1. Respect for Copyright

Whidbey Island Bulletin respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects our users to do the same. We comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and will respond to notices of alleged copyright infringement that comply with applicable law.

2. Reporting Copyright Infringement

If you believe that content on Whidbey Island Bulletin infringes your copyright, you may submit a DMCA takedown notice. Your notice must include the following information:

• Identification of the copyrighted work: Describe the copyrighted work that you claim has been infringed. If multiple works are covered, provide a representative list.
• Identification of the infringing material: Provide the URL(s) or other specific location(s) of the material you claim is infringing.
• Your contact information: Include your name, address, telephone number, and email address.
• Statement of good faith: A statement that you have a good faith belief that the use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
• Statement of accuracy: A statement, 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.
• Your signature: Your physical or electronic signature.

3. How to Submit a DMCA Notice

Please send your DMCA takedown notice through one of the following methods:

• Contact Form: Visit our Help page and select "Copyright/DMCA" as the subject

Please include "DMCA Takedown Request" in the subject line of your communication.

4. Our Response Process

Upon receiving a valid DMCA notice, we will:

• Remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing material
• Notify the user who posted the content about the takedown
• Provide the user with information about filing a counter-notification if they believe the takedown was in error

5. Counter-Notification

If you believe your content was removed in error, you may submit a counter-notification. Your counter-notification must include:

• Your physical or electronic signature
• Identification of the material that was removed and its location before removal
• A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good faith belief the material was removed by mistake or misidentification
• Your name, address, and telephone number
• A statement consenting to jurisdiction of the federal court in your district and that you will accept service of process from the complainant

If we receive a valid counter-notification, we may restore the removed content after 10-14 business days unless the copyright owner files a court action against the user.

6. Repeat Infringers

In accordance with the DMCA, we maintain a policy of terminating the accounts of users who are repeat infringers. Users who repeatedly post infringing content may have their accounts suspended or permanently terminated.

7. User Content Guidelines

To avoid copyright issues, please ensure that any content you post:

• Is your original work
• You have permission from the copyright owner to use
• Is properly licensed for your intended use
• Falls under fair use (though this is a limited exception)

8. Good Faith Requirement

Please note that under 17 U.S.C. 512(f), any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material is infringing, or that material was removed by mistake, may be subject to liability for damages, including costs and attorneys' fees.

We reserve the right to disregard DMCA notices that do not comply with the requirements above or that we believe are submitted in bad faith.

9. Questions

If you have questions about this policy or copyright issues, please visit our Help page to contact us.