How we protect content
The Internet is a force for creativity, learning, and access to information. At Google, we build tools that empower users to access, create, and share information like never before. We understand that a key part of preserving and encouraging the creative economy is ensuring that creators and artists have a way to manage their creative works online. This is why we take the ever evolving challenge of copyright infringement seriously.
Our anti-piracy principles
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Create more, and better, legitimate alternatives
One of the best ways to combat piracy is with high quality, convenient, legitimate alternatives. By developing products with compelling user experiences, like YouTube Music, Google helps drive revenue for creative industries and steers people toward legitimate alternatives.
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Follow the money
Websites that specialize in online piracy are commercial ventures, which means an effective way to combat them is by cutting off their monetary supply. Google is a leader in removing illicit sites from our advertising and payment services, helping establish best practices across the industry.
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Be efficient, effective, and scalable
Google strives to implement anti-piracy solutions that work at scale. For example, in 2010, we began making substantial investments in streamlining the copyright removal process for Search results. These improved procedures enable Google to process millions of copyright removal requests per week.
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Guard against abuse
Fabricated copyright infringement allegations can be used as a pretext for censorship, and to hinder competition. Google is committed to detecting and rejecting false infringement claims.
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Provide transparency
We are dedicated to providing transparency. In our external Transparency Report, we disclose the number of requests received from copyright owners and governments to remove information from our services.
Providing rightsholders with the tools they need
We work with creators and rightsholders of all kinds to set the standard on how tech companies can help support content creators and owners . We do this by providing a wide range of resources that help protect their copyrighted work.
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In Search
Rightsholders can submit copyright infringement claims. In addition to removing pages completely, where appropriate, when a large number of valid notices for a site are received, our Search ranking algorithms demote that entire site, which results in a significant loss of traffic from Search. We also remove ads driving traffic to the URL of a delisted page following a valid copyright notice.
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On YouTube
![Google Play logo.]()
In Google Play
![Google Search logo.]()
In Search
Rightsholders can submit copyright infringement claims. In addition to removing pages completely, where appropriate, when a large number of valid notices for a site are received, our Search ranking algorithms demote that entire site, which results in a significant loss of traffic from Search. We also remove ads driving traffic to the URL of a delisted page following a valid copyright notice.
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On YouTube
Over the past few years, we’ve worked hard to build a suite of copyright management tools that gives rightsholders control of their copyrighted material on YouTube. We’ve helped unlock a new creative economy that has paid more than $50 Billion (USD) to creators, artists, and media companies in the three years prior to June 2022, and more than $6 Billion to the music industry in the 12 month period between July 2021 and June 2022.
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In Google Play
Our policies prohibit apps that infringe copyright, provide unauthorized access to infringing streams, or attempt to deceive users by impersonating other apps. Creators and rightsholders can notify us about content on Play that infringes their rights through notice and takedown mechanisms.