t get harmed. However, if there’s a copyright claim on one of your videos, any money made from ads on that video will go to the original creator, not you. This will stay in place until the original creator removes the claim.

The original creator has a few additional actions they can take:

1. Block your content: The creator can block your video in specific regions or make it entirely invisible on YouTube.
2. Share revenue: The creator may choose to share the video’s revenue with you. For example, you might agree to a 60/40 or 70/30 split of the profits, depending on the arrangement.

Although a copyright claim doesn’t impact your channel’s standing, it does require attention. One way to use it to your advantage is to build an audience. Videos with copyright claims still count toward watch time and subscriber growth. However, you need to ensure your top three most-watched videos are free of copyright claims. If they are not, your channel could be rejected during YouTube’s monetization review.

Dance channels often use copyrighted songs (like those from T-Series) to go viral. While they can’t earn ad revenue from those videos, they make money through sponsorships later.

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Community Guidelines You Must Follow

YouTube has strict community guidelines to ensure the platform is safe and fair for everyone. Here are the key rules to remember:

1. No Cyberbullying or Hate Speech

You cannot post videos that target or bully specific people or groups. Spreading hate speech is also against the rules. Hate speech includes promoting negative or harmful ideas about someone based on their race, religion, disability, or other personal traits. This kind of behavior breaks YouTube’s rules and can lead to your video being removed or even a strike on your channel. Strikes are serious because if you get too many, your channel could be deleted permanently.

2. Regulated Goods and Harmful Content

Content involving weapons, drugs, or other harmful items is not allowed. For example, you cannot post videos showing how to use or make weapons or drugs. Selling such items, mentioning where to buy them, or linking to harmful products in your description is strictly prohibited. Violating this rule will result in your video being taken down and a community strike.

3. No Misinformation

YouTube is very strict when it comes to false information, especially about elections or health topics. Sharing wrong information about elections can cause confusion or chaos in a country, while giving incorrect medical advice can harm people and even put lives at risk. If you make videos on these topics, it’s important to double-check your facts to make sure they’re correct. If you don’t, YouTube can give you a warning or even a strike, just like with copyright violations.

• First Warning: You receive a warning for violating guidelines. This is meant to alert you to the mistake without any immediate consequences for your account.
• First Strike: If you violate the rules again, you will receive your first strike. This means you won’t be allowed to upload videos, livestream, or post community updates for 7 days. This gives you time to learn from the mistake and avoid future issues.
• Second Strike: A second strike, issued within 90 days of the first, comes with stricter penalties. You will lose the ability to upload, post, or livestream for two weeks. This is a more serious restriction meant to reinforce the importance of following the guidelines.
• Third Strike: If you receive a third strike within 90 days, your channel will be terminated permanently. You will get a 7-day notice period to appeal the strike. During this time, your channel will remain active. However, if your appeal is denied, the channel will be permanently deleted, and there is no way to recover it.

How Strikes Work Across Different Guidelines

Here’s something important to know: If you break one rule, like the spam guideline, and then break a completely different rule, like the dangerous content guideline, YouTube will give you separate warnings instead of a strike right away. However, if you keep breaking the same rule after receiving a warning, YouTube will issue a strike against your channel. Strikes are serious, so it’s better to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

4. Exceptions for Educational and Artistic Content (EDSA)

YouTube allows exceptions for content that is Educational, Documentary, Scientific, or Artistic (EDSA). For example:

• Creating a video that explains how a drug is made for educational purposes is allowed.
• Showing how a gun works as part of a scientific explanation or documentary is also allowed.

However, this does not mean you can take advantage of these exceptions to violate other guidelines. YouTube’s reviewers are human, and they will recognize attempts to misuse these allowances.

Fair Use Policy

Just like how YouTube allows certain exceptions for Educational, Documentary, Scientific, and Artistic (EDSA) content, the Fair Use Policy also helps creators. Fair use lets you use small parts of someone else’s copyrighted material, but only if you change it in a big way. This could mean adding commentary, making it educational, or using it for news reporting. By understanding fair use, you can create interesting and legal content while staying within YouTube’s rules.

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Fair Use Policy: A Creator’s Lifeline

You can use small parts of someone else’s content without asking for permission under the Fair Use Policy. This policy is meant to allow content to be used for purposes like criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, or research. However, it can be tricky to use correctly, so here are some tips to help you stay within the rules.

Tips for Using Clips

1. Keep It Short: Only use short clips—no more than 10 seconds—to avoid issues.
2. Break It Up: If you need to use a longer clip, split it into smaller sections. For example:
   • Show a 5-second clip from 5:10 to 5:15, then add your own commentary or image.
   • Use another 5-second clip later, like 5:16 to 5:20, followed by more of your thoughts.
3. Make It Transformative: Add your own edits, like overlays, effects, or text, to make the content unique. This shows you’ve added value and are not simply copying someone else’s work.

These methods work well if used sparingly and creatively, especially for educational, reaction, or commentary videos. Just remember to make sure your content truly changes and adds to the original material.

