1.
2. First, take a deep breath.
3. Register your copyright.
4. Is suing worth it?
5. Gather evidence.
6. "Composition" cases are harder to prove.
7. Don’t use unlicensed samples.
8. Be prepared for a settlement.
9. Get illegal songs taken down.
10. Use YouTube’s “Content ID" program.
You don’t have to wait until your work gets uploaded illegally to start protecting against copyright infringement. YouTube seems to have recognized that it is ground zero in the evolving discussion of copyright, and as such is working on tools to help artists prevent their work from being uploaded illegally.
The most useful tool for indie musicians is the “Content ID Program.” In this program, copyright holders give YouTube a copy of their work—let’s say a song. YouTube then puts that song in a database which is referenced against any new video that is uploaded on YouTube. If YouTube identifies a match (or partial match), the system will do whatever the copyright holder has preselected. In most cases, this is probably to block the video. And voilá, copyright crisis averted.