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Copyright & DMCA Policy

Effective Date: August 30, 2026 · Last updated: October 14, 2026

Image Depot respects copyright and expects users of the Service to do the same. This policy explains how Image Depot handles copyright complaints involving Content hosted through the Service, under Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512).

1. Copyright Ownership

Photographers and Studios retain ownership of their original photographs and other Content uploaded to Image Depot. Uploading Content does not transfer copyright ownership to Image Depot. Image Depot receives only the limited rights necessary to provide the Service as described in the Terms of Service.

2. Notice of Claimed Infringement

If you believe that Content available through Image Depot infringes your copyright, you may send a written notification of claimed infringement. To be effective under 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3)(A), the notification must be a written communication that includes substantially the following:

A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site.
Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to locate the material.
Information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to contact the complaining party, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an electronic mail address at which the complaining party may be contacted.
A statement that the complaining party has 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.
A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

Any Image Depot address will do as the location of the material: a client gallery link, a link to a single photo or image file, a studio's portfolio page or student portfolio, or a studio's own custom domain. A copy of your original work is not required, but it helps us act faster. If a notice is missing one of these items but identifies the work and where the material is, and gives us a way to reach you, we will contact you to ask for what is missing.

3. Where to Send Notices

Notices should be submitted using our online DMCA notice form. You may also email copyright@imagedepot.net or write to our designated agent. Notices sent by email are reviewed by a person rather than processed automatically.

Image Depot's designated DMCA agent is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office (Registration No. DMCA-1079952, effective September 5, 2026):

DMCA Agent
Image Depot LLC
18918 Atasca Oaks Drive
Humble, TX 77346
Email: copyright@imagedepot.net

4. What We Do When We Receive a Notice

When we receive a notification that substantially complies with Section 2, Image Depot acts expeditiously to remove, or disable access to, the material claimed to be infringing, and promptly notifies the Studio that posted it, including a copy of the complaint's description and how to respond. Removal is automatic only when all of the following are true: the notice gives the address of a gallery or photo on Image Depot; the complainant uploads a copy of the work (a reference image); that image closely matches a photo in the gallery or the photo named (if the address names a whole gallery, the closest matching photo in it is the one removed); and the complainant then confirms the notice with a link we email them, which is valid for 24 hours. The photo is removed when that link is used, and the Studio is told at the same time. Every other notice is reviewed by a person first, with the goal of reviewing it within one business day. That includes a notice with no reference image, a notice whose image does not closely match, a notice that points to a studio or portfolio page or a custom domain rather than a gallery or photo, a notice whose reference image is too large or cannot be read, and a notice whose confirmation link is not used in time.

Image Depot does not decide who owns a copyright. Removing material because of a notice is not a finding that the claim is correct.

Image Depot does not monitor Content uploaded by Studios for infringement and is not required to. Image Depot will act on specific infringing material it actually knows about or that is apparent from the facts, and on every valid notice.

5. Counter-Notification

If material was removed because of a notice and you are the Studio that posted it, you may send a counter-notification from your dashboard (Dashboard › DMCA). There is no deadline for sending one, but material that has stayed removed for more than a year can no longer be contested through the dashboard. To be effective under 17 U.S.C. § 512(g)(3), a counter-notification must be a written communication that includes substantially the following:

A physical or electronic signature of the subscriber.
Identification of the material that has been removed or to which access has been disabled and the location at which the material appeared before it was removed or access to it was disabled.
A statement under penalty of perjury that the subscriber has a good faith belief that the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification of the material to be removed or disabled.
The subscriber's name, address, and telephone number, and a statement that the subscriber consents to the jurisdiction of Federal District Court for the judicial district in which the address is located, or if the subscriber's address is outside of the United States, for any judicial district in which the service provider may be found, and that the subscriber will accept service of process from the person who provided notification under 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(1)(C) or an agent of such person.

On receiving a counter-notification, Image Depot promptly gives a copy to the person who sent the original notice, including your name, address and telephone number, and tells them that we will restore the material. We then restore the removed material, or stop disabling access to it, not less than 10, nor more than 14, business days after receiving the counter-notification, unless the person who sent the original notice first tells us that they have filed an action seeking a court order to restrain you from engaging in the infringing activity relating to the material. If they do, the material stays down while the court action is pending. Restoration is carried out by an automated daily check, so it does not depend on a person remembering to do it; our team records a reported court action on the notice, which stops the restoration.

6. Repeat Infringers

Image Depot will terminate, in appropriate circumstances, the accounts of users who are repeat infringers. Each removal that follows a notice and is not successfully countered counts as one strike against the Studio, whether the removal was made automatically or after review by a person. A removal that is restored after a counter-notification does not count. When a Studio reaches three strikes, Image Depot reviews the account and decides whether to suspend or terminate it, and records the decision and the reason. Image Depot may act sooner where the circumstances are serious.

7. False Claims

Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material or activity is infringing, or that material was removed or disabled by mistake or misidentification, is liable for any damages, including costs and attorneys' fees, incurred as a result by the alleged infringer, the copyright owner or its licensee, or Image Depot. Image Depot may also take action against users who abuse the copyright complaint process.

8. Studio Responsibility

Studios are responsible for ensuring that they have the necessary rights and permissions for Content they upload. Image Depot does not independently verify ownership of every photograph uploaded to the Service.

9. Trademark and Other Rights

This policy primarily addresses copyright. Complaints involving trademark, right of publicity, privacy, defamation, personal information, or other legal rights may be submitted to Image Depot for review, although different legal procedures may apply.