Claims and DMCA Copyright Violation Notice

Written By nodable

We do not make the final decision on takedowns or reinstatements. The DSPs do.

A Copyright Violation Notice (DMCA) is a legal claim submitted when a third party reports to Nodable that content in your catalog is infringing. The report may come from the Claimant (the artist, their representative, or any other rightsholder) or from the DSP that received the notice from the Claimant.

If this happens, you will receive a notice from Nodable explaining the situation and guiding you through the steps needed to resolve it and protect yourself from legal action or damages.

In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA), if no resolution is reached with the Claimant, Nodable may issue a preventive takedown of the content within 5 business days. Some DSPs, such as Spotify, may remove the content immediately while the issue is being reviewed.

Why You Received a DMCA Copyright Violation Notice

Copyright violations can happen for different reasons, including expired rights, incorrect metadata, or simple misunderstandings. In many cases, however, the issue is caused by content that was distributed without proper authorization.

Examples of infringing content include:

  • Content distributed without a license from the artist or rightsholder

  • Duplicate or stolen content infringing on a third party’s copyright

  • YouTube assets belonging to a third party that were claimed by you or your client

  • Content distributed to territories or DSPs not covered by the license

  • Remixes created and distributed without the proper licensing

  • Cover versions distributed globally without a mechanical license

  • Misleading song titles, artist names, trademarks, or visual content

  • Any unauthorized use of someone else’s intellectual property

If You Wish to Contest the Claim

Contact the Claimant

The fastest way to resolve the issue is to contact the Claimant directly and work out a solution. If the matter is resolved, please make sure both you and the Claimant inform us.

Please contact us within 5 business days, whether or not the issue has been resolved.

File a DMCA Counter-Notification

If you are unable to resolve the issue directly with the Claimant and you have complete documentation proving that you hold the full rights to the content, you may file a DMCA Counter-Notification.

Please note that filing a Counter-Notification escalates the matter, meaning the Claimant may only respond by taking legal action if they want to continue asserting their rights over the content. In addition, some DSPs do not automatically honor DMCA Counter-Notifications.

That said, if you do own the rights and we are able to validate your documentation, filing a Counter-Notification is often the right first step and may help support reinstatement later.

Please read the instructions carefully before submitting a DMCA Counter-Notification.

If You Do Not Wish to Contest the Claim

Whether the claim is valid or not, you may choose not to dispute it. If that is the case, please follow the steps below:

  • Immediately remove the affected product(s) from all DSPs where you have a Nodable agreement

  • If the distribution was fraudulent, remove all catalogs linked to the responsible artist, label, payee, or account

  • After removing the content, reply to this email with the list of UPCs that were taken down

Your access to Nodable’s distribution deals depends on not distributing infringing material. If you receive repeated valid infringement claims, we may have to revoke your distribution access.

What If You Own the Rights, but the Claimant Does Not Respond?

If you own the rights, have complete documentation to support your claim, and have made a good-faith effort to resolve the issue or submitted a Counter-Notification that goes unanswered, the Nodable team will make efforts to restore the content that was taken down.

For additional information, please reach out to us.