DMCA, Publicity Rights & Takedown Policy

Effective Date: July 21, 2026

1. Purpose and Scope

This DMCA, Publicity Rights & Takedown Policy (the “Policy”) explains how The Vertibase receives, evaluates, and responds to requests concerning content available through The Vertibase website, applications, databases, contributor tools, and related services (collectively, the “Service”).

The Service contains editorial material, factual metadata, community contributions, photographs, headshots, posters, cover art, production stills, logos, links, reviews, ratings, and other materials. Some content is supplied by users or third parties. This Policy is designed to provide a consistent process for rights holders, depicted persons, representatives, users, and other affected parties to raise concerns.

This Policy supplements the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Community Contribution and Copyright Policy. For the handling of copyright notices, counter-notifications, publicity-rights requests, privacy and safety requests, impersonation reports, and other removal requests, this Policy controls and supersedes any conflicting provision of the Community Contribution and Copyright Policy. For all other matters, the Terms of Service control. Where a request raises issues under more than one policy, Vertibase may apply each policy to the portion of the request it governs.

Important distinction
A copyright complaint is not the same as a privacy, defamation, impersonation, or publicity-rights complaint. Submitters should use the process that most accurately fits the issue. Vertibase may reclassify or route a request when appropriate.

2. Defined Terms

“Claimant” a person or entity submitting a notice, complaint, or removal request, including an authorized representative.

“Content” text, images, audio, video, metadata, links, ratings, reviews, profile information, database entries, and other material available through the Service.

“Contributor” a registered or unregistered user who submits, edits, uploads, or otherwise provides Content.

“DMCA Notice” a notification of claimed copyright infringement intended to comply with 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3).

“Counter-Notification” a response intended to comply with 17 U.S.C. § 512(g)(3) asserting that removed or disabled Content was removed because of mistake or misidentification.

“Publicity Rights” rights relating to commercial or other legally protected uses of a person’s name, voice, signature, photograph, image, likeness, or identity.

“Request” any DMCA Notice, Counter-Notification, publicity-rights request, privacy request, impersonation report, safety complaint, or other takedown submission.

“Vertibase” Vertical Romance, ATTN: The Vertibase

3. How to Contact Vertibase

3.1 Designated Copyright Agent

Copyright notices and counter-notifications must be sent to Vertibase’s designated agent at the address below. Notices sent to any other address or mailbox may not be treated as received.

3.2 Publicity, Privacy, Impersonation, and Other Requests

Publicity, likeness, impersonation, and safety requests should be sent to legal@thevertibase.com. Requests concerning personal data and privacy rights should be sent to privacy@thevertibase.com. Requests may also be submitted through the forms at thevertibase.com. Using the correct channel helps Vertibase review the request efficiently.

3.3 Required Communication Practices

• Identify the specific page and the exact Content at issue using direct URLs whenever possible.
• Provide enough information for Vertibase to understand the asserted right and verify the requester’s authority.
• Do not include sensitive identification documents unless Vertibase requests them through an approved secure method.
• Keep copies of all submissions and supporting records.

4. Copyright Infringement Notices (DMCA)

4.1 Who May Submit a DMCA Notice

A copyright owner, or a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive copyright right, may submit a DMCA Notice. Vertibase may request evidence of ownership or authorization, particularly where the notice concerns publicity photography, posters, licensed marketing materials, agency photographs, syndicated content, or works with multiple rightsholders.

4.2 Elements of an Effective DMCA Notice

To be effective, a DMCA Notice should be a written communication to the designated agent that substantially includes:

• A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or authorized representative.
• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or a representative list if multiple works at one online location are covered.
• Identification of the allegedly infringing material, information reasonably sufficient for Vertibase to locate it, and the direct URL of each page or file at issue.
• The claimant’s name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.
• A statement that the claimant has a good-faith belief that use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
• A statement that the information in the notice is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that the claimant is authorized to act for the owner of the allegedly infringed exclusive right.

4.3 Helpful Supporting Information

• A link to or copy of the original work.
• Registration information, where available.
• An explanation of the claimant’s ownership, license, assignment, or agency authority.
• For photographs or poster art, the photographer, agency, studio, distributor, production company, commissioning party, and relevant license chain, if known.
• An explanation addressing fair use, license, public-domain status, or another limitation or exception where those issues are apparent.

4.4 Incomplete or Misrouted Notices

Vertibase may contact the claimant to cure a materially incomplete notice or may decline to process a submission that does not identify the material, the asserted work, or the claimant’s authority with reasonable clarity. A complaint about inaccurate facts, privacy, impersonation, trademark use, defamation, or publicity rights does not become a valid DMCA Notice merely because it is labeled “DMCA.”

4.5 Multiple URLs and Bulk Notices

Each notice should identify each specific URL or item at issue. Broad demands to remove all material associated with a person, company, series, or production may be rejected or returned for clarification. Vertibase may provide a structured process for high-volume notices and may require machine-readable lists for large submissions.

5. Vertibase Review of Copyright Notices

5.1 Initial Review

Upon receiving a facially valid DMCA Notice, Vertibase may remove or disable access to the identified Content, restrict it from public display, preserve a secure copy, or take another reasonable interim measure. Vertibase may also evaluate whether the notice appears to concern material stored at a user’s direction and whether the statutory process is applicable.

5.2 Notice to the Contributor

Where practicable and legally appropriate, Vertibase will take reasonable steps to notify the Contributor or account holder responsible for the Content. The notice may include a copy or summary of the claimant’s submission and instructions for providing a Counter-Notification or other response.

5.3 Editorial and Technical Actions

• Remove or disable access to the identified file while retaining factual text or metadata that is not part of the claim.
• Replace an image with a licensed, public-domain, user-owned, or otherwise authorized alternative.
• Disable display at the file, page, account, or geographic level.
• Preserve revision history and internal records while removing public access.
• Limit further uploads of the same file through hashes or other matching tools.
• Suspend contributor privileges or refer repeated conduct for enforcement review.

5.4 No Admission

Removal or restriction in response to a notice is not an admission by Vertibase that infringement occurred, that the claimant owns the asserted rights, or that any party is liable.

6. Counter-Notifications and Restoration

6.1 When a Counter-Notification May Be Appropriate

A Contributor may submit a Counter-Notification when the Contributor has a good-faith belief that Content was removed or disabled because of mistake or misidentification. Examples may include mistaken ownership claims, an applicable license, public-domain material, authorized publicity use, or identification of the wrong file or URL. A Counter-Notification is a legal statement and should not be submitted casually.

6.2 Required Elements

An effective Counter-Notification should be a written communication to the designated agent that substantially includes:

• The Contributor’s physical or electronic signature.
• Identification of the material removed or disabled and the location where it appeared before removal.
• A statement under penalty of perjury that the Contributor has a good-faith belief that the material was removed or disabled because of mistake or misidentification.
• The Contributor’s name, address, and telephone number.
• A statement consenting to the jurisdiction of the applicable U.S. federal district court and agreeing to accept service of process from the original claimant or the claimant’s agent, as required by 17 U.S.C. § 512(g)(3).

6.3 Disclosure to the Claimant

Vertibase may provide a valid Counter-Notification, including the Contributor’s required contact information, to the person who submitted the original DMCA Notice. Contributors who do not wish to disclose the required information should obtain legal advice before submitting a Counter-Notification.

6.4 Restoration Timing

After receiving a valid Counter-Notification, Vertibase may notify the original claimant that the removed material may be replaced or access restored. Subject to applicable law, Vertibase may restore the material not less than 10 and not more than 14 business days after receipt of the Counter-Notification unless the designated agent first receives notice that the claimant has filed an action seeking an order restraining the Contributor from engaging in the alleged infringement.

6.5 Vertibase Discretion Outside the Statutory Process

Even when a DMCA restoration process has concluded, Vertibase may decline to restore Content that violates another policy, creates a separate privacy or safety concern, lacks editorial relevance, is duplicative or low quality, or is otherwise unsuitable for the Service. Such a decision is an editorial or contractual decision and does not determine the parties’ copyright rights.

