DMCA Policy

1. Copyright Protection Commitment

AI Video Chat is committed to protecting the rights of copyright owners and complying with applicable copyright laws, including the United States Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (the "DMCA"), the European Union Copyright Directive (Directive 2019/790), the United Kingdom Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and other applicable international copyright treaties and conventions. We recognize the importance of intellectual property in the digital age and have established comprehensive procedures to address copyright concerns efficiently and fairly.

Our platform hosts a variety of content types, including AI-generated characters, user profiles, text conversations, generated images, and video chat interactions. While much of the content on our platform is generated through artificial intelligence systems and therefore may not be subject to traditional copyright protection in all jurisdictions, we acknowledge that certain elements — such as user-uploaded profile pictures, custom character designs based on copyrighted source material, and other user-contributed content — may involve the intellectual property rights of third parties.

We have designated a DMCA agent to receive notifications of claimed infringement and have established internal procedures to review, investigate, and respond to such claims in a timely manner. Our goal is to balance the rights of copyright owners with the interests of our users and the functionality of our Service, while maintaining compliance with all applicable laws.

We proactively employ content filtering technologies and automated detection systems to identify and prevent the upload of known copyrighted material without authorization. These systems include hash-based image matching, text similarity detection, and metadata analysis. However, no automated system is perfect, and we rely on copyright owners to notify us of any infringement that our systems may miss. When notified of a valid infringement, we act promptly to remove or disable access to the infringing material.

Our commitment to copyright protection extends to our relationships with third-party content providers and technology partners. We include copyright compliance provisions in all of our vendor agreements and require our partners to maintain their own copyright protection measures. We also participate in industry initiatives aimed at combating online piracy and protecting intellectual property rights in the digital environment.

2. Filing a DMCA Takedown Notice

If you are a copyright owner, or are authorized to act on behalf of a copyright owner, and you believe that content available on or through our Service infringes one or more of your copyrights, you may submit a written DMCA takedown notification ("Takedown Notice") to our designated DMCA agent. Upon receipt of a valid Takedown Notice that complies with the requirements set forth below and in 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3), we will respond expeditiously to remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing content.

Your Takedown Notice must be submitted in writing (either by physical mail, email, or through our online reporting form) and must include all of the information required by the DMCA as described in Section 3 below. Incomplete or unclear notices may result in delays in processing your claim. We recommend that you consult with a legal professional before submitting a Takedown Notice to ensure that your claim is valid and that the content in question actually constitutes copyright infringement.

Please note that under Section 512(f) of the DMCA, any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material or activity is infringing may be subject to liability for damages, including costs and attorneys' fees, incurred by the alleged infringer, by any copyright owner or copyright owner's authorized licensee, or by a service provider who is injured by such misrepresentation. Therefore, if you are not sure whether material available on or linked from the Service infringes your copyright, we strongly suggest that you first consult with an attorney before sending a notification.

We process Takedown Notices in the order they are received, with a target response time of one (1) to three (3) business days for standard notifications and within twenty-four (24) hours for notifications involving particularly egregious infringement or time-sensitive matters. During periods of high volume, processing times may be slightly longer, but we strive to address all valid notifications within five (5) business days of receipt.

Takedown Notices may be submitted via email to our designated DMCA agent at support@ai-videochat.video with the subject line "DMCA Takedown Notice." Please ensure that your notification clearly identifies the copyrighted work, the allegedly infringing material, and includes all required elements as described in this policy. Electronic signatures are accepted for email submissions.

3. Required Information for a Valid Notice

To be effective under the DMCA, your Takedown Notice must include substantially all of the following information, as required by 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3): (a) A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed. Electronic signatures, including typed names preceded by "/s/" or digital certificate signatures, are acceptable for notices submitted by email.

(b) Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site. You must provide sufficient detail to allow us to identify the specific copyrighted work at issue, such as the title of the work, the author, the date of publication, the registration number (if applicable), or a link to the original work.

(c) Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate the material. The best way to identify the allegedly infringing material is by providing the specific URL(s) where the material is located on our Service. If the infringing material appears in multiple locations, please provide a URL for each location.

