How do I file a DMCA copyright notice?

If something on offtheave uses your copyrighted work without permission, send a notice from the Copyright & DMCA page. When your notice is complete, we make the material private, tell the uploader, and email you.

This process is for copyright only. For harassment, impersonation, spam or other rule-breaking, use Report instead. See How do I report something?.

Before you send a notice

• Make sure you own the copyright or are authorized to act for the owner.
• Think about whether the use might be allowed, for example by a license, a sample clearance, or fair use (commentary, criticism, parody). A notice must be sent in good faith.
• If you know the uploader, asking them to take it down may be faster.
• Your notice is a legal document. Knowingly misrepresenting that material infringes can make you liable for damages, including costs and attorneys' fees.

Step by step

1. Open Copyright & DMCA and scroll to Send a copyright notice. You don't need an account. (If you're on the page with the material, you can also choose Report in its ⋯ menu, then Send a copyright notice, which fills in the link for you.)
2. 1. About you: choose I own the copyright or I act for the owner, then enter your full legal name, company (optional), email, phone and mailing address.
3. 2. Your copyrighted work: describe it (title, artist or author, and what it is). For many works, a representative list is fine. You can add a link to the original.
4. 3. The material on offtheave: paste the link to each song, mixtape, video or short. Copy it from the address bar or the Share button. Each link is checked as you paste it and shows what it points to and who uploaded it. Select Add another link for more, up to 20 per notice.
5. 4. Statements and signature: check both statements, then type your full legal name as your signature. It must match the name you entered above.
6. If you're not signed in, complete the reCAPTCHA. Select Send notice.
7. You'll see Notice sent with a reference number. Keep it.

Prefer email? Send the same information to dmca@offtheave.com. That address is for copyright matters only.

What happens next

1. We review your notice, usually within 1–2 business days.
2. If it's complete, we make the material private, so only the uploader can see it, and email you.
3. We tell the uploader, with your name and the notice details, and count it as a strike on their account.
4. If something is missing, we email you to say what, and you can send a new notice.
5. If the uploader sends a valid counter-notice, we forward it to you. Unless you tell us within 10 business days that you've filed a court action, we may restore the material.

What the uploader sees about you

We share your name (or your company's) and the details of the notice with the uploader so they can respond. We don't share your email, phone or address with them.

Troubleshooting

• "This isn't an offtheave link." We can only act on material hosted on offtheave.
• "We can't find anything at this link." It may already be gone, or the link is incomplete. Copy it again from the page.
• The signature won't match. Type your name exactly as you entered it under Full legal name. Capitals and extra spaces don't matter.
• You settled it with the uploader. Email dmca@offtheave.com with your reference number to withdraw the notice.
• There's a daily limit on notices. If you have many links, put up to 20 in each notice.

Related

• My upload was taken down for copyright
• What isn't allowed on offtheave?