Under United States law, an Internet company may be found liable
for copyright infringement by user generated content unless the
company registers a "designated agent" with the United
States Copyright Office. New online procedures make such
registration easier for non-U.S. companies. Companies that have
already registered a designated agent should be aware that they are
required to register again using the new system before December 31,
2017.
Background & Analysis
In certain situations, Internet companies may be held liable for
copyright infringement by content uploaded by their users. United
States law provides a "safe harbor" for such companies: a
company that satisfies all the requirements of the "safe
harbor" will not be held liable for copyright infringement by
such user content. The requirements of the safe harbor include an
obligation to expeditiously take down content once the Internet
company is notified that the content is infringing, and an
obligation
