DMCA, explained
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is a US law with several components, including copyright-related notice-and-takedown provisions for certain online service providers.
- The field
- Legal
- Reading time
- 1 minute
- In this entry
- Meaning · relevance · limits
The meaning
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act is a US law with several components, including copyright-related notice-and-takedown provisions for certain online service providers.
Why it matters
It appears in hosting discussions because a complaint can affect access to published content. Read the provider's process and distinguish a report, a legal obligation and a court order.
The boundary
Hosting outside the United States does not remove copyright obligations. Applicable rules depend on the parties and facts.
Following a copyright complaint
A notice identifies one photograph on a publication. Preserve its URL, the notice and any licence evidence, then follow the complaint process. A report and a court order have different meanings; moving the server does not settle the rights dispute.
- Check the work and complainant’s authority.
- Section 512 requires expeditious action, not a universal ten-business-day removal deadline.