DMCA
Murray Barczak respects intellectual property rights. If you believe content here infringes your copyright, tell us and we act fast.
How to file a notice
Email [email protected] with the subject DMCA NOTICE. Include the exact page URL, a description of the copyrighted work, proof that you own or represent it, and your full contact details. Anonymous tips without evidence cannot be processed, and incomplete notices slow everyone down.
What happens next
Valid notices are reviewed within three business days. Infringing material is removed or disabled first, questions later, because a rights holder deserves a quick response. We then notify the uploader where we can, explain what was removed, and note the action in our records. Repeat offenders lose access permanently.
Counter notices
Believe material was removed by mistake? Reply with your full name, address, and consent to the jurisdiction of a court. We forward your counter notice to the complainant and restore content within ten business days unless they file court action. This balance protects both sides and follows the same logic described in the background article we link to below.
What we host
Every photograph, illustration and sample file on this site was shot, drawn or produced by our own testers, or used with permission. We do not scrape images from shops or manufacturers. If you spot a file you believe is yours and was used in error, let us know and we will remove it while we check.
Our own work
The text, photographs and layout on Murray Barczak are protected too. You may quote short passages with a credit and a link back, but republishing whole guides or reselling them is not allowed without written permission.
Good faith and fair use
We believe in fair use for comment, news and teaching, and we apply the same standard to our own writing. A takedown request that ignores fair use, or that targets a competitor rather than a copyright, is not a valid notice and we may decline it with reasons.
Timeframes in full
Day one, we log the notice. By day three, we have removed or disabled the material or explained why we have not. Within ten business days we either confirm permanent removal or restore the file after a valid counter notice, so every case reaches a clear end.
How to reach the right person
Send notices and counter notices to [email protected] with the subject line DMCA. Keep the message factual: what is yours, where it appears, and what you want done. A calm, specific email gets a faster and better outcome than a legal threat.
Repeat policy
Accounts and contributors that infringe more than once are removed from the site. We keep a record of each notice and its outcome so the same issue cannot quietly return months later.
Limits of this policy
This page explains our process in plain words. It is not legal advice for your own dispute, and if a case becomes a court matter we will take advice from a qualified lawyer.
What counts as infringement
Copying a photograph, illustration or article without permission can infringe, even if you found it through a search engine. Changing a few words or adding a filter usually does not make a work new. When in doubt, ask us before you reuse anything.
False claims
A notice sent in bad faith can harm a small publisher, so we ask for proof of ownership. If a claim is clearly baseless, we may reject it, restore the content and note what happened. This protects free reporting as much as it protects creators.
Serving a valid notice
A usable notice names the work, the exact URL, your authority and your contact details, and includes a statement that you believe the use is unauthorised. Missing any of those makes a notice invalid, which only delays a fair outcome for everyone involved.
Background: copyright basics.
MURRAY BARCZAK. HONEST GUIDES FOR CARS, DRIVING AND AUTOMOTIVE CARE. Questions? See our Contact Us or About Us.