DMCA & Copyright Compliance Policy

Shine GPL operates as a GPL redistribution platform. We distribute WordPress themes and plugins under the terms of the GNU General Public License where such licensing applies. We take intellectual property rights seriously and act promptly on valid claims.

Our position is clear:

• GPL code remains free to redistribute. When a WordPress theme or plugin, or the PHP code within it, is licensed under the GPL, we preserve the freedoms to use, study, modify, and share that code.
• Non GPL assets are respected. We honor valid claims covering trademarks, logos, brand names, stock imagery licensed without redistribution rights, hosted services, license keys, and distinct documentation or marketing copy that is not covered by the GPL.
• Trademarks are not transferred. Redistribution of GPL code does not grant any right to use a third party trademark, trade dress, or endorsement in a misleading way. Where needed, we remove or replace branding to avoid confusion.

To request removal or restriction of material on Shine GPL, you must submit a complete notice that satisfies Section 512(c)(3) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Incomplete notices may delay review.

Your notice must include all six items below:

• 1. Owner signature. A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner.
• 2. Identification of the copyrighted work. Clear identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed. List each work separately. If you claim protection for non GPL assets, identify whether the claim covers trademarks, images, text, or other proprietary material.
• 3. Exact Shine GPL URL. The precise URL or URLs on shinegpl.com where the allegedly infringing material appears, plus a description that lets us locate it without searching the full catalog.
• 4. Official contact information. Your full legal name, company name if applicable, mailing address, telephone number, and email address where we can reach you.
• 5. Good faith statement. A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
• 6. Accuracy and authority statement. A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

Send complete notices only to our Designated Agent listed in the next section. Notices sent to support chat, social channels, or unrelated addresses may not receive DMCA handling.

Designated Agent for DMCA and IP notices:

• Email: contact@shinegpl.com
• Subject line: DMCA Takedown Request or Trademark Complaint and [Product Name]
• Hours: Business days, with initial acknowledgment typically within 24 to 48 hours of receipt

Upon verified receipt of a complete notice, we follow a defined review sequence:

• Logging and validation. We log the request, confirm all six statutory elements are present, and match the cited URLs to our library records and source files.
• License analysis. We check the original developer license, GPL terms, trademark registrations if provided, and whether the disputed files contain separable proprietary assets.
• Immediate quarantine or removal. Where a claim appears valid on its face, we promptly quarantine or remove the identified files, disable downloads or listings, and clear related cache.
• Uploader and vendor notice. We notify the relevant uploader or upstream source of the action, with a copy of the claim and instructions for counter notification.
• Listing adjustments. We update product pages, search indexes, changelogs, and file hashes as needed, and add notes for trademark scrubbing or asset replacement if a revised compliant version can be restored.

If your material was removed or disabled due to a claim you believe was mistaken, overbroad, or inconsistent with valid open source licensing, you may submit a counter notification. We provide a fair review path for uploaders, members, and upstream developers.

Your counter notification must include:

• Your signature. Physical or electronic signature.
• Identification of removed material. The exact URLs and product names that were removed, and the date of removal if known.
• Statement of mistake or authorization. A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good faith belief the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification, or that you have lawful authority to share it under the GPL or other applicable license.
• Evidence of licensing. License headers, repository links, purchase terms permitting redistribution, GPL declarations, or written permission from the rights holder.
• Contact and consent. Your full name, address, telephone number, email address, and a statement that you consent to jurisdiction as required by 17 U.S.C. 512(g).

Send counter notifications to contact@shinegpl.com with the subject line: DMCA Counter Notification and [Product Name]. If the counter notice is valid, we will forward it to the original complainant. Unless the complainant confirms that court action has been filed within 10 to 14 business days, we may restore the material or list a corrected version with non GPL branding removed.

Misuse of the DMCA process carries serious legal consequences. Under 17 U.S.C. 512(f), any person who knowingly and materially misrepresents that material is infringing, or that material was removed by mistake, may be liable for damages.

• Liability for false claims. A party that files a knowingly false takedown notice may be ordered to pay damages, including costs and attorney fees incurred by the alleged infringer, the service provider, or the copyright owner.
• What counts as misrepresentation. Examples include claiming ownership of GPL licensed code you do not own, asserting copyright over third party code, or filing a notice to suppress lawful commentary, research, or competition.
• Our enforcement. We retain records of notices and counter notices, reject facially invalid or abusive requests, and may restrict parties that submit repeated unsupported claims.