Legal

DMCA Policy

YTCut respects intellectual property rights. This page explains how we handle copyright notices and what to include when submitting one.

What is the DMCA?

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a United States copyright law that provides a process for copyright holders to request removal of infringing content from online platforms. Under 17 U.S.C. § 512, service providers that respond promptly and properly to valid takedown notices receive a "safe harbor" from copyright liability.

YTCut complies with the DMCA. If you believe content accessible through our service infringes your copyright, you may submit a takedown notice following the process described below.

YTCut's position on content

YTCut does not host YouTube videos. We are a processing tool: when a user submits a YouTube URL, our server fetches the stream from YouTube, cuts it to the specified timestamps, and delivers the resulting clip to the user. We do not maintain a library of videos, we do not index YouTube content, and we do not make any video publicly accessible on our servers.

Processed clips are stored in a temporary server-side cache for up to 7 days to avoid redundant processing, then deleted automatically. We do not stream, embed, or publicly serve cached clips. They are available only to the specific user who requested them, via a private download link.

Because we do not host or publish video content, most copyright concerns related to a specific YouTube video should be directed to YouTube directly via their copyright complaint process. If the content has been removed from YouTube, it will no longer be processable through YTCut.

That said, if you have a valid DMCA concern related to YTCut's cached copies or any content served from our servers, we take those seriously and will act promptly.

How to submit a DMCA takedown notice

To submit a valid takedown notice under 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3), your notice must include all of the following:

  1. Identification of the copyrighted work. Describe the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed. If multiple works are covered by a single notice, provide a representative list.
  2. Identification of the infringing material. Identify the specific material you claim is infringing and that you want removed. For YTCut, this means the YouTube URL that was processed and/or any cached download URL you can identify. Be as specific as possible.
  3. Your contact information. Your full legal name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.
  4. Statement of good faith belief. A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
  5. Statement of accuracy under penalty of perjury. A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that you are the copyright owner or are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.
  6. Signature. Your physical or electronic signature. An electronic signature can be your full legal name typed at the end of the notice.

Notices that are missing any of these elements are not valid under the DMCA and may not be acted upon. Submitting a knowingly false DMCA notice exposes you to liability under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f).

Where to send your notice

Send completed DMCA takedown notices to:

Email: [email protected] (fastest response)

Email is strongly preferred. Notices sent by email are processed faster and are less likely to be lost. Use the subject line "DMCA Takedown Notice" to ensure proper routing.

What happens after we receive a notice

We aim to acknowledge valid DMCA notices within 5 business days of receipt. Upon receiving a complete and valid notice, we will:

  1. Verify that the notice contains all required elements.
  2. Identify the cached material associated with the reported URL, if any.
  3. Remove or disable access to the cached clip from our servers.
  4. Block the specific video URL from being processed again (URL-level block, not a domain block).
  5. Notify you that we have acted on your notice.

We do not block entire YouTube channels based on DMCA notices. Individual URL blocking is the appropriate remedy for individual video clips.

Counter-notification process

If you believe material was removed from our cache in error or as a result of misidentification, you may submit a counter-notification under 17 U.S.C. § 512(g). A valid counter-notification must include:

  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 that the material was removed or disabled 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 outside the United States, any judicial district in which YTCut may be found), and that you will accept service of process from the person who submitted the original notice.

Send counter-notifications to [email protected]. Upon receipt of a valid counter-notification, we will forward it to the original complainant and may restore access to the material after 10 business days unless the complainant notifies us that they have filed a court action.

Repeat infringer policy

YTCut maintains a policy of terminating, in appropriate circumstances, the accounts of users who are determined to be repeat infringers. A user who receives multiple valid DMCA notices associated with their activity on the Service may have their access restricted or permanently terminated.

We evaluate each situation individually. A single notice or a notice that is later successfully counter-noticed does not automatically lead to account termination.

Important note about what YTCut does

YTCut does not make YouTube content downloadable that is not already publicly accessible on YouTube. We process publicly available video streams. If a video is private, age-restricted without authentication, or has been removed from YouTube, it cannot be processed through YTCut.

If your concern is that a video on YouTube should not be publicly accessible at all (for example, because it was posted without your permission), the most effective remedy is to file with YouTube directly. Once YouTube removes the video, it becomes inaccessible through any tool that relies on YouTube's public streams, including YTCut.

Contact

DMCA notices and related legal inquiries: [email protected]

General legal questions: [email protected]