(d) Information reasonably sufficient to permit us to contact you, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an email address at which you may be contacted. We will use this information solely for the purpose of processing your Takedown Notice and any related counter-notification, and we will not share your contact information with third parties except as necessary to comply with legal requirements.

(e) 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. This statement must reflect your genuine belief after considering applicable legal defenses and limitations, including fair use under 17 U.S.C. § 107.

(f) 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. This statement carries legal significance — making false statements under penalty of perjury can result in civil and criminal penalties.

If your Takedown Notice does not comply with these requirements, we may not be able to act on it. We will make reasonable efforts to notify you of any deficiencies in your notice so that you can correct and resubmit it. However, we are not obligated to process notices that do not substantially comply with the DMCA's requirements.

4. Counter-Notification Process

If you believe that material you posted on or through the Service was removed or access to it was disabled by mistake or misidentification, you may file a counter-notification with us (a "Counter-Notice") by submitting written notification to our designated DMCA agent. The counter-notification process exists to protect users from having their legitimate content removed based on erroneous or abusive takedown notices.

Pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 512(g)(3), your Counter-Notice must include substantially the following: (a) Your physical or electronic signature; (b) Identification of the material that has been removed or to which access has been disabled and the location at which the material appeared before it was removed or disabled, including the specific URL(s); (c) 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 of the material to be removed or disabled; and (d) Your name, address, and telephone number, and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the Federal District Court for the judicial district in which your address is located (or, if your address is outside of the United States, for any judicial district in which AI Video Chat may be found), and that you will accept service of process from the person who provided the original DMCA notification or an agent of such person.

Upon receipt of a valid Counter-Notice, we will promptly provide the person who filed the original Takedown Notice with a copy of the Counter-Notice and inform them that we will replace the removed material or cease disabling access to it in ten (10) to fourteen (14) business days. We will then restore the removed material or re-enable access to it within ten (10) to fourteen (14) business days after receiving the Counter-Notice, unless our designated agent first receives notice from the original complainant that they have filed a court action seeking a restraining order against the user who posted the material.

Please be aware that filing a Counter-Notice may lead to legal proceedings between you and the complaining party to determine ownership of the copyrighted material. We strongly recommend that you consult with a qualified attorney before filing a Counter-Notice. Be aware that there can be penalties for false claims under the DMCA. If you are uncertain whether the material was removed in error, we recommend seeking legal counsel.

Counter-Notices should be submitted to our designated DMCA agent at support@ai-videochat.video with the subject line "DMCA Counter-Notice." We will process Counter-Notices in a timely manner and keep you informed of the status of your counter-notification throughout the process.

We maintain records of all Takedown Notices and Counter-Notices for a minimum of three (3) years for compliance and legal defense purposes. These records are stored securely and access is limited to authorized personnel involved in DMCA compliance activities.

5. Repeat Infringer Policy

In accordance with the DMCA and other applicable law, AI Video Chat has adopted a policy of terminating, in appropriate circumstances and at our sole discretion, the accounts of users who are deemed to be repeat infringers. We consider a "repeat infringer" to be any user who has been the subject of more than two (2) valid DMCA Takedown Notices for which we did not receive a valid Counter-Notice.

Our repeat infringer policy operates on a graduated enforcement model. Upon the first valid takedown notice, the infringing content is removed and the user receives a formal warning explaining our copyright policy and the consequences of further infringement. Upon the second valid takedown notice, the infringing content is removed, the user's account may be temporarily suspended for up to thirty (30) days, and the user is required to acknowledge our copyright policy before account reinstatement.

Upon the third valid takedown notice (or in cases of particularly egregious infringement at any stage), the user's account may be permanently terminated without prior notice. Users whose accounts are terminated under this policy are prohibited from creating new accounts and may be subject to technical measures designed to prevent them from accessing the Service.

