Copyright

Last updated: 22 April 2026

MerchMates respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects users of the Site to do the same. This page sets out the process by which rights holders may submit formal notifications of alleged copyright infringement.

1. Our Approach to Third-Party Content

MerchMates is an editorial publication covering pop culture, film, television, music, and gaming. In the course of providing commentary, criticism, review, and reporting, we reference and display third-party content including but not limited to film posters, television imagery, promotional stills, cast photographs, and associated metadata.

Such use is undertaken in good faith under the principles of fair dealing for the purposes of criticism, review, and reporting of current events, as permitted under sections 30 and 30A of the United Kingdom’s Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and under the analogous doctrine of fair use in other jurisdictions. Where possible, content is attributed to its source.

Content sourced via The Movie Database (TMDB) API is used under TMDB’s terms of use and remains the property of the underlying rights holders.

2. Notice-and-Takedown Process

If you are a rights holder (or the authorised representative of one) and you believe that content published on the Site infringes your copyright or the copyright of a party you represent, you may submit a formal takedown notification.

This process serves both:

• the notice-and-takedown procedure under the UK’s Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002; and
• the procedure under the United States Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512) (“DMCA”).

3. Required Contents of a Takedown Notice

To be actionable, your notification must be submitted in writing and must include all of the following:

1. Identification of the copyrighted work. A clear description of the work you claim has been infringed. If multiple works are concerned, a representative list.
2. Identification of the allegedly infringing material. The specific URL(s) on the Site where the allegedly infringing content appears.
3. Your contact information. Your full name, postal address, telephone number, and email address.
4. Evidence of authority. Confirmation that you are the rights holder, or a statement identifying you as an authorised representative, together with evidence of that authority if requested.
5. 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 authorised by the rights holder, its agent, or the law.
6. Accuracy statement. A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury (for DMCA notices) or in an equivalent signed declaration (for UK notices), that you are authorised to act on behalf of the rights holder.
7. Signature. A physical or electronic signature of the rights holder or authorised representative.

Notifications that do not substantially comply with the above requirements may not be actionable.

4. How to Submit a Notice

Takedown notifications should be sent by email to:

Email: contact@merchmates.co.uk
Subject line: COPYRIGHT — [brief description of the work]

Please include the word COPYRIGHT in capital letters at the start of the subject line so that your notice is prioritised and routed appropriately.

5. Our Response

Upon receipt of a compliant takedown notification, MerchMates will:

• acknowledge receipt of the notification within a reasonable time;
• review the claim in good faith;
• where the claim appears valid, remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing material promptly; and
• retain records of the notification and the action taken.

Where content is used under fair dealing, fair use, or with the licensor’s permission, we may decline to remove it and will explain our reasoning in response.

6. Counter-Notification

If you believe that content of yours has been removed or disabled as a result of a mistake or misidentification, you may submit a counter-notification. A counter-notification must include:

1. your name, address, telephone number, and email address;
2. identification of the material that was removed and the location where it appeared before removal;
3. a statement under penalty of perjury (for DMCA) or an equivalent signed declaration (for UK) that you have a good-faith belief that the material was removed as a result of mistake or misidentification;
4. a statement consenting to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales (or, for DMCA counter-notices, the Federal District Court for the judicial district in which your address is located, or the jurisdiction in which MerchMates may be found); and
5. your physical or electronic signature.

Counter-notifications should be sent to the same email address with the subject line COPYRIGHT COUNTER-NOTICE — [brief description].

7. False or Abusive Notices

Submitting a materially false or abusive takedown notification may result in liability for damages under applicable law, including under section 512(f) of the DMCA and under UK law. We encourage rights holders to consult legal counsel before submitting a notification.

8. Governing Law

This Copyright & Takedown Notice, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it (including non-contractual disputes or claims), shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any dispute shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, save where mandatory provisions of the United States DMCA require otherwise in respect of DMCA-specific claims.

9. Contact

Email: contact@merchmates.co.uk