Last Updated: November 11, 2025 | Effective Date: November 11, 2025

1. Our Proactive Approach to Copyright Compliance

1.1 What We DON'T Host

To maintain copyright compliance, we explicitly exclude:

• Shopify Themes: Shopify themes are proprietary software, not GPL-licensed. Sites offering "free premium Shopify themes" are distributing pirated software.
• Nulled WordPress Plugins/Themes: "Nulled" versions with removed license checks are copyright violations, regardless of GPL claims.
• Cracked Software: Any software with encryption removed, serial numbers bypassed, or license validation circumvented.
• Proprietary Code Without Authorization: Commercial software under exclusive licenses without explicit distribution rights.
• Mixed-License Premium Add-ons: Even if base product is GPL, proprietary extensions are not distributable without permission.

2. DMCA Compliance Under 17 U.S.C. § 512

Malikoo Technologies SARL complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), specifically 17 U.S.C. § 512, which provides a "safe harbor" for online service providers who:

1. Designate an agent to receive copyright infringement notifications
2. Remove or disable access to allegedly infringing material expeditiously upon receiving proper notice
3. Implement a repeat infringer policy
4. Accommodate standard technical measures used by copyright owners

We meet all DMCA safe harbor requirements and maintain full compliance with copyright law.

3. Designated DMCA Agent

4. Filing a DMCA Takedown Notice

4.1 Requirements for Valid DMCA Notice

If you believe content on Malikoo infringes your copyright, you may submit a DMCA takedown notice. To be valid under 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3), your notice MUST include:

1. Your Signature: Physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or authorized representative
2. Identification of Copyrighted Work: Description of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed, including registration number if registered
3. Identification of Infringing Material: URL(s) or specific location of the allegedly infringing material on Malikoo's website
4. Your Contact Information: Name, address, phone number, and email address
5. Good Faith Statement: Statement that you have a good faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, agent, or law
6. Accuracy Statement: Statement under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate and you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner

4.2 How to Submit DMCA Notice

Send your complete DMCA notice to our designated agent via:

• Email: dmca@malikoo.com (preferred for fastest response)
• Online Form: https://malikoo.com/dmca-notice
• Postal Mail: [Physical address listed above]

4.3 Incomplete or Invalid Notices

Notices that do not include all required elements under § 512(c)(3) may not be considered valid. We will contact you to request missing information but cannot guarantee takedown until a complete notice is received.

5. Our Response Process

6. DMCA Counter-Notice Procedure

6.1 If You Believe Content Was Removed in Error

If you believe content you posted was removed due to mistake or misidentification, you may file a DMCA counter-notice. A valid counter-notice must include:

1. Your Signature: Physical or electronic signature
2. Identification of Removed Material: Description and location of material before removal
3. Good Faith Statement: Statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good faith belief the material was removed by mistake or misidentification
4. Consent to Jurisdiction: Statement consenting to jurisdiction of Federal District Court for your address (or where Malikoo is located if outside US)
5. Service of Process: Statement that you will accept service of process from the person who filed the original DMCA notice
6. Your Contact Information: Name, address, phone, email

6.2 Counter-Notice Review Process

Upon receiving a valid counter-notice:

1. We forward the counter-notice to the original complainant
2. Original complainant has 10-14 business days to notify us they've filed a court action
3. If no court action notice is received, we may restore the content after 10-14 business days
4. If court action is filed, content remains removed pending legal resolution

7. Repeat Infringer Policy

7.1 Three-Strike Policy

Malikoo maintains a repeat infringer policy as required by DMCA § 512(i):

• First Violation: Content removed, user warned, account marked
• Second Violation: Content removed, temporary account suspension (7-30 days), final warning
• Third Violation: Permanent account termination and ban from future registration

7.2 Egregious Cases

For severe cases (mass copyright infringement, commercial piracy operations, repeat offenses after warnings), we reserve the right to terminate accounts immediately without prior warning.

8. Why Our DMCA Process is Different

9. Copyright Education & GPL Understanding

9.1 GPL is NOT Public Domain

Important clarification: GPL-licensed software is still copyrighted. The copyright holder grants specific permissions through the GPL license, but copyright protection remains. This means:

• Original creators retain copyright ownership
• GPL license terms must be respected
• Copyright notices must be preserved
• Attribution to original authors is required

9.2 Our Role as GPL Curator

Malikoo operates as a curator and host for GPL-licensed resources:

• We do NOT claim copyright ownership of hosted resources
• We respect and maintain original creators' copyright notices
• We distribute resources under their original GPL licenses
• We link back to original sources and encourage supporting creators
• We comply with GPL redistribution requirements (preserving licenses, attributions, source code access)

10. False DMCA Claims & Abuse Prevention

10.1 Protecting Against Abuse

We take DMCA abuse seriously. False or bad-faith DMCA claims can harm legitimate users. We:

• Review all notices for validity and completeness
• Reject notices that don't meet § 512(c)(3) requirements
• Allow counter-notices for disputed claims
• Report serial false claimants to appropriate authorities
• May seek damages under § 512(f) for knowing misrepresentations

10.2 GPL Defense

If a DMCA notice targets legitimately GPL-licensed content that we have the right to distribute, we will:

1. Verify the GPL licensing status and our distribution rights
2. Contact the notice sender to explain GPL licensing
3. Provide evidence of GPL license if challenged
4. Defend the GPL if necessary through counter-notice or legal process

11. Modifications to This DMCA Policy

We may update this DMCA Policy to reflect:

• Changes in DMCA law or interpretation
• Updates to our designated agent information
• Improvements to our response procedures
• Feedback from copyright holders or users

Material Changes: We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and notify registered users of significant changes via email.

12. Additional Resources

For more information about copyright law and DMCA:

• US Copyright Office: www.copyright.gov
• DMCA Text: 17 U.S.C. § 512 (PDF)
• GPL License: GNU GPL v3
• Copyright Registration: How to Register Copyright

13. Contact for DMCA Questions

If you have questions about this DMCA Policy, copyright compliance, or GPL licensing:

DMCA Agent: dmca@malikoo.com
Legal Department: legal@malikoo.com
General Support: support@malikoo.com

Postal Address:
Malikoo Technologies SARL
DMCA Compliance Department
[Your Complete Business Address]
[City, Postal Code]
[Country]

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Final Note: Prevention Over Litigation

Unlike sites that treat DMCA as a shield for questionable practices, Malikoo views copyright compliance as a core operational principle. Our GPL-only approach means we rarely receive legitimate DMCA notices because we simply don't host proprietary or copyrighted material without authorization.

We respect copyright:

• By only distributing GPL-licensed resources
• By maintaining original attributions and credits
• By linking to and supporting original creators
• By responding promptly to any concerns
• By operating transparently within copyright law

This DMCA policy exists for exceptional circumstances, not as our primary business protection. We prefer prevention to reaction, and respect to litigation.

Malikoo: Respecting copyright through proactive GPL compliance, not reactive DMCA takedowns.