DMCA Policy

Overview

ChurchGrid respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects users, churches, and advertisers on our platform to do the same. In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA), 17 U.S.C. § 512, we respond promptly to notices of alleged copyright infringement.

Note: ChurchGrid does not host video content. All sermon videos are embedded from YouTube. For video takedowns, we recommend also filing directly with YouTube using its copyright removal tools, which removes the video at its source.

Designated Copyright Agent

Send DMCA notices and counter-notices to our designated agent:

Email: dmca@church-grid.com

Filing a Takedown Notice

Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3), your notice must be in writing and include all of the following:

1. A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on the owner’s behalf.
2. Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed or, if multiple works are covered by a single notice, a representative list of those works.
3. Identification of the material claimed to be infringing and information reasonably sufficient for us to locate it on ChurchGrid (the page URL is best).
4. Information reasonably sufficient for us to contact you, such as your name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.
5. 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.
6. A statement that the information in the notice is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that you are the copyright owner or are authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

Notices that do not substantially include these elements may not be acted on.

Our Response

When we receive a valid notice, we will:

• Promptly remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing material on ChurchGrid
• Make a reasonable effort to notify the person or church who provided the material, and give them a copy of the notice
• Record the notice for purposes of our repeat-infringer policy

Counter-Notice

If you believe material you provided was removed or disabled by mistake or misidentification, you may send a counter-notice to our designated agent. Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(g)(3), it must include:

1. Your physical or electronic signature.
2. Identification of the material that was removed or disabled and the location where it appeared before it was removed or disabled.
3. 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.
4. 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 the United States, any judicial district in which ChurchGrid may be found), and that you will accept service of process from the person who provided the original notice or that person’s agent.

When we receive a valid counter-notice, we will forward a copy to the person who sent the original notice and tell them we will restore the material in 10 business days. We will restore the material no sooner than 10 and no later than 14 business days after receiving the counter-notice, unless our designated agent first receives notice that the complaining party has filed a court action seeking to restrain the alleged infringement.

Repeat-Infringer Policy

It is our policy to terminate, in appropriate circumstances, the accounts of users (including church administrators and advertisers) who are repeat infringers. We keep a record of valid takedown notices. An account or church listing that is the subject of more than one valid notice that has not been successfully countered may be suspended or terminated, and its content removed from ChurchGrid. We may also terminate access sooner for a clear or willful infringement.

False Claims

Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material is infringing, or that material was removed or disabled by mistake or misidentification, may be liable for damages, including costs and attorneys’ fees. Please make sure your notice or counter-notice is accurate, and consider consulting a lawyer if you are unsure.