DMCA Notices & Takedowns

How to submit a notice

The fastest path is our web form, which structures your notice to meet the legal requirements automatically.

You can also submit by email or postal mail. Email reaches the same designated agent — preferred for automated takedown systems and rights-management services.

What a valid notice must include

Per 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3)(A), a takedown notice must include all six of the following. The web form collects each automatically; if you submit by email, please include all six in your message:

1. Your physical or electronic signature.
2. Identification of the copyrighted work you claim is being infringed.
3. Identification of the material on Vinylaunch you claim is infringing — typically the URL of the affected page or track.
4. Your contact information (name, address, email, and phone if available).
5. A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
6. A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the owner's behalf.

What happens after you file

We acknowledge receipt within 24 hours. We then validate the notice against the six elements above. If valid, we remove the affected content and notify the user who posted it within 4 business days of receipt — including a copy of your notice and instructions for filing a counter-notice.

If the notice is missing any required element, we'll respond explaining what's missing so you can resubmit.

Counter-notices (for affected users)

If your content was removed and you believe the takedown was a mistake or misidentification — for example, your use is licensed, falls under fair use, or identifies the wrong work — you can file a counter-notice under 17 U.S.C. § 512(g).

Instructions for filing a counter-notice are included in the takedown email you receive. A counter-notice must include your contact information, identification of the removed material, and a statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed by mistake.

If you file a valid counter-notice, we forward it to the original claimant. If the claimant doesn't file suit within 10 to 14 business days, we restore your content.

Repeat-infringer policy

We terminate accounts of users who repeatedly infringe copyright. The current threshold is three actioned takedown notices within a rolling 12-month period; that triggers an account review with possible suspension or termination depending on context (good-faith disputes vs. clear bad-faith uploads).

Counter-notices that result in restored content do not count toward this threshold.

CSAM is handled outside this process

Reports of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) are not processed through the DMCA workflow described above. Suspected CSAM is removed immediately on identification, the responsible account is permanently terminated without appeal, and the matter is reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline and relevant law enforcement authorities as required under 18 U.S.C. § 2258A. Counter-notices do not apply to CSAM takedowns.

To report suspected CSAM on the platform, email our dedicated reporting address csam@vinylaunch.com with the URL or description of the content. This inbox is monitored for prompt human review; substantiated reports are forwarded to NCMEC and relevant law enforcement. If you encounter CSAM and the platform is not the most direct path to act, you can report directly to NCMEC at report.cybertip.org.

External rights claims (labels, publishers)

Notices from third-party labels, publishers, or rights holders alleging that content on the platform incorporates material they own or exclusively license follow the standard DMCA process above plus a separate suspension and resolution protocol described in Terms § 11A. That protocol governs the account-suspension timeline (90-day resolution window, 30-day grace period, permanent disablement at day 120, complete data purge at day 150) when these notices target user content.

False claims have consequences

Knowingly material misrepresentation in a DMCA notice — claiming infringement of work you don't own, or claiming use is unauthorized when you know it is — exposes the filer to liability for damages and attorneys' fees under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f). The same applies to counter-notices filed in bad faith.

We log every submission. Repeated bad-faith filings from the same source will be referred to legal counsel.

Designated agent contact

Vinylaunch's designated DMCA agent is registered with the United States Copyright Office. The agent receives notices submitted via the methods below.

The agent's registered details (name, address, phone) are publicly searchable in the Copyright Office DMCA Designated Agent Directory at dmca.copyright.gov.