Dispute a copyright removal

What happened

Someone sent us a copyright notice about a book in your library, and we removed access to its contents. Your library entry is still there so that you can see which title it was and what happened to it.

A notice is an allegation, not a finding. We are not in a position to judge who owns what, and we have not decided that you did anything wrong. The law asks us to act on a notice quickly and then to give you a way to answer it. This page is that way.

If you think this was a mistake

If you believe the material was removed by mistake or because it was misidentified — for example, it is your own work, you have a licence for it, it is in the public domain, or the notice simply pointed at the wrong book — you can file a counter-notice.

How to file a counter-notice

Send it by email to our designated copyright agent at [email protected], with Counter-notice in the subject line. We do not accept counter-notices through a web form: it is a sworn legal document that we have to pass on to the complainant as you wrote it, so it needs to come from you, in writing.

What it must contain

The law (17 U.S.C. §512(g)(3)) sets out what a counter-notice must say. If any of these is missing we cannot act on it, so please include all six:

1. Your physical or electronic signature.
2. Identification of the material that was removed, and where it appeared on Chaptera before it was removed — the book title, and the link or library entry if you have it.
3. A statement, under penalty of perjury, that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification.
4. Your name, address and telephone number.
5. A statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the Federal District Court for the judicial district in which your address is located — or, if your address is outside the United States, any judicial district in which we may be found.
6. A statement that you will accept service of process from the person who sent the takedown notice, or from their agent.

What happens next

We forward your counter-notice to the person who sent the original notice. If they do not tell us they have filed a court action seeking to restrain you from using the material, we restore access in 10 to 14 business days from the day we receive your counter-notice.

If they do file such an action, the material stays down while that plays out — that decision is no longer ours to make.

One thing to be aware of before you file

A counter-notice is a sworn statement. Under 17 U.S.C. §512(f), anyone who knowingly makes a material misrepresentation — in a takedown notice or in a counter-notice — can be liable for the damages and legal costs the other side incurs as a result. That provision protects you against a false notice just as it binds you when you answer one. It is worth being sure of your position, and if the stakes matter to you, worth taking legal advice.

Where to send it

Send copyright notices and counter-notifications to our designated agent:

Registered with the U.S. Copyright Office, designation DMCA-1079853.

Related

The full policy is in section 7 of our Terms of Service. If your question is not about a copyright removal, write to [email protected] instead.

This page explains a legal process in plain language. It is not legal advice, and it does not change the Terms of Service, which govern if the two ever disagree.