How to File a DMCA Takedown on Xvideos (2026 Guide)

March 18, 2022Updated March 20, 202610 min read

What Is a DMCA Takedown on Xvideos?

A DMCA takedown is a formal legal notice sent under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, specifically 17 U.S.C. § 512, demanding that a platform remove content that infringes your copyright.

When you send a valid notice to Xvideos, the platform is legally required to remove the infringing material "expeditiously" to retain its safe harbor protection from copyright liability.

Xvideos is one of the world's largest adult video platforms and operates under both U.S. DMCA rules and the European Copyright Directive. Like any user-generated content site, it relies on the Section 512 safe harbor — meaning it avoids direct liability for user uploads as long as it complies with takedown requests.

Understanding how the process works — and what rights you have — is critical whether you are a copyright owner or someone whose content has been uploaded without consent.

Legal Framework: 17 U.S.C. § 512

The notice-and-takedown system created by Section 512 of the Copyright Act is the foundation of every DMCA takedown. To maintain safe harbor protection, an online service provider like Xvideos must:

Designate a registered DMCA agent with the U.S. Copyright Office
Post that agent's contact information publicly on its website
Remove infringing material expeditiously upon receiving a valid notice
Notify the uploader that content has been removed
Restore content if a valid counter-notification is received and the original complainant does not file suit within 10–14 business days
Adopt and enforce a repeat infringer policy, including account termination for repeat offenders

Failure to comply with these requirements causes the platform to lose its safe harbor protection and exposes it to direct copyright liability under 17 U.S.C. § 512.

How to File a DMCA Takedown Notice on Xvideos

There are two methods to request removal of infringing content from Xvideos.

Method 1: Email the Abuse Team

Send your notice directly to abuse@xvideos.com. This is the primary channel for copyright takedown requests.

Your email must contain all required statutory elements — an incomplete notice may be rejected, and sending a knowingly false notice exposes you to liability under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f).

Method 2: Use Xvideos' Online Reporting Form

Xvideos provides an online takedown form at info.xvideos.com/takedown. This form walks you through the required fields and is often the fastest route to removal.

You can also use our Free DMCA Takedown Notice Builder to draft a properly formatted notice before sending it.

What Your DMCA Notice Must Contain

Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3), a valid DMCA takedown notice must include all of the following five elements:

Your identity and signature. Your full legal name and a physical or electronic signature. If you are an authorized agent, state that clearly.
Identification of the copyrighted work. Describe the original work you own — for example, "a video I filmed on [date], first published at [URL]."
Identification of the infringing material. Provide the exact URL(s) on Xvideos where the infringing content appears.
Your contact information. A mailing address, telephone number, and email address where you can be reached.
Two sworn statements. (a) A good-faith belief that the use is not authorized by you, your agent, or the law. (b) A statement under penalty of perjury that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the owner's behalf.

Missing any of these elements can invalidate your notice. Be precise and complete.

What Happens After You File

Once Xvideos receives your notice, the typical sequence is:

Step 1 — Review. Xvideos reviews the notice for completeness. Processing times vary, but valid notices are typically acted on within a few business days.

Step 2 — Removal. If the notice is valid, Xvideos removes the content and notifies the uploader that a copyright claim has been received.

Step 3 — Counter-notification window. The uploader has the right to file a counter-notification. If they do, you have 10 to 14 business days to file a lawsuit in federal court. If you do not file suit, Xvideos may restore the content.

Step 4 — Account action. Under Section 512(i), Xvideos must terminate the accounts of repeat infringers. Multiple takedown notices against the same uploader can result in permanent account suspension.

The Counter-Notification Process

If your content was removed from Xvideos in response to a DMCA notice that you believe was filed in error or in bad faith, you have the right to submit a counter-notification.

A valid counter-notification under 17 U.S.C. § 512(g)(3) must include:

Your name, address, telephone number, and electronic signature
Identification of the material that was removed and its location before removal
A statement under penalty of perjury that the material was removed by mistake or misidentification
Your consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for your address

Once Xvideos receives a valid counter-notification, it must wait 10 to 14 business days before restoring the content — giving the original complainant time to seek injunctive relief. If no court action is filed, the content may be reinstated.

Important: Filing a false counter-notification exposes you to liability for damages, costs, and attorney's fees under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f).

Special Considerations: Non-Consensual Intimate Images

Not every unwanted video on Xvideos is a copyright issue. If a video was uploaded without your consent — particularly intimate or sexual content — you may have more than one legal avenue.

The Take It Down Act (2025)

The TAKE IT DOWN Act was signed into law on May 19, 2025. It is a landmark federal law that:

Criminalizes the non-consensual publication of intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes
Requires covered platforms to remove such images within 48 hours of receiving a valid notice
Imposes criminal penalties of up to 2 years imprisonment for offenders (up to 3 years if a minor is depicted)
Requires platforms to have compliant notice-and-removal systems in place by May 19, 2026

This law operates independently of copyright. Even if you do not hold a registered copyright in a video, you can use the Take It Down Act to demand removal from covered platforms.

15 U.S.C. § 6851 — Federal Civil Action

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 created a federal civil cause of action for the non-consensual disclosure of intimate images. Under 15 U.S.C. § 6851, a victim can:

Sue the person who disclosed the images in federal district court
Recover actual damages or liquidated damages of $150,000, plus attorney's fees
Obtain injunctive relief ordering the defendant to remove the content

This remedy is against the uploader, not the platform. It works alongside — not instead of — a DMCA or Take It Down Act notice to Xvideos.

