How we protect content
The Internet has been 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 seriously the ever-evolving challenge of copyright infringement.
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 and legitimate alternatives. By developing products with compelling user experiences like YouTube Music, Google helps to drive revenue for creative industries and steers people towards legitimate alternatives.
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Follow the money
Websites that specialise in online piracy are commercial ventures, which means that 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 to 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.
Give rights holders the tools that they need
We work with creators and rights holders of all kinds to set the standard on how tech companies can help to support content creators and owners. We do this by providing a wide range of resources that help to protect their copyrighted work.
![Google Search logo.]()
In Search
Rights holders can submit copyright infringement claims. In addition to removing pages completely where appropriate, when we get a large number of valid notices for a site, 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.
![YouTube logo.]()
On YouTube
Over the past few years, we’ve worked hard to build a suite of copyright management tools that give rights holders control of their copyrighted material on YouTube. We’ve helped to 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.
![Google Play logo.]()
In Google Play
Our policies prohibit apps that infringe copyright, provide unauthorised access to infringing streams or attempt to deceive users by impersonating other apps. Creators and rights holders can notify us about content on Play that infringes on their rights through the notice and takedown mechanisms.
![Google Search logo.]()
In Search
Rights holders can submit copyright infringement claims. In addition to removing pages completely where appropriate, when we get a large number of valid notices for a site, 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.
![YouTube logo.]()
On YouTube
Over the past few years, we’ve worked hard to build a suite of copyright management tools that give rights holders control of their copyrighted material on YouTube. We’ve helped to 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.
![Google Play logo.]()
In Google Play
Our policies prohibit apps that infringe copyright, provide unauthorised access to infringing streams or attempt to deceive users by impersonating other apps. Creators and rights holders can notify us about content on Play that infringes on their rights through the notice and takedown mechanisms.