DMCA.com

Getting your content ripped off from a cyber pirate sucks and can cost you time and money. Worse, you can effectively lose ownership of some form of media or project you've poured tidal waves of mental sweat into.

Now, I'm sure we all know that there is nothing new about cyberpiracy. If you look at domains across the web, there are all sorts of disclaimers stating that copyright claims will be taken down.

Websites like YouTube have algorithms in place to prevent stolen content from being uploaded. Tube sites, small and large, tend to work with other pornographers to remove unlicensed content. So, you would think that cyberpiracy wouldn't be a problem.

Well…think again.

Assuming certain reports are to be believed, it's even more common nowadays for someone to up and take others' content. Whether it's a digital painting added to DeviantArt, sexy selfies uploaded to xHamster, or a viral video tutorial posted to a video sharing site, no one is safe.

This is the reason why DMCA.com and services like it exist – but are they worth it? Continue reading to find out.

A Brief History of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Passed in 1998 in the United States, this epochal piece of legislation combined a couple of different treaties and novel legislation. The idea behind it was to protect copyright holders from being infringed by cyber pirates while also limiting the degree to which online service providers would be on the hook for streaming copied content.

While this is an American law, as with so many things when it comes to the United States, this legislation became the golden standard when it comes to enforcement of copyright claims online. Not long thereafter, the European Union adopted a similar policy, and currently, there are 191 countries in the World Intellectual Property Organization that adhere to similar regulations.

Here's Why You Should Consider This Services

Arguably, the biggest reason why you might want to file a DMCA claim are the financial losses that might incur if someone else uses your stuff for their own purposes. In fact, it's estimated that internet piracy costs over $52 billion globally, and that was back in 2017. Surely, it's only gone up from there, don't you think.

Another thing to consider is branding. If you've got to deal with other people copying your own workaround without permission or accrediting you, it can be hard to build up a following. Worse, if everyone thinks that you're the thief, it can be nearly impossible for anyone to take you seriously.

Moreover, a reason to file a DMCA is to protect your privacy and reputation is because of the phenomenon of revenge porn. For purposes I don't fully understand, there are sick, entitled fuckers out there who feel the need to post private pictures of other people, usually former dates, in an attempt to embarrass them.

Often, these types will post other people's personal photos to a porn site or an adults-only forum. In other cases, they will deliberately post revealing media on social media.

Not only can this be deeply distressing when people find out, but such images or videos being leaked can have devastating consequences on someone's career or other future prospects.

What This Service Can Do For You

As the domain name implies, this web service specializes in online instances of content theft. All things considered, their services are pretty broad, but let's first go over what they don't do. DMCA.com is not your personal legal team when it comes to general legal advice.

Further, they don't necessarily handle slander cases, either, since this is a matter for the courts. However, if said slander includes material of yours that has been re-posted without permission, you may have some leverage.

What this company does specialize in is addressing claims of pirated copyright content, including pictures and video – of yourself or taken by you – most commonly. Other valid claims this firm deals with include stolen applications or proprietary programs, graphics of any sort, text including personal and professional bios.

So long as you're the one who created it or have legal ownership over it and someone has taken it, you've got a claim to make.

Getting Started Is Extraordinarily Streamlined

To get help with this website is so simple anyone can do it. To begin, just click on the signup button and then select the Create a Takedown option. From there, you'll have to fill out a few basic questions relevant to your claim.

First, you'll have to fill out the specific URL (read: the webpage displaying your content) as well as your website, which hosts the original content. To prove it and because it'll make everything go faster, you should keep your pirated content on your webpage for verification purposes.

After that, you'll have to write up a detailed description of your ownership over the content in question. There isn't a specific requirement, but I would advise the more you add, the better. When that's all finished, you'll have to check off that you swear under penalty of perjury that what you've detailed is accurate.

Since I'm certain that this company works with a team of lawyers and obviously operates in the legal space, don't file baseless takedown notices. Sure, there are plenty of trolls who have gotten away with it.

However, there are a few noteworthy vloggers who nearly got into deep shit after submitting a series of baseless claims. For example, look at the now-disgraced internet evangelist Shawn Karon AKA VenomFangX.

Anyway, the penultimate step is to plug in your personal name, company name, email, and phone number. Alternatively, you can get in even faster by using your Google Account information.

Finally, select the specific paying package you want and proceed to checkout.

These Services Ain't Cheap, But There Are Some Freebies

They say the best things in life are free, but in my experience, that's only true when someone offers up a blowjob because they think you're hot. Other than that, everything worthwhile will cost you something, especially when it comes to business.

The primary service this website provides – addressing DMCA takedown demand – will cost you a pretty penny. To be specific, a one-time full-service takedown will cost $199 per website. To be fair, you can get a free professional review of your claim to see if paying for a proper takedown notice.

A potentially better investment would be to buy a do-it-yourself webmaster's takedown will require more legwork on your part but does have its advantages. With this basic package for $10 a month (or $100 a year), you will get a toolkit designed for net entrepreneurs to take your copyright claims into your own hands.

On top of that, you can get different packages for levels of compliance when you make a claim. Business level compliance will run you $50 a month and will allow you to make over a hundred takedown cases for an additional $50. The top tier, called Enterprise, costs $500 per monthly period and will allow you to make an unlimited number of claims.

While it's not the most exciting service this website offers, you can also get a free protection badge. Still, I think it might be nice to have one since it may just deter some cyber pirates from trying to take your stuff.

Got a Problem? Get Support In Hours to Minutes

From what I've seen, there is no guaranteed time for when your claim is going to be resolved. To me, that kind of sucks, but you should be able to get an update from the staff through a couple of means. Like most other websites, you can contact DMCA.com the semi-slow way via a sent message.

Besides that, you can contact them through the live chat feature. Even if you don't have an account, you can start talking to a staff member who can direct and guide you through any difficulty you might have. Of course, they can also answer whatever questions you might want to be addressed as well.

While it couldn't be my go to, if in a pinch, you may also want to look up their chat feature on Facebook. Normally, I find those services to be a bit slow, but seeing as it is prominently advertised on the DMCA.com menu, you may want to consider using that.

Setting the Record Straight When It Comes My Opinion

When it comes to services that specialize in DMCA claims, this one ain't bad. They seem to be pretty good about sorting out claims when your copyrighted content is stolen. Furthermore, they do offer a few tools for free, which may prevent your stuff from being taken.

I can't help but feel that there should be more preventative tools than what's offered. If I were running this firm, I'd put up more information about turnaround time and a few testimonials for good measure. When I consider that, I know I am nitpicking a little bit.

The biggest potential objection I can see with this site is the cost, which can be considered steep for a net professional who is operating on a limited budget. With that objection thrown out there, I think that the potential costs to your brand outweigh the upfront expenses you'll have to deal with when buying this service.

All things taken into consideration, this is certainly a four and a half hand website and one which everyone should consider. Whether you have been the victim of revenge porn or commercial internet piracy, this is a service you should consider.