What is a counter notice?
It is our policy to respond to clear and specific notices of alleged copyright infringement. The form of notice that we specify in our web form is consistent with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and equivalent copyright laws in other regions, and provides a simple and efficient mechanism for copyright owners from countries/regions around the world. To initiate the process to delist content from Search results, a copyright owner who believes a URL points to infringing content sends us a takedown notice for that allegedly infringing material. When we receive a valid removal request, our teams carefully review it for completeness and check for other problems. If the notice is complete and we find no other issues, we delist the URL from Search results.
If website owners feel that a link to their site was mistakenly removed due to a request filed against them, website owners can appeal the removal by submitting a counter-notification form. This is also consistent with sections 512(g)(2) and (3) of the DMCA and equivalent copyright laws in other regions.
How will you evaluate my counter notice?
Once we have received your counter notice, we will evaluate it and, if appropriate, forward it to the complainant. After we forward your counter notification, if the complainant does not initiate legal proceedings against you within 10 working days and the content does not violate any other Google policy, we will restore your content. Please understand that your contact information will be forwarded to the original complainant and that filing a counter notice may lead the complainant to initiate legal proceedings against you.
What if I do not have a reference ID?
Search Console tools and reports help you measure your site's Search traffic and performance, fix issues and make your site shine in Google Search results. Search Console is the fastest way to get notified when there are issues with your site, such as a restriction in response to a copyright removal request. If you do not have access to your Search Console, click here to get started.
Because Search Console can only be accessed by the webmaster, having a reference ID ensures that counter notices are submitted by the rightful owner of the site in question. Without a reference ID, you can still submit a counter notice. However, we may ask you to provide us with more information, which may cause delays in processing your counter notice and reinstating the content. This is because we cannot be sure that you own the site in question, or are authorised by the webmaster to send us a counter notice.