Legal framework

How we handle copyright notices

Foreign copyright instruments are evaluated under the law of the server jurisdiction only. Notices are typically forwarded as information. Unilateral action requires a valid local court order.

TheOnionHost operates infrastructure in Bulgaria, Ukraine, and the Netherlands. Each location is governed by its own national legal system. This page explains how we process copyright and takedown communications so customers, rights holders, partners, and reviewers have a single linkable policy URL.

This is an informational local-law policy — not legal advice, and not a marketing claim that we “ignore” every notice. We review communications under the law of the country where the server is located, forward relevant information to account holders when appropriate, and act when local law or our Acceptable Use Policy requires it.

Local law only

Complaints and notices are assessed against the law of the country where the server is physically located — not against the law of the requesting country by default. Foreign instruments (including US DMCA-style notices and similar mechanisms from other countries) do not automatically create an obligation to remove content without corresponding local legal process.

Not a free pass for illegal content. Activity that is unlawful under the hosting jurisdiction — including CSAM, phishing, malware infrastructure, botnets, and DDoS-for-hire — is prohibited under our Acceptable Use Policy and will be acted on.

How to submit a notice

Rights holders and authorized agents may submit copyright-related notices through either channel below. Incomplete notices may delay review.

Submission channels

Billing ticket
Open a ticket via your billing account, or contact us through the contact page

Please include:

  • Your full name, organization (if any), and a working email address
  • URLs, IP addresses, or other identifiers locating the allegedly infringing material
  • A description of the copyrighted work and your relationship to it (owner or authorized agent)
  • A statement of good faith belief that use is not authorized by the rights holder or applicable local law
  • Any court order, case reference, or official document from a competent authority in the server’s jurisdiction (if available)

Step-by-step process

When a notice arrives, we follow a consistent internal workflow. Timing depends on completeness of the submission and whether local legal process is involved.

  1. Receive & log We record the date, channel, sender, and target resources (URLs, IPs, accounts) so the communication has an audit trail.
  2. Identify jurisdiction We map the complaint to the physical location of the relevant server (Ukraine, Bulgaria, or Netherlands) and apply that country’s legal framework.
  3. Screen for AUP violations Independently of copyright framing, we check whether the report describes prohibited abuse under our AUP (e.g. phishing, malware, CSAM). Those cases can trigger faster operational action.
  4. Forward as information Where appropriate, we forward the notice to the account holder as an informational communication so they can assess their own legal position.
  5. Local process / court orders We do not take unilateral content action based solely on a foreign instrument. A valid order from a competent court in the hosting jurisdiction may require a response under local law.
  6. Respond to the sender When contact details are valid, we acknowledge receipt and, where useful, outline the next step (forwarded, needs more detail, or local process required).

What we will / will not do

We will

  • Log and review notices under local jurisdiction standards
  • Forward relevant notices to customers as informational communications
  • Act on AUP-prohibited abuse and clear local-law violations
  • Comply with valid orders from competent courts in the server jurisdiction
  • Ask for missing details when a notice cannot be processed

We will not

  • ×Treat every foreign DMCA-style email as automatic global law
  • ×Promise “ignore all notices” as a service feature
  • ×Host or ignore content that is illegal under local law / AUP
  • ×Disclose customer data without a lawful local basis
  • ×Provide legal advice to either party

Jurisdiction summary

Frequently asked questions

For how we operate the server, yes: we evaluate complaints under the law of the country where the server is located. That does not rewrite the law of the complainant’s country for the complainant — it means we do not automatically enforce foreign instruments as if they were local judgments. Parties may still pursue remedies through competent local courts.
A valid order from a competent court in the hosting jurisdiction may require action under local law. Foreign court documents alone are not treated as automatic local orders. If you have local process underway, include case references and certified documents when submitting a notice.
Copyright disputes and AUP abuse are related but not identical. Phishing, malware C2, CSAM, botnets, and similar harm are prohibited under the AUP regardless of how a report is labeled. A copyright-only dispute without local legal process is handled under the notice workflow above.
Where appropriate, yes — we forward notices as informational communications so the account holder can review the claim. Forwarding is not an admission of infringement and does not by itself require the customer to remove content absent local legal obligation or AUP violation.
Ukraine, Bulgaria, and the Netherlands. Product availability varies by location (for example, shared hosting is centered on Ukraine; selected dedicated capacity is available in EU locations). The notice policy follows the physical location of the affected server.
See our Acceptable Use Policy, Terms of Service, and Privacy Policy. For product context see best offshore hosting or contact support.

Related documents

Last updated: 20 August 2026. This page is informational and does not constitute legal advice. For abuse that is clearly prohibited under our AUP, email [email protected] or open a billing ticket.