How to File a DMCA Takedown on Vimeo

Q: Can I email my DMCA notice instead of using Vimeo's form?

Yes. Vimeo accepts notices at dmca@vimeo.com and by mail to its Copyright Agent in New York, but the notice must contain every statutory element. The form is safer because it prompts for each one.

Vimeo hosts a lot of professional work, showreels, online courses, documentaries, client films, which is exactly the kind of content that gets ripped and re-uploaded under someone else's account. Vimeo's takedown process is one of the better documented ones, with a dedicated DMCA claim form, a copyright email address, and a postal route. Here's how to use it.

Before you start

Proof of ownership, your original video files or the URL where the work first appeared (your Vimeo account, YouTube channel, or website).
The URL of every infringing video, plus the uploader's account URL if they've taken several of your works.
Your full contact details, the form asks for your legal name, organization, mailing address, phone number, and email.
Your relationship to the copyright holder, owner, organization representative, or authorized agent.

Step 1: Copy the infringing video URLs

Grab the URL of each stolen video from your browser. If one account has re-uploaded multiple works, copy its profile URL as well, but remember Vimeo reviews the specific videos you list, every re-upload you want removed needs its own link.

Step 2: Open the Vimeo DMCA claim form

Go to vimeo.com/dmca/claim. Vimeo also accepts notices by email at [email protected] and by mail to its Copyright Agent in New York, but the form is the fastest route and walks you through every required element, so incomplete notices are less likely.

Step 3: Describe your work and paste the URLs

Identify the copyrighted work being infringed, "my short film [title], first published at [URL] on [date]", and list the URL of every infringing video. If the copy was trimmed, re-titled, or had your credits cut off, say so; it helps the reviewer match it to your original.

Step 4: Fill in your details and your relationship to the copyright holder

Enter your full legal name, organization (if any), mailing address, phone number, and email. Then specify whether you're the copyright owner, a representative of the owning organization, or an authorized agent. The form also lets you choose which name is displayed publicly when the video is removed, pick your business name if you'd rather not have your personal name on the takedown.

Step 5: Affirm the declarations, sign, and submit

Confirm under penalty of perjury that the use isn't authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law, and that your information is accurate. Type your name as your digital signature and submit. Note Vimeo's warning: notices can be shared with third parties, including the Lumen database, and misrepresentations can carry liability.

What happens after you file

Vimeo's team reviews complete notices and removes infringing videos, notifying the uploader. The uploader can respond with a counter-notification, and Vimeo may restore the video after the statutory waiting period unless you notify them of a court action, so keep your project files and publication records ready. Repeat infringers face account termination. Because ripped videos often circulate across several hosts at once, it's worth checking YouTube, Dailymotion, and file-sharing sites for the same copy. If tracking a stolen film across half the internet sounds exhausting, Rulta is a takedown service whose team finds the copies and files the DMCA notices for you.

This guide is educational information, not legal advice.

Need the notice text?Generate a complete DMCA notice for Vimeo — free, one minute

Exhibit A — official takedown formhttps://vimeo.com/dmca/claim

Frequently asked questions

Can I email my DMCA notice instead of using Vimeo's form?

Yes. Vimeo accepts notices at [email protected] and by mail to its Copyright Agent in New York, but the notice must contain every statutory element. The form is safer because it prompts for each one.

Will my takedown notice be made public?

It can be shared with third parties, including the Lumen database, which publishes takedown notices. Consider using a business address and email rather than personal ones.

Whose name appears when the video is removed?

The form lets you choose which name is displayed on the takedown notice shown where the video used to be, useful if you're filing through a company or agent.

Can the uploader get the video restored?

Yes. The uploader can file a counter-notification, and Vimeo may restore the video after the statutory waiting period unless you show you've filed a court action.

What happens to accounts that repeatedly upload stolen videos?

Vimeo can terminate repeat infringers, so report every re-upload from the same account rather than just the worst one.