FAQs
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What is the Copyright Infringement Portal?
The Copyright Infringement Portal is an easy-to-use web-based tool that allows you to request the removal of material that infringes your copyright.
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Who is it aimed at?
Copyright owners and their authorised agents, such as publishers.
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How much does it cost?
Copyright Infringement Portal licences are free to Publisher Association members and available on a sliding scale of fees to non-members – see here.
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What is the cost for Publishers Association members?
There is no charge for PA members.
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What is the cost of additional licences?
Additional annual licences are free to PA members or £495 plus VAT to non-members.
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I do not publish books or journals - can I purchase a licence?
Possibly. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.
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Is there a demo version for me to use?
Yes, click here.
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Why was the portal developed?
To provide PA members with a simple and easy way of acting against online copyright infringement.
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Who developed the portal?
The Copyright Infringement Portal was designed in-house at The Publishers Association and coded by the PA’s contractors.
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What is an infringing website?
An infringing website is one that contains or makes available copyright material without permission or other lawful reason.
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Does the portal serve notice of territoriality infringements?
Yes.
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What is peer-to-peer (P2P) or filesharing and can the portal serve a notice?
Peer-to-peer (P2P) or filesharing shares files directly between network users without the need for a central server. Because there is no one central legal entity it is more difficult to therefore serve a notice.
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What is a hosting website?
A hosting website is a navigable website that contains the content in question.
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What is a locker site?
A locker site is not a website. It is a download site from which files are accessed for download by specific, unique URLs.
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What is a feeder site?
A feeder site is a website that provides the URL to access a file on a locker site.
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What is an ISP?
An ISP is an internet service provider. In the context of the Portal ,an ISP may be a hosting provider, hosting entire websites or a platform (such as a blogging site).
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How does the portal work?
The user logs in and enters the title(s) and URL(s) of the infringing copies. The Portal identifies the ISP and drafts the appropriate Notice. The user reviews and signs the notice and, at the click of a mouse, it is sent by email.
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Are the notices served by the portal sufficient for the ISPs?
The PA believes that the Notices are legally sufficient. Where possible, the PA also endeavours to comply with ISP requests regarding format of the Notice.
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How are notices served to ISPs?
Notices to ISPs are served by email.
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Are the notices served available for third parties to view?
Yes. All served notices are available for review by other authorised users of the Portal.
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Does the portal discover infringing copies of titles on the web?
No. However, by looking at sites on which other publishers have served Notices, you may well identify infringing copies of your own works.
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Does the portal identify counterfeit copies on the web?
No. Identification and prosecution of sellers of counterfeits is a matter of criminal law and is best carried out by experts.
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Do I have to trace the ISP when I identify an infringing title?
No, the Portal will do that for you.
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What if I find more than one of my titles on a single website? Can the Portal still issue a notice?
Yes. The Portal can serve multiple infringement Notices.
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What is a repeat infringer?
A repeat infringer is somebody who continues to make infringing copies available after having been the subject of a Notice.
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Were any publishers involved in the development of the portal?
Yes. Taylor & Francis, Oxford University Press, Macmillan, Little, Brown, Random House and HarperCollins contributed to the development costs for the Portal and assisted with testing.
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How can I pay?
You can pay online by credit card or pay by cheque.
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I don't want to join online - do you have a paper application form I can download?
Yes, you can download a form here.
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Is a training site available once I have purchased a licence?
Yes. Details will be provided with your login credentials.
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How quickly should an ISP take down an infringing site after receiving a notice?
EU and UK law says "expeditiously"; US law says something similar; in some countries their laws are silent. None of these timescales have been tested in court to give a definitive answer.