Online service providers have until December 31, 2017 to register (or re-register) their designated DMCA takedown agent and maintain § 512(c) safe harbor eligibility.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act provides a safe harbor from copyright infringement liability for some websites and online service providers (OSPs) that store user-generated content. OSP’s must follow certain rules set out by statute and regulation for the Act to apply. One such rule is registering and designating an agent with the US Copyright Office (the Copyright Office) to receive “takedown notices.”