How takedowns work
A plain-English walkthrough of the DMCA notice-and-takedown process, and exactly what SongSure does for you at each step. You stay in control at the one step that matters: nothing is ever filed without your approval.
The process, step by step
When someone uses your music without permission, US copyright law gives you a formal way to get it taken down: a notice sent to the site, host, or platform under 17 U.S.C. 512. The law spells out what the notice must contain, and hosts that follow the rules keep their legal safe harbor by acting on valid notices. Here is how a managed SongSure takedown moves through that process.
You send us the links
Give us two things: the link or links where your work is being used without permission, and a link to where your original lives. That is enough to start. We will ask for anything else we need during case review.
We review the case
A human reviews your case before anything is drafted. We confirm the use looks like an actionable infringement, identify the right recipient for the notice (the site owner, the hosting provider, or the platform's designated copyright agent), and check that we have everything the law requires in a notice.
We draft the notice
We prepare the takedown notice following the elements of 17 U.S.C. 512(c)(3): identification of your copyrighted work, identification of the infringing material and information reasonably sufficient to locate it, your contact information, a good-faith statement, and the statement of accuracy and authority made under penalty of perjury. You do not write any of this.
You review and approve with one click
We send you the drafted notice. You read it and approve it with one click. Nothing is ever filed without this step. This is deliberate: the notice carries your good-faith and perjury representations, so the approval has to be yours.
We file the same day and track the response
Once you approve, we file the notice the same day. Then we follow up with the recipient, watch for the content to come down, and keep you updated. If the uploader files a counter-notice, we tell you immediately what that means and what your options are.
The approval gate
Nothing goes out without your click. Every takedown notice contains statements made under penalty of perjury: that you own the work or are authorized to act for the copyright owner, that the information in the notice is accurate, and that you have a good-faith belief the use is unauthorized.
A knowingly false statement in a takedown notice can create liability under 17 U.S.C. 512(f), including damages, costs, and attorneys fees. That is why the approval click is mandatory, and why it can never be automated away. Your click is your sworn review of the notice.
What each tier adds
Every tier follows the same five steps and the same approval gate. The tiers differ in how much human review, follow-up, and escalation your case gets.
Standard
One site, one straightforward case. We draft the notice, you approve it, we file the same day and follow up with the host until the case resolves. Qualifying cases carry a money-back assurance, confirmed during case review.
Premium
For complex cases. Adds deeper human review of the facts, an escalated follow-up sequence, and multi-step correspondence with the host when the first notice needs reinforcement.
Platinum
For difficult cases. Advanced escalations, non-standard situations, and repeat-infringer handling for parties who re-upload content after it is removed.
Shield
Ongoing protection instead of one-off cases. We monitor and scan for infringing uses of your registered content, and you get DIY takedown tools plus managed filings as described for the plan.
Studio
Everything in Shield, with more domains covered, enhanced profiles, and priority case review when you need a filing.
New Artist Bundle
Shield annual plus one Standard takedown credit, with the free artist name check up front. Protect the name, then protect the work.
Release Shield
Name check plus 90 days of monitoring for a single release, with a discounted Standard takedown ($129 instead of $159) if infringement shows up during the window.
What we need from you
- The infringing links. Where your work is being used without permission.
- Your original. A link to where your work legitimately lives, so we can identify it precisely.
- Your contact details. The law requires contact information in the notice.
- Your approval click. After case review, you review the drafted notice and approve it. Then we file the same day.
That is the whole list. If we need anything more, we ask during case review.
Ready when you are
Send us the links. Approve the notice with one click. We file the same day and follow it through until the content is down.
Start a takedown