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DMCA and Intellectual Property Policy

Effective Date: 11 March 2026

Last Updated: 11 March 2026

Introduction

TakeALittle respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects our users to do the same. This policy explains how we handle claims of copyright infringement and other intellectual property concerns.

This policy applies to content on our Platform at www.takealittle.com and is part of our Terms of Service.

Table of Contents

  • Our Commitment to Intellectual Property Rights

  • South African Law Applies

  • Copyright Infringement Claims

  • Trademark Infringement Claims

  • Counter-Notification Process

  • Repeat Infringer Policy

  • Fair Use and Nominative Use

  • Product Information and Images

  • False Claims

  • Our Rights and Limitations

  • Contact Information

    • Our Commitment to Intellectual Property Rights

    TakeALittle is committed to:

    ✓ Respecting copyright, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights

    ✓ Responding promptly to valid infringement claims

    ✓ Removing infringing content when legally required

    ✓ Cooperating with rights holders

    ✓ Enforcing our policies against repeat infringers

    However, we also recognize:

  • Fair use and fair dealing rights

  • Nominative use of trademarks for comparison purposes

  • The right to display publicly available information for consumer protection

    • South African Law Applies

    Primary Jurisdiction

    TakeALittle is a South African company, and our operations are primarily governed by South African law, including:

  • Copyright Act, 1978 (Act No. 98 of 1978)

  • Trade Marks Act, 1993 (Act No. 194 of 1993)

  • Counterfeit Goods Act, 1997 (Act No. 37 of 1997)

  • Patents Act, 1978 (Act No. 57 of 1978)

  • Designs Act, 1993 (Act No. 195 of 1993)

    • DMCA Considerations

    While the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a United States law and does not directly apply in South Africa, we recognize that:

  • Many of our users may be familiar with DMCA procedures

  • International best practices benefit all parties

  • Similar principles apply under South African law

    • Therefore, we have adopted a DMCA-inspired process that also complies with South African law.

    Copyright Infringement Claims

    What is Copyright Infringement?

    Copyright infringement occurs when someone uses copyrighted material without permission in a way that violates the copyright holder's exclusive rights.

    Our Limited Role

    Important: TakeALittle is a price comparison platform that displays publicly available product information. We:

  • Do NOT host user-uploaded content (except potentially reviews/comments if implemented)

  • Display product information sourced from retailer websites

  • Show product images that are publicly available on retail websites

  • Compile pricing data from public sources

    • When to Submit a Copyright Claim

    You may submit a copyright infringement claim if:

  • You are the copyright owner or authorized agent

  • Content on our Platform infringes your copyright

  • The infringing content is under our control (not third-party retailer content)

  • You have a good faith belief that the use is not authorized

    • How to Submit a Copyright Claim

    Send a written notice to our Designated Copyright Agent:

    Email: dmca@takealittle.com

    Physical Mail:

    DMCA Agent

    TakeALittle

    Sandton, Gauteng

    South Africa

    Required Information

    Your notice must include ALL of the following:

  • Your Contact Information:

    • - Full legal name

    - Physical address

    - Telephone number

    - Email address

  • Identification of Copyrighted Work:

    • - Description of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed

    - If multiple works, a representative list

    - Copyright registration number (if applicable)

  • Identification of Infringing Material:

    • - Specific URL(s) where the infringing material appears on our Platform

    - Sufficient detail to locate the material

    - Screenshots or other evidence (helpful but not required)

  • Statement of Good Faith:

    • - A statement that you have a good faith belief that the use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law

  • Statement of Accuracy:

    • - A statement that the information in your notice is accurate

    - A statement, under penalty of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner

  • Physical or Electronic Signature:

    • - Your physical signature, or

    - Electronic signature (typed full legal name)

    Example Copyright Notice

    ```

    To: DMCA Agent, TakeALittle

    I, [Your Full Name], am the owner (or authorized agent of the owner) of certain intellectual property rights.

    Copyright Work Infringed:

    [Description of your copyrighted work]

    Infringing Material Location:

    The following URLs on your Platform contain material that infringes my copyright:

  • [URL 1]

  • [URL 2]

    • Good Faith Statement:

    I have a good faith belief that the use of the described material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.

    Accuracy Statement:

    I declare, under penalty of perjury, that the information in this notification is accurate and that I am the copyright owner or authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.

