§ 512(g) counter-notification, in plain English.

What a counter-notification is.

When a platform removes content in response to a takedown notice, the person who posted it has a statutory right under 17 U.S.C. § 512(g) to file a counter-notification asserting that the takedown was a mistake or misidentification.

If the platform receives a valid counter-notification, the platform must restore the content within 10 to 14 business days unless the original complainant files a federal lawsuit in that window.

What the law requires.

A § 512(g) counter-notification is a specific legal instrument that must contain:

1. Your physical or electronic signature.
2. Identification of the material that was removed and the location where it appeared before removal.
3. A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed as a result of mistake or misidentification.
4. Your name, address, and telephone number, and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for the judicial district in which your address is located (or, if your address is outside the United States, any judicial district in which the platform may be found).
5. A statement that you will accept service of process from the person who filed the takedown notice or their agent.

The risk you should understand.

By filing a counter-notification, you consent to be sued in federal court by the rights holder. They have 10–14 business days to file suit. If they do, the platform does not restore the content; the dispute moves to court.

For most situations involving small claims, rights holders do not file federal suit. But the legal exposure is real. You should have a clear basis (license, fair use, original-creator status, misidentification) and ideally consult an attorney before filing.

How to file.

You file a counter-notification directly with the platform that removed the content. Not with Verights. We are the agent of the rights holder; the platform is the addressee of the counter-notification under the statute.

Each major platform has its own counter-notification form:

• Instagram counter-notice
• TikTok counter-notice
• YouTube counter-notice
• Facebook counter-notice
• Snapchat counter-notice

What Verights does (and does not do) when you file.

When the platform notifies us that you have filed a counter-notification, we evaluate the assertion in good faith. If we agree the takedown was a mistake or misidentification, we will not pursue litigation and the platform will restore the content on schedule.

If we disagree, we evaluate whether the rights holder we represent wishes to proceed to federal court. The decision to sue is the rights holder’s, not ours; we do not pursue litigation as a default outcome.

Importantly: using our Claims Portal does not waive your § 512(g) rights and does not extend or shorten the platform’s clock. The two channels are independent. You can submit a Review Request through our portal AND file a counter- notification with the platform. They run in parallel.

Review Request vs. counter-notification.

People often confuse these two paths. They are different:

• A Review Request is an internal Verights process. It is not statutorily protected. Statements you make in a Review Request are not protected by Federal Rule of Evidence 408 and may be referenced in later proceedings.
• A § 512(g) counter-notification is a federal statutory instrument filed with the platform. It carries specific legal weight and consequences.

For minor disputes (misidentification, clearly licensed content), a Review Request is often sufficient. For substantive disputes (fair use, contested ownership), a § 512(g) counter-notification is the formal path.

What this guide is not.

This is an educational resource, not legal advice. Counter-notification has real legal consequences and the analysis is fact-specific. For any specific case where filing a counter-notification matters, consult independent copyright counsel before you file.