We reserve the right to terminate any user's account at any time, without prior notice, if we determine in our sole discretion that the user has engaged in willful, flagrant, or repeated copyright infringement, even if fewer than three Takedown Notices have been received. Factors we may consider in making this determination include the nature and scope of the infringement, whether the user appears to be acting in bad faith, and whether the user has demonstrated a pattern of uploading copyrighted content.

The count of valid takedown notices associated with a user's account does not reset over time. Takedown Notices that are successfully countered through the counter-notification process are not counted toward the repeat infringer threshold. We maintain detailed records of all takedown and counter-notification activity for each user account to support the administration of this policy.

Users who believe that their accounts have been wrongly terminated under this repeat infringer policy may appeal by writing to our DMCA agent at support@ai-videochat.video. Appeals are reviewed by our legal team within ten (10) business days, and users are notified of the outcome in writing. Reinstatement is granted only in cases where we determine that one or more of the underlying takedown notices were invalid or that the termination was otherwise unwarranted.

6. Good Faith Requirement

The DMCA takedown process is a powerful tool for copyright owners, and we take its integrity seriously. All Takedown Notices and Counter-Notices must be submitted in good faith. Filing a false or misleading notice is not only a violation of our policies but may also constitute a violation of federal law under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), which provides that any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material or activity is infringing, or that material or activity was removed or disabled by mistake or misidentification, shall be liable for damages.

We actively monitor for patterns of abuse in the takedown process. If we identify a copyright owner or their representative who appears to be submitting notices in bad faith — for example, by filing takedown notices against material that clearly constitutes fair use, by using the DMCA process to silence criticism or competitive speech, or by targeting content that the claimant does not actually own — we may refuse to process further notices from that party and may report the abuse to appropriate authorities.

Similarly, if we determine that a user is filing Counter-Notices in bad faith — for example, by filing counter-notifications for content that they know infringes another's copyright — we may treat such Counter-Notices as invalid and may take additional enforcement action against the user's account, including suspension or termination.

Before submitting a Takedown Notice, we encourage copyright owners to consider whether the allegedly infringing use might qualify as fair use under 17 U.S.C. § 107 or a similar exception under applicable law. Fair use is a legal defense that permits limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the copyright owner. Factors to consider include the purpose and character of the use, the nature of the copyrighted work, the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole, and the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

We recognize that the intersection of AI-generated content and copyright law presents novel legal questions. In cases where the allegedly infringing material is generated by an AI system, the question of whether copyright infringement has occurred may depend on factors such as the nature of the training data used by the AI, the degree of similarity between the AI-generated output and the copyrighted work, and the specific copyright laws of the applicable jurisdiction. We evaluate such cases on an individual basis, taking into account the evolving legal landscape surrounding AI and intellectual property.

7. AI-Generated Content Policy

A significant portion of the content available through our Service is generated by artificial intelligence systems, including AI-generated character images, voice outputs, conversational responses, and visual elements produced during video chat sessions. The legal status of AI-generated content under copyright law is rapidly evolving and varies by jurisdiction.

In the United States, the U.S. Copyright Office has generally taken the position that works created entirely by AI without meaningful human authorship are not eligible for copyright registration. However, works that involve sufficient human creative input in the selection, arrangement, or modification of AI-generated elements may be eligible for copyright protection. The European Union is developing its own framework for addressing AI-generated content under the AI Act and existing copyright directives.

If you believe that AI-generated content on our platform infringes your copyright — for example, because the AI has produced output that is substantially similar to your copyrighted work — you may submit a Takedown Notice following the procedures described in this policy. We will evaluate such claims on a case-by-case basis, considering factors such as the degree of similarity between the AI output and the copyrighted work, the likelihood that the AI system was trained on or exposed to the copyrighted work, and the applicability of any legal defenses or exceptions.

We do not guarantee that AI-generated content will not bear resemblance to existing copyrighted works. While we take measures to reduce the likelihood of such occurrences — including implementing content filters, adjusting training data, and employing post-generation analysis tools — the nature of AI content generation means that occasional similarities may arise. We will address such situations promptly when brought to our attention through the DMCA process.

