DMCA Copyright Takedown Policy

What Constitutes a Valid DMCA Notice

To submit a valid DMCA takedown notice, the complaining party must be the copyright owner or an authorized agent acting on their behalf. The notice must be submitted in writing (physical or electronic) and include all elements required under 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3). Notices that are incomplete, materially inaccurate, or submitted in bad faith may be disregarded and may expose the submitter to liability under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f).

We act expeditiously upon receipt of complete, valid notices. Incomplete notices will be returned with guidance on what is missing before action is taken.

Required Notice Elements (17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3))

Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3), a compliant DMCA takedown notice must include all six of the following elements:

1. Identification of the copyrighted work — A description of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple works are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works.
2. Identification of the infringing material — A description of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity, and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate the material (e.g., the specific URL on atlantastar.co).
3. Contact information — Your address, telephone number, and email address so we can contact you if we have questions.
4. Good faith statement — A statement that you have a good faith belief that the use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
5. Accuracy statement — A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
6. Physical or electronic signature — A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

Counter-Notice Process

If you believe your content was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification, you may submit a written counter-notice to our Designated Agent. Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(g), a valid counter-notice must include:

1. Your physical or electronic signature.
2. Identification of the material that has been removed or disabled and the location where the material appeared before it was removed or disabled.
3. A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good faith belief that the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification of the material to be removed or disabled.
4. Your name, address, and telephone number, and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of Federal District Court for the judicial district in which your address is located (or the Northern District of Georgia if you are outside the United States), and that you will accept service of process from the person who provided the original notification or an agent of such person.

Upon receipt of a valid counter-notice, we will provide a copy to the original complainant and restore the content within 10–14 business days unless the complainant notifies us that they have filed a court action to restrain the activity.

Repeat Infringer Policy

In appropriate circumstances, AtlantaStar will terminate the accounts of users who are repeat infringers of copyright. We track takedown notices associated with user accounts and contributor submissions. A user or contributor who receives three or more valid, uncontested DMCA takedown notices within a 12-month period will have their account suspended or terminated.

This policy is implemented in accordance with our obligation under 17 U.S.C. § 512(i) to adopt and reasonably implement a policy for the termination of repeat infringers. We reserve the right to terminate accounts earlier for particularly egregious infringement or where the infringement is willful.