7. Repeat Infringers and Account Enforcement

7.1 Policy

Vertibase has adopted and reasonably implements a policy providing for the termination, in appropriate circumstances, of users and account holders who are repeat infringers, as required by 17 U.S.C. 512(i). Vertibase will terminate such accounts in appropriate circumstances. Vertibase may also restrict upload privileges, contributor status, editing permissions, or account access before termination, and maintains internal records of notices received, the accounts associated with them, and the action taken.

7.2 Factors Vertibase May Consider

• The number, timing, and credibility of infringement notices associated with an account.
• Whether notices concern distinct works or repeated uploads of the same material.
• Valid Counter-Notifications, retractions, court outcomes, settlements, or evidence of authorization.
• Whether the user acted intentionally, recklessly, or after prior warnings.
• Whether the account appears designed primarily to upload infringing material.
• Other violations of Vertibase policies or attempts to evade enforcement.

7.3 No Fixed Strike Guarantee

Vertibase is not required to use a fixed number of “strikes.” A single serious violation may justify termination, and multiple notices do not automatically establish infringement where the record shows mistake, abuse, or successful challenges.

8. Publicity, Name, Image, Voice, and Likeness Requests

8.1 Scope

A person depicted or identified in Content, an authorized representative, an estate, or another legally authorized rights holder may request review of Content alleged to violate rights concerning a person’s name, voice, signature, photograph, image, likeness, identity, endorsement, or persona. Publicity rights vary by jurisdiction and may be limited by newsworthiness, public interest, expressive use, consent, license, and constitutional protections.

8.2 Information to Include

• The claimant’s full name and contact information.
• The identity of the depicted or referenced person and the claimant’s relationship or authority.
• Direct URLs and a clear description of the Content at issue.
• The specific right asserted and the jurisdiction whose law allegedly applies.
• An explanation of why the use is unauthorized or misleading, including any claimed commercial endorsement or advertising use.
• Copies of releases, licenses, contracts, agency records, estate documentation, or other supporting materials where relevant.
• A statement that the request is accurate and submitted in good faith.

8.3 Identity and Authority Verification

Vertibase may take reasonable steps to verify identity and authority. Verification may include confirmation through an official website, verified social account, professional representative, agency, manager, attorney, production company, union, estate representative, or secure documentation. Vertibase will seek to minimize collection of sensitive identification data.

8.4 Evaluation Factors

• Whether the Content is used for advertising or falsely implies endorsement.
• Whether the Content is part of an informational, biographical, editorial, critical, historical, or public-interest page.
• Whether the claimant consented to the image, publicity campaign, press kit, production still, headshot, or distribution.
• Whether the request concerns an adult, minor, deceased person, private person, or public figure.
• Whether removal would materially impair accurate identification of a credited performer or production.
• Whether cropping, attribution, replacement, contextual labeling, or limiting reuse would adequately address the concern.
• Applicable statutory, common-law, contractual, and constitutional considerations.

8.5 Possible Outcomes

• Remove, replace, crop, blur, restrict, or relabel an image.
• Correct a false implication of sponsorship, endorsement, or official status.
• Remove private contact details or sensitive personal information.
• Retain the Content where Vertibase determines the use is authorized, newsworthy, editorial, factual, or otherwise lawful and appropriate.
• Request additional documentation or refer the parties to legal process.

No blanket deletion right
A person’s appearance in a publicly released production, credited role, publicity campaign, press photograph, or factual database entry does not automatically require removal. Vertibase will assess the particular Content, context, asserted right, and applicable law.

9. Privacy, Safety, Impersonation, and Other Removal Requests

9.1 Privacy and Sensitive Information

Vertibase may review requests involving sensitive personal information, including private addresses, personal telephone numbers, personal email addresses, government identifiers, financial information, medical details, precise location information, or other information that creates a material privacy or safety risk. Publicly available professional information may be treated differently from nonpublic personal information.

