DMCA & Takedown Policy

1. Crawled Placeholder Profiles

1.1 How We Discover Guides

Guidepole uses automated systems to discover outdoor guide businesses from publicly available sources on the internet, including business directories, social media profiles, state licensing databases, and guide business websites. When we discover a guide business, we may create a “placeholder profile” on the Platform containing only publicly available information.

1.2 What Placeholder Profiles Contain

Placeholder profiles are limited to information that is already publicly available, including:

• Business name
• General service area or location (city/state)
• Type of guide services offered (fishing, hunting, etc.)
• Publicly listed contact information (if available from public sources)

Placeholder profiles are clearly marked as “unclaimed” and do not represent an endorsement, affiliation, or relationship between Guidepole and the guide business.

1.3 Claiming Your Profile

If a placeholder profile has been created for your guide business, you may claim it at no cost. The claiming process involves:

1. Creating a Guidepole account or logging into an existing account
2. Requesting to claim the placeholder profile
3. Verifying your identity and ownership of the business through our verification process

Once claimed, you will have full control over the profile and may update, modify, or enhance it with additional information, photos, Trip listings, and more.

1.4 Requesting Removal (Delisting)

If you are the subject of a placeholder profile and do not wish to be listed on the Platform, you may request removal by:

• Emailing your removal request to [email protected]
• Including your full name, the business name as it appears on the placeholder profile, and sufficient information for us to verify your identity and connection to the business

We will process removal (delisting) requests within ten (10) business days of receiving a complete request with sufficient verification. Once delisted, the profile will be permanently removed from the Platform and from the Hooks.ly marketplace. Delisting is permanent unless you subsequently choose to create an account and list your business voluntarily.

1.5 Data Accuracy Requests

If a placeholder profile contains inaccurate information about your business, you may request a correction by emailing [email protected] with the specific inaccuracies and the correct information. We will process correction requests within ten (10) business days.

2. DMCA Copyright Infringement Notices

2.1 Filing a DMCA Notice

If you believe that content on the Platform infringes your copyright, you may submit a written notification to our designated DMCA agent containing the following information, as required by 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3):

1. A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on their behalf
2. Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed (or, if multiple copyrighted works are covered by a single notification, a representative list)
3. Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing, and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate the material on the Platform (such as the URL of the page containing the material)
4. Your contact information, including your name, address, telephone number, and email address
5. 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. A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate, and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on behalf of the owner

2.2 Designated DMCA Agent

DMCA notices should be sent to our designated agent at:

Guidepole LLC
Attn: DMCA Agent
Email: [email protected]

Please note that under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material is infringing may be subject to liability for damages, including costs and attorneys' fees.

2.3 Response to DMCA Notices

Upon receipt of a valid DMCA notice, we will:

1. Promptly remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing material
2. Notify the user who posted the material that it has been removed
3. Provide the user with information about the counter-notification process

3. Counter-Notification Process

3.1 Filing a Counter-Notification

If you believe that material you posted was removed in error or is not infringing, you may file a counter-notification containing the following information:

1. Your physical or electronic signature
2. Identification of the material that was removed and the location where it appeared before removal
3. A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good faith belief that the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification
4. Your name, address, and telephone number
5. A statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal court in King County, Washington, and that you will accept service of process from the person who provided the original DMCA notice

3.2 Response to Counter-Notifications

Upon receipt of a valid counter-notification, we will:

1. Forward the counter-notification to the original complaining party
2. Inform the complaining party that we will restore the removed material in ten (10) business days
3. Restore the material within ten (10) to fourteen (14) business days after receiving the counter-notification, unless the complaining party notifies us that they have filed a court action seeking to restrain the user from engaging in infringing activity

4. Repeat Infringer Policy

In accordance with the DMCA, Guidepole maintains a policy of terminating the accounts of users who are repeat infringers of copyright. A “repeat infringer” is a user who has been the subject of more than two (2) valid DMCA takedown notices. Guidepole reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate any user's account at any time for copyright infringement, regardless of the number of prior notices.

5. Trademark Complaints

If you believe that content on the Platform infringes your trademark rights, please contact us at [email protected] with information about the alleged infringement, including the trademark at issue, the registration number (if applicable), and the specific content you believe is infringing. We will review trademark complaints and take appropriate action.

6. Contact

For DMCA notices, counter-notifications, trademark complaints, placeholder profile removal requests, or other intellectual property concerns, contact us at:

Guidepole LLC
Attn: DMCA Agent
Seattle, WA
Email: [email protected]
General legal: [email protected]