    Contact Information:

    Name: [Your Name]

    Address: [Your Address]

    Phone: [Your Phone]

    Email: [Your Email]

    Signature: [Your Signature]

    Date: [Date]

    ```

    Our Response to Valid Claims

    Upon receiving a valid copyright claim, we will:

  • Acknowledge receipt within 3-5 business days

  • Investigate the claim

  • Remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing content if appropriate

  • Notify the user who posted the content (if applicable)

  • Provide information about the counter-notification process

    • Timeline: We aim to respond to valid claims within 10 business days.

    Trademark Infringement Claims

    Nominative Fair Use

    Important: TakeALittle uses third-party trademarks for the purpose of price comparison and consumer information. This is generally considered nominative fair use or fair dealing under South African law.

    We use trademarks to:

  • Identify products accurately

  • Compare prices across retailers

  • Provide consumer information

  • Facilitate informed purchasing decisions

    • When Trademark Use May Be Infringing

    However, we will consider removing content if:

  • We are using a trademark in a way that suggests endorsement or affiliation

  • We are using a trademark to confuse consumers

  • We are using a trademark for commercial purposes beyond fair use

  • A court order requires removal

    • How to Submit a Trademark Claim

    Email our legal department: legal@takealittle.com

    Required Information for Trademark Claims

    Your notice must include:

  • Trademark Information:

    • - Trademark registration number and country

    - Description of the trademark

    - Proof of trademark ownership

  • Description of Alleged Infringement:

    • - Specific URL(s) where the alleged infringement occurs

    - Explanation of how our use infringes your trademark

    - Why you believe our use is not fair use

  • Contact Information:

    • - Full legal name

    - Physical address

    - Email and phone number

  • Good Faith Statement:

    • - Statement that you have a good faith belief the use is not authorized

  • Accuracy Statement:

    • - Statement under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate

    - Statement that you are authorized to act on behalf of the trademark owner

  • Signature

    • Our Response to Trademark Claims

    We will:

  • Review the claim and assess whether our use constitutes fair use

  • Consult with legal counsel if necessary

  • Respond within 14 business days

  • Remove content only if legally required or if we determine our use is improper

    • Note: Many trademark claims against price comparison websites are not valid due to nominative fair use. We will vigorously defend our right to use trademarks for comparison purposes.

    Counter-Notification Process

    If Your Content Was Removed

    If your content was removed due to a copyright claim and you believe the removal was improper, you may submit a counter-notification.

    When to Submit a Counter-Notification

    You may submit a counter-notification if:

  • You have a good faith belief that the content was removed due to mistake or misidentification

  • The content was non-infringing or you have authorization to use it

  • You are willing to accept jurisdiction of South African courts

    • How to Submit a Counter-Notification

    Email: dmca@takealittle.com

    Required Information

    Your counter-notification must include:

  • Your Contact Information:

    • - Full legal name

    - Physical address

    - Phone number

    - Email address

  • Identification of Removed Content:

    • - Description of the content that was removed

    - The location where it appeared before removal

  • Statement Under Penalty of Perjury:

    • - Statement that you have a good faith belief that the content was removed due to mistake or misidentification

  • Consent to Jurisdiction:

    • - Statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria)

    - Statement that you will accept service of process from the complainant

  • Physical or Electronic Signature

    • Our Response to Counter-Notifications

    Upon receiving a valid counter-notification:

  • We will forward it to the original complainant

  • We will inform them that we may restore the content in 10-14 business days

  • If the complainant does not file a court action, we may restore the content

  • If the complainant files a court action, we will await the court's decision

    • Repeat Infringer Policy

    Three-Strike Policy

    Users who repeatedly infringe intellectual property rights will face escalating consequences:

    First Infringement:

  • Warning via email

  • Content removal

  • Educational information about intellectual property

    • Second Infringement:

  • Temporary account suspension (30 days)

  • Content removal

  • Final warning

    • Third Infringement:

  • Permanent account termination

  • Ban from creating new accounts

  • Possible legal action

    • Serious Infringements

    For particularly serious or willful infringements, we may:

  • Terminate accounts immediately (without prior warnings)

  • Report to law enforcement authorities

  • Cooperate with legal proceedings

    • Fair Use and Nominative Use

    Our Fair Use Position

    TakeALittle operates under principles of fair dealing and nominative use. We believe we have the right to:

