Pirated course on Telegram: what to do in the first 48 hours

You find it in a channel with thousands of subscribers: the lessons of your course, uploaded by someone who is not you. The first reaction is to write to the administrators or to report everything at once, and that is almost always the wrong order. Here is the sequence we recommend, with a report template to copy.

An honest premise: the "48 hours" in the title are a rule of thumb, because channels get deleted and renamed quickly. No legal deadline exists, and we cannot guarantee that a report will lead to removal. For the general picture (why courses end up on Telegram, what the law says, what actually protects a course) see our main guide to video course piracy.

What should you do first, before the channel disappears?

The first thing to do is keep the evidence, before you even report. Channels and messages can be deleted or renamed at any moment, and without a trace you are left with the damage and nothing to show for it.

Collect these items, in this order:

1. Links to the channel and to the individual messages containing the lessons. A link to the channel alone is not enough: whoever reviews the report must be able to reach the exact content.
2. The channel name, the number of subscribers and the date you saw it.
3. Screenshots with date and time visible, showing the message, the channel name and the lessons.
4. Proof that the work is yours: the official course page, the original files, the sales platform, invoices.

At least at first, avoid joining under the studio’s name, writing to the administrators or threatening them. Whoever runs the channel is often anonymous, and a premature warning is the quickest way to make everything vanish before you have your evidence.

Are screenshots enough as evidence?

For a report to Telegram they usually are: clear screenshots with links, date and time will do. For legal action you want something sturdier, because a screenshot is an easily challenged file and the date it shows depends on the device’s clock.

The reason is legal. Under the Italian civil code (art. 2712), computer reproductions of facts count as full proof, but only if the other party does not dispute that they match the facts (Normattiva, in Italian). If the other side challenges your screenshot, it loses its full-proof value and you will need to back it up with other elements.

There are three levels, from simplest to sturdiest:

• A screenshot with link, date and time. Enough to report to the platform.
• A full-page capture with address and time, saved immediately in several copies, unaltered.
• A capture with a certified date and chain of custody, possibly done by a professional. This is what you need when preparing a lawsuit.

Which one to choose is for your lawyer to decide in your case. Many digital certification services sell this step and say a plain screenshot is not enough: it is useful but interested information, and we do not present it as a rule.

How do you report a channel to Telegram?

For public bots, channels and groups you write to dmca@telegram.org. That is what Telegram’s official FAQ says, and it also asks that the report come from the rights holder or an authorized representative (Telegram FAQ).

One important limit: private chats and groups are reserved for their participants, and Telegram states it does not process requests about them. If your course circulates only in a private group, this route is not enough on its own.

There is no guarantee of timing or outcome. Telegram says it carries out the necessary legal checks on reported public content and removes it when it sees fit. Rights holders have claimed the opposite in the past: in 2019 the RIAA said it had sent about 18,000 notices and that Telegram forwarded them to channel operators, most of whom appeared to do nothing (TorrentFreak). That is one side’s account, and years old: we cite it to explain why you should keep your correspondence and recheck the channel, not to describe how things work today.

A report template to copy

A report must be precise. The EU Digital Services Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, art. 16) requires hosting services to offer a reporting mechanism that lets you say why the content is unlawful, where exactly it is (the precise address) and who is reporting (EUR-Lex). Telegram has no form for copyright, so write everything in the email.

Subject: Copyright infringement notice – [course name]

Hello,

I am writing as [the rights holder / the authorized representative of (name)]
of the work "[course title]", published at [link to the official page].

The content has been copied and distributed without my authorization here:
- Channel: [name] – [link]
- Messages: [link 1], [link 2], [link 3]

The channel is public and has about [number] subscribers (checked on [date]).
I attach screenshots with date and time and proof of ownership of the work.

I declare that I am acting in good faith and that the information provided
is accurate and complete. I request the removal of the content indicated.

[First and last name / company name]
[Email and contact details]

If you prefer to write in Italian, the Italian version of this template is in the Italian guide.

After sending, keep the email, any replies, and the date of each follow-up check. Do not promise your customers a removal: only tell them you have reported it.

Can you find out who uploaded your course?

