Overview
We respect the intellectual property rights of authors, artists, publishers, and other creators. This page explains how to notify us if you believe material associated with Chronicles of Wordcraft or R.R. Thalore infringes your copyright, and how we may respond under the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) and similar laws.
The DMCA is a U.S. law that provides a framework for copyright owners to request removal of allegedly infringing material that appears on or is linked through online services. If you are the copyright owner (or are authorized to act on one’s behalf), you can use the process below to send us a formal notice so that we can review and, when appropriate, remove or restrict access to the challenged content.
This page is a general explanation of our DMCA process and is not legal advice. If you have questions about your rights or obligations, you should speak with a qualified attorney.
1. What this DMCA policy covers
This policy covers alleged copyright infringement involving content that we host or control, including:
- Text, artwork, puzzles, and downloadable files that appear on rrthalore.com or official sub-pages.
- Official digital bonus packs or samples distributed by us in connection with Chronicles of Wordcraft titles.
- Promotional materials we post on our own channels (for example, preview pages or images on our site).
This policy does not give us authority over content that is hosted elsewhere and merely mentioned by name (for example, retailer listings, independent reviews, or third-party fan sites). For issues with third-party platforms, you may need to contact those services directly using their own DMCA procedures.
2. Before you submit a DMCA notice
DMCA notices are a formal legal process. Submitting a false or bad-faith notice can have consequences, so it is important to verify a few things first:
- You own the copyright in the work at issue, or you have clear written authority to act on behalf of the copyright owner.
- The use is not authorized by the copyright owner, their agent, or the law (for example, because of a license, public-domain status, or an applicable exception such as fair use).
- You can clearly identify the specific material on our site or in our files that you believe infringes your rights.
If you are unsure whether our use is allowed, we encourage you to consult a lawyer before sending a formal DMCA notice. In some cases, it may be possible to resolve concerns informally by emailing us at [email protected].
3. What a valid DMCA notice must include
For us to act on a DMCA notice, it must be sufficiently detailed and contain the elements required by law. Your written notice should include all of the following:
- Your contact information. Your full name, mailing address, and either a telephone number or email address where we can reach you.
- Identification of the copyrighted work. A clear description of the work you believe has been infringed (for example, book title, artwork name, ISBN, URL, or portfolio reference). If multiple works are involved, you may provide a representative list.
- Identification of the allegedly infringing material. The exact URL(s) on our site, or other precise information, that allows us to locate the material you are complaining about. Generic references such as “your book looks like mine” are not enough.
- A statement of good faith. A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the disputed use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
- A statement under penalty of perjury. A statement that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or are authorized to act on the owner’s behalf.
- Your signature. A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or their authorized representative (for example, typing your full legal name at the end of the notice).
We may be unable to process notices that do not contain all of these elements or that are unclear, incomplete, or internally inconsistent.
4. How to send us a DMCA notice
You may submit your DMCA notice by email. Email is generally the fastest and most reliable way for us to receive and review your request.
Preferred method – email
- Send your notice to: [email protected]
- Use the subject line: “DMCA Notice – <your name / organization>”.
- Paste your completed notice into the body of the email or attach it as a PDF.
If you require an alternative submission method (for example, postal mail), please email us first so that we can provide the most appropriate contact details. Because of the practical realities of a small publishing imprint, we cannot guarantee prompt handling of notices that are sent by other channels without prior coordination.
By sending us a DMCA notice, you agree that we may forward the notice (including your contact details) to the person who posted or supplied the material, as well as to our hosting provider or other service providers as needed to evaluate and handle the claim.
5. What happens after we receive a DMCA notice
Once we receive a DMCA notice that appears complete, we will review it in good faith. Our response may include one or more of the following steps:
- Confirming that we can locate the material described in your notice and that it is associated with our services.
- Temporarily disabling access to or removing the challenged material while we review the claim.
- Contacting the person who supplied or posted the material to inform them of the notice and, where appropriate, sharing a copy of your complaint.
- Requesting additional information from you if the notice is unclear or incomplete.
If we remove or disable access to material in response to a DMCA notice, we may (where appropriate) also forward information about how the affected party can submit a counter-notification, described below.
6. Counter-notifications (for affected users)
If your content has been removed or disabled because of a DMCA notice and you believe this was a mistake or that you have the right to use the material, you may be able to file a counter-notification under the DMCA.
A valid counter-notification must contain:
- Your full name, mailing address, and contact details (email and/or phone number).
- 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 disabled (for example, the specific URL or file name).
- A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification.
- A statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the appropriate courts for your address (or, if you are outside the United States, for a suitable U.S. district where we may be found) and that you will accept service of process from the person who filed the original DMCA notice or their agent.
- Your physical or electronic signature (for example, your typed full legal name).
Counter-notifications should be sent to [email protected] with the subject line “DMCA Counter-Notification”. When we receive a valid counter-notification, we may forward it to the original complaining party and, unless they inform us that they have filed a legal action to restrain you, we may restore the material within the timeframe required by the DMCA.
Filing a counter-notification is a legal process. You should consider obtaining independent legal advice before submitting one, especially if you are unsure about your rights or potential exposure.
7. Repeat infringement policy
Consistent with the DMCA and industry practice, we may, in appropriate circumstances, disable or terminate access for users or partners who are found to be repeat infringers of others’ copyrights. The determination of what constitutes a “repeat infringer” will depend on the facts and may include prior DMCA notices, prior counter-notifications, and the outcome of any related disputes.
We also reserve the right to remove or restrict content that appears to present an unacceptable legal risk, whether or not we have received a formal DMCA notice.
8. Other copyright questions or concerns
Not every copyright issue needs a formal DMCA notice. If you have general questions about how we use your work, believe there may be an attribution mistake, or would like to discuss licensing or permissions, you can contact us at [email protected] with a clear explanation of your concern. We will review reasonable requests and respond as our small team and workload allow.
This DMCA page works together with our main Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Permissions & Licensing information. If there is any conflict, those documents and applicable law will control.