DMCA & Copyright Policy

Last updated: October 17, 2026

Shimeji Buddy respects the intellectual property of others and expects visitors and contributors to do the same. This page explains how to report content on shimejibuddy.com or in the Shimeji Buddy extension that you believe infringes your copyright or trademark, what happens after a report, and how someone whose content was removed can respond. It follows the notice-and-takedown procedure of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), 17 U.S.C. § 512.

Our approach to fan art

The characters on this site are fan-made tributes drawn by independent artists. They are offered free of charge, carry no suggestion of official status, and credit the artist who drew them. Names, likenesses and trademarks belong to their respective owners, and Shimeji Buddy is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any of them. We take rights holders’ concerns seriously: if you own rights in a character and would prefer not to see it here, write to us and we will remove it, usually within 48 hours, without any need for a formal legal notice.

Where to send notices

Send copyright and trademark notices by email to contact@shimejibuddy.com with the subject line “DMCA”. Email is the fastest way to reach us and every notice is read by a person. Please use this address for copyright and trademark matters only; other questions go through the contact page.

How to file a takedown notice

To be effective under 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3), your notice must be in writing and include all of the following:

Identification of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed. If one notice covers several works, a representative list is enough.
Identification of the material you claim is infringing, with enough detail for us to find it. For this site, the full URL of the page and, where relevant, the specific image or file.
Your name, mailing address, telephone number and email address.
A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use of the material is not authorised by the copyright owner, its agent or the law.
A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or are authorised to act on the owner’s behalf.
Your physical or electronic signature.

You may copy the format above into an email. Notices that are missing required elements may not be acted on, and we may ask you to complete them.

What happens after a notice

We review the notice and, if it is complete, remove or disable access to the material promptly, normally within 48 hours of receipt.
We notify the artist or contributor who supplied the material and provide them with a copy of the notice.
We keep a record of the notice and our response.
If the material is restored following a valid counter-notice, we will inform you as described below.

Counter-notification

If material you supplied was removed because of a notice and you believe the removal was a mistake or a misidentification, you may send a counter-notification by email to contact@shimejibuddy.com with the subject line “Counter-notice”. Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(g)(3) it must include:

Identification of the material that was removed and the location where it appeared before removal.
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.
Your name, address and telephone number, and 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 you are outside the United States, any judicial district in which Shimeji Buddy may be found), and that you will accept service of process from the person who filed the original notice or their agent.
Your physical or electronic signature.

When we receive a valid counter-notification we forward it to the person who sent the original notice. If that person does not inform us within 10 business days that they have filed a court action seeking to restrain the alleged infringement, we may restore the material between 10 and 14 business days after receiving the counter-notification.

Misrepresentation

Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), anyone who knowingly and materially misrepresents that material is infringing, or that material was removed by mistake, may be liable for damages, including costs and attorneys’ fees. Please make sure a claim is accurate before sending it, and consider whether a use may be permitted by fair use or a licence.

Repeat infringers

We will terminate the contributions and, where applicable, the accounts of artists or contributors who are found to be repeat infringers, and we will not accept further material from them.

Trademark and other complaints

If your complaint concerns a trademark, a right of publicity or another intellectual property right rather than copyright, email it to contact@shimejibuddy.com with the subject line “IP complaint”. Include the right you rely on, proof of ownership where available, the URL of the material and a description of the problem. We handle such complaints with the same care and speed as copyright notices.

Artists and permission requests

If you drew a character that appears here and are not credited, or if you would like to license artwork for Shimeji Buddy, contact us and we will fix the credit or discuss terms. If you want to use our original artwork, text or code, please ask for permission first.