Not a court order, and not proof that someone actually infringed a copyright. It is a formal request sent under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA), usually under 17 U.S.C. § 512, asking an online service provider to remove or disable access to material that allegedly violates a copyright. The notice is most often sent to a website host, social media platform, search engine, or other online service that stores or links to user-posted content.

To work, the notice generally must identify the copyrighted work, point to the infringing material, include the sender's contact information, and contain statements made under penalty of perjury that the complaint is made in good faith and that the sender is authorized to act. If the platform follows the DMCA's rules, it may qualify for a safe harbor that limits its legal liability for user content.

In practical terms, a DMCA takedown notice can get photos, videos, articles, music, or other creative work taken offline quickly, sometimes before a judge ever looks at the dispute. That makes it a powerful tool for copyright owners, but also one that can be misused.

For a legal claim, the notice can create leverage and a paper trail, but it does not decide who wins. The person targeted may send a counter-notice, which can lead to the content being restored unless the copyright owner files a lawsuit.