 So you're fangirling around, making a vid about your favorite alien, bender, rage monster, alchemist, consulting detective, or angel, when you upload it and BAM. You got a DMCA takedown notice from a copyright holder. So what can you do? First, don't panic. Second, what's the DMCA? The Digital Millennium Copyright Act or DMCA for short, is a piece of legislation passed in 1998. It's an effort to balance the rights of the creators with a burden of enforcement on online service providers. The DMCA has five titles, but you probably only need to care about title two, which deals with the liability of online service providers for copyright infringement. It adds section 512 to the Copyright Act, which creates safe harbors for service providers, including sites like YouTube. To be eligible, the online service provider must not receive a direct financial benefit from the infringing activity. Two, adopt an infringement policy that subscribers are notified of. Three, register an agent to handle copyright infringement notices. And four, comply with received takedown notices. When a copyright owner claims someone has uploaded infringing materials, it can request that the online service provider take down the material in a DMCA takedown notice. Once the notice is received, the online service provider must expeditiously remove the targeted content. Online service providers don't need to notify users before removing this content, though they usually do so after the material is removed so that users can object. Third, what can I do about it? Once you are notified that your material has been removed, you have two main choices. Do nothing and accept the removal of your content, or if your material does not infringe on the copyright owner's rights and you believe it has been wrongly taken down. You can file a counter notice with the online service provider who then must notify the copyright holder. In your counter notice, it's important to identify the removed material and provide your contact information in a statement of your good faith belief that the material was mistakenly taken down. See the description for a complete list of what to include and how to guess if your work is not infringing. Whew! Now say you submitted a counter notice to the online service provider. If the copyright owner doesn't file suit within 10-14 business days, then the online service provider must restore your material. But just because you file a counter notice and your video is restored, it doesn't mean you're safe from a lawsuit. If you get sued, here are some organizations which might be interested in helping you. The Electronic Frontier Foundation. Organization for Transformative Works. Online Media Legal Network. And Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Remember, lawsuits can be expensive, but regardless of what you decide to do, please consider submitting your takedown notice to chilling effects. So that's what a DMCA takedown notice is, what you can do about it, and why if you ever get one, don't panic. From the summer 2012, Berkman Center interns to you, thanks for listening. Check out the description below for more resources, and always remember your towel.