diff --git a/cots/scripts/placeholder.txt b/cots/scripts/placeholder.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index eed293eb610e33893f493529ccf4168f608766a6..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/cots/scripts/placeholder.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-placeholder.txt
diff --git a/cots/tars/placeholder.txt b/cots/tars/placeholder.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index eed293eb610e33893f493529ccf4168f608766a6..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/cots/tars/placeholder.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-placeholder.txt