How to Report Copyright Theft Anonomously
Copyright law is an intellectual property law that protects stories, songs, movies, art and other forms of intellectual property. Copyright takes effect as soon as a work is created and is indicated by the author of the work by including the copyright symbol. Registration with the copyright office isn't necessary, but having your work registered can provide a greater degree of legal standing in a courtroom should you ever need to bring an infringement case. If you suspect copyright infringement and want to report it anonymously, you can do so without much difficulty.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Decide if the work you suspect is being infringed upon is really in violation of the copyright laws. You need to determine why you believe a work is being used without permission of the copyright holder. Maybe you know the copyright holder and know for certain his work is being used by someone without compensation or permission. If this is the case, then you have a right to report the copyright infringement.
-
2
Locate the copyright holder. The work should include a byline or a copyright notice with the copyright owner's name. If the work is being used illegally, chances are the copyright notice and copyright holder's name may not be listed. If you don't know the copyright holder's name and it isn't listed on the suspected infringement, you may contact the United States Copyright Holder and do a search. There is a fee for this search ($165.00 as of January 2010), which may be too steep for someone trying to perform a deed for someone they don't know.
-
-
3
Report the suspected copyright infringement to the Cyber Division or the Financial Fraud Unit of the FBI, as suggested by the United States Copyright Office (see references). You can write a letter giving all the details you know about the location of the material you suspect is being stolen, including where the suspected infringement is located (Internet or print) and why you believe the material is being infringed upon.
-
4
Use any information you know about the infringed material (author's name, publisher's name) and do a Google or Bing search of the names. This will often yield clues that may lead you to an address of the party who owns the copyright. You can then notify them anonymously by letter or phone call of the suspected infringement and leave the follow up in their hands.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Copynot is an independent website dedicated to wiping out piracy and copyright infringement. You can use its services to anonymously report suspected copyright infringement (see references).
