Civic Maple, owned and operated by Maple Lane Media Inc. (Ontario Business Registry #1002847593), respects intellectual property rights and complies with the Canadian Copyright Act. This policy explains how we handle copyright and takedown requests for content on civicmaple.com. All users should also read our Terms of Use and Editorial Policy for additional context on content ownership and use.
Who is responsible for copyright matters at Civic Maple?
The Editor-in-Chief, Jonathan MacDonald, oversees copyright compliance at Civic Maple, with legal matters handled by Maple Lane Media Inc., the Ontario corporation that owns and operates the publication. Takedown requests and copyright inquiries should be directed to copyright@civicmaple.com, which is monitored by the standards team under Oliver Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead.
Maple Lane Media Inc. maintains a registered office at Suite 402, 151 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M5C 2W7, Canada. The publication’s full ownership and funding structure is disclosed separately, and no commercial relationship influences copyright decisions.
What content does this copyright policy cover?
This policy covers all original editorial content published on civicmaple.com, including text, images, graphics, video, and audio produced by named writers and reviewed by editors. It also applies to commissioned photographs, illustrations, and user-generated material submitted through our platforms, provided the submitter warrants they hold the necessary rights.
Civic Maple does not claim ownership over third-party content embedded or linked from external sources, such as social media posts or syndicated materials. Those remain subject to their original copyright holders’ terms.
How does Civic Maple handle image rights?
Civic Maple sources images under licence, fair dealing for the purpose of news reporting and criticism, or from public-domain repositories, and credits the creator or rights holder whenever possible. Our editors and fact-checkers verify image provenance before publication, but we acknowledge that errors may occur.
If you believe an image published on civicmaple.com infringes your copyright, please submit a takedown request as described below. We will promptly investigate and remove or replace the material if the claim is valid. The publication’s Fact-Checking Policy outlines additional verification standards for all content, including visual assets.
How do I submit a takedown request?
Takedown requests must be sent in writing to copyright@civicmaple.com with a detailed description of the allegedly infringing material and your ownership claim. Include the exact URL or location of the content, your full name and contact information, and a statement under penalty of perjury that you are the rights holder or authorised to act on their behalf.
Requests should also specify whether you seek removal of a single image, an entire article, or a collection of works. Civic Maple will acknowledge receipt within two business days and process the request in accordance with the Canadian Copyright Act. For physical correspondence, you may use the registered office address above, but email is strongly preferred for faster handling. General contact information is also available on our Contact page.
What happens after a takedown request is received?
Upon receiving a valid takedown request, Civic Maple will review the claim, remove or disable access to the material, and notify the affected party. If the allegedly infringing content was contributed by a third party, we will provide them with a copy of the takedown notice and an opportunity to submit a counter-notice asserting their rights.
We maintain a policy of terminating repeat infringers’ access to our platforms where appropriate. All takedown actions are documented and may be shared with legal authorities if requested. Civic Maple reserves the right to decline requests that are manifestly unfounded, abusive, or lack sufficient specificity.
Our commitments
- Respond to all takedown requests within five business days and take appropriate action.
- Credit image creators and rights holders wherever reasonably possible and correct attribution errors promptly.
- Respect fair dealing provisions for news reporting, criticism, and research under the Canadian Copyright Act.
- Maintain transparent records of takedown actions and report them in our annual transparency summary.
- Cooperate with copyright holders, industry bodies, and legal authorities to resolve disputes fairly and efficiently.