Users of our Service should be aware that AI-generated content they receive through the Service may not be eligible for copyright protection in their jurisdiction. Users should not assume that they own copyright in AI-generated content merely because it was generated during their use of the Service. We encourage users to consult with legal counsel regarding the intellectual property implications of AI-generated content in their specific jurisdiction.

We are committed to transparency regarding our AI content generation systems. We clearly label AI-generated content on our platform and provide users with information about the nature and limitations of our AI technology. We also maintain policies prohibiting users from claiming that AI-generated content is human-created or from using AI-generated content to infringe the rights of others.

As the legal framework surrounding AI-generated content continues to evolve, we will update this policy and our practices accordingly. We actively monitor developments in AI copyright law across all jurisdictions in which we operate and participate in industry discussions about best practices for managing intellectual property issues in the context of AI-generated content.

8. Safe Harbor Provisions

AI Video Chat operates as an online service provider within the meaning of 17 U.S.C. § 512(c) and claims the protections afforded by the DMCA's safe harbor provisions. As an online service provider, we act as a conduit for user-generated and AI-generated content and do not exercise editorial control over the specific content hosted on or transmitted through our Service.

To qualify for safe harbor protection under the DMCA, we have implemented the following measures: (a) We have designated a DMCA agent to receive notifications of claimed copyright infringement and have filed this agent's contact information with the U.S. Copyright Office; (b) We have adopted and reasonably implemented a repeat infringer policy as described in Section 5 of this policy; (c) We accommodate and do not interfere with standard technical measures used by copyright owners to identify or protect copyrighted works, including digital watermarks, content identification systems, and rights management information.

Our safe harbor protection applies to content stored at the direction of users, content that passes through our systems in the course of transmission, and content that is cached in the ordinary course of our system operations. It does not apply to content that we ourselves create or to situations where we have actual knowledge of infringement and fail to act expeditiously to remove or disable access to the infringing material.

We do not actively monitor all content on our Service for potential copyright infringement. While we employ automated content filtering systems that check newly uploaded content against databases of known copyrighted material, these systems are not foolproof and do not substitute for the DMCA notice-and-takedown process. Our safe harbor protection is contingent upon our compliance with the notification procedures described in this policy.

In the European Union, we comply with the provisions of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Copyright Directive regarding the liability of online service providers. Our notice-and-action procedures are designed to meet the requirements of both US and EU law, ensuring that copyright owners can effectively protect their rights regardless of their jurisdiction.

Nothing in this policy should be construed as a waiver of any legal defenses or protections available to us under the DMCA, the Copyright Directive, or any other applicable law. We reserve all rights and defenses available to us as an online service provider under applicable copyright and intermediary liability laws.

9. Designated DMCA Agent

In compliance with Section 512(c)(2) of the DMCA, AI Video Chat has designated the following agent to receive notifications of claimed copyright infringement. All DMCA-related communications should be directed to this agent:

Designated Agent: AI Video Chat Legal Department. Email: support@ai-videochat.video (Subject line: "DMCA Notice" or "DMCA Counter-Notice"). Our designated agent's contact information has been filed with the United States Copyright Office as required by the DMCA. You may verify our agent registration through the Copyright Office's online directory at dmca.copyright.gov.

We prefer to receive DMCA notifications by email, as this allows for faster processing and response. However, we also accept notifications submitted by physical mail to our registered address. Regardless of the method of submission, all notifications must contain the information required by 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3) as described in Section 3 of this policy.

Our DMCA agent is available to receive notifications during normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, UTC). Notifications received outside of business hours will be processed on the next business day. For urgent matters involving ongoing or imminent harm, please mark your communication as "URGENT" and we will make best efforts to expedite our review.

Please direct only DMCA-related communications to our designated agent. For general inquiries, customer support requests, or other non-copyright matters, please use the contact information provided on our Contact Us page. Sending non-DMCA communications to our designated agent may delay the processing of legitimate copyright claims.

10. Modifications to This Policy

We reserve the right to modify or update this DMCA Policy at any time, in our sole discretion, to reflect changes in the law, our practices, or the features of our Service. When we make changes to this policy, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of the page. For material changes, we will provide additional notice, such as adding a statement to our website or sending you a notification.

