Hauptfokus (hauptfokus.de) is owned and operated by Alpen Press Ltd., a private company registered in Gibraltar (company number 132587, Companies House Gibraltar). This Copyright & Takedown Policy explains how we handle intellectual property rights and the procedure for requesting removal of allegedly infringing material.
Who is responsible for copyright matters at Hauptfokus?
Chefredaktör Michael Jung, as the editor-in-chief, oversees all editorial content and copyright compliance. The fact‑checking team under Melanie Hartmann supports verification of image and media licences. Formal takedown requests must be sent to copyright@hauptfokus.de, which is monitored by our legal and editorial teams.
Alpen Press Ltd. (registered office: Office 3.7, ICC, Casemates Square, Gibraltar, GX11 1AA) is the legal entity responsible for the site. All copyright correspondence is handled through the Gibraltar office in coordination with the Swedish editorial line (+49 30 577 012 55).
What types of content do we licence and how do we respect copyright?
Hauptfokus only publishes images, illustrations, videos and other media that are either properly licensed, used under fair‑dealing provisions, or obtained from rights‑cleared sources. Our newsroom follows a strict policy of crediting creators and linking to original works where appropriate.
Every article includes a named writer and editor, and the fact‑checking team verifies that all visual elements are sourced lawfully. We do not intentionally host unauthorised reproductions of copyrighted material. If you believe your work has been used without permission, please follow the procedure below.
How do I submit a takedown request?
To request removal of content you believe infringes your copyright, send a notice to copyright@hauptfokus.de with the subject line “Takedown Request”. We aim to acknowledge receipt within two business days and to take action within five business days where the claim is valid.
We will remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing material while we investigate. We may also notify the user who posted the content, where applicable, and provide them with an opportunity to submit a counter‑notice.
What information must a takedown notice include?
Your notice must contain all of the following to be considered valid:
- Your full name, postal address, telephone number and email address.
- A clear identification of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed – for example, a link to the original image or article.
- The exact URL or location on hauptfokus.de where the allegedly infringing material appears.
- A statement that you have a good‑faith belief that the use is not authorised by the copyright owner, its agent or the law.
- A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorised to act on the owner’s behalf.
- Your physical or electronic signature.
Incomplete notices may delay our response. Please be specific – generic claims without precise URLs cannot be processed efficiently.
How do we handle counter‑notices?
If you believe that content was removed by mistake or misidentification, you can send a counter‑notice to copyright@hauptfokus.de. The counter‑notice must include your full contact details, identification of the removed material, and a statement under penalty of perjury that you consent to the jurisdiction of the courts in Gibraltar and that you will accept service of process from the original complainant.
Upon receipt of a valid counter‑notice, we will forward a copy to the original claimant and restore the content within ten business days unless the claimant files a court action seeking an injunction.
Our commitments
- We respond to all valid takedown requests within five business days and remove infringing content promptly when a claim is substantiated.
- We maintain a public register of takedown notices (redacted for privacy) to ensure transparency in our copyright enforcement.
- We require all staff and contributors to undergo training on image rights and fair dealing before commissioning or publishing any third‑party media.
- We never use generated content that fabricates quotes, sources or bylines – all editorial material, including images and media, is reviewed by a human editor for copyright compliance.
- We cooperate with rights‑holders and collecting societies to resolve disputes amicably, and we update this policy as legal standards evolve.
For further details on our editorial standards and content use, please see our Terms of Use, Editorial Policy and Contact page. You can also review our Advertising & Affiliate Disclosure to understand how commercial relationships are managed separately from copyright matters.