Copyright and DMCA Policy

Effective August 21, 2026

1. Designated copyright agent

Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512), Mastline has designated an agent to receive notices of claimed infringement. Notices may be sent to:

Copyright Agent
Storyworlding
155 Prince Street, Floor 3
New York, NY 10012
Email: copyright@mastline.co
Phone: [AGENT PHONE]

This agent is registered with the United States Copyright Office. [CONFIRM REGISTRATION AND ADD DIRECTORY LISTING DATE.] Please use this contact only for copyright matters; other questions go to hello@mastline.co.

2. Sending a takedown notice

If you believe material on Mastline infringes your copyright, send a written notice to the agent above that includes:

• Your physical or electronic signature, or that of a person authorized to act for you.
• Identification of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed.
• Identification of the material you claim is infringing, with enough detail for Mastline to locate it, such as the Mastline pitch link, set reference, or URL.
• Your name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.
• A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
• A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the owner’s behalf.

Notices that are missing required elements may not be acted on. Knowingly misrepresenting that material is infringing can expose you to liability for damages under Section 512(f).

3. What happens when Mastline receives a notice

• Mastline acknowledges receipt, usually within one business day.
• If the notice is complete, Mastline promptly disables access to the identified material on Mastline, including pitch links and downloads, and record the action in the image’s provenance log.
• Mastline notifies the photographer whose account holds the material, provide a copy of the notice, and explain the counter-notice process.
• Mastline retains the notice and Mastline’s response as part of the asset record.

Mastline cannot remove an image from a publication, website, or outlet that has already licensed or published it. Mastline’s action is limited to material hosted on or transmitted through Mastline.

4. Counter-notice

If material you uploaded was disabled and you believe this was a mistake or misidentification, you may send a counter-notice to the agent that includes:

• Your physical or electronic signature.
• Identification of the material that was disabled and where it appeared before it was disabled.
• A statement, under penalty of perjury, that you have a good-faith belief the material was disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification.
• Your name, address, and telephone number, and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for your district (or, if outside the United States, for any district in which Mastline may be found) and that you will accept service of process from the person who filed the original notice.

On receiving a valid counter-notice Mastline forwards it to the original complainant. Unless they notify Mastline within 10 business days that they have filed a court action seeking to restrain the use, Mastline restores the material within 10 to 14 business days.

5. Repeat infringers

Mastline terminates, in appropriate circumstances, the accounts of users who are repeat infringers. Mastline tracks notices against each account. Two substantiated notices without a successful counter-notice within a 12-month period result in a review; a third results in termination. Mastline may act sooner where infringement is flagrant.

6. Protecting Mastline’s photographers’ work

The same rules protect the photographers who use Mastline. If you are a Mastline photographer and find your image used without a license, Rights Matches helps you gather evidence and send a licensing request or invoice. Where a takedown is warranted, the tool prepares a notice that meets the requirements above for you to send to the hosting service. Mastline does not send takedown notices on your behalf without your confirmation.

7. Provenance

Every image on Mastline carries its original file hash, capture metadata, and an append-only history of pitches, licenses, and downloads. This record is available to the photographer, and Mastline provides it in response to lawful process, which makes ownership disputes faster to resolve for everyone.

8. Changes

Mastline may update this policy. Material changes are noted here with a new effective date.