Remove Your Website from Wayback Machine to Help Avoid Copyright Demand Letters

As a website owner, it’s important to be aware of the potential legal issues that can arise from using copyrighted images on your site. One of the ways that copyright holders and “copyright trolls” (people who make a business out of enforcing copyrights) can find evidence of infringement is by using a tool called the Wayback Machine from Archive.org. In this article, we’ll explain what the Wayback Machine is, how it’s used by copyright trolls, and most importantly, how you can remove your website from the Wayback Machine to help protect yourself from copyright demand letters.

What is the Wayback Machine and How is it Used by Copyright Trolls?

The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the internet that allows users to view archived versions of websites from different points in time. It was created by the Internet Archive, a non-profit organization that aims to preserve the history of the internet. While the Wayback Machine is a useful tool for researchers, historians, and anyone interested in the evolution of the internet, it can also be used by copyright holders and trolls to find evidence of infringement.

One of the ways that copyright trolls use the Wayback Machine is by searching for archived versions of a website that contain copyrighted images. For example, if a website owner is using an image without permission, the copyright holder can use the Wayback Machine to find an archived version of the website that shows the image being used. This can be used as evidence in a copyright infringement case. Additionally, copyright trolls can use the Wayback Machine to find websites that were previously infringing on a copyright, but have since removed the infringing content.

Importance of Taking Action to Protect Your Website

It’s important to take action to protect your website from potential copyright infringement issues, as the consequences of being caught using copyrighted images can be severe. Not only can you be liable for damages, but you could also be subject to legal fees and may have to remove the infringing content from your website. Additionally, receiving a demand letter from a copyright holder or troll can be a stressful and time-consuming experience.

By removing your website from the Wayback Machine, you can make it more difficult for copyright holders and trolls to find evidence of infringement. This doesn’t guarantee that you won’t be caught using copyrighted images, but it’s one step you can take to protect yourself.

How to Remove Your Website from the Wayback Machine

The process is straightforward, and here are the detailed step-by-step guide on how to remove your website from the Wayback Machine.

1. Create a verification page (waybackverify.txt) on your domain name to prove that you are the owner and agree to removing the domain from Wayback Machine.
   
   To do this, create a simple page with text that states you are the owner of the domain and agree to the removal from Wayback Machine and archive.org.
   
   You can view an example here: https://picdefense.io/waybackverify.txt

2. Visit web.archive.org (Wayback Machine) and input your domain name to find out what year(s) of data that Wayback Machine has of your website. This information is used to provide them with the URLs that you want deleted.
   
   For example, the URL format for 2021 is:
https://web.archive.org/web/2021*/http://MYDOMAIN.com/
   
3. Send an email to [email protected], using an email address from your domain name as the sender, to request the removal of your website.
   
   Send Email To: [email protected]
   Subject Line: Request to Remove XXXXXXX domain from web.archive.org
   Email Content:
   
   My name is [Your Name], owner of [MYDOMAIN.COM].

Here is proof of ownership: [https://MYDOMAIN.COM/waybackverify.txt]

I’m officially requesting the immediate removal of [MYDOMAIN.COM] from web.archive.org and the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

I am requesting removal of [MYDOMAIN.COM] starting from January 1, 2020 up to and including today and all days going forward.

URLs to exclude: https://web.archive.org/web/2020*/http://MYDOMAIN.com/
Time period of domain ownership: 2020-01-01 to present
Time period to exclude: 2020-01-01 to present

URLs to exclude: https://web.archive.org/web/2021*/http://MYDOMAIN.com/
Time period of domain ownership: 2020-01-01 to present
Time period to exclude: 2020-01-01 to present

URLs to exclude: https://web.archive.org/web/2022*/http://MYDOMAIN.com/
Time period of domain ownership: 2020-01-01 to present
Time period to exclude: 2020-01-01 to present

Thank you

4. It’s important to be polite and provide as much information as possible in your request. The Internet Archive will only delete pages and sites from the time you took ownership, so keep that in mind when making your request.

Conclusion

Removing your website from the Wayback Machine is just one step you can take to protect yourself from copyright demand letters.

However, it’s also important to regularly check your website for copyrighted images and to take action to address any potential issues.

PicDefense.io can help you with this by scanning all of the images on your website and alerting you to any that may be at risk for copyright infringement.

With our advanced algorithms and extensive image database, we can provide a comprehensive scan of your website and give you the peace of mind you need to operate your website without worrying about copyright issues.

Don’t wait until it’s too late – try PicDefense.io today to ensure your website remains compliant and to avoid attracting the attention of copyright trolls.