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CEO.wiki:Takedown Request Policy

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Revision as of 08:36, 19 October 2025 by Maintenance script (talk | contribs) (Updated with expanded legal liability warning and damages language)

CEO.wiki Takedown Request Policy

CEO.wiki respects intellectual property rights and responds promptly to valid takedown requests. This page explains how to submit a takedown request for content you believe infringes your rights or contains inaccurate information about you.

Types of Takedown Requests

CEO.wiki accepts the following types of takedown requests:

  • Copyright Infringement - Content that violates copyright law (DMCA)
  • Privacy Violations - Unauthorized personal information or photos
  • Defamation - Demonstrably false statements causing harm
  • Right of Publicity - Unauthorized commercial use of name/likeness

Before Submitting a Request

Please consider the following:

  • CEO.wiki is an encyclopedia documenting public figures and publicly available information
  • Information about CEOs of public companies is generally considered newsworthy and of public interest
  • Negative but accurate information about public figures is not grounds for removal
  • We prioritize accuracy - if information is inaccurate, please provide correction with reliable sources
  • Many issues can be resolved by contacting us for a correction rather than a takedown

⚠️ LIABILITY FOR FALSE OR ABUSIVE REQUESTS

⚠️ WARNING: FALSE REQUESTS WILL BE PROSECUTED

CEO.wiki is committed to protecting both intellectual property rights and freedom of expression. We take the misuse of takedown procedures very seriously and will pursue full legal action against parties who submit false, fraudulent, or bad faith requests.

Legal Basis

Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material is infringing may be liable for:

  • All damages, including costs and attorneys' fees, incurred by the alleged infringer who was harmed by the false claim
  • All damages, including costs and attorneys' fees, incurred by CEO.wiki for relying on the misrepresentation in removing or disabling content
  • Such other relief as the court may deem just

Similar legal principles apply to false claims made under other legal theories such as defamation, privacy violations, or right of publicity claims.

CEO.wiki's Enforcement Policy

CEO.wiki reserves the right to pursue full legal remedies against any individual or entity that submits a false, fraudulent, or bad faith takedown request. We will vigorously seek damages and reimbursement. Our enforcement actions may include:

  • Financial Recovery: Pursuit of all damages, costs, and attorneys' fees incurred in responding to the false claim, investigating the request, removing content, and restoring improperly removed content. This includes staff time, legal consultation fees, and opportunity costs.
  • Statutory Damages: Where available under applicable law, pursuit of statutory damages in addition to actual damages. Federal law allows for awards of actual damages plus profits, or statutory damages up to $30,000 per infringement (or up to $150,000 for willful infringement).
  • Information Sharing: Disclosure of the requestor's full information (name, email, IP address, and all submitted details) to affected content creators, article subjects, or other harmed parties, enabling them to pursue their own independent legal remedies against you.
  • Law Enforcement Referral: Reporting of suspected perjury (false statements under oath), fraud, or other criminal conduct to appropriate federal and state law enforcement authorities for criminal investigation and prosecution.
  • System Ban: Immediate and permanent prohibition from submitting future takedown requests to CEO.wiki or any affiliated properties.
  • Public Disclosure: Publication of sanitized information about abusive requests (while respecting applicable privacy laws) to deter future misconduct and inform the public about misuse of DMCA and takedown systems.
  • Injunctive Relief: Seeking court orders to prevent future abusive conduct.

What Constitutes a False or Abusive Request

Examples of false or abusive requests that will result in legal action include, but are not limited to:

  • Claiming copyright ownership of material you did not create, do not own, or do not have rights to enforce
  • Making false allegations of defamation when the content is true, substantially true, or constitutes protected opinion
  • Claiming privacy violations for publicly available information about public figures or matters of public interest
  • Using takedown requests as a strategic tool to suppress criticism, negative reviews, or unfavorable (but accurate) coverage
  • Submitting requests without conducting reasonable investigation into their legal validity or factual basis
  • Making misrepresentations about your relationship to the content, copyright ownership, or authority to act
  • Requesting removal of entire articles when only specific content (if any) is allegedly problematic
  • Repeatedly submitting requests for the same content after being denied or without addressing prior deficiencies
  • Submitting requests to harass, intimidate, or retaliate against content creators or subjects
  • Making statements with reckless disregard for their truth or falsity

