Content Takedown Policy

The DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) is a piece of legislation enacted by the United States Congress. It applies exclusively to entities and services operating within or subject to U.S. jurisdiction. ValirScans operates from a jurisdiction that does not recognize or enforce the DMCA, and our hosting infrastructure, corporate entity, and operations all fall outside the reach of U.S. law.

This means that standard DMCA takedown notices, counter-notifications, and related procedures have no legal standing with respect to our platform. We are not a “service provider” as defined under 17 U.S.C. § 512 of the DMCA, and we do not participate in the DMCA safe harbor framework.

We want to be transparent: sending us a DMCA takedown notice will not automatically result in the removal of any content. We do not have a legal obligation to process such requests, and we will not treat them as legally binding demands.

While we are not bound by the DMCA, we are not indifferent to legitimate concerns. In rare and exceptional circumstances, we may voluntarily choose to remove or restrict access to content. These circumstances include, but are not limited to:

• Court orders from a court of competent jurisdiction — If a court within the jurisdiction where ValirScans operates issues a valid, enforceable order directing the removal of specific content, we will comply. This is the only scenario in which removal is legally compelled. Note that court orders from U.S. courts or courts in other foreign jurisdictions do not carry automatic legal weight in our jurisdiction unless recognized through proper legal channels.
• Voluntary action in special cases — On a purely discretionary, case-by-case basis, we may choose to take down content if we believe the circumstances warrant it. For example, if a rights holder contacts us directly and presents compelling, verifiable evidence of ownership along with a reasonable request, we may consider it. However, this is entirely at our discretion and should not be considered a precedent or guarantee.
• Internal policy enforcement — We reserve the right to remove any content that violates our own internal policies, terms of service, or ethical guidelines, regardless of copyright considerations.

To be clear: these cases are exceedingly rare. The vast majority of takedown requests we receive do not meet the threshold for action, and we will not remove content simply because a party claims ownership or threatens legal action under laws that do not apply to us.

The only way to legally compel ValirScans to remove content is through a valid court order issued by a judge within our operating jurisdiction. This is a high bar by design, and for good reason:

• Our jurisdiction does not have DMCA-equivalent legislation and does not provide an administrative mechanism for copyright takedowns
• Foreign court orders (including those from U.S. courts) are not automatically enforceable and would need to go through proper recognition procedures, which is rarely pursued
• A local judge would need to evaluate the merits of the claim under local law before issuing any order

We understand that this may differ from what rights holders are accustomed to on U.S.-based platforms. We encourage anyone considering legal action to consult with an attorney familiar with international copyright law and the specific legal framework of our operating jurisdiction.

In the rare event that we do decide to remove or restrict a series, we handle it in a way that is fair to our readers. Specifically:

• The series becomes unavailable for new purchases — No new users will be able to buy or unlock chapters of a taken-down series
• The series is hidden from browsing, search, and discovery — It will no longer appear in our catalog, browse pages, search results, sitemaps, API responses, or RSS feeds
• Coupon redemption is blocked — Coupons cannot be used to unlock chapters of a taken-down series by new users

If you have purchased at least one chapter of a series before it was taken down, your access is fully preserved. We believe that once you have paid for content, your right to access that content should be protected regardless of any subsequent takedown action. This is a core principle of our platform.

Existing purchasers retain the following:

• Full reading access to all chapters they have already unlocked
• The ability to continue purchasing additional chapters of that series
• The ability to use coupons for that series
• Normal access to the series page with a notice about the takedown status

Many platforms automatically comply with any takedown request they receive, often without verifying the legitimacy of the claim. This leads to widespread abuse of the takedown system, where bad actors use fraudulent copyright claims to censor content they simply dislike, harass competitors, or extort content creators.

We reject this approach. Our policy is built on the following principles:

• Laws should apply where they have jurisdiction — We operate outside the United States and are not subject to U.S. copyright law. We will not voluntarily submit to the legal framework of a country where we do not operate.
• Readers deserve protection — When a reader pays for content on our platform, they enter into a transaction with us. We have a responsibility to honor that transaction, and a third-party copyright claim does not nullify the reader's paid access.
• Takedowns should require due process — Removing content should be the result of a legitimate legal proceeding, not an automated response to an email. Due process protects everyone — creators, readers, and rights holders alike.
• Discretion over automation — When we do consider a takedown, it is reviewed by a real person who evaluates the specifics of the situation. We do not use automated takedown systems.

If you believe you have a legitimate basis for requesting the removal of content from ValirScans, you may contact us. While we are not obligated to act on your request, we will review it if it includes the following:

1. Clear identification of the content you want removed, including URLs
2. Evidence of your ownership or authorization to act on behalf of the rights holder (e.g., registration certificates, publishing agreements)
3. An explanation of why you believe the content should be removed, including the specific rights you claim are being violated
4. Your full name, contact information, and the capacity in which you are acting

Requests that consist solely of a generic DMCA template, threats of legal action under U.S. law, or demands without supporting evidence will generally not receive a response.

Submitting a request does not guarantee that any action will be taken. All requests are reviewed at our sole discretion, and we reserve the right to deny any request that we determine lacks merit or legal basis within our jurisdiction.

We take a dim view of fraudulent or abusive takedown requests. If we determine that a request is being made in bad faith — for example, to censor content, harass a creator, or misrepresent ownership — we reserve the right to:

• Permanently block the requester from submitting future requests
• Publicly disclose the fraudulent request to warn others
• Pursue any available legal remedies in our jurisdiction

We encourage rights holders to engage with us honestly and in good faith. We are more likely to cooperate with requests that are well-documented, specific, and respectful of the legal realities of international content hosting.