Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy

Effective Date: 02/01/2025

At GSWA Knowledge Base, we respect intellectual property rights and expect our users to do the same. This Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy outlines how we handle intellectual property, including content submissions, ownership, and the process for reporting copyright infringements.

By using or contributing to the GSWA Knowledge Base platform, you agree to adhere to this policy.

1. Ownership of Content

a. Platform Content

Unless otherwise specified, all content published on the GSWA Knowledge Base is owned by the Global Social Work Association (GSWA) or the original contributors. The platform is designed to encourage sharing and collaboration, but the ownership of original content remains with the authors, and content on the platform may be protected by copyright, trademarks, or other intellectual property laws.

b. User-Generated Content

By contributing content to the GSWA Knowledge Base, including articles, comments, discussions, or other forms of material, you grant GSWA a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, reproduce, display, and distribute the content. This license is granted solely for the purpose of providing and improving the platform, consistent with the community goals.

You retain ownership of your content, and your submission to the platform does not transfer ownership to GSWA. However, you acknowledge that GSWA may use your contribution for educational, promotional, and operational purposes aligned with our mission.

2. Licensing of Platform Content

Most of the content published on the GSWA Knowledge Base is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This means:

• You may:
  • Copy, share, and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
  • Adapt, remix, transform, and build upon the material for non-commercial purposes.
• You must:
  • Provide proper attribution to the original author and GSWA.
  • Distribute your contributions under the same Creative Commons license.
  • Not use the material for commercial purposes without prior written permission.

Note: Some content may be subject to different licensing terms. If so, these will be clearly indicated on the content itself.

3. Copyright Infringement Notification and Procedure

If you believe that your copyright-protected work has been infringed upon on the GSWA Knowledge Base platform, please follow the procedure outlined below. GSWA is committed to complying with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and similar applicable laws and will remove infringing content if necessary.

How to Report Copyright Infringement:

To report copyright infringement, please submit a DMCA Notice to GSWA. The notice must include the following details:

1. Identification of the copyrighted work that you believe has been infringed, or if multiple works are involved, a representative list of such works.
2. Identification of the infringing content (e.g., a specific article, video, or comment) on the GSWA Knowledge Base, including the URL where the material can be found.
3. Your contact information, including your name, address, phone number, and email address.
4. 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.
5. A statement that the information in the notification is accurate to the best of your knowledge, and you have the authority to act on behalf of the copyright owner.
6. Your physical or electronic signature (the signature of the copyright owner or someone authorized to act on their behalf).

Please send the DMCA Notice to our designated copyright agent at:

Email: copyright@docs.gswa.in
Mailing Address: Golaghat, Assam, India-785621

Upon receiving a valid DMCA Notice, GSWA will take the following actions:

1. Review the notice for completeness and compliance.
2. Remove or disable access to the infringing content promptly.
3. Notify the user who posted the alleged infringing content and provide them with the opportunity to file a Counter-Notice if they believe the removal was made in error.

Counter-Notice Procedure:

If a user believes their content was removed due to a mistake or misidentification, they may file a Counter-Notice. The Counter-Notice must include the following:

1. Identification of the content that was removed or disabled, along with the URL where the content appeared before removal.
2. A statement under penalty of perjury that the content was removed due to a mistake or misidentification.
3. The user’s name, address, and phone number, and a statement consenting to jurisdiction in the judicial district where the user resides.
4. A physical or electronic signature of the user.

The Counter-Notice can be submitted to our designated copyright agent at:

Email: copyright@docs.gswa.in
Mailing Address: Golaghat, Assam, India-785621

Once a valid Counter-Notice is received, GSWA will notify the original complainant that the material will be restored unless we receive notice of a court order to the contrary. If no such order is received, the content will be reinstated within 10-14 business days.

4. Fair Use Policy

We recognize that there are instances in which the use of copyrighted material may qualify as “fair use” under applicable copyright laws, such as for commentary, criticism, teaching, or research. However, users are still expected to respect the intellectual property of others, and content that violates copyright law will be removed upon receipt of a valid DMCA Notice.

5. Trademarks

The GSWA Knowledge Base name, logo, and other related marks are trademarks of the Global Social Work Association. You may not use these trademarks without prior written consent from GSWA. Unauthorized use of our trademarks is prohibited and may result in legal action.

6. Modification of This Policy

GSWA reserves the right to update or modify this Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy at any time. Any changes to this policy will be posted on this page, with an updated Effective Date. We recommend that you review this page periodically to stay informed about how your content and intellectual property rights are protected.

By using the GSWA Knowledge Base platform, you agree to this Copyright and Intellectual Property Policy and its terms.