How to remove infringing content from Facebook

Luckily for IP owners, Facebook has procedures to get this infringing content taken down.

Have you seen your trademarks or copyrights being used without permission on social media?

Anyone with a valuable brand has probably noticed it. Either someone is stealing your content and posting it on Facebook as their own or putting themselves or their company on Facebook with a confusingly similar or identical brand name. Luckily for IP owners, Facebook has procedures to get this infringing content taken down.

The really good news is that it can work the way it’s supposed to (I’ve done it).

Copyright infringement:

ometimes the best way to deal with infringement is to reach out first.When a rights holder notices copyrighted content begin posted without authorization, the DMCA comes into effect. As with any other ISP, Facebook adheres to the DMCA’s safe harbor provision, including their takedown procedures. For more info on this, check out my posts on the subject.

Assuming that the rights holder has a good faith belief that they own the rights and those rights are being infringed, Facebook provides a simple form to fill out.

As I’ve stated in other posts, sometimes the best way to deal with infringement is to reach out first. Facebook even recommends this as a first step and it could lead to a peaceful resolution of the problem.

Facebook Report Copyright Trademark Infringement

Trademark infringement:

When a brand name or other symbol of valuable business goodwill is being used in an unauthorized way, Facebook offers a way to disable access to an infringing page.

The process here is very similar. In fact, the form to be filled out starts on the same page.

Facebook requires that the party reporting the infringement be the holder of the rights being infringed. This means that a third party can’t report the infringement. The information requested by Facebook in the takedown process is similar to that of a copyright takedown.

As with copyright, Facebook recommends reaching out to the infringer first. Often similarly-named infringers aren’t aware of the nuances of trademark law, and believe that they are not actually infringing. Others honestly didn’t know about your brand.

Facebook provides a lot of good general info on copyright and trademark rights, as well.

Report facebook infringement

Get some legal counsel:

IP holders shouldn’t take these actions lightly.IP holders shouldn’t take these actions lightly. They could potentially lead to further legal action on the part of the alleged infringer, so filling out one of these online forms shouldn’t be taken lightly. Before beginning the takedown process, an attorney with experience in IP should be consulted to ensure that it is the best course of action.

photo credit: Poster Boy NYC via photopin cc

Picture of Zachary Strebeck

Zachary Strebeck

3 Responses

  1. Hi Zachary,
    After personally witnessing Facebook and it’s crime partners singling out targets we got involved with a very bad case involving physical bullying – frauds on the courts – terrorism – murders etc. including fraud by city. This is like minded text that was slightly altered – as a correction to your piece and as a comment on the violence being called up and used by this same group of renounced US citizens. People need to know. All this is public.

    Regarding Facebook.com’s organized crime bully infringement ID theft business plan and Rioting Philadelphia people connection.

    No one is asking who set these guys and the many other weirdly converged on the task of disrupting our economy.

    I ask you to look at where all the confusion is coming from. YELP.COM is not a Directory. Did you understand that?
    Yelp broadcasts for the benefit of its paying members and acts as the thug for the inside cult racketeering members. Sex dissection or Thelima is the top level demonic religion of the ruling class and was made by the Pasadena CA USA resident Alister Crowley an L. Ron. Hubbard and Jack Parsons like minded thinker. Hitler’s ideas for sterilizing mankind for the all white blond hair blue eyed came from the betterment of mankind founded as well in Pasadena. Thelima motto is do as thy whilst. Sworn to fun loyal to none religion of self consuming zombie in the rough. This is why I say cult. Illegal profits are huge!!! Bank Robbery with a disappearing cloak in every city.

    The same racketeering groups that are infringing on U.S. business and people are as well behind many of the U.S. demonstrations such as the bussed in Trump demonstrators that caused damage and death as soldiers for the United Kingdom. Facebook, Pinterest are both U.K. vested owned and controlled along with our own as silent partners with the public mistrust.

    We are at a Civil War attempt being paid for and led by the overseas knock off groups. As a member of T TBW ET AL we assist worthy candidates with BULLY FRAUD ID THEFT CRIME RACKETEERING Organizations outside and inside of court. Occasionally 1 sticks out for the gross view of Racketeering in action. This brand and it’s owners and partners, affiliates etc. shows a global view of the U.K. Mob Machine in America putting into destroying our economy. These Kids and Adults And the one’s like them across America are being taught unwholesome Lying, Cheating, Stealing techniques as new soldiers of the queen’s army. Gov agents can renounce US loyalty in the British Virgin Islands on free vacations where blackmail tapes and new habits are made. The British Government pays for this and more by turning over US secrets – ID – etc. AND for making and or sustaining problems and trouble for those US people opposed.
    These are just 2 of the infringing sites that were dropped then FACEBOOK.COM reserected. These are hair products sales sites with the unauthorized use live.

    https://www.facebook.com/notes/ladies-spotted/7-reasons-long-hair- rocks/386916414751987/ and

    https://www.facebook.com/FashionIsMyDrug/posts/501057376629789

    Notice the date of no more postings. Notice the owner Sandra Cruze of ELLOUISE Hair in the Salvation Army Compound ( see prior machine shop converted after 2010. The hacked California State records show that 19 years are the length of time as the sales people of this place stated. This is Fraud on the State and public looking for expertise and qualified experience.

    Sandra Cruze is part of an inner government crime ring in California, Wisconsin, Illinois, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Michigan Etc. that provides shielding for perpetrators of US Law as a Racketeering group that are as well investors of Facebook.com.

    Note the complaints by authorized agents that were posted on Facebook.com infringement sites shown, see the hundreds of notices, see Facebook.com disable account after account for mentioning Facebook’s lack of DMCA Response for the US Brand see http://www.longhairrocks.com.

    So to correct your elegantly written Facebook Bully defense forms work article with the simple statement EXCEPT WHEN DUAL AGENCY RACKETEERING CRIME IS INVOLVED. If your drop is not a prominent kickback and commission’s paying advertising marketeer then your complaints will not be heard. Companies in Germany, AU, IN, UK, Etc. have respected our DMCA drops as well as Facebook and its partner Pinterest for low level criminals refusing to themselves remove when asked . Pinterest has dropped much and runs the same elusive programing frauds as Facebook. This is Trillions of US dollars to the selected economies that are not U.S. Yes of Course the population is kicking up. We are being squeezed by Foreign Governments while ours have allowed it one way or another.
    I love America and the entire world, allowing the organized crime from the U.K. to pick on businesses and artists forcing individuals to fight huge foreign conglomerates on U.S. Turf. These corrupt conglomerates are simply picking off US business and people and have been with carte blanche authority with the assurances of NO GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION. NO STATUTES – NO CONSTITUTION LAW will be upheld over rights violations via orders at the highest levels. Follow the money folks it’s all there as evidence of the theft of our future and the future of our children.

    Mr. Trump we are thanking you in advance for removing the stops placed upon our fine men and women charged with protecting our people and country that the former president’s placed upon this Nation of good people silently victimized into looking the other way while neighbors and coworkers are being cannibalized by the very same group that is posing as non profit groups like Sandra Cruze Ellouise – Hot Heads – Salon Ambiance HB CA to name a few of inter connected UK supplied and funded Bully Groups.
    Confusion and slight of hand. Who stands to benefit from resurrected in the USA? BREXIT / CHINA.
    These are your neighbors. Find the scammers and post them and the acts – false news will be punished with sanctions as fraud has no statute of limits. The country is changing now from the poison of Racketeering. Thanks.

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