9.2 Impersonation and False Representation

Reports should identify the allegedly impersonated person or entity, the account or page at issue, and the specific conduct creating confusion. Vertibase may distinguish between deceptive impersonation, fan or parody activity, contributor errors, duplicate pages, disputed professional names, and legitimate authorized representation.

9.3 Defamation and Factual Disputes

Requests based on alleged false statements should identify each disputed statement, explain why it is false, and provide reliable supporting evidence. Vertibase may correct or remove unsupported content, add context, seek source documentation, or leave content unchanged. Vertibase is not a court and may decline to adjudicate complex factual or reputational disputes without authoritative evidence or legal process.

9.4 Safety and Harassment

Vertibase may prioritize reports involving credible threats, stalking, doxxing, nonconsensual intimate imagery, sexual exploitation, minors, targeted harassment, or imminent physical harm. Emergency matters should also be reported to appropriate law-enforcement or emergency services.

9.5 Trademark and Brand Complaints

Trademark complaints should identify the mark, registration or common-law basis, the allegedly confusing use, and the affected URLs. Merely listing or discussing a company, studio, series, platform, or brand does not necessarily constitute trademark infringement.

10. Special Rules for Images, Posters, and Promotional Materials

10.1 Image Categories

Vertibase may host or display actor headshots, creator portraits, production stills, episode images, screenshots, show posters, series cover art, logos, promotional key art, event photography, editorial photographs, and user-created images. Rights may be divided among photographers, agencies, studios, distributors, subjects, designers, publishers, licensees, and other parties.

10.2 Removal Requests Should Identify the Relevant Right

• Copyright ownership in the photograph or artwork.
• Contractual limits on a license or press-kit use.
• Publicity or likeness rights of a depicted person.
• Privacy or safety concerns.
• Trademark or false-endorsement concerns.
• An inaccurate caption, attribution, identity, or association.

10.3 Replacement Before Page Deletion

Where the concern relates to a specific image, Vertibase ordinarily may remove or replace the image without deleting the underlying actor, creator, show, or series page. Factual credits, metadata, and editorial text may remain unless separately challenged.

10.4 Metadata and Cached Copies

When Content is removed, residual copies may temporarily remain in backups, caches, content delivery systems, search-engine indexes, logs, or historical records. Vertibase will use reasonable operational measures to stop public display through systems it controls, but cannot guarantee immediate removal from third-party caches or archives.

11. Emergency and Interim Measures

11.1 Immediate Restriction

Vertibase may temporarily remove, hide, restrict, or preserve Content while reviewing a Request, without prior notice, where Vertibase reasonably believes interim action is appropriate to address legal risk, personal safety, child protection, privacy, platform integrity, evidence preservation, or potential ongoing harm.

11.2 Law-Enforcement and Court Orders

Vertibase may respond to valid subpoenas, warrants, court orders, preservation requests, and other lawful process. Requests from government authorities should be directed to legal@thevertibase.com. Vertibase may challenge or narrow requests where appropriate and permitted.

11.3 Preservation

Removal from public view does not necessarily mean deletion. Vertibase may preserve copies and records for legal compliance, dispute resolution, fraud prevention, repeat-infringer enforcement, restoration, auditing, or defense of claims.

12. Appeals and Reconsideration

12.1 Requesting Reconsideration

Except where the DMCA Counter-Notification procedure applies, a materially affected party may request reconsideration by responding to Vertibase’s decision within 30 days and providing new evidence, correcting a misunderstanding, or identifying a relevant legal or contractual basis not previously considered.

12.2 Limits

Vertibase may decline repetitive, abusive, unsupported, or untimely appeals. Reconsideration does not guarantee restoration or removal. Vertibase may require a court order or agreement between the parties where claims are complex, fact-intensive, or legally uncertain.

12.3 Retractions and Resolutions

A claimant may retract a notice or advise Vertibase that the parties resolved the dispute. Vertibase may request a written retraction from the same person or authorized representative who submitted the original Request.

13. Information Sharing and Confidentiality

13.1 Sharing with Affected Parties

Vertibase may share a Request, supporting information, and contact details with the Contributor, claimant, rights holder, representative, service provider, insurer, attorney, or other person reasonably involved in evaluating or resolving the matter. DMCA Counter-Notifications may be shared as required by the statutory process.

