DMCA Policy – DiceDomain

At DiceDomain, we recognize the importance of respecting and protecting the intellectual property rights of publishers, designers, illustrators, and all creators involved in the development of board games. Our club serves as a community hub for enthusiasts to gather, play, and celebrate board gaming culture. To maintain a lawful and fair environment, we comply with the principles of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). This policy explains how copyright holders can submit notices of infringement, how members may respond, and what measures the club undertakes to protect both creators and participants.

1. Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this DMCA Policy is to establish clear procedures for handling copyright-related issues in our board games club. This includes:

• Printed materials such as rulebooks, game boards, cards, and manuals.
• Artistic designs, illustrations, and character artwork.
• Game mechanics, expansions, and supplementary content when protected under copyright law.
• Digital adaptations of physical board games, where applicable.
• Written descriptions, promotional material, and original concepts used during club activities.

Unauthorized copying, distribution, public display, or modification of these works is strictly prohibited in our club. Whether it is reproducing an entire rulebook, scanning card decks, or distributing unlicensed digital versions of a tabletop game, such actions violate intellectual property laws and undermine the creative industry.

2. Filing a DMCA Takedown Notice

If you are a copyright owner, or authorized to act on behalf of one, and believe your work is being infringed in our club’s activities or digital platforms, you may submit a DMCA Takedown Notice. A valid notice must contain the following:

• Your full legal name, address, phone number, and email address.
• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed.
• Identification of the material or activity that is allegedly infringing, including details of its location.
• A good faith statement under penalty of perjury that the disputed use is unauthorized.
• A statement that the information provided is accurate and that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright holder.
• Your physical or electronic signature.

Upon receiving a valid notice, we will promptly review it, remove or restrict access to the infringing material, and notify the member responsible.

3. Counter-Notification

If you believe your content was removed or restricted in error, you may submit a counter-notification. This must include:

• Your full legal name, address, phone number, and email address.
• Identification of the removed material and its prior location.
• A statement under penalty of perjury that the removal was the result of mistake or misidentification.
• A statement consenting to the jurisdiction of the relevant court and agreeing to accept service of process from the original complainant.
• Your physical or electronic signature.

After receiving a valid counter-notification, we will forward it to the original complainant. Unless legal proceedings are initiated within the statutory timeframe, the removed material may be restored.

4. Repeat Infringers

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate membership for individuals who repeatedly infringe upon copyrighted works. Repeated violations, such as distributing unauthorized copies of rulebooks, creating unlicensed expansions, or reproducing artwork without permission, may result in loss of club privileges and permanent bans.

5. Fair Use Considerations

We acknowledge that not all uses of copyrighted content are unlawful. Some activities may fall under the doctrine of fair use, including:

• Educational demonstrations or workshops teaching the basics of board games.
• Reviews, critiques, or commentary about board games.
• Tutorials and strategy discussions conducted for learning purposes.
• Fan-created content that transforms the original work rather than replicating it.

However, fair use is a limited protection and does not justify wholesale reproduction of copyrighted material. Members must carefully consider the boundaries of fair use before sharing content.

6. Misuse of DMCA

Submitting false or misleading DMCA notices or counter-notifications is strictly prohibited. Any attempt to misuse this process may result in disciplinary actions, including suspension of membership, and could expose the party to legal liability.