The honest answer is: it depends on what is in the copy. Channel administrators are often anonymous, and a channel with thousands of subscribers does not tell you which of your students shared the lessons. Without a trace, you usually will not find out.

If instead you have a per-student watermark and the code stays visible and readable in the leaked video, you can look it up in the platform’s records and link it to an account. Check the copy right away: see whether the code can be read, when it appears, and whether it has been covered or cropped.

Two cautions. Linking a copy to an account does not prove who the person was: the account may have been lent or compromised. And with this information you should neither act on your own nor accuse anyone publicly: talk to a lawyer. The limits of watermarking are explained in more detail in the guide on DRM and watermarks.

When do you need a lawyer, and what can the authorities do?

You need a lawyer when you want to understand whether and how to act beyond the report. It helps to start by separating three goals: getting the copy removed, finding out which account it came from, and seeking compensation. Each has a different route.

• Removal: the report to Telegram, as above.
• Identifying the account: this depends on a trace that must already exist in the copy.
• Compensation: a legal matter, usually presupposing someone you can name as responsible, and for a lawyer to assess. Distributing a course for profit may also have criminal relevance (art. 171-ter of Law 633/1941): we cover it in the main guide.

Public tools exist but are not designed for courses. Piracy Shield, AGCOM’s platform, has covered audiovisual content broadcast live since July 2025: a recorded course is not live. AGCOM also runs a separate channel for rights-holder complaints, DDAonline (AGCOM, in Italian): whether it applies to your case is for a professional to decide. The Italian Postal Police website offers both an online report and a complaint for cybercrimes (Commissariato di PS online, in Italian); the choice between the two should be made with your lawyer.

How do you avoid ending up in the same situation?

The most effective way is for a leak to leave a trace from day one. No protection fully prevents someone from filming the screen, but some make a leak traceable: a personal watermark for each student, a device limit and a log of access.

Add clear terms of use that say what may not be done with the material, and now and then check whether the course shows up elsewhere: the sooner you notice, the easier it is to keep the evidence. The main guide compares DRM, watermarks and device limits, and says honestly what each one covers.

If you want to try a protection built on traceability before launch, we are selecting a few creators for the Tea Pilot.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do if I find my course on Telegram?

First keep the evidence: links to the channel and to individual messages, the name, the number of subscribers, and screenshots with date and time. Then write to dmca@telegram.org as the rights holder, naming the work, the links and proof that it is yours. Decide with a lawyer whether to act legally as well. The 48 hours are a rule of thumb, not a legal deadline.

How do you report a Telegram channel for copyright infringement?

For public bots, channels and groups, Telegram’s FAQ gives the address dmca@telegram.org. The report must come from the rights holder or an authorized representative and should include the copied work, links to the messages, a statement that the distribution is unauthorized, the evidence and a contact. Private chats and groups are not handled.

Does Telegram remove the content after a report?

Telegram says it carries out the necessary legal checks on reported public content and removes it when it sees fit, but it promises neither timing nor outcome. In 2019 the RIAA complained that many reports had no effect. It is best to keep your correspondence and check periodically whether the channel is still active.

Are screenshots enough as evidence?

For a report to Telegram they usually are, if they show links, date and time. For legal action you want something sturdier: a screenshot is a reproduction the other side can challenge, and its date depends on the device’s clock. A lawyer can tell you whether you need a capture with a certified date or the help of a professional.

Can I find out who uploaded my course?

It depends on what is in the copy. Channel administrators are often anonymous, so without a trace you usually cannot. If you use a per-student watermark and the code stays readable in the video, you can look it up in the platform’s records and link it to an account. That does not prove who the person was: the account may have been lent.

Sources

• Telegram FAQ, on copyright infringement reports. telegram.org
• TorrentFreak, 2 October 2019, on the DMCA notices the RIAA sent to Telegram. An interested, dated source. torrentfreak.com
• Art. 2712, Italian Civil Code (in Italian), on Normattiva. normattiva.it
• Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (Digital Services Act), art. 16, on EUR-Lex. eur-lex.europa.eu
• AGCOM (in Italian), Anti-piracy and Piracy Shield, on the 2025 extension and the DDAonline channel. agcom.it
• Commissariato di PS online, Italian Postal Police (in Italian), reports and complaints section. commissariatodips.it