Copyright Policy
Last updated: July 26, 2026
SoWo respects copyright. This policy explains how to report infringing material, how to dispute a removal, and what happens to accounts that repeatedly infringe. It forms part of our Terms of Service.
Reporting infringement
If you believe material on SoWo infringes your copyright, email support@joinsowo.com with the subject line "Copyright notice."
Please include:
- Your signature (typing your full name in the email is fine), as the copyright owner or someone authorized to act for them
- Identification of the copyrighted work you say has been infringed
- Identification of the material you say is infringing, with enough detail for us to find it
- Your contact information: address, telephone number, and email
- A statement that you have a good faith belief the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law
- A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf
If your notice is missing something, we'll tell you what.
What we do with a notice
When we receive a valid notice, we will:
- Remove or disable access to the material expeditiously
- Notify the person who posted it, and forward them a copy of your notice
- Tell them how to file a counter-notice
Counter-notices
If your material was removed and you believe that was a mistake or a misidentification, you may send a counter-notice to the same address. Under 17 U.S.C. §512(g)(3), it must include:
- Your physical or electronic signature
- Identification of the material that was removed and where it appeared before removal
- A statement, under penalty of perjury, that you have a good faith belief the material was removed as a result of mistake or misidentification
- Your name, address, and telephone number
- A statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for the district where you live, or, if you're outside the United States, for any district where SoWo may be found, and that you will accept service of process from the person who filed the original notice
If we receive a valid counter-notice, we'll forward it to the person who filed the original notice. We may restore the material in 10 to 14 business days unless that person notifies us they've filed a court action seeking to restrain the allegedly infringing activity.
Repeat infringers
We will terminate, in appropriate circumstances, the accounts of users who repeatedly infringe copyright.
An account that accumulates repeated valid notices will be suspended and then terminated. We consider the number of notices, how far apart they are, whether the material was restored after a counter-notice, and whether the pattern suggests deliberate infringement.
Misrepresentation
Under 17 U.S.C. §512(f), anyone who knowingly materially misrepresents that material is infringing, or that it was removed by mistake, may be liable for damages, including costs and attorneys' fees. Please be sure before you file.
A note for educators
Teaching materials often include third-party content: textbook excerpts, articles, images, song lyrics, film clips. Some of that use is covered by fair use or an educational exception, and some isn't, and the line is not always obvious.
We can't give you legal advice about your own materials. But two practical notes:
- Fair use is a defence, not a permission slip. It's decided case by case, and "it's for a class" doesn't settle it on its own.
- AI Output isn't automatically clear. Our Terms assign you our rights in AI Output, but as Section 6.3 says, we can't promise it's free of third-party rights. Generated material can resemble a protected work.
If you're unsure about material you want to upload, the safer path is linking to a licensed source rather than copying it in.
Contact
Social World, LLC · Colorado, United States · mailing address available on request.
Copyright notices and counter-notices: support@joinsowo.com
See also our Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy.