The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Find likely copies by searching a distinctive sentence in quotation marks, document the original and copied URLs, verify who hosts the copied site, and send a precise copyright notice to the organization that can act. WordPress.com can review material hosted on its service; it does not control independently hosted sites that merely use WordPress software.
1. Confirm that expression—not just an idea—was copied
Similar subjects, facts, titles, or short common phrases are not automatically infringement. Compare the wording, images, audio, or other specific expression. Ask whether the material was licensed, published under a reuse permission, or used for commentary, criticism, news reporting, or another potentially fair use. Also confirm that you own the copyright or are authorized to enforce it; the person pictured in a photograph, for example, is not necessarily the photograph’s copyright owner.
WordPress.com says its support staff cannot provide legal advice and may reject notices involving fair use, non-copyrightable material, or questionable ownership. Copyright and DMCA procedures are US-focused; another country’s law or a host’s policy may differ.
2. Find likely copies
Search distinctive excerpts
- Choose a sentence or unusual phrase from the original post.
- Search it in quotation marks, then try at least one different excerpt.
- Open results and compare the actual text, images, and publication dates. A matching title or generic phrase alone is weak evidence.
Search engines will not find every copy. You can create alerts for your site name, author name, or article title when ongoing monitoring is useful. WordPress.com also names Copyscape as an optional service for page checks and paid automatic monitoring; confirm its current features and terms before subscribing.
#1 Best Overall
3. Preserve evidence before requesting removal
Create a dated record while the material is still online. Save:
- the original URL and copied URL (where available);
- the exact paragraphs, images, or other files at issue;
- whether the copy is an excerpt or substantially the whole work;
- screenshots or downloaded copies showing the page, author, and date; and
- any permission, license, or correspondence relevant to authorization.
Be specific. A notice that identifies one copied paragraph and its location is more useful than a broad accusation that a site “stole my content.” Keep copies of messages and note when each response or change occurs.
4. Identify who can remove the material
| Suspected site | First reporting target | What matters |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted on WordPress.com (Automattic) | WordPress.com’s reporting process or formal DMCA notice | The platform can review content hosted on its service. |
| Uses WordPress software but is independently hosted | The actual web host, after identifying the provider | WordPress.org software does not mean WordPress.com hosts or controls the site. |
| Host is uncertain | Verify hosting clues and use a host/WHOIS lookup; contact the publisher where practical | A complaint sent to the wrong organization may not reach anyone able to act. |
Clues for WordPress.com
WordPress.com says a footer link to WordPress.com normally indicates hosting there. A logged-in user may also see a black administration bar on a WordPress.com-hosted site. Treat these as clues, not conclusive proof, and verify before filing.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Independent WordPress sites
A self-hosted site installs WordPress software from WordPress.org on a separate provider. Use a WHOIS or host-lookup service to identify the operator or hosting company, then follow that provider’s abuse or copyright instructions. WordPress.com cannot remove content from a server it does not control.
Rank #3
5. Ask the publisher first when practical
WordPress.com recommends contacting the site owner before filing a formal notice, although the owner may be unreachable or refuse. Keep the message professional and factual:
- identify your original work and its publication date;
- link to the original and copied locations;
- quote or identify the exact material reproduced;
- state why you own or are authorized to enforce the rights; and
- request removal or a specific corrective action by a reasonable date.
Do not threaten penalties you cannot support, and do not describe licensed or fair-use material as unlawful simply because attribution is missing.
6. Send a complete notice to the correct host
For WordPress.com-hosted content
Use WordPress.com’s formal copyright/DMCA reporting route. Identify the original work, the precise copied material, and every relevant URL. Submit only statements you can honestly make about ownership, authorization, and the absence of permission. WordPress.com reviews notices for completeness and validity; incomplete, abusive, fair-use, or non-copyrightable claims can be rejected.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
For a complete and valid notice, WordPress.com says it removes the content from the site and replaces it with a DMCA removal message. Removal applies to the location under its control; it does not erase other copies, search results, screenshots, or independently hosted pages.
Best Value
- Keep your student’s or children’s textbooks in great shape with our colorful fabric book covers 6 pack of stretchable book covers.
- Our textbook covers are stretchable and make perfect protection for the cover of textbooks to ensure they last the school year.
- This set of color textbook covers include six colorful book covers, made of durable polyester materials that fit most 11" by 11" textbooks.
- Our book covers for hardcover 6 pack is designed specifically to be used by kids and teachers in the classroom, or for keeping your books safe in a backpack.
- This pack comes with 6 stretchable book covers in purple, blue, green, yellow, red, and orange that durable and bright. Great for keeping every text book safe, all year long.
For another host
Send the same evidence to the identified web host and follow its published form or process. Hosts use different requirements and timelines. If the host cannot identify the account holder or does not respond, preserve the record and consider qualified legal advice or other remedies appropriate to your jurisdiction.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.7. Understand disclosure and counter-notices
A formal notice may be forwarded in full to the publisher, including contact information you provide. WordPress.com allows an agent to submit on a rights holder’s behalf, but the agent must have authority and accurate information.
If the recipient submits a valid counter-notice, the WordPress.com process described in its guidance gives the claimant 10 business days to initiate legal proceedings to prevent restoration. That is a material legal consequence, not an automatic second removal. Seek qualified legal advice when ownership, fair use, jurisdiction, or potential damages are uncertain.
What WordPress.com’s published figures do—and do not—show
Automattic reported receiving 2,266 copyright notices from January through June 2026. It reported that some or all content was removed for 12% of notices, while 81% were rejected as incomplete and 7% as abusive; three counter-notices were received. Automattic cautions that one notice can cover multiple sites or pieces of content, so these are not counts of unique copied articles. It also reported that 1.09% of valid notices in that period were later subject to a counter-notice. These platform-specific figures are not a probability estimate for an individual complaint or for another host.
Reduce future copying without overpromising protection
- Display a clear copyright notice and a reuse license that matches the permissions you actually grant.
- Use a summary-only RSS feed if full-feed copying is a recurring problem; WordPress.com notes that summaries can reduce convenience for some readers.
- Set alerts for distinctive phrases, your author name, and your site name.
- Watermark important images and retain original files and publication records.
- Keep a simple rights register showing authors, licenses, commissioned work, and permission emails.
These steps clarify terms and improve detection, but WordPress.com’s prevention guidance states that there is no way to fully guarantee complete protection of your work.
Quick Recap
Common mistakes to avoid
- Reporting a self-hosted WordPress site to WordPress.com.
- Claiming ownership of work created by someone else without an assignment or authorization.
- Calling an idea, fact, title, or short quotation “stolen” without identifying copied expression.
- Sending a form with missing URLs, vague descriptions, or unsupported legal statements.
- Assuming one host’s removal eliminates copies elsewhere or guarantees search-engine de-indexing.
- Confusing a trademark complaint about a name or logo with a copyright complaint.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
