If someone reports that your content infringes their copyright, Medium can remove your content or even delete your account without a court order — and you can dispute this through a counter-notice process.
This analysis describes what Medium's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
The provision implements Medium's statutory obligations under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and establishes the procedural mechanism through which the platform addresses copyright infringement claims, including account termination authority for repeat violations.
The updated terms expand a data collection warranty to apply to all personal information users provide to Medium, not limited to newsletter editor submissions. Users now represent and warrant that any personal information they submit has been lawfully collected and that all required notices and consents were obtained before collection. This means the warranty applies whether data is provided through newsletters, account profiles, submissions, or other Medium features. If a user provides personal information collected without proper notice or consent, they may be in breach of this representation.
View change record →The removal of the explicit DMCA policy and copyright takedown procedures obscures Medium's legal obligations and procedures under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
View full change record →Users' content can be removed and accounts terminated based on DMCA takedown notices without prior notice to the user, creating risk for creators who publish original work that may be mistakenly reported as infringing.
How other platforms handle this
You agree not to engage in any of the following prohibited activities: (i) copying, distributing, or disclosing any part of the Service in any medium, including without limitation by any automated or non-automated 'scraping'; (ii) using any automated system, including without limitation 'robots,' 's...
You agree to comply with our Usage Policies, which are incorporated into these Terms. You may not use our Services to develop or train competing AI models, to generate content that violates our policies, or for any illegal purpose. Violation of our Usage Policies may result in suspension or terminat...
You agree not to engage in any of the following prohibited activities: (i) copying, distributing, or disclosing any part of the Service in any medium, including without limitation by any automated or non-automated 'scraping'; (ii) using any automated system, including without limitation 'robots,' 's...
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"We respond to notices of alleged copyright infringement and take down content in violation of copyright law. We reserve the right to delete or disable content alleged to be infringing, and to terminate accounts of repeat infringers. If you believe content on Medium infringes your copyright, please send a notice to our designated agent: copyright@medium.com. Medium's DMCA Agent is registered with the Copyright Office.— Excerpt from Medium's Medium Terms of Service
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision is governed by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. §512 (safe harbor provisions). Medium's compliance with §512(c) requires a registered DMCA agent, a takedown and counter-notice procedure, and a repeat infringer policy. Failure to comply with §512 requirements can result in loss of safe harbor protection, exposing Medium to direct copyright infringement liability. The EU's Digital Single Market Directive (Article 17, transposed into member state law) imposes additional upload filter obligations on qualifying platforms.
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The provision implements Medium's statutory obligations under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and establishes the procedural mechanism through which the platform addresses copyright infringement claims, including account termination authority for repeat violations.
Users' content can be removed and accounts terminated based on DMCA takedown notices without prior notice to the user, creating risk for creators who publish original work that may be mistakenly reported as infringing.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Medium.