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Merely providing a device capable of committing direct infringement is usually not enough to incur liability for contributory or vicarious infringement. Generally speaking, if the device is capable of substantial non-infringing uses - like a copy machine or a computer - then the maker of that device will ordinarily not be liable for the actions of the device's users. However, under certain circumstances the maker of a device used by others to commit infringement can be liable for "inducement" of copyright infringement. In Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd., the US Supreme Court held that the distributor of file sharing software could be liable for copyright infringement if the distributor intended to promote the software's use for infringing purposes and took "affirmative steps" to achieve that goal.
Other countries also impose secondary liability for copyright infringement. In addition to punishing direct infringement, for example, the United Kingdom also imposes liability for providing a means of creating unauthorized copies, or supplying sound recordings or films for an infringing performance. Similarly, under South African law, infringement may occur when one either exercises one of the exclusive rights of the copyright holder without license (or other legal justification), or causes another person to do so.
Many countries have enacted “safe harbor” statutes that protect online service providers such as search engines, internet service providers, libraries or universities from liability for copyright infringement committed by their users. In order to be eligible for these exemptions, the service provider must comply with certain rules.
Some countries require online service providers to comply with so-called “notice and takedown” provisions to be protected by a safe harbor. For example, in the United States, if a copyright holder believes that a file hosted by a service provider infringes her copyright, the copyright holder may submit a notice to the provider to request that the file be removed. The notice must typically include the name of the complaining party and list any infringing materials, including the URL . It must also contain a good-faith statement by the copyright holder that the materials infringe on her copyright. It must conclude with a sworn statement of the accuracy of the notice and the notice provider's authorization to act on behalf of the rightsholder.
Upon receipt of a take-down notice, the service provider must quickly remove the infringing material or disable access to it. It must also notify the individual responsible for the infringing material of its removal. It is not necessary for the copyright holder to obtain a judicial decision that the material is, in fact, infringing in order to send a take-down notice. The safe harbor provisions allow the individual responsible for the content to file what's called acounter-notice to challenge a take-down notice. If the poster submits a counter-notice asserting that the material removed was not infringing, the service provider must notify the copyright holder. If the copyright holder does not file a lawsuit within two weeks, the service provider must then restore access to the material. The statute exempts service providers for liability for its good-faith removal of materials pursuant to a take-down notice, even if the material is ultimately determined not to be infringing.
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