Standard of Proof Required

When you submit a takedown request, you are required to certify under penalty of perjury that the information in your request is accurate. This legal standard means:

  • You must have a good faith belief based on objective facts that your claims are valid
  • You must conduct reasonable investigation before submitting (ignorance is not a defense)
  • You must accurately represent your relationship to the content and your rights
  • You must truthfully describe the allegedly infringing or harmful material
  • You must not make statements you know to be false or make statements with reckless disregard for the truth

"Good faith" does not mean you merely believe your claim is valid. It means you have an objectively reasonable basis for your belief after conducting appropriate investigation.

Financial Consequences: What You May Owe

If you submit a false or bad faith takedown request, you may be held liable for:

  1. Actual Damages: All monetary harm caused to CEO.wiki and affected parties, including:
    • Lost advertising revenue during content removal
    • Staff time investigating and processing your request (billed at professional rates)
    • Technical costs of content removal and restoration
    • Reputational harm and business losses
  2. Legal Fees and Costs: All attorneys' fees, court costs, expert witness fees, and litigation expenses incurred in defending against your false claim or pursuing action against you
  3. Statutory Damages: Up to $30,000 per violation under copyright law, or up to $150,000 per violation if your actions are found to be willful
  4. Punitive Damages: Additional damages designed to punish malicious conduct and deter future abuse
  5. Court Sanctions: Penalties imposed by the court for frivolous litigation or abuse of legal process
  6. Criminal Penalties: If referred for criminal prosecution, potential fines and imprisonment for perjury or fraud

Recent Case Examples

Courts have consistently held parties liable for false DMCA notices and similar abusive takedown requests, awarding substantial damages:

  • Lenz v. Universal Music Corp. (2015): Established that copyright holders must consider fair use before sending takedown notices and may be liable under § 512(f) for failure to do so
  • Rossi v. Motion Picture Association of America (2004): Court awarded over $100,000 in damages and attorneys' fees for a false DMCA claim
  • Online Policy Group v. Diebold, Inc. (2004): Award of $125,000 in damages and attorneys' fees for knowingly misrepresenting that posted materials were infringing
  • Automattic Inc. v. Steiner (2010): Award of $25,000 in statutory damages plus attorneys' fees for fraudulent DMCA takedown

These cases demonstrate that courts take false takedown requests seriously and regularly impose substantial financial penalties on those who abuse the system.

Defenses and Counter-Notifications

If content is removed based on your takedown request, the affected party has the right to submit a counter-notification under the DMCA or challenge your claims in court. If they do so:

  • You will be notified of the counter-notification and provided with the counter-claimant's information
  • You must file a lawsuit in federal court within 10-14 business days seeking a court order to keep the content down
  • If you do not file suit within this timeframe, the content will be automatically restored
  • Filing a lawsuit based on a false or weak claim may expose you to additional liability for malicious prosecution, abuse of process, or violations of state anti-SLAPP laws
  • You may be required to reimburse the defendant's legal fees if you lose

If you are not prepared to file a federal lawsuit and defend your claims in court, you should not submit a takedown request.

How to Submit a Takedown Request

If, after reading the above warnings and considering the potential consequences, you still wish to submit a formal takedown request:

  1. Read our Takedown Request Form for detailed instructions
  2. Use our web form at Special:TakedownRequest for automated processing, OR
  3. Send a detailed email to [email protected] using the provided template
  4. Provide all required information (see below)
  5. Your request will be reviewed within 48 hours
  6. Content may be automatically hidden pending review (web form submissions)
  7. You will receive email confirmation at the address provided

Required Information

All takedown requests must include:

  • Your full name and contact information (name, physical address, phone, email)
  • Your relationship to the content (subject of article, copyright holder, authorized representative with proof of authorization)
  • Specific URL(s) of the content in question
  • Specific text or images to be removed (exact quotes or detailed descriptions with timestamps/locations)
  • Legal basis for removal with supporting explanation (copyright registration number, proof of falsity, etc.)
  • Supporting evidence (court orders, copyright registrations, proof of inaccuracy with reliable sources, expert opinions)
  • Good faith statement that the information provided is accurate and that you have conducted reasonable investigation
  • Accuracy statement made under penalty of perjury
  • Electronic signature (typing your full legal name)

Incomplete requests will be rejected and returned for additional information.

