This is not legal advice
UnStrike is a pre-upload screening tool, not a law firm. Results are produced by automated analysis and reverse image search. They are designed to surface obvious risks early - not to deliver a final legal opinion. Copyright law is complex and differs between countries. For commercial projects or disputes, consult a qualified intellectual property lawyer.
What UnStrike does
When you upload a file, two checks run in parallel: a reverse image search that looks for your image or video frames elsewhere on the web, and an AI analysis that inspects the content for logos, artwork, characters, recognizable people, lyrics, and other protected material. The findings are then weighed against the copyright rules of the country you select.
The point is to save your time. A takedown or strike after you have already edited, published, and promoted a post is expensive to fix. UnStrike is the quick check you run first.
Technical Overview
AI-powered visual and transcript analysis: UnStrike invokes a large language model (LLM) against multimodal input - images or video frames encoded as base64, plus file metadata and speech-extracted transcript text. The model applies a learned rubric that accounts for copyright duration in the selected jurisdiction, registered trademark status via USPTO/EUIPO/WIPO databases, Creative Commons license markers, and fair use/fair dealing case law precedent. The model outputs a JSON response with risk scoring (0-100), detected_risks array with specific element identification, use_case_risks table comparing commercial vs non-commercial enforcement likelihood by platform policy and statute, and country_rules section citing applicable statute (e.g., 17 U.S.C. §501, Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, etc.).
Reverse image search backend: For images and video frames, content is temporarily hosted on a third-party CDN with automatic expiration (~10 minutes) to enable reverse search engine crawling. The index match feeds into risk assessment as a prior-art signal but is not determinative - viral or fan-created content scores high on reverse search but may qualify as transformative fair use depending on use case and jurisdiction.
Transcription pipeline: Video and audio files are processed through automatic speech recognition (ASR) to extract spoken-word transcripts. The transcript is tokenized and cross-checked against known lyric databases, film/TV dialogue corpora, and broadcast content registries. Matched segments are weighted for context length - a 3-second lyric phrase carries higher risk than incidental background music or dialogue citation in educational content.
Ad-supported model: Reverse search queries, ASR processing, and LLM inference represent significant compute costs (roughly $0.80-$2.50 per scan depending on media type and jurisdiction complexity). Rather than charge per-scan or restrict by account tier, UnStrike monetizes via Google AdSense display ads. Non-personalized ad serving (when you reject ad cookies) carries lower CPM (~$0.15-$0.50) but still funds the infrastructure. Personalized ads (when you accept them) generate higher revenue (~$1.00-$3.00 CPM) which subsidizes the free tier. This model creates a direct incentive to keep analysis accurate and useful - misleading risk scoring degrades user experience and ad engagement.
How the analysis works
Reverse image search
For images and video frames, UnStrike checks whether your content already appears on other websites. A match is a signal worth investigating - though appearing online does not by itself mean the content is off-limits.
AI visual scan
The analysis examines your image or frames for logos, brand marks, artwork, film and TV stills, trademarked characters, recognizable public figures, and watermarks, and flags anything that warrants a closer look.
Automatic transcript extraction
For audio and video, speech recognition extracts spoken words, which are checked for lyrics, film dialogue, broadcast content, and other protected text.
Country-specific rules
Fair use in the US, fair dealing in the UK and Australia, and Indonesia's moral-rights framework all treat the same content differently. The risk assessment is tailored to the jurisdiction you choose.
What UnStrike cannot do
It cannot give legal certainty
A "Low Risk" score means no obvious red flags were detected - not that the content is legally cleared. Very new or niche material may not be caught.
It cannot detect all music
Audio is analyzed through transcripts and metadata, not audio fingerprinting like Content ID. If your video has background music, verify it separately with a tool such as Shazam or AudD.
It cannot replace a lawyer
If you are publishing commercially, selling merchandise, or facing an actual DMCA dispute, engage a real intellectual property attorney. UnStrike is a first-pass screen, not a verdict.
Free - no account needed
UnStrike is free to use with no signup, no paywall, and no scan limits. The site is supported by advertising, which is why you may see ads if you allow them in your cookie settings.
FREE
Unlimited scans · No account required · Files are processed for the scan and not stored
Frequently asked questions
Who made UnStrike, and why?
UnStrike was built by a high schooler who wanted to become a YouTuber. One of my videos got thousands of views - and then it got copyrighted, and I had to take it down. All that work, gone after the fact. That's the pain this tool exists to prevent: I understand exactly how it feels, so UnStrike lets you catch the problem before you publish, not after.
Are you affiliated with YouTube, TikTok, or any platform?
No. UnStrike is not affiliated with any social media platform at all - not YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or anyone else - and not with any rights-management organization. It's a fully independent tool, which also means its results have no official standing in any platform's copyright decisions.
Is UnStrike really free? How?
Yes - unlimited scans, no account, no paywall. The AI analysis behind each scan costs real money in AI tokens, and the ads displayed on the site are what pay for those tokens. That's the whole business model: ads keep the scans free for you. You control ad cookies through the banner and the "Cookie preference" link in the footer.
Do you store my uploaded files?
No. Files are processed for the scan you requested and are not saved. For reverse image search, a copy of your image or frame is temporarily hosted for the search and auto-deleted after about ten minutes. Your scan history lives only in your own browser.
Does a "Low Risk" score mean my content is safe to post?
No. It means the automated analysis found no obvious red flags. It is not a legal clearance, and it does not bind any platform's copyright system. Use it to decide how much further checking - or professional advice - the content deserves.
Can UnStrike detect copyrighted music?
Partially. It reads transcripts and metadata, so it can catch lyrics and telltale file names - but it does not run audio fingerprinting like Content ID. Verify background music separately with a recognition app such as Shazam or AudD.
I got a strike on a platform anyway. Can UnStrike help?
No - UnStrike is not connected to any platform's copyright system and cannot influence, appeal, or remove strikes. Disputes go through the platform's own appeal process. UnStrike is a pre-publish screen, not an official assessor of platform copyright decisions.
Which formats and sizes are supported?
MP4, MOV, AVI, MP3, WAV, JPG, PNG, and GIF, up to 50 MB. HEIC is not supported - convert it to JPG or PNG first. For video, five representative frames are extracted and analyzed.