Our position
BWRealm is a community fansite hosting user-uploaded mods, forum posts, and other content. We respect copyright and respond to valid notices under the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and equivalent procedures in other jurisdictions. We expect our users to do the same.
If you believe content on BWRealm infringes your copyright, send us a notice using the format below and we will review it promptly. Repeat infringers will lose their accounts.
Filing a takedown notice
To be valid, your notice must include:
- An electronic or physical signature of the copyright owner, or a person authorized to act on their behalf.
- A description of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed.
- The exact URL(s) on BWRealm of the allegedly infringing material so we can find it.
- Your contact information: full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.
- A statement made in good faith that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
- A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the owner or authorized to act on the owner's behalf.
Where to send it
Email the notice to dmca@bwrealm.net with the subject DMCA Takedown — <mod or thread title>. Please send the notice as plain text in the body of the email, not as a scanned PDF, so we can act on it without delay.
What happens next
- We review the notice, usually within 5 business days.
- If valid, we remove or disable access to the material and notify the user who posted it.
- The user is told who filed the notice (your name and the URL) so they may file a counter-notice.
Counter-notice
If you believe your content was removed by mistake or misidentification — for example, you have a license, the material is your own creation, or it qualifies as fair use — you may file a counter-notice.
A valid counter-notice must include:
- Your physical or electronic signature.
- Identification of the material that was removed and where it was located before removal.
- A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed as a result of mistake or misidentification.
- Your name, address, and telephone number, and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the appropriate court and will accept service of process from the original complainant.
Send counter-notices to dmca@bwrealm.net. If we receive a valid counter-notice and the original complainant does not file a court action within 10–14 business days, we may restore the content.
Repeat infringers
We terminate the accounts of users who are determined to be repeat infringers. What counts as “repeat” is judged in context, but as a rule of thumb: three valid uncontested notices is enough.
Bad-faith and fraudulent notices
Filing a fraudulent or bad-faith DMCA notice is a federal offense in the U.S. and may expose you to damages, including legal fees. Don't send a takedown for a mod just because you don't like it, or for a forum post you disagree with — that's what the report button is for, not DMCA.
Trademarks and other rights
For trademark, right-of-publicity, or other non-copyright complaints, please write to us through the contact page with the same level of detail (what right, what content, what URL, who you are) and we will review.
Game assets and fan-made content
BWRealm exists to support modders of Black & White and related games. Mods that use, replace, or extend original game assets are inherently derivative — we host them in the spirit of community preservation and fan creativity, not commercial exploitation. If you are a rights-holder and want to discuss the broader hosting policy rather than a specific takedown, please write to us directly via contact first; we are happy to talk.