State Revenge Porn Laws

Revenge porn (non-consensual pornography) is a crime in the vast majority of U.S. states. Most statutes treat it as at least a misdemeanor with penalties including fines and up to one year in jail; some states classify it as a felony for repeat offenses or cases involving minors.

You can report non-consensual intimate images to local law enforcement regardless of whether you own a copyright in the material. The DOJ Office on Violence Against Women provides a plain-language guide to your rights and options.

Steps to report copyright infringement on adult content platforms

Federal Law on Adult Content: 18 U.S.C. § 2257

18 U.S.C. § 2257 imposes strict record-keeping obligations on producers of sexually explicit content. Any primary or secondary producer of visual depictions of actual people engaged in sexually explicit conduct must:

Verify that every performer is 18 years of age or older by examining a government-issued photo ID
Maintain records of each performer's legal name, date of birth, and any stage names
Affix a statement on every copy of the content identifying where those records are kept
Make those records available for inspection by the DOJ Criminal Division

Penalties for violation: Up to 5 years imprisonment for a first offense; up to 10 years for a subsequent offense, plus fines.

These obligations apply to content creators, not Xvideos as a hosting platform. However, if you are a content creator filing DMCA notices, you should ensure your own productions comply with § 2257 requirements.

The EARN IT Act and STOP CSAM Act

The STOP CSAM Act of 2025 — currently advancing in Congress — would impose significant new obligations on online platforms:

Require any electronic service provider with actual knowledge of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to file detailed CyberTipline reports within 60 days
Create civil liability for platforms that "knowingly, recklessly, or intentionally" host or facilitate CSAM
Allow victims to recover at least $300,000 plus attorney's fees
Remove Section 230 immunity for platforms that violate these requirements

These proposals affect adult platforms disproportionately because regulators and legislators have cited platforms in that space in connection with CSAM concerns.

When to Involve Law Enforcement Instead of Filing a DMCA Notice

A DMCA takedown is the right tool for copyright infringement. But in some situations, you should contact law enforcement first or instead:

The content depicts a minor. This is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 2256. Report to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CyberTipline and the FBI.
The content was shared to harass or extort you. Many states have sextortion and cyberstalking statutes. File a police report.
You are the victim of a deepfake. The Take It Down Act now provides a federal criminal remedy — report to law enforcement and use the platform's Take It Down Act notice process.
The uploader is impersonating you. Platform impersonation reports and law enforcement referrals are more appropriate than DMCA.

DMCA takedowns deal only with copyright. They do not punish the uploader or prevent re-uploading to other sites.

Fair Use Considerations

Before filing a takedown notice, verify that the content is actually infringing and is not protected as fair use under 17 U.S.C. § 107. Courts weigh four factors:

The purpose and character of the use (commercial vs. educational; transformative vs. reproductive)
The nature of the copyrighted work
The amount and substantiality of the portion used
The effect of the use on the market for the original

Filing a DMCA notice against content that is clearly fair use can result in a successful counter-notification and expose you to liability under § 512(f) for material misrepresentation.

Tips for Adult Content Creators

If you create adult content professionally, take these steps to protect your work:

Register your copyrights. Register original works with the U.S. Copyright Office before any infringement occurs. Registration enables you to recover statutory damages (up to $150,000 per work for willful infringement) and attorney's fees — remedies unavailable for unregistered works.

Watermark your content. Embed visible and invisible watermarks in every piece you release. Watermarks create a paper trail that identifies leaks and supports infringement claims.

Document your creative process. Keep dated backups, raw files, and production records. These prove you are the original author if challenged.

Renew your DMCA agent registration. If you run your own platform, your designated agent registration with the Copyright Office must be renewed every three years under 17 C.F.R. § 201.38.

Monitor for infringement. Use reverse image and video search tools to find unauthorized uploads on a regular basis. The sooner you act, the less the content spreads.

Consult an attorney for serial infringers. If the same person repeatedly re-uploads your content after takedowns, a federal copyright lawsuit may be warranted. Repeat infringement cases involving registered works can yield significant damages.

For a step-by-step guide on drafting your notice, see What is a DMCA Takedown? and our Free DMCA Takedown Notice Builder.

Other DMCA Takedown Guides

Sources and References

17 U.S.C. § 512 — Limitations on Liability Relating to Material Online(law.cornell.edu).gov
U.S. Copyright Office — Section 512 Safe Harbor Resources(copyright.gov).gov
U.S. Copyright Office — DMCA Designated Agent Directory(copyright.gov).gov
18 U.S.C. § 2257 — Record Keeping Requirements(law.cornell.edu).gov
DOJ Criminal Division — 18 U.S.C. § 2257-2257A Certifications(justice.gov).gov
15 U.S.C. § 6851 — Civil Action for Disclosure of Intimate Images(law.cornell.edu).gov
TAKE IT DOWN Act — S.146, 119th Congress(congress.gov).gov
STOP CSAM Act of 2025 — S.1829, 119th Congress(congress.gov).gov
DOJ Office on Violence Against Women — Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent(justice.gov).gov
17 U.S.C. § 107 — Limitations on Exclusive Rights: Fair Use(law.cornell.edu).gov

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