Copyright

Something to understand first

Most of what is stored on Northwest Falls is private and has never been shown to anyone. Private files are not published, and we do not search them.

What we can act on is a share link, because that is the only part of the service that is reachable by someone who is not the owner. A notice needs to point at a link.

Reporting infringement

Email [email protected]. A notice we can act on contains all of the following:

1. Identification of the work you say is infringed. A release title, an ISRC, or a link to it where it is legitimately available.
2. The exact share link you are complaining about. A search result or a profile page is not enough.
3. Your name, address and email, and who you act for if not yourself.
4. A statement that you believe in good faith the use is not authorised by the rights holder, an agent, or the law.
5. A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information is accurate and that you are the rights holder or authorised to act for them.
6. Your signature, electronic or physical.

Incomplete notices cannot be acted on. If yours is missing something we will write back and say which part.

What we do

We assess complete notices within two working days. If the notice stands up, the link is disabled and the person who created it is emailed with a full copy of what we received, including your name and contact details.

We disable the link, not the file. The audio stays in the owner's account. Deleting an artist's master because someone sent an email would be the wrong response to almost every claim, including the correct ones.

Disputing a notice

If your link was disabled and you believe that was a mistake, or that the use was licensed or otherwise lawful, send a counter notice to the same address containing:

1. Identification of the link that was disabled.
2. A statement, under penalty of perjury, that you believe in good faith it was disabled as a result of a mistake or misidentification.
3. Your name, address and email.
4. Your consent to the jurisdiction of the courts where you live, and your agreement to accept service from the person who complained.
5. Your signature.

We forward it to the complainant. If they do not tell us within 10 working days that they have started court proceedings, we restore the link.

Repeat infringers

Accounts that repeatedly have links disabled by valid notices are closed. We look at the pattern rather than counting to a fixed number, because a bad faith flood of notices against one artist is a thing that happens.

False claims

Knowingly misrepresenting that material is infringing carries liability for damages under the law of most countries, including ours.

We take this seriously in both directions. Using this process to take down a rival's demo, or to find out who is behind a private link, will get your reports ignored and may be reported to the relevant authority.