We encourage you to review this DMCA Policy periodically to stay informed of our copyright protection practices. Your continued use of the Service after the posting of changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of those changes. If you do not agree with any modification to this policy, your sole remedy is to discontinue your use of the Service.

Changes to our repeat infringer policy, our designated agent information, or our counter-notification procedures will be communicated prominently to ensure that all stakeholders — including copyright owners, users, and legal representatives — have access to the most current information. We maintain an archive of previous versions of this policy, which are available upon request.

We also monitor changes in copyright law across all jurisdictions in which our Service is available. When significant legal developments occur — such as new court decisions interpreting the DMCA, amendments to the Copyright Directive, or the adoption of new international copyright treaties — we will evaluate whether updates to this policy are necessary and will implement any required changes promptly.

Questions about changes to this policy may be directed to our DMCA agent at support@ai-videochat.video. We will make reasonable efforts to respond to policy-related inquiries within five (5) business days.

11. International Copyright Compliance

While this policy is primarily based on the United States DMCA, AI Video Chat recognizes and respects the copyright laws of all countries in which our Service is accessible. We are committed to complying with the copyright notice-and-takedown procedures of applicable jurisdictions, including but not limited to the European Union Copyright Directive, the United Kingdom Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, Canada's Copyright Modernization Act, and Australia's Copyright Act 1968.

Copyright owners located outside the United States may submit infringement notifications to our designated agent using the same procedures described in this policy. While we encourage compliance with the specific requirements of the DMCA, we will also accept and process notifications that substantially comply with the notice-and-takedown provisions of the copyright laws of the country in which the copyright owner is located.

For copyright owners in the European Union, we comply with the notice-and-action requirements of Article 17 of the Copyright Directive (Directive 2019/790) and the due diligence obligations imposed on online content-sharing service providers. We have implemented measures to ensure the unavailability of specific works identified by rightholders, while also providing effective complaint and redress mechanisms for users whose content is removed.

For copyright owners in the United Kingdom, we comply with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, including the provisions related to communication of works to the public and the making available right. We also adhere to the guidance issued by the UK Intellectual Property Office regarding the responsibilities of online intermediaries.

We participate in international cooperation efforts to combat online copyright infringement and support the enforcement of intellectual property rights across borders. We respond to lawful cross-border requests from foreign copyright enforcement authorities and cooperate with international organizations working to protect intellectual property rights in the digital environment.

Users of our Service should be aware that copyright law varies significantly between jurisdictions. Material that is considered infringing in one country may not be infringing in another due to differences in the scope of copyright protection, the availability of defenses such as fair use or fair dealing, and the duration of copyright terms. We evaluate cross-border infringement claims with sensitivity to these jurisdictional differences.

12. Contact Information

For all matters related to this DMCA Policy, including the submission of Takedown Notices, Counter-Notices, questions about our copyright protection practices, and general inquiries about intellectual property issues, please contact us using the following information:

AI Video Chat — DMCA Department. Email: support@ai-videochat.video (Subject: "DMCA Inquiry"). Website: ai-videochat.video. Please include as much detail as possible in your communication to help us process your request efficiently. For Takedown Notices and Counter-Notices, please ensure that all required information (as described in Sections 3 and 4 of this policy) is included.

Our team is committed to responding to all DMCA-related inquiries within a reasonable timeframe. Standard inquiries receive a response within three (3) to five (5) business days. Takedown Notices and Counter-Notices are processed as described elsewhere in this policy. If your matter is urgent, please indicate this clearly in your communication.

We are also happy to provide guidance to copyright owners who are unsure about whether a particular use of their work constitutes infringement or who need assistance preparing a Takedown Notice. While we cannot provide legal advice, we can explain our processes and procedures and point you to resources that may be helpful.

If you have feedback about our DMCA compliance processes or suggestions for how we can improve our copyright protection practices, we welcome your input. Continuous improvement of our intellectual property protection mechanisms is a priority for our organization, and we value the perspectives of copyright owners, users, and legal professionals in this effort.