Takedowns
Last updated
The short version for artists
Uploaders, original character creators, and commissioners, please read the FAQ below.
As the artist of an image, you may request an image be removed by reporting the image and stating that you would like that image removed. You only need to report one image if you would like multiple images removed; simply tell us which ones you want to remove. If you would like all of your art removed, or restrictions placed on the uploading of your art, please add yourself to our Do-Not-Post List.
Reports will only be acted on if you, the artist, already have a verified user link for the artist tag on your Manebooru account. If you do not yet have a user link, submit one by going to your profile and clicking the "User Links" heading. Any logged-in user can create a user link.
Takedown Policy
It is Manebooru’s policy that artists have complete creative and distribution control over the content they make. As such they have the right to request it to be taken down. Content will not be taken down on someone’s behalf or without proof of identity.
Our takedown policy is straightforward. Our goals are to:
- Provide an environment where artists retain control of their works
- Remain in compliance with international copyright law
- Avoid needless removal of content from the site
- Prevent trolls or other nasty people from removing site content
All site administration staff are involved in processing reports, including takedown requests. We aim to resolve all reports where the claimant is responsive within several hours of a request.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to report images
To report an image, look under the list of tags, on the left side of the bar. Fill out the appropriate forms, and a staff member will process it in a reasonable timeframe.
Why did my stuff get here in the first place?
Content is uploaded to Manebooru by users of the site to share artwork they have discovered with the community. Broadly speaking, someone uploaded your artwork because they thought it was worth sharing!
Uploading content to the site doesn't imply ownership or creation of an artwork; artists are credited in tags and attribution is given in the source URL shown alongside the image. The upload credit is shown purely for search, filtering and moderation purposes.
How do I stop people uploading my art in future?
If you're finding your artwork being posted here and do not want it to be posted to the site, yet find people still appear to feel entitled to do so, check which license you have licensed your artwork under, particularly on sites like deviantART. If your license explicitly permits reuse and redistribution, you are likely to find people sharing it - as the license makes it clear they are allowed to.
In these cases, switching to a more restrictive license may be the best way of stopping your content being shared on the site and others like it. We do have a do-not-post list, which is a last resort for artists who do not wish their content to be shared on the site; you can view the list and request to be added here.
What about works with multiple artists/editors?
Artwork that partially fall under a takedown or DNP request, such as collaborations, will be handled on a case-by-case basis. If all artists agree to remove the post in question, then it will be removed (with or without an official takedown from the other contributors). Other artwork will be judged subjectively based on the degree of contribution by the artist requesting takedown. If the contribution can be considered trivial such that it can easily be overlooked, then we may offer to simply remove the artist's tag. If the contribution constitutes a significant portion of the work, then we may instead honor the takedown.
There is no objective rule, but generally if a contribution takes up more than 25% of the visible area, is required for a punchline, or if the work would not be cohesive without the contribution, it may fall under this latter category. Removals of work in this manner can be appealed by the other contributing artists, and a form of the work without the contribution may be uploaded in its place.
Uploaders' rights
As the uploader of an image, you may request the image be removed; we review these cases individually, but do not guarantee that we will remove the image. If an artist has requested that you ask the image be removed, please provide their contact details so that we can verify this.
Commissioners' rights
We often receive takedown requests from the commissioners of artworks. In general, we cannot remove an artwork at the commissioners' request. The artist that was commissioned retains the copyright to an artwork, and so must be the one making a copyright based takedown request.
If you agreed to transfer copyright when commissioning the artwork (which must take the form of a written agreement), you may provide us with evidence of this; we will need to contact the artist and yourself to verify that copyright was indeed transferred.
Original characters
Characters and character designs are not themselves subject to copyright, but instead could fall under trademark law as a protected mark if they are registered and used. This is not the case with any non-commercial characters, and so neither trademark nor copyright law lends protection to creators of "original characters" and their designs.
This is distinct, of course, from artworks such as reference drawings and other original artworks, which are covered by copyright if they were created by the original characters' creator - that is, artworks by other artists featuring an original character do not fall under or violate the original artists' copyright.
Derivative works (that is, works that are non-transformative in a copyright sense) are of course still protected under copyright law; in this case an original characters' creator may file a takedown request. For instance, original artworks that feature an original character are generally transformative and so stand alone; very basic edits, on the other hand, are generally derivative.
Livestreams
Livestreams are not served or stored on Manebooru; we only link to streams and embed a player in our website for those who wish to remain on Manebooru while watching a stream. Our livestream pages encourage users to click through to the stream pages.
Artists who do not want for their stream to be shared via Manebooru can make a takedown request in a similar manner to images (by reporting the stream page).
Links to pirated content
We will proactively remove links to pirated or leaked commercial material, and encourage users to report such links to an administrator. If you are aware of such a link that is linking to your content, you should request a takedown of the link in the usual fashion. Generally, identity verification is not required in these cases.
DMCA Notices
Please report all images you believe violate your copyright; each case will be reviewed individually. We are typically quite prompt in responding to copyright/DMCA takedown notices and will, as with artist validation, require official confirmation of identity of the claimant. This may be done via email to [email protected] from an official/organization email address.
We strongly recommend you pursue our usual takedown process before resorting to legal means; we have never had a DMCA notice that couldn't have been resolved much more readily through the takedown process (without making lawyers any richer).