If your content was removed by a DMCA takedown you believe is mistaken or abusive, a counter-notification asks the platform to restore it. Here's exactly what it must contain, a free template, and when to send one.
Under 17 U.S.C. §512(g), a counter-notice needs: your physical or electronic signature; identification of the removed material and the location where it appeared before removal; a statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed by mistake or misidentification; and your name, address, and phone number, plus a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for your address (or, if outside the US, any district where the service provider may be found) and will accept service of process from the claimant.
The platform forwards your counter-notice to the original claimant. If the claimant does not file a court action seeking to restrain your use within 10–14 business days, the provider must restore the material. This is why a fraudulent claimant often disappears at this stage — they won't go to court.
Use the free DMCA counter-notice generator to fill in your details and produce a ready §512(g) draft. It runs entirely in your browser — nothing is stored or sent.
First confirm the notice is actually invalid — paste it into the checker above. Filing a counter-notice on content that genuinely infringes can expose you to liability, so this is a triage step, not legal advice; for high-stakes cases consult an attorney.
It's a formal response, under 17 U.S.C. §512(g), telling a platform you believe content was removed by mistake or misidentification and asking for it to be restored. If the claimant doesn't sue within 10–14 business days, the platform reinstates the material.
If your use is legitimate, yes — it's the designed remedy. But it includes a penalty-of-perjury statement and consent to court jurisdiction, so don't file one on content that actually infringes. Check the original notice's validity first.