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Koishine makes keepsakes from photographs, so we think about copyright every day: our own designs and product photos, the artwork in our templates, and the photos customers send us to print. This page explains how a copyright owner can tell us that material on koishine.com, or a product we make, uses their work without permission, what we need in that notice, how we respond, and how someone affected by a removal can respond in turn. For trademarks, designs and other intellectual property, see our Intellectual Property Policy.
Copyright notices in brief
- Send notices to support@koishine.com with the subject line “Copyright notice”.
- Include the six elements listed in section 3 so that we can act without delay.
- We acknowledge every notice within 1 business day and review complete notices within 5 business days.
- Material found to infringe is removed or disabled, and products using it are no longer made.
- People affected by a removal may send a counter-notification, described in section 6.
1. What this page covers
This process covers any material that appears on koishine.com, including product photographs and previews, design artwork used in our templates, product descriptions, guides and any customer content we may publish in future, such as reviews with photos. It also covers products we make, for example where a design we offer is said to copy someone else’s illustration.
The process follows the notice-and-takedown approach of the United States Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512). We apply the same approach to notices from rights holders in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere, while respecting any additional rights their local laws give them.
2. Before you send a notice
Please check that the material really uses your work and is not a similar but independent design. Generic elements, such as a heart shape, a pine branch, a paw print or a common typeface, are not owned by anyone. Some uses of a copyrighted work may also be permitted by law, for example a short quotation used for commentary. If you are unsure whether a use infringes your rights, you may wish to take legal advice first. You are also welcome to write to us informally; many concerns are resolved quickly by a conversation.
3. What your notice must include
A notice needs all of the following to be complete:
- A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner, or of a person authorised to act on the owner’s behalf. A typed full name at the end of an email counts as an electronic signature.
- Identification of the copyrighted work you believe has been infringed. If several works are involved, a representative list is enough.
- Identification of the material you believe infringes, with enough detail for us to find it, ideally the full web address of each page or product.
- Your contact details: name, postal address, telephone number and email address.
- A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use of the material in the way you describe is not authorised by the copyright owner, its agent or the law.
- A statement that the information in the notice is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that you are the copyright owner or are authorised to act on the owner’s behalf.
Send the notice to support@koishine.com with the subject line “Copyright notice”, or by post to Koishine, 1113 Michigan Ct, Alexandria, VA 22314, US. Email reaches us faster. If a notice is incomplete, we write back to ask for what is missing rather than ignore it.
4. What we do when a notice arrives
We acknowledge every notice within 1 business day. Within 5 business days of receiving a complete notice, we review it and, if it is valid, remove or disable access to the material. Where the notice concerns a design we sell, we stop making products with it and withdraw the product page. We confirm the action to you by email.
If the material was provided by someone else, such as a customer review photo, we tell that person that the material was removed and why, and give them a copy of the notice. Where the law allows, we withhold your personal contact details from that copy unless they are needed for a counter-notification.
5. Photos customers send for their own keepsakes
Most of the photos we print are sent by customers for a single personal piece. Those photos are not published on the site; they are used only to make the customer’s order. Our Terms of Service ask customers to confirm they have the right to use any photo they send, and we decline orders that clearly use professional artwork, brand logos or characters owned by others.
If you are a photographer or other rights holder and believe a customer order used your work, you can still send a notice. Tell us what you can about the order, for example the image concerned and how you became aware of it. We will check our records, stop any order in progress that uses your work, and explain what we can and cannot share about a customer’s order under our Privacy Policy.
6. Counter-notification
If material you provided was removed and you believe that was a mistake or a misidentification, you may send a counter-notification to the same address. 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 a mistake or misidentification;
- your name, address and telephone number, and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal court for the district where your address is located (or, if you live outside the United States, any judicial district in which Koishine may be found), and that you will accept service of process from the person who sent the original notice or their agent.
We forward a complete counter-notification to the person who sent the original notice. If they do not tell us within 10 business days that they have started court action to stop the infringement, we may restore the material between 10 and 14 business days after receiving the counter-notification.
7. Misleading notices
Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), anyone who knowingly makes a material misrepresentation in a notice or counter-notification may be liable for damages, including costs and legal fees. Please send a notice only where you have a genuine, good-faith belief that your rights are being infringed.
8. Repeat infringement
We remove material from, and may close the accounts of, anyone who repeatedly submits material that infringes others’ rights. We also decline further orders that rely on material we have already found to infringe.
9. Timeline of a notice
| Stage | What happens | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Notice received | We send an acknowledgement and a reference number | Within 1 business day |
| Completeness check | We confirm the six elements are present, or ask for what is missing | With the acknowledgement |
| Review | We compare the material with the work you identified and check our records | Within 5 business days of a complete notice |
| Action | Material removed or disabled; affected products withdrawn and no longer made | Same day as the decision |
| Notification | You, and any person who provided the material, receive our decision by email | Same day as the decision |
| Counter-notification (if any) | Forwarded to you; material may be restored after 10–14 business days unless court action is started | As described in section 6 |
10. Our own designs and photographs
The designs offered on koishine.com are created for Koishine or used under licence, and our product photographs are our own or licensed. If you find our designs, product photos or descriptions copied on another website or marketplace, we would be grateful if you let us know at the same address. Our Intellectual Property Policy explains how we protect our own work and what you may do with it.
11. How we keep notices
We keep copyright notices, counter-notifications and our replies for as long as they are relevant to the matter and to any related claim, and in any case for at least 3 years, so that repeat issues can be recognised. They are stored privately and handled under our Privacy Policy. We may share a notice with the person whose material was removed, and with authorities or courts where the law requires.
12. Questions customers ask about photos and copyright
Can I use a photo a professional photographer took of my family?
Often yes, but it depends on what the photographer’s agreement allows. Many family and wedding photographers give clients permission to print their photos for personal use; some require prints to be made through them. If you are unsure, check your agreement or ask the photographer before ordering.
Can I use a picture I found online?
Please do not, unless the picture is clearly offered for free personal use or you have the owner’s permission. A screenshot of a social media post, an illustration from a website or a frame from a film usually belongs to someone else. Photos you took yourself, or photos a family member took and is happy for you to use, are always the simplest choice.
What about a photo of my pet taken at a studio or show?
The same as a family portrait: the photographer usually owns the copyright, and their terms decide whether you can have it printed elsewhere.
13. Practical tips for a faster review
- Include a link to where your original work is published, or attach a copy, so that we can compare the two side by side.
- If your work is registered with a copyright office, include the registration number; it is not required, but it helps.
- If the material appears on several pages, list each address. We search for other uses, but your list lets us act on everything at once.
- Write in English if you can, or include an English summary. We can work with notices in other languages, but translation adds time.
14. Contact
For copyright matters, write to support@koishine.com with the subject “Copyright notice”, or by post to Koishine, 1113 Michigan Ct, Alexandria, VA 22314, US. For anything else, visit our Contact Us page or the Help Center.