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Deadline for Designating a DMCA Agent

dmca agent

dmca agent

The deadline for re-registering your designated DMCA Agent with the U.S. Copyright Office is December 31, 2017. The Office is phasing out its paper-generated designated agent directory and transitioning to an online system. If you have previously registered a designated agent in the Copyright Office’s directory using a paper application, but have not yet re-registered through the new online system, you will need to do so by December 31 in order to remain compliant. Failure to re-register will result in loss of DMCA’s safe harbor protections and you will have to file an entirely new registration application.

If you own and operate a website that enables users to post content via chat, message boards, comments, or mailing lists, but haven’t registered a designated agent with the Copyright Office, then we strongly recommend that you do so in order to take advantage of the DMCA’s safe harbor protections. The safe harbor is available to websites that permit third parties to post content and, assuming they meet all conditions for the safe harbor, provides protection from monetary liability for unintentional copyright infringement. Please note that the December 31, 2017 deadline applies to website operators and other services providers which are currently registered with the Copyright Office, and who need to update their registration. New registrants can use the electronic application to designate a DMCA agent any time. For more information please visit https://www.copyright.gov/dmca-directory/faq.html. You can also e-mail us at staff@authorsguild.org with your questions.