DMCA Policy refers to D.M.C.A. This stands for Digital Millennium Copyright Act which is a U.S. copyright law. It addresses the rights and obligations of owners of copyrighted material who believe their rights under U.S. copyright law have been infringed, particularly but not limited to, on the Internet.
DMCA specifically addresses the rights and obligations of OSP / ISP (Internet Service Providers) on whose servers or networks the infringing material may be found.
If your content has been stolen to get started you can submit a takedown request here: Start Your Takedown
Note:
Even though DMCA is copyright law in the USA our service is NOT exclusive to the US only. DMCA.com has worked with webhosting or internet copyright or Intellectual Property Copyright processes within most countries throughout the world. Our takedown contacts are in all the major hosting countries.
DMCA Takedown Fast Tip
Any owner of content has the right to process a takedown notice for removal of their content from an infringing website if the content owner's property is found online without their permission.
How can I know if a website has a DMCA Policy?
If a website uses the DMCA they will usually place a reference in the footer of the website. The clickthrough should clearly state the conditions of the DMCA Takedown process. Many websites reference the DMCA.com Takedown Notice form on this website directly. If you are unsure or the website unclear, click here to complete your takedown request: DMCA Takedown Form. Our professional team will connect your takedown request to the right website.
Can I add a DMCA Policy to my website?
DMCA.com's first recommendation is to contact a lawyer or law firm in the legal jurisdiction of your company or website to determine what is the appropriate legal communication. DMCA.com does not offer any legal advice or specific recommendation regarding any copyright practice.
DMCA.com has two programs to help content creators, publishers and UGC platforms:
- Content Publishers or Platforms of User Generated Content (UGC) should use the DMCA Compliance program - Get Compliant - adding a compliance badge to your site instantly takes the guess work and time out of processing DMCA Takedown notices on your site.
- Content Creators and Publishers (without UGC) should use DMCA.com Protection Pro - Content Protection - it is essential to add an ownership statement to all your content. Registering and adding your content and website to this program is click through easy. There is even a Free program so getting started is easy.
If you are unsure what program is best for your situation by all means reach out and one of the DMCA.com team can provide support: Help Me Choose the right option.
DMCA Takedown Testimonial
DMCA was fantastic to work with, they were very professional, provided me with all the information and updates necessary to have personal content removed from a website. It was impressive at how quick they respond to messages and how fast they can complete a take-down . The pricing is very reasonable and the service is outstanding. I would highly recommend their services and would definitely use them again. Thank you Julie and Diane and everyone at DMCA. -SH
What do I need to adbide by DMCA Policy when submitting a Takedown?
Three main pieces of information are needed to get started filing a DMCA Takedown Notice:
1. Infringing URL
Where on the internet (or platform like Facebook or TikTok) is your stolen content located? What is the link that you want the content removed from? Be sure to provide the URL or website/webpage link of the content you want removed. If the stolen content is an image or video located on a website provide the direct link of the content contained in the site. Copy and paste the infringing text, or provide the URL of the infringing image if required.
An example link would look like: https://www.badguy_site.com/webpage/image_2
2. Source URL
Where was your content located when it was stolen? Was it on you social media profile like Facebook or Reddit? Was it from your own website? Provide the exact URL where it was stolen from, even if the content has already been removed from it's original location. The original URL is still valuable to the notice. If it was not online you can reference cell phone, computer, or camera etc. If it was online such as a website or cloud storage provide the link to the exact page it was stolen from. You can upload the original content to a cloud storage service and provide that URL with an expalanation of where it was originally stolen from.
An example link would look like: https://share.icloud.com/photos/my_original_content
3. Description of Ownership
What is the content owner's name and how was the content stolen? How is this content yours? How do you own it? Did you create it, buy it, copyright it? Who is claiming ownership of the content? Who is authorized to file the DMCA Takedown? When did you create the content and when was the content stolen?
An example description would sound like: "My photo I took of myself on my camera was stolen from my Google Drive and was posted on this website without my knowledge and I would like it removed."
If you are unsure how to collect the information for these three categories the Professional Takedown Team at DMCA.com can help with the answers. Click here to ask us about your situation.
Who would file a DMCA Takedown Notice?
- content publishers or distributors (with permission of the content or copyright owners)
- NFT owners
- social media users and participants
- content creators/owners
- copyright owners
- code writers and publishers
- subject contained within the content and published without permission (special considerations may be required)
If the list above does not appear to describe your situation by all means ask. Click here to Ask us about your situation
For more information you can visit: http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf
Related DMCA Takedown FAQ's
- What is the DMCA Protected Badge
- What is DMCA Protection
- What is DMCA Takedowns
- What is DMCA.com
- What is DMCA Protected Certificate
- What is DMCA Website Certificate
- What is DMCA Website Status Page and Protection Certificate