DMCA & Copyright Policy
Our position on copyright
INCLUDED NEWS is a publisher, so copyright is not an abstraction to us; it is the legal frame our own work lives inside. We take two commitments from that. First, we respect the rights of other creators in what we publish. Second, we respond promptly and properly when a rights holder tells us we may have failed. This page explains both, including how to send a notice that we can act on.
How we use third party material
Our journalism is written by our own team. Where third party material appears, it appears on one of these bases:
- Licensed material, such as agency images or embeds used within the terms of the platform that hosts them;
- Quotation of reasonable excerpts from documents, statements and other outlets’ reporting, with attribution and, where possible, a link to the original;
- Fair use or fair dealing style exceptions recognised by applicable law, for purposes such as news reporting, criticism and review;
- Public domain and official material that is free of copyright or published for reuse.
Attribution is our default even where the law would not strictly require it, because crediting sources is an editorial standard here, not only a legal one.
Reporting an infringement
If you believe content on includednews.com infringes a copyright you own or are authorised to enforce, send a notice to support@includednews.com with the subject line Copyright Notice. To let us act quickly, include everything a formal takedown notice requires:
- identification of the copyrighted work you claim is infringed, or a representative list if there are several;
- the exact URL on includednews.com where the allegedly infringing material appears, plus a description of the material;
- your name, postal address, email address and, if available, telephone number;
- a statement that you have a good faith belief the use is not authorised 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 owner or authorised to act for the owner;
- your physical or electronic signature.
Incomplete notices slow everything down, because we must write back for the missing pieces before we can properly assess the claim.
What happens after we receive a notice
We acknowledge valid notices promptly, usually within a few working days. We then review the material against the claim. If the claim is well founded, we remove or disable access to the material expeditiously, and we note on the affected article that material was removed following a copyright complaint, consistent with our transparency practices. If the material is licensed, original, or covered by a legal exception, we will explain why we are declining, and you remain free to pursue the matter through formal channels.
Counter notices
If material you supplied to us, or material attributed to you, is removed following a notice and you believe the removal was mistaken or the material was misidentified, you may send a counter notice to support@includednews.com containing: identification of the removed material and where it appeared; 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; consent to the jurisdiction of the courts applicable to our operator, and to service of process from the original complainant; and your signature. Where the law provides for restoration after a counter notice, we follow that procedure, including the waiting period it prescribes.
Misrepresentation and abuse
Knowingly sending a materially false takedown notice or counter notice can expose the sender to liability under applicable law. Beyond the law, we treat copyright claims aimed at suppressing accurate reporting, rather than protecting genuine rights, as attacks on our journalism, and we will resist them through every available channel. Please do not use this process to litigate a disagreement with our coverage; the Corrections Policy exists for disputes about accuracy.
Repeat infringement
If any contributor or submitted source of material proves to be a repeat infringer, we stop accepting material from them. We keep records of notices and outcomes so that pattern is visible to us.
If your work was used without credit
Separate from formal takedowns: if we used your photograph, video or reporting and failed to credit or license it properly, tell us at support@includednews.com. Where we got it wrong, we will fix it quickly, by licensing, crediting or removing the material, and correct the record on the article. Creators deserve that from a publisher without needing a lawyer to ask for it.
