DMCA & Copyright Policy

1. Copyright Policy Overview

PirateShipNames.com ("we," "our," or the "Website") respects the intellectual property rights of artists, authors, photographers, and copyright holders. It is our policy to respond promptly to clear, substantiated notices of alleged copyright infringement in accordance with the notice-and-takedown framework established under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512).

This policy outlines the procedure for submitting an infringement notice to our contact address, what information must be included, how we process notices, and how a counter-notice can be submitted if material was removed in error.

2. Contact for Copyright Notices

All copyright notices and infringement inquiries should be directed to the site operator at the email address below:

This email is checked regularly for legal and copyright notices. For general feedback, bug reports, or generator suggestions, please use our standard Contact Form.

3. Required Information in a DMCA Notice

To allow us to investigate and take action on an infringement claim, your notice must be written in English and include all six of the following elements:

1. Physical or Electronic Signature: The signature of the copyright owner or a representative authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the exclusive right allegedly infringed.
2. Identification of the Copyrighted Work: A clear description of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, including a link to an original authorized version or registration details if available.
3. Identification of the Infringing Material: The exact web address (URL) on PirateShipNames.com where the allegedly infringing material appears, allowing us to locate and review it quickly.
4. Your Contact Information: Your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and active email address.
5. Good-Faith Belief 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 (such as fair use).
6. Accuracy and Penalty of Perjury 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.

4. Response Process & Takedown Procedure

Upon receiving a written notice containing all six required elements, we follow this review and response process:

• Acknowledgment & Verification: We acknowledge receipt of the notice and verify that the specified URL contains the disputed material.
• Expeditious Removal: If the claim appears valid and the notice is complete, we remove or disable access to the infringing material, typically within 24 to 48 hours.
• Incomplete Notices: If a notice lacks required information (such as missing URLs or missing good-faith statements), we will reply requesting the missing details so the claim can be evaluated properly.

5. Counter-Notification Procedure

If content you provided was removed or disabled as a result of an infringement notice, and you believe the removal was a result of mistake, misidentification, or fair use, you may submit a Counter-Notification.

To be effective, your counter-notification must include:

1. Your physical or electronic signature.
2. Identification of the material that was removed or disabled and the URL where it appeared prior to removal.
3. 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.
4. Your name, physical address, and telephone number, plus a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the relevant court and will accept service of process from the person who provided the original infringement notice.

If a valid counter-notification is received, we will forward it to the original complaining party. Unless the copyright owner files a court action seeking a restraining order within 10 to 14 business days, we may restore the removed material.

6. Public Domain Maritime History & Common Terms

A large portion of the subject matter on PirateShipNames.com concerns historical maritime lore from the 17th and 18th centuries. We note the following:

• Historical pirate ship names (such as Queen Anne's Revenge, Whydah Gally, Royal Fortune, and The Fancy) and historical figure biographies belong to the worldwide public domain.
• Standard naval terms, vessel classifications (sloops, galleons, frigates), and historic maritime slang cannot be exclusively owned or copyrighted by any single party.
• Original code, custom algorithms, compiled datasets, and original editorial essays on this site remain the copyrighted intellectual property of PirateShipNames.com.

7. Repeat Infringers & Warning on False Claims

Repeat Infringers: In appropriate circumstances, we will terminate contributor access or block submissions from users who repeatedly infringe third-party copyrights.

Warning on Bad-Faith Claims: Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that online material is infringing, or that it was removed by mistake or misidentification, may be subject to legal liability, including damages and attorneys' fees. If you are uncertain whether material on the site infringes your rights, we suggest seeking legal counsel before submitting a notice.