Copyright, DMCA Notice & Takedown Policy

Open Civic Systems (OCS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving historical integrity. We respect the intellectual property rights of others and expect our users to do the same.

Legal Document

Organization: Open Civic Systems (OCS) — 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Version: 1.0
Effective Date: March 2026
Last Reviewed: March 2026

1. Service Provider Information

Open Civic Systems ("OCS," "we," "us," or "our") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. This policy applies to all websites, tools, and services owned and operated by Open Civic Systems, including but not limited to:

Brands: Open Civic Systems · FactKeeper · Gather Media
Primary Sites: opencivicsystems.org · opencivicsystems.com
Project Sites:factkeeper.org · factkeeper.ai · gathermedia.org
Tools & Assets:visualizer.factkeeper.org · visualizer.gathermedia.org · ocs-assets.org · gm-assets.ocsassets.org

Our DMCA Designated Agent registration (Number: DMCA-1069530) covers all of the domains and alternate names listed above.

2. Introduction

Open Civic Systems respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects users of our platforms to do the same. This policy describes how we respond to claims of copyright infringement in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 ("DMCA"). OCS operates platforms for community-driven media collection, civic documentation, and historical archiving. While we believe strongly in the importance of open communities and the preservation of community records, we are committed to responding appropriately to valid copyright infringement claims.

3. Scope and Content Types

This DMCA Policy applies to all content publicly accessible through OCS platforms, including but not limited to:

Content submitted by users or contributors:

  • Photos, videos, and documents uploaded by community members or contributors

  • Event descriptions, summaries, and contextual information created by project team members

  • User-submitted information and metadata

Content curated or generated on OCS platforms:

  • AI-assisted summaries, extractions, and analyses used to populate content

  • Biographical information and metadata about public figures

  • Links to and summaries of third-party source materials

Internal Processing (not publicly accessible):

  • OCS platforms may cache or store source content internally for AI analysis, archival, or operational

  • purposes. This internal content is not publicly accessible and is retained solely for operational and

  • preservation purposes.

Our Safe Harbor protections under 17 U.S.C. § 512, our notice-and-takedown procedures, and our Repeat Infringer Policy apply to all publicly accessible content types listed above, whether currently implemented or added in the future. We maintain the same commitment to responding expeditiously to valid DMCA notices regardless of how content is created or hosted.

4. Designated Agent

OCS has designated an agent to receive notifications of claimed infringement under the DMCA. Our designated agent's contact information is:

DMCA Agent

Open Civic Systems
1110 Via Regina
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
Email: dmca@opencivicsystems.org
Phone: 805-669-0828
DMCA Registration Number: DMCA-1069530

5. Notice of Infringement

If you believe that content hosted on an OCS platform infringes your copyright, you may submit a written notification to our Designated Agent. To be effective under the DMCA, your notification must include the following:

  1. Contact Information: Information reasonably sufficient to permit us to contact you, such as an address, telephone number, and email address.

  2. Identification of Copyrighted Work: Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works.

  3. Identification of Infringing Material: Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate the material. Please provide specific URLs where the allegedly infringing material appears.

  4. Good Faith Statement: A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.

  5. Accuracy Statement: A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

  6. Signature: A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

Please send your notice to: dmca@opencivicsystems.org

You may also submit a structured notice using our online Notice of Infringement form.

Upon receipt of a valid DMCA notice, we will act expeditiously to remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing material. We will also notify the user or project team member who posted the content, if identifiable.

6. Counter-Notice

If you believe that material you posted was removed or disabled by mistake or misidentification, you may submit a counter-notice to our Designated Agent. To be effective, your counter-notice must include the following:

  1. Contact Information: Your name, address, and telephone number.

  2. Identification of Material: Identification of the material that has been removed or to which access has been disabled, and the location at which the material appeared before it was removed or access was disabled.

  3. Good Faith Statement: A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good faith belief that the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification of the material.

  4. Consent to Jurisdiction: A statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the Federal District Court for the judicial district in which your address is located (or, if you are outside the United States, the Central District of California), and that you will accept service of process from the person who provided the original notification or an agent of such person.

  5. Signature: Your physical or electronic signature.

Please send your counter-notice to: dmca@opencivicsystems.org

Upon receipt of a valid counter-notice, we will forward it to the original complaining party. If the original complaining party does not notify us within ten (10) to fourteen (14) business days that they have filed a court action seeking to restrain the allegedly infringing activity, we may restore the removed material or cease disabling access to it.

7. Repeat Infringer Policy

In accordance with the DMCA and other applicable law, OCS has adopted a policy of terminating, in appropriate circumstances, the accounts of users who are deemed to be repeat infringers. We may also, at our sole discretion, limit access to our services and/or terminate the accounts of any users who infringe any intellectual property rights of others, whether or not there is any repeat infringement.

This policy applies to all users of OCS platforms, including:

  • Project team members (curators, reviewers, administrators): Accounts may be suspended or

    terminated for repeat infringement.

  • Contributors and public submitters: Access may be restricted through available technical

    measures.

Project administrators and curators bear particular responsibility for ensuring that content published to their project, collection, or chronicle does not infringe third-party copyrights.

8. Good Faith and Misrepresentation

Please be aware that under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material is infringing, or that material was removed or disabled by mistake or misidentification, may be subject to liability for damages, including costs and attorneys' fees.

We encourage you to consult with a legal professional before submitting a DMCA notice or counternotice.

9. Modifications to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify users by posting the updated policy with a new effective date.

10. Contact

For questions about this policy or to submit a DMCA notice or counter-notice, please contact:

Email: dmca@opencivicsystems.org

Mail: DMCA Agent
Open Civic Systems
1110 Via Regina
Santa Barbara, CA 93111

For general inquiries not related to DMCA matters, please contact support@opencivicsystems.org.

This is the master DMCA policy for Open Civic Systems and all affiliated platforms (Gather Media, FactKeeper). A condensed version on those platforms link back to this page for the full DMCA full procedure.

Effective Date: March 2026