Free DMCA Takedown Notice Template (2026)

By Recording Law Editorial TeamPublished January 17, 20226 min read

Key Takeaways

1A DMCA takedown notice is a formal legal request under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512) that asks a platform to remove content that infringes your copyright.
2To be valid, a DMCA notice must include: identification of the copyrighted work, identification of the infringing content and its URL, your contact information, a good faith statement, and your signature.
3Filing a false DMCA notice is illegal. Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), knowingly misrepresenting that content is infringing can result in liability for the target's damages and attorney fees.
4Most major platforms — Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter) — have dedicated online forms for submitting DMCA takedown requests.
5After a takedown, the person who posted the content may file a counter-notice to have it restored. You then have 10–14 business days to file a lawsuit or the content will be reinstated.

A DMCA takedown notice is a formal request under 17 U.S.C. § 512 asking a platform or ISP to remove content that infringes your copyright. A valid notice must identify your copyrighted work and the infringing URL, provide your contact information, and include a good-faith belief statement, an accuracy statement under penalty of perjury, and your signature.

Generate a Free DMCA Takedown Notice

Our AI-powered tool creates a legally-structured notice compliant with 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3). Fill in your details, edit the letter, sign it, and download a PDF.

Generate Your Notice

What Is a DMCA Takedown Notice?

A DMCA takedown notice is a formal request under Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512) asking an online platform or internet service provider (ISP) to remove content that infringes your copyright.

When a platform receives a valid DMCA notice, it is legally required to remove or disable access to the infringing content promptly to maintain its "safe harbor" protection — the legal immunity that shields platforms from liability for their users' copyright infringement.

DMCA takedowns are used to remove unauthorized copies of photos, videos, music, written content, software, and any other copyrightable material.

What Must Be in a Valid DMCA Takedown Notice

Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3), a DMCA takedown notice must contain all six of the following elements to be legally valid:

black pen resting on a closed leather-bound book on a wooden desk

1. Identification of the copyrighted work

Describe the work you own that has been infringed. Be specific: include the title, a description, and if possible a URL to an authorized copy (your website, portfolio, original post, etc.).

2. Identification of the infringing content

Provide the specific URL(s) where the infringing content appears. Vague descriptions are not sufficient — you must give the platform enough information to locate and remove the exact material.

3. Your contact information

Include your full legal name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.

4. A statement of good faith belief

Include this exact language: "I have a good faith belief that the use of the copyrighted material described above is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law."

5. A statement of accuracy under penalty of perjury

Include: "I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in this notification is accurate and that I am the copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner."

6. Your physical or electronic signature

Type your full legal name. An electronic signature (typed name) is legally sufficient.

DMCA Takedown Notice Template

Use the template below. Fill in the brackets with your specific information.

To: [Platform Name] DMCA Agent / Copyright Department

Subject: DMCA Takedown Notice — Copyright Infringement

I am writing to notify you of content that infringes my copyright and to request its immediate removal pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 512(c).

My copyrighted work: [Describe the work — e.g., "a photograph titled '[Title]' originally published at [URL]"]

Infringing content location: [Provide the full URL(s) of the infringing content]

My contact information: Name: [Your Full Legal Name] Address: [Your Mailing Address] Phone: [Your Phone Number] Email: [Your Email Address]

I have a good faith belief that the use of the copyrighted material described above is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.

I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in this notification is accurate and that I am the copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.

[Your Typed Name / Electronic Signature] [Date]

Platform-Specific DMCA Guides

Each major platform has its own submission process. Use the guide for the platform where the infringing content appears:

What Happens After You Send a DMCA Notice

Once the platform receives your notice, the process generally follows these steps:

Step 1 — Platform reviews the notice. If it is facially valid, the platform removes or disables the content. You and the person who posted the content both receive notification.

Step 2 — Counter-notice window. The person who posted the content has the right to file a counter-notice claiming the removal was a mistake or that their use was lawful (e.g., fair use).

