We occasionally receive Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown requests to remove allegedly copyrighted images. We thoroughly examine these requests, and only grant the few that are valid. In January, we received a DMCA takedown notice regarding a photograph of a canis lupus familiaris against a snowy backdrop on Commons. The allegedly infringing photograph was a digitally modified version of the original, with a newer copyright. The photographer contended that the picture available on Commons was not only snipped from the re-copyrighted image, but was also accompanied with a false claim of ownership. Before we could evaluate the notice, Commons contributors had already removed the photo. Commons deletion policy includes a speedy deletion tag for obvious copyright violations, and contributors are mindful to keep only properly licensed material on Commons.
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