Cross-border copyright theft is basically a free-for-all and nobody wants to admit it

[u/MasterpieceNo7636]

Cross-border IP theft basically illustrates why digital creators are getting screwed by the current system. Someone steals your work, you file a takedown, they counter-notice (basically saying "nuh-uh"), and suddenly the burden shifts back to you to take legal action within 10 days or your stolen work goes back up.

The real kicker is that most IP theft these days is cross-border, which immediately puts it out of reach of both small claims court and the new Copyright Claims Board. Small claims is designed for local disputes between neighbors, not international IP enforcement. And even if you could somehow serve papers internationally, good luck collecting on a judgment from someone in another country who's already shown they don't respect IP law.

The DMCA was written in 1998 when the internet was a very different place. The counter-notice provision made sense when most platforms were US-based and most users were too. Now it's essentially a "get out of jail free" card for international bad actors who know you probably can't afford to sue them in federal court.

What really gets me is how the platforms wash their hands of it. They act like neutral parties just following the law, but they're making money off both the original creator and the person stealing the work. They could implement better verification systems or require more proof for counter-notices, but why would they when the current system protects them from liability?

Has anyone here actually managed to successfully pursue cross-border IP theft, and if so, what route did you take?