COPYRIGHT POLICY
CITIZEN'S COMMITMENT TO COPYRIGHT PROTECTION
Citizen respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects our users to do the same. We comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and will respond to valid notices of copyright infringement in accordance with applicable law.
DMCA DESIGNATED AGENT
Citizen has registered a designated agent with the U.S. Copyright Office to receive notifications of claimed copyright infringement.
Designated Copyright Agent:
DMCA Agent
Citizen (Sp0n, Inc.)
PO Box 55071 #92726
Boston, MA 02205-5071
Email: copyright@citizen.com
Phone: (201) 644-6557
All copyright infringement notices must be sent to copyright@citizen.com.
Citizen is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office as a designated service provider under the DMCA. Our public listing can be found at: https://dmca.copyright.gov/osp/
HOW TO REPORT COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
If you believe that content on Citizen infringes your copyright, you may submit a DMCA takedown notice to our designated agent.
REQUIREMENTS FOR A VALID DMCA NOTICE
To comply with the DMCA, your notice must include all of the following information:
1. Your Contact Information
- Your full legal name
- Your mailing address
- Your telephone number
- Your email address
2. Identification of the Copyrighted Work
- A description of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed
- If multiple works are involved, you may provide a representative list
3. Identification of the Infringing Material
- The specific URL(s) where the allegedly infringing content is located on Citizen
- Sufficient detail to allow us to locate the material
4. Statement of Good Faith Belief
- You must include the following statement: "I have a good faith belief that the use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law."
5. Statement of Accuracy
- You must include the following statement: "The information in this notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, I am the owner, or an agent authorized to act on behalf of the owner, of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed."
6. Your Signature
- A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on their behalf
- Typing your full legal name is sufficient for electronic signature
HOW TO SUBMIT A DMCA NOTICE
Email: copyright@citizen.com
Subject Line: DMCA Takedown Notice - [Brief Description]
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU SUBMIT A NOTICE
1. We will review your notice to confirm it meets DMCA requirements
2. If valid, we will remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing content
3. We will notify the user who posted the content that it has been removed
4. The user may submit a counter-notification if they believe the content was removed in error
Processing Time: Valid takedown notices are typically processed within 24-48 hours of receipt.
COUNTER-NOTIFICATION PROCESS
If you believe your content was removed in error or that you have the right to use the material, you may submit a counter-notification.
REQUIREMENTS FOR A VALID COUNTER-NOTIFICATION
Your counter-notification must include:
1. Your Contact Information
- Your full legal name
- Your mailing address
- Your telephone number
- Your email address
2. Identification of Removed Content
- The URL(s) or description of the content that was removed
- A description of where the content appeared before it was removed
3. Statement Under Penalty of Perjury
- You must include the following statement: "I have a good faith belief that the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification of the material to be removed or disabled."
4. Consent to Jurisdiction
- You must include the following statement: "I consent to the jurisdiction of the Federal District Court for the judicial district in which my address is located (or if outside the United States, any judicial district in which Citizen may be found), and I will accept service of process from the person who provided the original DMCA notification or an agent of such person."
5. Your Signature
- A physical or electronic signature
- Typing your full legal name is sufficient for an electronic signature
HOW TO SUBMIT A COUNTER-NOTIFICATION
Email: copyright@citizen.com
Subject Line: DMCA Counter-Notification - [Brief Description]
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU SUBMIT A COUNTER-NOTIFICATION
1. We will forward your complete counter-notification to the party who filed the original DMCA notice
2. That party will have 10-14 business days to notify us that they have filed a court action to restrain you from engaging in infringing activity
3. If we do not receive such notification within that timeframe, we may restore the content
Important: By submitting a counter-notification, you are consenting to the jurisdiction of U.S. federal courts and agreeing that the copyright claimant may file a lawsuit against you.
REPEAT INFRINGER POLICY
Citizen has adopted and reasonably implemented a policy to terminate, in appropriate circumstances, the accounts of users who repeatedly infringe the copyrights of others.
COPYRIGHT STRIKE SYSTEM
Strike 1 (First Violation):
- Content removed
- User notified
- Written warning issued
- User required to acknowledge copyright policy
Strike 2 (Second Violation):
- Content removed
- User notified
- 90-day suspension of certain platform privileges
- User required to complete copyright education
Strike 3 (Third Violation):
- Content removed
- User permanently removed from Creator/Sentinel programs
- All uploaded content removed
STRIKE EXPIRATION
Copyright strikes expire after 90 days if no additional violations occur during that period. However, we reserve the right to consider the full history of an account when making termination decisions.
COURT RULINGS
If a court determines that a user is a copyright infringer or repeat infringer, we will terminate that user's account in accordance with the court's ruling.
WHAT CONTENT IS PROHIBITED
YOU MAY NOT BROADCAST OR UPLOAD:
- ❌ Content you did not create or do not own
- ❌ Content for which you do not have permission from the copyright owner
- ❌ TV shows, movies, or music videos (unless you own them)
- ❌ Copyrighted music (unless you have a license)
- ❌ Footage from other creators without written permission
- ❌ News broadcasts or clips from media organizations
- ❌ Content downloaded from other platforms (YouTube, TikTok, etc.)
YOU MAY UPLOAD:
- ✅ Content you personally filmed or created
- ✅ Content for which you have explicit written permission (via signed Media Release Form)
- ✅ Original commentary, narration, and creative work
- ✅ Publicly available content that is confirmed to be in the public domain
When in doubt, do not upload or broadcast. If you did not create it and do not have written permission, do not post it.
MEDIA RELEASE FORM
If you wish to upload content that was filmed or created by someone else, you must obtain a signed Media Release Form from the original creator before uploading.
The signed form must be submitted to copyright@citizen.com before the content is uploaded. Uploading third-party content without a signed release is a violation of our copyright policy and may result in a copyright strike.
FALSE CLAIMS
Submitting a knowingly false or misleading DMCA notice or counter-notification may result in:
- Legal liability under Section 512(f) of the DMCA
- Potential damages and attorney's fees
- Termination of your Citizen account
Please ensure your claim is accurate before submitting.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
FAIR USE
U.S. copyright law includes certain exceptions, including fair use. However, fair use is determined on a case-by-case basis and typically applies to commentary, criticism, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. Fair use is not a blanket permission to use copyrighted content.
If you believe your use qualifies as fair use, you may include that information in a counter-notification if your content is removed.
QUESTIONS ABOUT COPYRIGHT?
If you have questions about what content you can upload or whether you need permission, contact us at copyright@citizen.com
CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
We may update this Copyright Policy from time to time. Continued use of Citizen following any changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
CONTACT INFORMATION
For Copyright Infringement Claims: copyright@citizen.com
For General Inquiries: support@citizen.com
DMCA Designated Agent:
DMCA Agent
Citizen (Sp0n, Inc.)
PO Box 55071 #92726
Boston, MA 02205-5071
Email: copyright@citizen.com
Phone: (201) 644-6557
This policy complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512) and applicable copyright law.