DMCA Policy

Maui Stream respects the intellectual property of others and expects its filmmakers and viewers to do the same. We respond to clear, valid notices of alleged copyright infringement under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), 17 U.S.C. § 512.

Every filmmaker who uploads to Maui Stream must check a box attesting that they own or have licensed every piece of music, footage, and other material in their film. If we receive a valid takedown notice for a film, we will remove it and notify the uploader. Repeat infringers will have their accounts terminated.

If you believe content on Maui Stream infringes a copyright you own or control, send a written notice to our designated agent (below). To be valid under the DMCA, your notice must include all six of the following:

1. A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner, or a person authorized to act on their behalf.
2. Identification of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed (title, registration number if applicable, or a description specific enough to identify it).
3. Identification of the material on Maui Stream you claim is infringing, with information reasonably sufficient for us to locate it — for a film, the public URL (e.g., https://mauistream.org/film/your-slug) is best.
4. Your contact information — name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.
5. A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
6. 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 the owner's behalf.

Notices missing any of these elements may not be actionable. Bad- faith notices may expose the sender to liability for damages under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f).

Maui Stream is operated by Akakū Maui Community Media. Send DMCA notices to our designated agent:

Akakū's designated agent is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in accordance with 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(2). Registration number DMCA-1073152. You can verify the registration in the public directory at dmca.copyright.gov/osp/ by searching “Akakū” or “Maui Stream.”

When we receive a valid DMCA notice, we typically act within two business days:

• We take the identified film offline. Any 48-hour rentals already in progress will lose access immediately — we may, at our discretion, refund those viewers.
• We notify the filmmaker who uploaded the film, forward them a copy of your notice (including your contact information), and explain their options.
• We log the takedown against the filmmaker's account for our repeat-infringer tracking.

If your film was taken down and you believe in good faith that the takedown was a mistake or a misidentification — for example, you have a license that the claimant doesn't know about, your use is fair use, or the material isn't actually the claimant's work — you may submit a counter-notice. Send it to the same address above. Per 17 U.S.C. § 512(g)(3), a valid counter-notice must include:

1. Your physical or electronic signature.
2. Identification of the material that was removed and where it appeared before removal (the URL).
3. A statement, under penalty of perjury, that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed as a result of mistake or misidentification.
4. Your name, address, and telephone number, plus consent to the jurisdiction of the federal court in the district where you live (or, if you live outside the U.S., consent to the jurisdiction of any judicial district where Akakū may be found, which is the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaiʻi).
5. A statement that you will accept service of process from the party who filed the original notice or their agent.

If we receive a valid counter-notice, we will forward it to the original claimant. If the claimant does not file a lawsuit within 10–14 business days, we may restore the film. Filing a false counter-notice may expose you to liability under § 512(f).

In accordance with the DMCA and other applicable law, Akakū has adopted a policy of terminating, in appropriate circumstances and at our discretion, the accounts of filmmakers who are deemed to be repeat infringers. Two valid takedowns against the same account that are not successfully counter-noticed will trigger review. Three will typically result in account termination and withholding of any pending payouts.

This page is informational, not legal advice. If you are unsure whether you have a valid claim or a valid counter-claim, consult an attorney. Akakū cannot give you legal advice about your rights.

For ordinary requests that don't involve copyright — e.g., a filmmaker who wants their own film unpublished, or a viewer who wants a refund — please email aloha@mauistream.org instead. The DMCA process is specifically for copyright claims.