DMCA Infringement
The DMCA stands for the Digital Millenium Copyright Act and is a set of laws that protect intellectual property from illegal digital distribution. Basically, if you download something illegally from the internet you are breaking DMCA laws. DirectLink will sometimes receive notices about these infringements from the property owners and we will then issue a DMCA Notice to the customer with the IP address that was found to be downloading the illegal file.
If you receive a DMCA Notice from DirectLink there is only three things you need to do:
- Check for and delete the infringing file.
- Respond by written letter or email.
- Take steps to prevent future infringements.
Often you may not even be aware of the infringing file or how it was downloaded. That is fine, just make sure it's not on any of your computers and that is all we ask. What may have happened is that someone you don't know is using your Internet connection.
The most common way for someone to use your network is if you have a wireless router that is unsecure. To prevent this, you will need to consult the documentation for your router to password-protect your network. If you have DirectLink Wireless Networking service then your network is already secure. If that is the case then you may want to change your SSID or Password.
The other possibility is that you have virus and/or malware infecting your computer which is producing these illegal activities. Make sure your anit-virus/malware software is up-to-date and you may want to run additional scans.
Once you have deleted the file, or have found that it is not on any of your computers, you will need to send a written response to DirectLink. You can fax your response to: 503.266.8285, email support@directlink.coop or bring it in to one of the DirectLink offices personally at 190 SE 2nd Canby, OR 97013 or 155 North Garfield Street, Mt. Angel, Oregon 97362.
As always, if you have any additional questions or need help with any of these steps, please contact Technical Support.
