Legal
Copyright (DMCA)
How to report copyright infringement, and how to respond to a report.
Version 0.9. Last updated October 28, 2026.
This is our current policy. It is being reviewed by an attorney and may be updated; we will tell you about material changes.
Our approach
We respect copyright and expect you to. If you believe something on OnDuel infringes your copyright, you can send us a notice. We act on valid notices by removing or disabling access to the material and letting the person who posted it know.
Where to send a notice
Our designated agent registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is not complete yet, so we do not list an agent here.
Until that is done, send your notice through the contact page and choose "Copyright notice".
What a notice must include
To be valid under U.S. law (17 U.S.C. 512(c)(3)), a copyright notice must be in writing and include all of these:
- Your physical or electronic signature (a typed full name is fine).
- A description of the copyrighted work you say was infringed.
- The exact web address (URL) of the material on OnDuel, so we can find it.
- Your name, mailing address, phone number and email address.
- A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
- A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or are authorized to act for the owner.
Warning about false notices
Sending a notice you know is false can make you legally responsible for damages, including costs and lawyers' fees. Please make sure you have a real claim. A notice is not the right tool for a complaint that is not about copyright. For those, use the contact page.
If your content was removed
If we remove something you posted because of a notice, we will tell you. If you believe the notice was a mistake or the material was misidentified, you may send a counter-notice to the same place. It must include: your signature; the material that was removed and where it appeared before removal; a statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief it was removed by mistake or misidentification; and your name, address and phone number, with a statement that you agree to the jurisdiction of the federal court for your address (or, if you are outside the United States, any court where OnDuel can be found) and will accept service from the person who sent the notice.
We send your counter-notice to the person who made the notice. Unless they tell us within 10 business days that they have filed a court action, we may restore the material in 10 to 14 business days.
Repeat infringers
We close the accounts of people who repeatedly infringe copyright. If an account is the subject of repeated valid copyright notices, we will end it.
Other complaints
For complaints that are not about copyright, such as a real person's likeness used without permission, a trademark, or unsafe content, use the contact page and choose "Report content". Please do not send illegal material itself.