Locked Out of Repository for 2 Months, no response from GitHub

[WowTheAlcove]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Question

Body

A DMCA strike (which has been retracted by the claimant) locked me out of my repository. A little over a month ago, I resolved the issue with the claimaint, which is when he retracted the claim.

I have not regained access to the repository, or gotten any further information/instructions from GitHub since then. I've opened two GitHub support tickets to no. Does anyone know what else I can do to regain?

[aimanfazal]

Answer

If the DMCA claim has already been formally retracted by the claimant, repository access may still take some time to be restored because GitHub has to process the retraction.

Since you've already contacted GitHub Support twice, I'd recommend:

1. Reply to your existing support ticket instead of creating more tickets.
2. Include the DMCA retraction/withdrawal confirmation from the claimant.
3. Provide the repository URL and the original DMCA notice/ticket number.
4. Clearly state that the claimant has withdrawn the claim and that the repository is still inaccessible.
5. Ask GitHub Support to confirm whether the retraction has been received and whether anything else is required from you.

If the claimant has not sent the retraction directly to GitHub, ask them to do so, since GitHub may need the formal withdrawal before restoring access.

If this answer was helpful, please mark it as answered.

[Mrutyunjaya940]

Use existing tickets: Reply to your currently open support tickets instead of creating new ones.

Attach proof: Provide the formal DMCA retraction or withdrawal confirmation from the claimant.

Include details: Supply the repository URL and the original DMCA notice or ticket number.

Explain clearly: State that the claim was withdrawn but the repository remains inaccessible.

Request a status update: Ask GitHub Support to confirm they received the retraction and whether they need anything else.

[gitmnaa]

If the DMCA claim has been officially retracted, I would follow up with GitHub Support and provide proof of the retraction, including the original claim details and confirmation from the claimant. GitHub should be able to review the case and advise on restoring access

[Jyotir2004]

Verify the claimant’s exact action: Contact the claimant and confirm they sent an email explicitly retracting the claim to copyright@github.com. They must send this from the exact email address they used to file the original DMCA notice. Ask them to CC you on that email or forward you the confirmation they sent it.

Stop opening new tickets: Opening multiple tickets pushes you to the back of the support queue. Stick to your oldest open ticket. Reply to it with the phrase "DMCA Retraction Update" and attach any proof you have that the claimant sent the retraction.

File a formal Counter Notice: If the claimant is unresponsive or GitHub continues to ignore the retraction, your strongest legal option is to submit a formal DMCA Counter Notice. This forces a strict legal timeline. Once GitHub processes a valid Counter Notice, they must restore the repository in 10 to 14 business days unless the claimant notifies GitHub they have filed a lawsuit against you.

Escalate via GitHub Community: Post a polite but detailed summary of your timeline (omitting personal info) on the GitHub Community Discussions board under the "How to use Git and GitHub" category. Tagging it with your support ticket numbers can sometimes catch the attention of a staff member who can manually escalate the stalled tickets.

Email the copyright team directly: If your support tickets were generic account help tickets, they might be in the wrong queue. Send an email directly to copyright@github.com with your repository name, original DMCA notice link, and your existing support ticket numbers.

[beenish-majeed]

If you and the claimant already settled the issue privately, GitHub won't automatically know about it. They still need to receive the retraction themselves before they can restore the repo.

1. Check github/dmca to see if a retraction for your case has been posted. If you don't see one, ask the claimant to confirm that they actually sent it to GitHub.

2. Have the claimant email copyright@github.com with your repo URL, the original DMCA notice, and a clear statement that they're retracting the claim. It would also help if they CC you.

3. Reply to your existing support tickets, and the original DMCA email if you still have it. Include the repo URL, when the claim was retracted, and the claimant's confirmation. I wouldn't keep opening new tickets.

4. Keep a backup of your repo locally or on GitLab/Codeberg in the meantime. Just avoid reposting the same content on GitHub until the issue is sorted out.