Copyright Policy

1. Respecting copyright

Akewe respects the rights of creators and copyright owners and expects everyone who posts here to do the same. Only material the uploader made, or has the right to use, belongs on Akewe, and crediting someone else's work does not make its use lawful.

2. Filing a copyright notice

A copyright owner who finds their work on Akewe without permission can file a notice with the copyright claim form, or send it by email to the designated agent named below. Under 17 U.S.C. 512(c)(3), a notice needs:

• A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or of a person authorised to act for them. Typing a full name counts.
• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to be infringed, or a representative list where one notice covers several works.
• Identification of the material said to infringe, with the link or other detail needed to find it on the site.
• Contact details for the person filing: a name, an address, a telephone number and an email address.
• A statement that the person filing believes in good faith that the use is not authorised by the owner, the owner's agent or the law.
• Confirmation that the notice is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that the filer owns the copyright or may act for its owner.

A person at Akewe reviews every notice. When staff uphold it, the video leaves public view and the channel learns who claimed it and why. When they reject it, the claimant hears the reason. Each claim can be followed, and withdrawn, from the My claims page.

3. Counter-notices

When a takedown looks like a mistake, or the channel holds the rights to the material, the channel owner can file a counter-notice from Studio, under Copyright. Akewe sends the counter-notice to the claimant in full. Fifteen days later the hold on the video lifts, unless the claimant tells Akewe they have gone to court, and the video then stays private until its owner publishes it again.

Under 17 U.S.C. 512(g)(3), a counter-notice needs:

• A physical or electronic signature of the person whose material was removed.
• Identification of the material that was removed and where it appeared before it came down.
• A statement under penalty of perjury that the person believes in good faith the material was removed by mistake or misidentification.
• The person's name, address and telephone number.
• Consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for that address (or, outside the United States, any judicial district where the service provider may be found), and agreement to accept service of process from the person who filed the original notice.

4. Repeat infringers

Each upheld claim is a strike on the channel for 90 days. A strike falls away early if the claim is withdrawn or the video is restored after a counter-notice. A channel with three live strikes goes to Akewe staff for review, and a channel that keeps infringing will be closed. Creators can see their strikes in Studio.

5. Misuse of notices

Under 17 U.S.C. 512(f), a person who knowingly misrepresents that material infringes, or that it was removed by mistake, can be liable for the damages that follow, including costs and legal fees. The process exists for genuine copyright concerns, and a notice filed to silence criticism or a competitor can cost the person who filed it.

6. Designated agent

Notices under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act go to the agent designated by Bolrach Technologies Limited for Akewe:

• Samuel Adetayo Olaoye
• Bolrach Technologies Limited
• 14526 95 Ave NW
• Edmonton AB T5N 0A9
• Canada
• dmca@bolrach.com