Copyright and Takedown Policy

1. Overview

sleevnotes respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects its users to do the same. We respond to clear notices of alleged copyright infringement that comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (the "DMCA") and other applicable law.

sleevnotes is a place where members write reviews, keep listening diaries, and build rankings and collections. Most of what appears on the site is either member-written text or music metadata drawn from third-party sources. If you believe material on the Service infringes a copyright you own or control, this page explains how to ask us to remove it.

2. How to Report Infringement

If you are a copyright owner, or authorized to act on behalf of one, and you believe your work has been copied in a way that constitutes infringement, send us a written notice with the information described in the next section. You can email it to us using the address under Where to Send a Notice.

Before you file, please consider whether the use might be permitted, for example by fair use, a license, or public-domain status. A review that quotes lyrics or describes a record is often lawful commentary. If you are unsure of your rights, you may wish to seek legal advice.

3. What a Notice Must Include

To be effective under Section 512 of the DMCA, your notice must include substantially the following:

1. A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on their behalf.
2. Identification of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed, or a representative list if multiple works are covered by a single notice.
3. Identification of the material you claim is infringing, with enough detail for us to locate it. A direct link to the specific review, ranking, collection, comment, or image is the most reliable way to do this.
4. Your contact information, including your name, mailing address, and an email address at which we can reach you.
5. A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the disputed 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.

Incomplete notices may delay our response. Please be as specific as possible so we can act quickly.

4. Where to Send a Notice

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

5. What Happens After a Notice

When we receive a notice that appears valid, we will act promptly to remove or disable access to the material in question. Where we can, we will let the member who posted the material know that it was removed and why, and we will pass along a copy of the notice so they can respond if they choose. We may remove material we believe in good faith to be infringing even where a notice is not perfectly formed.

6. Counter-Notification

If your material was removed and you believe that was a mistake, or that the use was authorized or otherwise lawful, you may send a counter-notification. To be effective, it must include:

1. Your physical or electronic signature.
2. Identification of the material that was removed and the location where it appeared before removal.
3. A statement, under penalty of perjury, that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed as a result of mistake or misidentification.
4. Your name, address, and telephone number, and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal court for the district in which you live (or, if outside the United States, the district in which we may be found), and that you will accept service of process from the person who filed the original notice.

If we receive a valid counter-notification, we may restore the material after a waiting period unless the original complainant files a court action seeking to keep it down.

7. Repeat Infringers

It is our policy, in appropriate circumstances, to disable or terminate the accounts of members who are found to be repeat infringers. What counts as appropriate depends on the circumstances, and we exercise this discretion in a way that we believe is fair to both rights holders and members.

8. Album Artwork and Metadata

Album covers, artist images, and catalog metadata shown on sleevnotes are supplied by third-party sources and are used to identify releases so that members can track and discuss them. We do not claim ownership of this material, and it remains subject to the rights of its owners. If you hold rights in an image or other metadata and would prefer it not appear on the Service, contact us at the address above and we will address it.

For more on how member-submitted content is handled, see our Terms of Service and House Rules.

9. Trademark and Other Rights

If your concern involves a trademark, publicity, or privacy right rather than copyright, you can still reach us at the same address. Describe the right you hold and the specific material at issue, and we will review it.

10. A Note on Good Faith