If you have begun your career as a cam model, you have probably seen the acronym ‘DMCA’ float around on cam sites or forums. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a set of US laws that criminalizes the piracy of content on all digital mediums. DMCA claims are a popular way to get stolen content off of infringing sites because your copyright does not have to be registered to take advantage of the regulation. If you have created the content, you can file a DMCA claim.
How do I file a DMCA claim?
Certain cam sites or third-party services can take care of the DMCA claim process for you. If you want to send a claim to an infringing site, webmaster, or search engine, then it will require certain information. Without this thorough information, your claim may be deemed invalid and possibly rejected.
Every notice needs:
- A physical or electronic signature of the individual that owns the content or a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner.
- Identification of the work(s) that you are claiming you are being infringed upon.
- The location and list of material that you want to be removed.
- The address, telephone number, and email where you can be contacted.
- A statement in good faith that says the use of the material has not been authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
- A statement that the information in your notice is correct and that you are either the owners of the content or that you are authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringing.
Where can I submit DMCA claims?
There are three popular options for submitting DMCA claims. You have the option of submitting it to either the infringing site, the web host or to a search engine.
Firstly, an infringing site is a pirate site that does not have the rights to the content and is usually the first place to start. Sometimes they have a DMCA contact email listed at the bottom of the site, or you may have to reach out to a general email first. Secondly, submitting DMCA claims to a web host has the potential of removing the entire pirate site from the internet. You can use Hosting Compass to help you identify the web host.
Thirdly, you can submit DMCA claims to search engines, particularly Google. It should be noted that submitting DMCA claims to search engines does not remove the content but it greatly affects the number of views that the content gets. As most people find content through Google, this step can be very beneficial, as while the pirate may have your content it is useless if no one views it.
Privacy
It is important to note that if you submit a DMCA takedown request yourself, your real name and contact information will be on the document. This will be archived, as well as submitted to the infringing party. Therefore, pirates will have access to your name, contact, and address potentially. Of course, you can use a separate phone number and email just for DMCA claims, but when a camming site or agency submits DMCA claims, it is their information on the forms rather than your own.
Camming Sites
There are some camming and content sites that offer DMCA services for models and creators. Camming sites that offer DMCA services include BongaCams, CamWithHer, Chaturbate, MyFreeCams, and Vuier. Clip sites that offer DMCA services include iWantClips, ManyVids, and Clips4Sale.
To see whether or not your site offers DMCA services, reach out to their support team or see if they have a DMCA tab on their website (usually at the bottom of the homepage). If the camming site does offer these services, ask where they submit the claims, whether it is to the webmasters directly, or to search engines and web hosts as well.
Service Agencies
If you would prefer an agency to file DMCA claims on your behalf, there are a few options that you have.
DIGIREGS offers services such as DMCA takedowns, audio/video fingerprinting, watermark recognition, search engine crawling and removal, and content management. Their prices vary depending on the services that you require.
Brandit Scan is a newer agency created by ManyVids co-founder, Gino Sciretta. Its services include DMCA takedowns, comprehensive scans, brand reports, SEO analysis, and brand management. They offer a 7-day free trial that includes 1 DMCA claim and brand scan. After that, the company charges $45/month.
STORM DMCA offers services such as DMCA takedowns, monthly data reports, and 24/7 dedicated support. They have 3 monthly pricing plans, at $19/month, $64/month, and $99/month.
If you want to learn more about DMCA claims, check out our DMCA Takedowns Course.
*Nothing written in this article is intended as legal advice. Please consult with an adult entertainment attorney if you have questions regarding DMCA claims.
