TapSounds

DMCA — Copyright Takedown

DMCA — Copyright Takedown

TapSounds hosts user-uploaded audio content. We take intellectual property rights seriously and comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and equivalent laws in other jurisdictions. This page explains how rights holders can request removal of infringing content, and what happens after a request is filed.

Step one — try the Report button first

The fastest way to get a sound removed is to use the Report button on the sound's page and select "Copyright violation". Our moderation team reviews these reports and typically acts within 24 hours for clear-cut cases. You don't need to file a formal DMCA notice for this — a report is often faster and sufficient.

If the sound is still up after 48 hours, or if you need a formal legal record of the complaint (for example, because the infringement is ongoing or the uploader has previously re-uploaded your content), proceed with the formal DMCA notice below.

How to file a formal DMCA takedown notice

Submit your notice using the contact form and select "Copyright / DMCA" as the topic. To be valid, your notice must include all of the following:

  1. Your full legal name and contact details (email address, physical address, and phone number)
  2. A clear description of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed — if multiple works are affected, list each one
  3. The exact URL(s) of the TapSounds page(s) hosting the infringing content — we cannot act on vague descriptions like "all sounds by this user"
  4. A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use of the material is not authorised by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law
  5. A statement that the information in your notice is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that you are the copyright owner or are authorised to act on behalf of the copyright owner
  6. Your physical or electronic signature

Notices that are missing required elements may not be processed. We are not required to act on notices that do not meet the statutory requirements.

What happens after we receive your notice

We will review your notice within 1 to 2 business days. If it meets the DMCA requirements, we will remove or disable access to the identified content and send a confirmation to you. We will also notify the uploader that a takedown notice was filed and that their content has been removed.

We keep a record of all valid notices. Uploaders who accumulate multiple valid takedown notices will have their accounts terminated under our repeat infringer policy.

Counter-notices — if you believe your content was removed in error

If your sound was removed as a result of a DMCA notice and you believe the removal was a mistake — for example, because the content is your original work, falls under fair use, or the complainant did not own the rights they claimed — you may file a counter-notice.

Submit your counter-notice using the contact form. It must include:

  1. Your full name and contact details
  2. Identification of the content that was removed and its URL before removal
  3. A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief the content was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification
  4. A statement consenting to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for the judicial district in which your address is located, or if outside the US, any judicial district in which TapSounds may be found
  5. Your physical or electronic signature

Upon receipt of a valid counter-notice, we will forward it to the original complainant. If the complainant does not notify us that they have filed a court action within 10 to 14 business days of receiving the counter-notice, we may restore the removed content.

Repeat infringer policy

TapSounds has a strict repeat infringer policy. Accounts that receive multiple valid DMCA takedown notices — regardless of whether counter-notices are filed — are subject to permanent termination. We do not reinstate repeat infringer accounts.

Abuse of the takedown process

Filing a DMCA notice knowing that the content does not infringe copyright — for example, to target a competitor or suppress criticism — is a misuse of the process and may constitute perjury. We reserve the right to terminate accounts that file abusive takedown notices and to pursue appropriate legal remedies.