DMCA Takedown Request

This website is a community news publication. We take copyright seriously and comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). If you believe that content published on our site infringes a copyright you own, you may submit a formal takedown notice using the form below.

Already submitted a request?

What Is a DMCA Takedown?

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a U.S. federal law (17 U.S.C. § 512) that provides a process for copyright owners to request the removal of material they believe infringes their copyrights. As a news and community website, we host articles, advertisements, user-submitted content, and business directory listings that may occasionally include copyrighted material.

A valid DMCA notice must come from the copyright owner (or someone authorized to act on their behalf) and must identify both the original copyrighted work and the specific content on our site that allegedly infringes it.

What the DMCA Does Not Cover

The DMCA is specifically for copyright infringement. It is not the appropriate tool for:

Negative news coverage or reviews — A news article reporting facts about your business, even if unflattering, is not copyright infringement. News reporting is protected under the First Amendment and fair use doctrine.
Content you disagree with — Disagreeing with how your business or event is portrayed is not grounds for a DMCA claim.
Trademarks or trade names — Using your business name in a news article or directory listing is not copyright infringement. Trademark disputes are handled through different legal channels.
Publicly available information — Facts, data, government records, and public meeting minutes cannot be copyrighted.
Photos you appear in but did not take — The photographer holds the copyright, not the subject of the photo.

Warning: False or Frivolous Claims

Filing a false DMCA takedown notice is perjury under federal law and carries serious legal consequences. Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), any person who knowingly misrepresents that material is infringing may be liable for damages, including costs and attorneys' fees incurred by the alleged infringer or by the service provider.

We actively investigate every DMCA notice we receive. If we determine that a notice is frivolous, fraudulent, filed in bad faith, or filed for content the claimant does not hold a copyright to, we reserve the right to:

Reject the notice and take no action
Publish the notice and our findings in full
Report the false claim to the appropriate legal authorities
Pursue legal action to recover our costs and damages

If you are unsure whether your situation qualifies as copyright infringement, consult with an attorney before submitting this form.

Public Disclosure Notice

By submitting this DMCA takedown request, you acknowledge that the contents of your notice, including your name and the details of your claim, may be shared with the alleged infringer and/or made available to the public, including publication on our community website(s). This is consistent with the requirements of the DMCA and Florida law (Fla. Stat. § 501.155), which recognize that DMCA notices are legal documents intended to be shared with relevant parties. We reserve the right, but are not obligated, to publish or disclose any DMCA notice we receive.

Ready to File a DMCA Notice?

I have read and understand the information above, including the legal consequences of filing a false claim. I am the copyright owner or authorized representative and wish to proceed.