    Display Product Information:

  • Product names and descriptions from retailer websites

  • Pricing information that is publicly available

  • Product specifications and details

    • Use Trademarks:

  • Product brand names for identification purposes

  • Retailer names for comparison purposes

  • Trademarks in a descriptive, non-confusing manner

    • Display Images:

  • Product images that are publicly available on retailer websites

  • Images necessary for product identification and comparison

    • Legal Basis

    Our use is justified under:

  • Fair Dealing (South African Copyright Act)

  • Nominative Fair Use (for trademarks)

  • Consumer Protection principles

  • Freedom of Expression (South African Constitution)

    • We Do NOT Claim:

  • Ownership of any third-party intellectual property

  • Affiliation with or endorsement by trademark owners

  • Any rights beyond those necessary for price comparison

    • Product Information and Images

    Sourcing Product Data

    We source product information from:

  • Publicly available retailer websites

  • Manufacturer websites and databases

  • Public APIs and data feeds

  • Licensed data providers

    • Product Images

    Important Clarification:

    Product images displayed on our Platform are:

  • Sourced from publicly available retailer websites

  • Used for identification and comparison purposes only

  • Not hosted permanently on our servers (may be cached temporarily)

  • Displayed with appropriate attribution when practical

    • If you are a copyright holder and believe our use of product images exceeds fair use, please contact us following the procedures above.

    Our Good Faith Efforts

    We make good faith efforts to:

  • Use the lowest resolution necessary for identification

  • Attribute images to sources when practical

  • Respond promptly to legitimate removal requests

  • Respect robots.txt and other technical restrictions

    • False Claims

    Penalties for False Claims

    Under South African law and our Terms of Service, submitting false copyright or trademark claims may result in:

  • Liability for damages

  • Attorney's fees and costs

  • Account termination

  • Legal action for perjury or fraud

    • Knowingly False Claims

    If you knowingly submit a false claim:

  • You may be liable for all damages incurred

  • You may face criminal prosecution

  • You may be banned from submitting future claims

    • Please ensure your claims are accurate and made in good faith.

    Our Rights and Limitations

    Discretion to Remove Content

    We reserve the right to:

  • Remove content even without a formal notice if we believe it infringes

  • Refuse to remove content if we believe the use is lawful

  • Make the final determination about what content to remove

  • Modify or discontinue features to prevent infringement

    • No Liability

    We are not liable for:

  • Content posted by users

  • Errors or delays in responding to notices

  • Consequences of removing or not removing content

  • Disputes between copyright holders and users

  • Good faith errors in applying this policy

    • Not Legal Advice

    This policy does not constitute legal advice. If you have questions about intellectual property law, consult a qualified attorney.

    Contact Information

    Copyright Claims (DMCA Agent)

    Email: dmca@takealittle.com

    Physical Mail:

    DMCA Agent

    TakeALittle

    Sandton, Gauteng

    South Africa

    Trademark Claims

    Email: legal@takealittle.com

    General Inquiries

    Email: support@takealittle.com

    Response Times

  • Copyright Claims: 10 business days

  • Trademark Claims: 14 business days

  • Counter-Notifications: 14 business days from receipt

  • General Inquiries: 3-5 business days

    • Updates to This Policy

    We may update this policy to:

  • Comply with legal developments

  • Improve our procedures

  • Clarify existing provisions

    • Updates will be posted on our Platform with a revised "Last Updated" date.

    Additional Resources

    Learn More About Copyright

    South African Copyright Information:

  • Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC): www.cipc.co.za

  • Copyright Act, 1978: Available at www.gov.za

    • International Copyright Information:

  • World Intellectual Property Organization: www.wipo.int

    • Legal Assistance

    If you need legal assistance with intellectual property matters, consider consulting:

  • A South African intellectual property attorney

  • The Law Society of South Africa: www.lssa.org.za

    • Acknowledgment

    By using TakeALittle, you acknowledge that:

  • You will respect intellectual property rights

  • You understand the consequences of infringement

  • You will not submit false claims

  • You consent to this policy and our procedures

    • For the most current version of this DMCA and Intellectual Property Policy, please visit: www.takealittle.com/legal/dmca-policy

    *This DMCA and Intellectual Property Policy was last reviewed on 11 March 2026 and is designed to comply with South African intellectual property laws while providing a framework familiar to international users.*

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