StopPiracy

AOL Groups Policy/Contact Info

Some piraters have been using AOL groups to illegially distribute copyrighted works.  If your works have been distributed through AOL groups, here is what you need to know.

Here is the AOL group homepage.

Here is their Groups Guidelines page.

The guidelines clearly state:

"Public Groups found to be in violation of these guidelines are subject to removal without notice. AOL reserves the right to investigate a Public Group when a violation has been reported or is suspected by AOL."

and

"You agree that you will not use Public Groups to distribute, facilitate distribution, or directly link to any content -- including text, communications, software, images, sounds, data, or other information -- that:

. . .

infringes anyone else's intellectual property rights, including, but not limited to, any copyright, trademark, rights of publicity, rights of privacy, or other proprietary rights."

AOL's Terms and Conditions of Use page, here, states: "If you believe that your work has been copied and is accessible on this site in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, you may notify America Online. Click here for instructions."

Another T.O.U. graphic to share!

Lie Fhung has another great T.O.U. graphic to share with you!

Her first two can be found in this entry.  A reminder of how these can be used: Any designer is welcome to use it (include it in their kits) as an addition to their TOU :) . It serves more like a reminder to read the actual TOU, really :)   This one has a place to insert your e-mail address and your name for personalization!

(click on image to get the full-size, 500x500 pixels, in a pop-up window.  Then right-click and "save as" to your desktop.)

SendSpace

SendSpace is a site users can use to share large files.

SendSpace's terms page states:

5.3 Copyright or Trademark Infringement
sendspace Services may be used only for lawful purposes. Transmission, distribution or storage of any material in violation of any applicable law or regulation, including export control laws, is prohibited. This includes, without limitation, material protected by patent, copyright, trademark, service mark, trade secret or other intellectual property rights. If you use another party's material, you must obtain prior authorization. By using the Services, you represent and warrant that you are the author and copyright owner and/or proper licensee with respect to any hosted content and you further represent and warrant that no content violates the trademark or rights of any third party. sendspace reserves the right to suspend or terminate a User's transmission(s) that, in sendspace's discretion, violates these policies or violates any law or regulation.

The FAQ section of the page states:

Q: Are there any restrictions on the content of my files?
A: Yes. You must agree to our terms of service before uploading a file. This includes: sendspace may be used only for lawful purposes. Transmission, distribution or storage of any material in violation of any applicable law or regulation, including export control laws, is prohibited. This includes, without limitation, material protected by patent, copyright, trademark, service mark, trade secret or other intellectual property rights. If you use another party's material, you must obtain prior authorization. By using the Services, you represent and warrant that you are the author and copyright owner and/or proper licensee with respect to any hosted content and you further represent and warrant that no content violates the trademark or rights of any third party.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

"Complaints about violators of our Policy should be sent via our contact form on this site."