DMCA Takedown: What It Means for You and Your Website
The DMCA and Copyright Law
In 1998, Congress passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to address the relationship between copyright law and the internet. The DMCA provides safe harbors and exemptions for online service providers who host or transmit user-generated content, but it also requires that the Librarian of Congress issue a notice of any claimed infringement to the service provider.
Information Needed for DMCA Takedown Notice
The information needed for a DMCA takedown notice is the same information needed for nearly all takedown notice requests:
- Identification of the copyrighted work that has been infringed
- Identification of the allegedly infringing material and its location on the service provider's network
- Contact information for the copyright holder
- A statement that the copyright holder has a good faith belief that the use of the copyrighted material is not authorized by the copyright holder, the copyright holder's agent, or the law
Consequences of a DMCA Takedown
If you receive a DMCA takedown notice, your website may be removed from search results and you may be sued for copyright infringement. It is important to respond to a DMCA takedown notice promptly and to take steps to remove the allegedly infringing material from your website.
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