How to File a DMCA Takedown on Udemy
Course piracy usually looks like one of two things: someone re-uploads your entire course to Udemy under their own name, or they stitch your videos and slides into a "new" course and sell it. Either way, Udemy runs a dedicated copyright complaints operation with a takedown process for rights owners, and it only accepts reports from the copyright owner or their authorized agent.
Before you start
- Proof the course is yours, links to the original course (on Udemy or elsewhere), your raw video files, scripts, or slide decks with creation dates.
- The URL of the infringing course and, if possible, of the specific lectures that copy your material.
- Specifics of what was copied, whole course, individual videos, slides, workbooks, or course descriptions.
- Your contact details, Udemy communicates about the notice by email and shares notice information with the uploader.
Step 1: Open Udemy's copyright complaints portal
Go to intellectualproperty.udemy.com, Udemy's dedicated copyright complaints help center, and open the article "Submit a Copyright Takedown Notice." It links to the current webform and lists everything a valid notice needs. You can also reach it from the Copyright section of Udemy's main support site.
Step 2: Identify yourself and your authority
State whether you are the copyright owner or an authorized representative. Udemy will not process complaints from unrelated third parties, so representatives should be prepared to show authorization.
Step 3: Identify your original work
Describe the copyrighted material and where the original lives, your own Udemy course, your website, or your YouTube channel, with publication dates. For partial theft, be surgical: "Lectures 4 through 9 of the reported course are my videos, originally published at [URL] on [date]."
Step 4: Point to the infringing course
Provide the URL of the infringing course and identify the specific content within it that copies your work. Udemy's reviewers compare the materials, so precise lecture-level pointers speed everything up.
Step 5: Sign the statements and submit
Complete the DMCA declarations: your good-faith belief that the use is unauthorized, that the notice is accurate, and, under penalty of perjury, that you are the owner or authorized agent. Note the warning that knowingly misrepresenting a claim can make you liable for damages under Section 512(f). Sign, submit, and keep the confirmation.
What happens after you file
Udemy reviews the notice, removes infringing courses or lectures, and notifies the uploader, who can respond with a counter-notice, in which case Udemy may restore the content after the statutory window unless you show you've filed a court action. Instructors who repeatedly infringe face account termination. Watch the email you provided; Udemy handles clarifications and outcomes there.
Course pirates rarely stop at one platform, the same stolen course tends to surface on other marketplaces and file-sharing sites. If tracking all of that down isn't how you want to spend your production time, Rulta is a done-for-you takedown service that monitors for stolen course content and files and follows up on the notices for you.
This guide is educational information, not legal advice.
Need the notice text?Generate a complete DMCA notice for Udemy — free, one minute
Exhibit A — official takedown formhttps://intellectualproperty.udemy.com/hc/en-us/articles/4411627008663-Submit-a-Copyright-Takedown-Notice
Frequently asked questions
Someone re-uploaded my entire course to Udemy under their name. Is that a DMCA case?
Yes. Re-uploading your videos, slides, or course materials without permission is copyright infringement, and Udemy's takedown process is the correct route.
Who can file a copyright complaint with Udemy?
Only the copyright owner or someone authorized to act for them, such as an attorney or agent. Udemy states it will not process reports from anyone else.
How long does Udemy take to remove a stolen course?
Complete notices are usually processed within several business days. Udemy corresponds by email and may ask for clarification before acting.
Can the person I report fight back?
Yes. Udemy follows the DMCA, so the uploader can file a counter-notice, and Udemy may restore the course unless you notify them of a court action. Filing knowingly false claims can also make you liable under Section 512(f).
My course was stolen from Udemy and posted elsewhere. Does this process help?
No, this process covers infringement hosted on Udemy. For copies on other sites, you file with that site or its host; Udemy publishes separate guidance for instructors reporting theft on other platforms.