13.2 Public Transparency

Vertibase may publish aggregate transparency information about Requests and outcomes. Where legally permitted, Vertibase may share notices with a transparency archive or research organization after removing or reducing sensitive information.

13.3 Confidentiality Requests

Vertibase will consider reasonable confidentiality requests but cannot guarantee confidentiality where disclosure is required to investigate, respond, comply with law, or protect rights and safety. Submitters should avoid including unrelated confidential or sensitive material.

14. Record Retention and Audit Trail

14.1 Records Vertibase May Retain

• The original Request and attachments.
• Verification records and correspondence.
• The Content at issue, including hashes, screenshots, or archived copies.
• Moderation notes, legal review, decisions, and timestamps.
• Notices to Contributors and claimants.
• Counter-Notifications, retractions, and court filings.
• Account enforcement and repeat-infringer records.

14.2 Retention Period

Vertibase retains rights-complaint records for four years from resolution, consistent with the retention schedule in Section 8 of the Privacy Policy. Vertibase may retain a record for longer where required by law, where subject to a legal hold, where needed to administer repeat-infringer enforcement, or where reasonably necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

15. Misrepresentations and Abuse of Process

15.1 Accuracy and Good Faith

All Requests and responses must be accurate and submitted in good faith. Knowingly making material misrepresentations in a DMCA Notice or Counter-Notification may result in liability under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f). False claims may also violate other laws or Vertibase policies.

15.2 Prohibited Abuse

• Using takedown procedures to suppress criticism, competition, accurate credits, or lawful editorial content.
• Claiming ownership of works or rights the claimant does not own or control.
• Submitting altered documents, fabricated authorizations, or deceptive identity information.
• Repeatedly resubmitting rejected claims without new information.
• Threatening, harassing, or attempting to improperly influence Contributors, claimants, staff, or moderators.
• Using automated notices without reasonable review of each identified item.

15.3 Enforcement

Vertibase may reject abusive Requests, restrict submission channels, suspend accounts, preserve evidence, refer conduct to counsel or authorities, seek reimbursement where permitted, and take other appropriate action.

16. No Legal Determinations; Reservation of Rights

Vertibase’s actions under this Policy are administrative, editorial, and contractual. Vertibase does not determine final ownership, infringement, defamation, publicity-rights liability, privacy liability, or other legal rights. Those issues may require agreement of the parties, arbitration, a court order, or other legal process.

Vertibase may remove, retain, restrict, restore, edit, annotate, or replace Content for reasons independent of a Request, including quality, accuracy, relevance, duplication, safety, technical requirements, contractual obligations, or compliance with other policies. Nothing in this Policy limits rights or defenses available to Vertibase or any other party.

17. Changes to This Policy

Vertibase may update this Policy as the Service, law, technology, and operational practices evolve. The “Last Updated” date will identify the current version. Material changes may be communicated through the Service or by other appropriate means.

Appendix A - Submission Checklists

A.1 DMCA Notice Checklist

• Signature
• Copyrighted work identified
• Each challenged URL identified
• Contact information
• Good-faith statement
• Accuracy and authority statement under penalty of perjury
• Supporting ownership or authorization documents, where useful

A.2 Counter-Notification Checklist

• Signature
• Removed material and former location
• Mistake or misidentification statement under penalty of perjury
• Name, address, and telephone number
• Federal-court jurisdiction consent
• Acceptance of service statement

A.3 Publicity / Likeness Request Checklist

• Requester identity and authority
• Depicted person identified
• Each URL and image identified
• Jurisdiction and right asserted
• Explanation of unauthorized or misleading use
• Supporting releases, licenses, contracts, or representative documentation
• Requested remedy

A.4 Privacy / Impersonation / Safety Checklist

• Exact URL and material
• Nature of the harm
• Identity or authority verification
• Evidence of falsity, impersonation, private status, or safety risk
• Urgency and requested remedy
• Law-enforcement report or court order, if applicable