How to File a DMCA Takedown on DeviantArt
DeviantArt is one of the largest art communities on the web, which also makes it one of the most common places to find your artwork reposted, traced, or bundled into someone else's gallery without permission. DeviantArt accepts DMCA takedown notices through an online form and through its designated copyright agent, and the whole process is laid out in its official copyright policy. Here's how to file.
Before you start
- Your original artwork, a link to where it first appeared (your DeviantArt gallery, portfolio site, or social account), and ideally the source file with its creation date.
- Links to every infringing deviation. Copy the URL of each individual page; a link to the infringer's profile alone isn't enough.
- Your contact details, full name, address, phone number, and a monitored email.
- Whether you're the artist or an authorized representative filing on the artist's behalf.
Step 1: Open DeviantArt's copyright policy page
Go to https://www.deviantart.com/about/policy/copyright/. This is the official policy that spells out exactly what a valid notice must contain and lists both submission routes: the online form and the designated agent's email and mailing address.
Step 2: Choose the form or the email route
The fastest route is DeviantArt's DMCA form, reached through the contact page (the copyright policy links to it directly). Note that the form requires a DeviantArt account, a free one works. If you don't want an account, email your complete notice to [email protected], which reaches DeviantArt's designated DMCA agent.
Step 3: Identify your work and the copies
Whichever route you use, identify the copyrighted work, link your original and describe it, then list the URL of every infringing deviation. If someone traced, recolored, cropped, or mirrored your piece, say so plainly: reviewers compare the two, and explaining the alterations helps them see the match.
Step 4: Add the required legal statements
A valid DMCA notice must include a statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and a statement that the information is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that you're the owner or authorized to act for them.
Step 5: Sign and submit
Type your full name as your signature and submit the form, or send the email. Keep a copy of everything, the notice, the URLs, and the date, in case you need to follow up or the uploader disputes the removal.
What happens after you file
DeviantArt reviews the notice and removes deviations it finds infringing; the uploader is told a notice was filed. The uploader can respond with a counter-notification, and DeviantArt may restore the work after the statutory window unless you show you've filed a court action. Accounts that rack up repeated valid claims risk termination under the DMCA's repeat-infringer rules. If your art keeps getting scraped and reposted faster than you can file, Rulta is a done-for-you DMCA service whose team monitors, files, and follows up on takedowns for artists on DeviantArt and beyond.
This guide is educational information, not legal advice.
Need the notice text?Generate a complete DMCA notice for DeviantArt — free, one minute
Exhibit A — official takedown formhttps://www.deviantart.com/about/policy/copyright/
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a DeviantArt account to file a DMCA notice?
The online form requires a DeviantArt account, which is free to create. If you'd rather not make one, you can email a complete DMCA notice to [email protected] instead.
What email does DeviantArt use for copyright complaints?
[email protected], which reaches DeviantArt's designated DMCA agent. You can also send notices by mail to the agent's address listed in the copyright policy.
Someone traced or slightly edited my art, can I still file?
Yes. Copyright covers derivative copies, not just pixel-perfect reposts. Describe the changes in your notice and link your original so the reviewer can compare the two.
Can the uploader fight the takedown?
Yes. DeviantArt follows the standard DMCA process, so the uploader can file a counter-notification, after which the work may be restored unless you show you've filed a court action.
Does DeviantArt ban repeat infringers?
DeviantArt's copyright policy follows the DMCA framework, which requires terminating repeat infringers in appropriate circumstances, accounts that keep reposting others' work can lose their account.