Explanation of DMCA
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In 1998, Congress passed legislation intended to protect copyright holders whose intellectual property was being distributed online. This law, codified as section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), exempts on-line service providers like IONOS who follow the safe harbor provisions from claims of copyright infringement resulting from the conduct of their customers. The safe harbor provisions are based on a series of notice and takedown provisions. If a service provider qualifies for the safe harbor exemption, only the infringing customer is liable for monetary damages; the service provider's network through which they engaged in the alleged activities is not liable.