On X (Twitter), you keep the copyright in what you post, but X's Terms give X a worldwide, royalty-free licence to use it and to let others do the same. If someone copies your work without permission, you report it through X's copyright reporting form at help.x.com/forms/ipi or to X's designated copyright agent at [email protected]. X's Terms say it can remove content that breaks copyright.
Copyright on X trips people up in both directions: creators find their photos reposted as someone else's, and businesses share images they don't have the rights to. Here's what X's own Terms of Service say on both sides, and the exact route to get stolen work taken down.
Who owns what you post on X?
You do. X's Terms of Service say you keep your rights to any content you post, and that your photos, audio and video count as part of that content. In X's own words, what's yours is yours.
Owning it isn't the same as controlling every use, though. When you post, you grant X a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence, with the right to sublicense, to use, copy, adapt, publish and distribute your content in any media. The Terms add that this licence authorises X to make your content available to the rest of the world and to let others do the same, and to use it to train X's AI models.
| Situation | What X's Terms mean for it |
|---|---|
| Someone reposts your post using X's own repost button | Covered by the licence you gave X when you posted |
| X shows your post in search, embeds or partner products | Covered by the licence, including sublicensing to partners |
| Someone downloads your photo and posts it as their own | Not covered: report it as copyright infringement |
| Someone uses your image on their website without an embed | A matter for copyright law outside X |
How to report copyright infringement on X
X's Terms give you two routes for content that copies your work:
- Use the copyright reporting form at help.x.com/forms/ipi. This is the route X lists first.
- Contact X's designated copyright agent: X Corp., Attn: Copyright Agent, 800 W Cesar Chavez St., Austin, TX 78701, or by email at [email protected].
One detail is easy to miss. The European and UK version of the Terms lists the same copyright agent at the same Austin address, even though everything else for those users runs through X's Dublin company. Wherever you are, copyright reports go to the same place.
A formal takedown notice in the US is a DMCA notice, and it has required elements. My guide to how a DMCA takedown notice works lists what it must include and how the counter-notice works.
What to gather before you report
- The link to each post that copies your work, not just the account.
- A link to, or a copy of, your original, ideally with a date that shows yours came first.
- Your contact details, because X needs to reach you about the report.
- A short, factual description of what was copied, such as a photo, a video or written text.
What happens to the account that copied you
X's Terms say it reserves the right to remove content that violates the User Agreement, and they name copyright and trademark violations as examples. More broadly, the Terms list X's enforcement options as removing content, limiting its visibility, discontinuing access to X or taking legal action. Which one happens is X's decision, not yours.
Your responsibilities when you post
The Terms work in reverse too. Every time you post, you promise you have all the rights and permissions needed for that content, and that it doesn't contain anyone else's copyrighted material unless you have permission or are otherwise legally entitled to use it. For a business account, that means:
- Only post photos you took, licensed or have written permission to use.
- Check the licence before posting music, film clips or stock footage in a video.
- Don't use the X or Twitter name, logos or other brand features in your own branding. The Terms say nothing gives you that right without X's express written consent.
Can you use other people's posts on your website?
The safe way is to embed them. X for Websites lets you embed a post on your site, and X says its embed tools handle author attribution and its other display requirements for you. X's Developer Policy also says you can't remove or alter proprietary notices or marks on X content you receive through the API, so people can see where a post came from and who it belongs to.
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Taking a screenshot of someone's post and republishing it's a different matter: you're copying their content outside X's tools, and their copyright still applies.
How X compares with other platforms
Every big platform runs its own copyright process. If you post the same content across channels, it's worth knowing how Instagram's copyright rules and YouTube's copyright strikes work as well, because a takedown on one platform doesn't remove copies on the others.
My verdict
Your posts are yours, but posting on X means accepting a broad licence, including AI training, so don't post anything you'd hate to see reused through X's tools. When someone steals your work outright, don't argue in the replies: file the report through X's form or the copyright agent, include every link, and keep a record. And protect your own account by only posting content you have the rights to, because the Terms put that responsibility squarely on you.
Frequently asked questions
Do you own the copyright in your tweets?
Yes. X's Terms say you keep your rights to the content you post, but you give X a worldwide, royalty-free licence to use it and let others do the same.
How do I file a DMCA report on X?
Use X's copyright reporting form at help.x.com/forms/ipi, or contact X's designated copyright agent at [email protected] or X Corp., Attn: Copyright Agent, 800 W Cesar Chavez St., Austin, TX 78701.
Can X use my photos?
Yes, within the licence in its Terms. Posting gives X a royalty-free licence to use, adapt and distribute your content, including to train its AI models.
Can I embed someone else's post on my website?
Yes. X for Websites lets you embed posts, and X says its embed tools handle author attribution and its display requirements for you.