Automated Review Process

When you submit a takedown request via our web form at Special:TakedownRequest:

  1. Content is immediately hidden from public view pending review
  2. Request is saved to our database with a unique tracking number
  3. Email notification is sent to our moderation team at [email protected]
  4. You receive an automated confirmation email at your provided address
  5. Our team reviews the request within 48 hours (usually sooner)
  6. The team evaluates the claim based on applicable law and our policies
  7. Decision is made: APPROVE (content permanently removed) or DENY (content restored)
  8. You are notified of our decision via email
  9. If approved, content remains removed and article is edited as necessary
  10. If denied, content is restored and you are provided with an explanation

Manual Review Process (Email Submissions)

When you submit a request via email to [email protected]:

  1. Our team receives and logs your request
  2. Request is evaluated for completeness and validity
  3. Additional information may be requested if needed
  4. Decision is made within 48 hours of receiving complete information
  5. Content is removed or request is denied
  6. You are notified of our decision via email
  7. You may appeal a denial by providing additional information or legal justification

Appeal Process

If your takedown request is denied, you may:

  • Submit additional evidence or information supporting your claim
  • Provide legal citations or expert opinions
  • Clarify misunderstandings or provide corrections to your original request
  • Seek a second review by a different team member

You may not:

  • Submit the same request repeatedly without new information (this constitutes abuse)
  • Threaten legal action as a means of pressuring approval
  • Use multiple email addresses or identities to re-submit denied requests
  • Harass our staff or demand immediate compliance

Counter-Notification Process

If your content is removed based on a takedown request and you believe the removal was improper:

  1. Review the takedown request details (provided in the removal notification)
  2. Gather evidence supporting your position (proof of ownership, fair use analysis, proof of truth, etc.)
  3. Submit a counter-notification to [email protected] including:
    • Your full contact information
    • Identification of the removed content and its former location
    • A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good faith belief the content was removed by mistake or misidentification
    • Consent to jurisdiction of federal court
    • Your physical or electronic signature
  4. We will forward your counter-notification to the original complainant
  5. The complainant has 10-14 business days to file a lawsuit
  6. If no lawsuit is filed, we will restore the content
  7. If a lawsuit is filed, the matter will be resolved in court

Response Times

  • Web form submissions: Content hidden immediately; review within 48 hours
  • Email submissions: Initial response within 48 hours; review upon receipt of complete information
  • Counter-notifications: Forwarded to complainant within 2 business days; content restored in 10-14 business days if no lawsuit filed
  • Appeals: Reviewed within 5 business days

Contact Information

For Takedown Requests:

For Counter-Notifications:

  • Email: [email protected]
  • Subject Line: "Counter-Notification - [Article Name] - [Request ID]"

For General Questions:

  • Email: [email protected]
  • Subject Line: "Question about Takedown Policy"
  • Note: We cannot provide legal advice. Consult an attorney for legal questions.

This policy is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. CEO.wiki operates in compliance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512) and other applicable laws. We reserve the right to modify this policy at any time. By submitting a takedown request, you agree to be bound by this policy and accept full legal responsibility for the accuracy of your claims.

CEO.wiki's designated DMCA agent for copyright infringement notices:

Final Warning

By submitting a takedown request to CEO.wiki, you accept full legal responsibility for its accuracy and validity. We will hold you accountable for false, fraudulent, or bad faith requests to the fullest extent permitted by law. We will pursue damages, share your information with affected parties, and report criminal conduct to law enforcement.

If you are uncertain about the validity of your request, consult with an attorney before submitting.

If you are not prepared to defend your request in court, do not submit it.

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