DMCA Policy

1. Our Policy

appraisaldistrict.org/ is an editorial reference site that publishes original guides to Texas County Appraisal Districts. We write our own content, link to public-sector sources, and use third-party material only where we have permission or where the use is permitted by law. We do not knowingly host infringing content, and when we are notified of a credible claim of infringement, we act promptly under the procedure set out below.

This page is the formal procedure for copyright complaints under the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. §512.

2. What the DMCA Is

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) is a federal law that, among other things, sets out a notice-and-takedown framework for online service providers and rights holders. Under §512, a rights holder who believes their copyrighted work has been used without authorization on a website can submit a takedown notice. If the notice meets the statutory requirements, the service provider removes or disables access to the material, notifies the user who posted it, and gives that user the opportunity to file a counter-notice. The full text of §512 is available at copyright.gov/title17/92chap5.html#512.

3. How to Submit a DMCA Takedown Notice

If you believe content on appraisaldistrict.org/ infringes your copyright, send a written takedown notice to:

Email is the fastest method and the one we encourage. If you need to send a postal address for legal-service reasons, contact us first at the address above and we will provide one.

4. Required Elements (17 U.S.C. §512(c)(3))

For a notice to be effective under the DMCA, it must include all six of the following elements. We cannot act on incomplete notices — please include each item:

1. Identification of the copyrighted work. Identify the work you claim is being infringed. If multiple works are involved on the same site, a representative list is acceptable.
2. Identification of the infringing material. Provide the specific URL on appraisaldistrict.org/ where the allegedly infringing material is located. Generic references ("somewhere on your site") are not enough — we need the URL of the specific page.
3. Your contact information. Full legal name, address, telephone number, and email address. If you are submitting on behalf of a company or rights holder, identify the entity and your authority to act on its behalf.
4. Good-faith statement. A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
5. Accuracy and authority statement, under penalty of perjury. A statement that the information in the notice is accurate and that, under penalty of perjury, you are the copyright owner or are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.
6. Signature. A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or person authorized to act on the owner’s behalf. A typed name in an email is acceptable as an electronic signature for these purposes.

5. What Happens After You Submit a Notice

1. We acknowledge receipt within five business days, confirming the URL(s) you have flagged.
2. We review the notice for completeness against the §512(c)(3) elements above. If anything is missing, we ask you for the missing information before proceeding.
3. If the notice is complete and credible, we expeditiously remove or disable access to the identified material. Removal does not constitute an admission that the material is infringing — it is the procedural step the DMCA requires.
4. We notify the user or contributor who was responsible for the material, if any, and provide them with a copy of the notice (with personal contact details redacted where appropriate).
5. The user may file a counter-notice. If they do, the procedure in Section 6 applies.

6. Counter-Notice Procedure

If material you posted to appraisaldistrict.org/ has been removed or disabled in response to a DMCA takedown notice and you believe the removal was the result of mistake or misidentification, you may file a counter-notice. After we receive a valid counter-notice, we forward it to the original complainant. The DMCA requires us to wait between 10 and 14 business days; if the original complainant does not bring a court action seeking to restrain the alleged infringement during that window, we may restore the material.

7. Required Elements of a Counter-Notice

1. Identification of the material. Specify the material that has been removed or disabled and the location at which it appeared before it was removed.
2. Statement under penalty of perjury. A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief that the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification.
3. Your contact information. Full legal name, address, telephone number, and email address.
4. Consent to jurisdiction. A statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for the judicial district in which your address is located, or, if your address is outside the United States, for any judicial district in which we may be found, and that you will accept service of process from the person who submitted the original takedown notice or that person’s agent.
5. Signature. A physical or electronic signature.

Send counter-notices to the same address as takedown notices, with subject line “DMCA counter-notice.”

8. Repeat Infringer Policy

Consistent with §512(i), we maintain and enforce a policy of terminating, in appropriate circumstances, the access of users who are determined to be repeat infringers. The determination is made by the editorial team based on the totality of credible takedown notices, the validity of any counter-notices, the nature of the material, and the user’s overall conduct.

9. Trademark Complaints

The DMCA covers copyright, not trademarks. If you believe a trademark you own is being infringed by content on appraisaldistrict.org/, send a separate complaint to:

For context — county and CAD names, logos, and marks belong to the relevant county and appraisal district. We use those names to identify the area each page covers; we do not reproduce official seals or claim sponsorship. Our broader position is set out in the Disclaimer.

10. Defamation and Other Complaints

If you believe content on the site is factually inaccurate or defamatory, please use the Contact page with the subject line “Correction” or “Defamation concern.” We treat all credible accuracy complaints as a priority queue and respond within seven business days. The DMCA process on this page applies only to copyright; it is not the right channel for defamation, harassment, or general accuracy complaints.

11. Misuse of the Takedown Process

12. Contact

• Copyright (DMCA): info@appraisaldistrict.org — subject line “DMCA takedown notice”
• Counter-notice: info@appraisaldistrict.org — subject line “DMCA counter-notice”
• Trademark: info@appraisaldistrict.org — subject line “Trademark complaint”
• Accuracy / corrections: see the Contact page

We acknowledge receipt of formal copyright correspondence within five business days. The substantive response time depends on the complexity of the matter, but we aim to act on complete and credible takedown notices expeditiously, consistent with the DMCA.