Let the DMCA Safe Harbor Protection Program
Protect Your Travel Agency from Copyright Trolls
A "copyright troll" is a company or person who searches out copyrighted material they represent to earn profits by threatening litigation. They attempt to take advantage of the high statutory damages copyright laws provide for the wrongful use of creative works. While this behavior is combative and exploitative, many travel agencies who accidentally place non-licensed materials on their site have no recourse but to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to settle threatened lawsuits.
There has recently been a substantial increase in the number of travel agencies being contacted by copyright trolls for images on their website. The trolls threaten the maximum allowed under copyright law, which is many thousands of dollars, but typically settle for $1,200 to $2,500.
If a website owner has a copyright-protected image or text on their site without the copyright holder's permission, then there is extensive potential liability for copyright infringement even though the website owner has no knowledge of the infringement.
There has recently been a substantial increase in the number of travel agencies being contacted by copyright trolls for images on their website. The trolls threaten the maximum allowed under copyright law, which is many thousands of dollars, but typically settle for $1,200 to $2,500.
If a website owner has a copyright-protected image or text on their site without the copyright holder's permission, then there is extensive potential liability for copyright infringement even though the website owner has no knowledge of the infringement.
Read this article on the dangers of copyright trolls.
https://writerunboxed.com/2023/06/23/when-the-copyright-trolls-came-for-me/
https://writerunboxed.com/2023/06/23/when-the-copyright-trolls-came-for-me/
If you have a website, here is how to know
you need the Safe Harbor protection:
If your website has third-party content from any of the following:
- stock photography companies
- Creative Commons photography
- your host agency
- advertisers
- content companies
- if you feature a comment section in your blog
The Law Firm of
LAURENCE D. GORE & ASSOC. PA
has a solution for travel agencies and advisors

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) provides safe harbors from copyright infringement liability for online service providers. In order to qualify for safe harbor protection, certain kinds of service providers—for example, those that allow users to post or store material on their systems and search engines, directories, and other information location tools— must designate an agent to receive notifications of claimed copyright infringement. Our program and its conditions protect your company.
|
The DMCA Program
Our firm has protected the interests of travel advisors and their agencies against copyright trolls for years. We now have a program to provide your website with the protection you need to take advantage of the DMCA Safe Harbor Rules. How the program works: Read More> |
"Larry Gore and his firm have been our DMCA registered agent since 2013. We use thousands of images in our publishing company and on our websites. In every instance when a copyright troll has attempted to threaten us, Larry's firm has immediately taken care of the situation."
Richard B. Earls
Publisher
Travel Research Online, LLC
Richard B. Earls
Publisher
Travel Research Online, LLC