Brand Protection & Content Protection
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Discogs
A Guide To The Discogs Copyright Takedown Webform
Discogs – it is not a household name like Spotify or iTunes or SoundCloud, but an incredibly important platform in the music space. Discogs is probably the most comprehensive and reliable openly available music database. The database is carefully curated by music enthusiasts and hobbyists. The knowledge of the Discogs’ community sets it apart from other music libraries or stores. For anyone who has ever lamented the mass closures of physical stores, Discogs is the closest digital experience to falling down the rabbit hole searching through piles of music in your local record store. But if the urgh to rummage through physical discs and vinyl cannot be fulfilled by Discogs, their sister site “vinylhub.com” is a database of over 8,000 physical music stores around the world.
Not content with building a compressive and precise database with a talented community of contributors; Discogs built a marketplace cross-checked with the database. This enables efficient accurate search capabilities for buyers and efficient listing capabilities for sellers. The marketplace offers mainly vinyl and CDs on a vibrant marketplace to find rare items or latest releases. Digital downloads or streaming is covered by many well-known platforms, but when it comes to hardcore collectors, Discogs is the only platform around.
The database and marketplace are curated, as mentioned, however, intellectual property infringements do occur on the platform. The rate of infringement is low, as knowledgeable traders and collectors tend to call out fakes. However, it is still advised to monitor repertoire on Discogs, given the platform is seen as an authority on music cataloguing. An error or infringement is likely to be taken at face value until an expert calls out the inaccuracies. Best to be proactive in ensuring everything is listed appropriately.
Discogs have a webform to report copyright infringement, responding very quickly to reported infringements and any disputed notices. The only requirement for submitting a takedown notice is to be either the rightsholder or an authorised agent of the rightsholder.
First thing to do after detecting an infringement is to copy the URL. Best practice is to save this URL in a document or spreadsheet, as it will be needed when filing the takedown notice. Once the URL of the infringing content is saved, click here to access the webform.
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Given the legal nature of this process, real, accurate details must be included in the form. In the first dropdown box select “Reporting Copyright Infringement”. The next two boxes are mandatory but straightforward, requesting email address and a subject line. The next dropdown box requires the reporter to pick between “Rights holder” or “Authorized representative of rights holder” – this can include manager, lawyer, trade association etc. The final box in this section is for the “Description” – it is advised to be as comprehensive as possible, to include details of the repertoire infringed, ownership of the rights and to clearly state the infringement type. Providing full details will aid the processing of the notice.
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Enter the Discogs URL into this box. Bulk submissions are permitted, the URLs must be separated by a comma. It is advisable to only report the same infringed content in a single notice to prevent confusion which may cause a delay in removal. The next box requests any addition information, generally, all information can be included in the “Description” box above and therefore this box can be left blank. “Contact name” and “Company” are non-mandatory boxes, although it is advised to enter company name if applicable. A “Mailing address” must be included, again, given the legal nature of this document an accurate address must be provided. If you do not wish to provide such details, it is advised to seek guidance from a trade body who may be able to assist with processing the notice. Phone number is non-mandatory and can be skipped. The email address is mandatory and is the contact method Discogs will use to notify the reporter once the infringement has been removed, or to request further details to support the claim.
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Discogs provides the useful feature of providing a box to give a separate email address, which will be provided to the third party i.e. the infringer. Providing a secondary email address for this purpose is advisable if the reporter is the rightsholder.
There is only one checkbox to tick to finish the submission. As mentioned above, submitting a notice for copyright infringement is a serious issue and therefore it is advised to read all the statements carefully. By ticking the box the reporter, states they have a good faith belief the content is not authorised use, the submission is accurate and the reporter is the owner or authorised agent to report the disputed content. There is a final chance to include relevant information in the form of attachments. This is very useful for providing documents or images to prove ownership of rights, it is advised to include any attachments which assist in proving ownership to speed up the review process. To finish, click “Submit” and the copyright takedown notice is sent for the infringing content to be removed, pending review.