DMCA & Copyright Policy
Last Updated: August 24, 2026
For full safe-harbor protection under the DMCA, U.S. site owners should also register their designated agent (including a physical address) with the U.S. Copyright Office at dmca.copyright.gov. This page is a working template, not legal advice; consider having a licensed attorney confirm this process fits your situation.
This page explains how ClearCents handles copyright — both how we protect our own original work and how we respond to legitimate claims that something on the site infringes someone else's rights. It covers what a valid takedown notice needs to include, what happens after you submit one, and how to push back if you believe a notice was filed in error.
Our Content Is Original
All articles, graphics, calculators, and other original material published on ClearCents are created by ClearCents and protected under U.S. copyright law, as described in our Terms of Service. We take copyright seriously — both protecting our own original work and respecting the rights of others. Every article on this site is written from scratch based on our own research and analysis; when we reference outside sources (a government agency's published figures, a study, a news report), we cite and link to them rather than reproducing their text, and we don't republish or lightly rewrite content from other publishers.
Reporting Copyright Infringement
ClearCents respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects users of this site to do the same. If you believe that content on ClearCents infringes a copyright you own or control, you may submit a notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to our designated agent below.
What a Valid Notice Needs to Include
To be effective under the DMCA, your notice must include, in writing:
- A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on their behalf
- Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed
- Identification of the specific material you claim is infringing, including the URL(s) where it appears on ClearCents
- Your contact information, including address, telephone number, and email address
- A statement that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law
- A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf
A notice missing any of these elements generally isn't legally sufficient, and we may need to request the missing information before we can act on it — including all six elements up front is the fastest way to get a valid claim resolved.
What Happens After You Submit a Notice
| Step | What Happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Notice received | We review the notice for completeness against the six required elements above |
| 2. Initial review | We evaluate the claim and the specific content identified, typically within a few business days |
| 3. Action taken | If the claim appears valid, the disputed material is removed or disabled |
| 4. Notification | Where applicable, any party who published the material is notified of the takedown and their right to submit a counter-notification |
Our Designated DMCA Agent
Notices of claimed copyright infringement should be sent to our designated agent:
Marc Isach Moriscot
Email: clearcentscontact@gmail.com
Please note that under Section 512(f) of the DMCA, any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material is infringing may be liable for damages, including costs and attorney's fees incurred by the accused party. This cuts both ways — it's meant to prevent bad-faith takedown claims just as much as it protects legitimate copyright holders.
Counter-Notification
If you believe content you posted or that identifies you was removed or disabled by mistake or misidentification, you may submit a counter-notification to our designated agent above, including:
- Your physical or electronic signature
- Identification of the material that was removed and its location before removal
- A statement, under penalty of perjury, that you have a good faith belief the material was removed as a result of mistake or misidentification
- Your name, address, and telephone number, and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal court in your district (or, if outside the U.S., an appropriate judicial district) and will accept service of process from the person who submitted the original notice
Upon receiving a valid counter-notification, the original complaining party is typically notified and, absent them pursuing court action, the material may be restored within the timeframe the DMCA specifies.
A Note on Fair Use
Not every use of copyrighted material is infringement — fair use (commentary, criticism, brief quotation with attribution, and similar limited uses) is a legitimate legal doctrine, though whether a specific use qualifies depends on the specific facts and isn't something we can determine definitively on this page. If you're unsure whether a use falls under fair use, both submitting and responding to a notice are formal legal processes, and consulting an attorney before filing is worth considering for anything beyond a clear-cut case.
Repeat Infringers
ClearCents will terminate, in appropriate circumstances, access for users or contributors who are determined to be repeat infringers.
Using ClearCents Content
See our Terms of Service for details on what uses of our content are and are not permitted, including linking, quoting with attribution, and the prohibition on using our content to train AI or machine learning models without permission.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to process a DMCA notice?
Initial review typically happens within a few business days of receiving a complete notice. Notices missing required information take longer, since we may need to request the missing elements before we can act.
Do I need a lawyer to file a DMCA notice?
No — a notice can be submitted directly by the copyright owner or someone authorized to act on their behalf, without an attorney. That said, for anything legally ambiguous (a fair use question, a disputed ownership claim), legal advice is worth considering.
What happens if I file a false or bad-faith notice?
Under Section 512(f) of the DMCA, knowingly misrepresenting that material is infringing can create legal liability for damages, including the other party's costs and attorney's fees. Notices should only be filed for genuine, good-faith copyright claims.
Can I dispute a takedown if I believe it was a mistake?
Yes — submit a counter-notification with the required elements listed above. This is a standard part of the DMCA process, designed specifically to handle mistaken or misidentified claims.