Step 3 — Waiting period. If a counter-notice is filed, the platform must wait 10 to 14 business days before restoring the content.

Step 4 — Your options. During the waiting period, you must either file a lawsuit in federal court or allow the content to be restored. If you file suit and notify the platform, the content stays down pending the court's decision.

Important Warnings

Do not file a DMCA notice if you are not the copyright owner. Filing a false or fraudulent DMCA notice is illegal. Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), you can be held liable for the target's damages, costs, and attorney fees if you knowingly misrepresent that content is infringing.

DMCA does not apply to trademark, defamation, or privacy claims. DMCA is copyright-specific. For trademark infringement, use the platform's trademark reporting tool. For defamation or privacy violations, different legal processes apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a DMCA takedown take?

Most major platforms process DMCA notices within 1–5 business days. Google typically processes search result removal notices within 24–72 hours. Social media platforms vary — Instagram and Facebook often act within 1–3 days, while smaller platforms may take longer.

Can I file a DMCA notice if the content is still up after someone screenshot my photo?

Yes. Any reproduction of your copyrighted work without authorization — including screenshots, downloads, or re-uploads — can be the subject of a DMCA takedown. You need to provide the URL where the copy appears, not where the original screenshot was taken.

What if I receive a DMCA takedown notice for my content?

If you believe the notice is incorrect — for example, if the content is your own original work, or if your use is protected by fair use — you can file a counter-notice with the platform. The platform must wait 10–14 business days before restoring the content unless the original complainant files a lawsuit.

Do I need a lawyer to send a DMCA notice?

No. You can send a DMCA notice yourself using the template above. However, if the infringement is causing significant financial harm, or if you need to file a lawsuit after an unsuccessful takedown attempt, consulting a copyright attorney is strongly recommended.

The Law Behind This Article

This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.

United States Code Title 17

§ 512Limitations on liability relating to material onlineIn forcecited in 14 of our articles

A service provider shall not be liable for monetary relief, or, except as provided in subsection (j), for injunctive or other equitable relief, for infringement of copyright by reason of the provider’s transmitting, routing, or providing connections for, material through a system or network controlled or operated by or for the service provider, or by reason of the intermediate and transient storage of that material in the course of such transmitting, routing, or providing connections, if— the transmission of the material was initiated by or at the direction of a person other than the service provider; the transmission, routing, provision of connections, or storage is carried out through an automatic technical process without selection of the material by the service provider; the service provider does not select the recipients of the material except as an automatic response to the request of another person; no copy of the material made by the service provider in the course of such intermediate or transient storage is maintained on the system or network in a manner ordinarily accessible to anyone other than anticipated recipients, and no such copy is maintained on the system or…

Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-28 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at uscode.house.gov

Cited in 451 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026

In the courts (editorial summary, independently checked):Ninth Circuit rulings map the DMCA safe harbors. UMG Recordings, Inc. v. Shelter Capital Partners LLC (2013) held Veoh met 512(c) and read right and ability to control as requiring substantial influence over users. Ellison v. Robertson (2004) held a jury could find AOL had not reasonably implemented a repeat-infringer policy under 512(i).

Opinions citing this section in our collection:

A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc. (Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 2001, 239 F.3d 1004)✓A file-sharing service argued the DMCA safe harbor limited its contributory and vicarious liability for users trading MP3s; the Ninth Circuit declined to hold that section 512 never protects secondary infringers, but found serious questions about Napster's eligibility.
Ellison v. Robertson (Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 2004, 357 F.3d 1072)✓AOL changed the email address for copyright notices without forwarding old mail, so an author's infringement notice went unread; the Ninth Circuit held a jury could find AOL had not reasonably implemented a repeat-infringer policy under section 512(i).
Perfect 10, Inc. v. Amazon. Com, Inc. (Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 2007, 508 F.3d 1146)“…title II of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”), 17 U.S.C. § 512 . Congress enacted title II of the DMCA…”