What to Do If You Get a Claim or Strike

Sometimes, even if you follow the rules, you might get a copyright claim or strike. Don’t panic—here’s what to do:

• Don’t Delete the Video: Deleting the video removes your chance to appeal the claim or strike.
• Appeal the Claim: You’ll receive an email with a form where you can explain why your content follows the Fair Use Policy or fits under Educational, Documentary, Scientific, or Artistic (EDSA) guidelines.
• Wait for YouTube’s Review: YouTube will review your case, and if they agree, the claim or strike will be removed.

Important: Never delete a video with a claim or strike unless you’re sure it violates the rules. Deleting it means losing your chance to appeal.

How to Stay Safe While Using Other People’s Content

If you want to use other people’s content in your videos, it’s important to follow the rules. This is especially true when working with creators. Avoid using videos from any company or brand without permission—they are very strict and will give you a copyright claim quickly.

Tips for Using Clips Safely

1. Use Images Instead of Clips: If you need to show content from a company or production house, it’s safer to use images instead of video clips.
2. Add Voiceovers: Always add your own voiceover to images to explain or add commentary.
3. Short Clips Only: If you do use a video clip, make sure it’s no longer than 3 seconds. Turn off the original sound and add your own voiceover on top.
4. Break It Up: Use a short clip, switch to images, and then go back to another short clip if needed. Adding transitions or light edits can help make the content more unique.

These rules are especially important for movie explanation channels. Even a small video clip can trigger a copyright claim or strike. By following these tips, you can keep your channel safe and still make great videos.

Special Note on Music

Never use songs from T-Series, even for a few seconds. They are very strict about their content, and even a 2-5 second clip can result in a copyright strike.

By being smart about how you use other people’s content, you can avoid problems and keep your channel growing safely.

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Creative Commons: A Monetization Strategy

You might be curious about how I uploaded over 100 pieces of content from other creators to this channel, completely copied and pasted, yet avoided strikes and even monetized the channel. The key is understanding Creative Commons. Let me explain how it works:

• Standard License vs. Creative Commons License:
  • A standard license means the video belongs to you alone, and no one else can use it without your permission.
  • A Creative Commons license allows others to remix, transform, or reuse your video on their channels—even for monetization. However, you can’t use the content exactly as it is; you must make significant changes.

Here’s what I did:

1. I found videos marked as Creative Commons.
2. I downloaded both the videos and their scripts.
3. I used AI to create a new voiceover from the script.
4. I edited the videos, adding an intro, outro, images, and titles to make the content unique.

This approach turned the videos into remixed content, ensuring they followed the rules and didn’t trigger copyright strikes. As a result, the channel became monetized.

Challenges of Finding Real Creative Commons Content

A major hurdle is determining whether a video is truly Creative Commons. Many people struggle because they lack proper knowledge, and their confusion is understandable. Identifying genuine Creative Commons videos takes time and effort.

If you want me to cover:

1. How to find Creative Commons videos for every niche.
2. How to edit and monetize those videos.

Write in the comments, “We want video.” Once I see comments, I’ll create a detailed video on this topic where I’ll show you step-by-step how to:

• Locate Creative Commons videos.
• Edit and monetize them effectively.

Until then, stay informed and use this knowledge to grow your channel responsibly.

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Steps to Appeal Copyright Strikes and Claims

If you used someone else’s clip under the Fair Use Policy—like for a reaction channel, education channel, news channel, or a roasting video—and you still get a copyright strike or claim, don’t panic. Here’s what you should do:

1. Don’t Delete the Video: Even if you think it’s a mistake, never delete the content. If you delete it, you lose the option to appeal, and that’s your loss.
2. Check Your Email: YouTube will send you an email with a form where you can appeal the claim or strike.
3. File an Appeal: Explain that your content follows the Fair Use Policy or qualifies as Educational, Documentary, Scientific, or Artistic (EDSA) content. Be clear and factual in your explanation.
4. Wait for Review: Once you appeal, YouTube will review the claim or strike. If YouTube agrees with you, they will remove the strike or claim.

Remember: If you delete the video, you cannot appeal. Always make sure your content follows the rules and policies before uploading. If you know you’re using someone else’s work, ensure it qualifies under Fair Use.

By staying calm and following these steps, you can handle copyright claims and strikes the right way and keep your channel safe.

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Conclusion: Knowledge Is Power for YouTubers

Your YouTube channel is more than just a platform; it’s a reflection of your hard work, creativity, and passion. However, understanding YouTube’s copyright rules and community guidelines is critical to protect your channel from strikes and termination.

By following fair use practices, leveraging Creative Commons content, and adhering to YouTube’s policies, you can grow your channel safely and sustainably.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand the difference between copyright claims and strikes.
• Follow community guidelines to avoid penalties.
• Use the fair use policy responsibly to add transformative value.
• Explore Creative Commons licensing to create monetizable content.
• File appeals when unjust strikes occur—never delete your content prematurely.

Take charge of your YouTube career with knowledge and strategy. Stay compliant, create responsibly, and ensure your channel continues to thrive. If you found this guide helpful, subscribe for more tips, or share it with fellow creators to help them safeguard their channels.

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Need help identifying Creative Commons videos or optimizing your YouTube strategy? Leave a comment below, and let’s get the conversation started!