Piracy Shield Help

Protect your intellectual property with automated scanning and DMCA takedown notices.

Overview Scanning Detections DMCA Notices Workflow

Understanding DMCA Notices

A DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) notice is a legal request to remove infringing content. When sent to Google, it removes piracy URLs from search results, making them harder for readers to find.

Before You Begin

DMCA notices are filed under penalty of perjury. Only submit for content you actually own the copyright to. Your notice will be public in Google's Lumen database.

Creating a Notice

From Detections (Recommended)

  1. Go to Piracy Shield → Detections
  2. Select one or more detections using checkboxes
  3. Click Generate DMCA Notice
  4. Review the pre-filled notice information
  5. Complete the attestation checkboxes
  6. Click Create Notice

The notice will include all selected URLs and link back to the original detections.

Creating a Notice Manually

  1. Go to Piracy Shield → Notices
  2. Click New Notice
  3. Select the novel being infringed
  4. Enter claimant information (defaults from Settings)
  5. Paste infringing URLs (one per line)
  6. Complete attestation and create

Attestation Requirements

Before a notice can be submitted, you must attest to its accuracy by confirming:

  • Good Faith - You believe in good faith that the use of the copyrighted work is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law
  • Accuracy Under Perjury - The information in this notification is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on behalf of the owner
  • Copyright Ownership - You are the copyright owner of the works identified, or you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner

Your IP address is recorded at the time of attestation for audit purposes.

Submitting to Google

Submission Process

  1. Open the notice and verify it shows Ready status
  2. Click Copy Notice Text to copy the full notice
  3. Click the Submit to Google link (opens Google's form)
  4. Paste the notice text into Google's form
  5. Complete Google's verification steps
  6. Return to Story Signal and click Mark as Submitted
  7. Optionally enter Google's reference ID for tracking

Note: Story Signal doesn't submit directly to Google - you copy the notice and submit manually. This gives you final control over what's submitted.

Notice Status Reference

Status Meaning Next Step
Draft Notice created but not attested Complete attestation checkboxes
Ready Attested and ready to submit Copy and submit to Google
Submitted Submitted to Google, awaiting processing Wait 1-3 weeks for removal
Removed Google confirmed removal Done! URLs no longer in search results

Frequently Asked Questions

How long until URLs are removed?

Google typically processes DMCA requests within 1-3 weeks. Removal time varies based on volume and the specificity of your claim.

Will my information be public?

Yes. Your name and contact info appear in Google's Lumen database as the complainant. This is required by law for transparency.

What if Google rejects my notice?

Common rejection reasons include: claiming URLs that don't actually host your content, incorrect contact information, or missing attestations. Review Google's response and resubmit with corrections.

Can I edit a notice after creation?

No. For legal integrity, notice text and infringing URLs are immutable after creation. If you need changes, create a new notice.

Detections