DMCA Takedown Notice: Meaning and Definition

What is DMCA Takedown Notice?

A DMCA takedown notice is a formal legal request, authorised under the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act, asking a platform, host, or search engine to remove content that infringes a copyright. The notice identifies the protected work, the location of the infringing copy, and includes a good-faith statement and signature. Most major platforms operate streamlined DMCA processes; compliant takedowns earn 'safe harbor' protection for the host. Counter-notices and retraction requests provide due-process safeguards when content is removed in error.