Click on the question to jump to its answer.

NOTE: Many journalism schools and most news gathering organizations suggest that the best and most relevant information can be obtained with the classic  questions: " Who?, What?, When?, Where?, Why?, and sometimes How? Seems like a good way to begin our FAQ!

Who is InfringementWatch.org?        Who can join i-Watch?

What does InfringementWatch.org do?

When was InfringementWatch.org founded?

Where is InfringementWatch.org headquartered?      Where can i-Watch take action?

Why does InfringementWatch.org exist?

How much does membership cost?

(A) We're a membership association of artists, photographers, illustrators, cartoonists and other creators, owners or authorized licensees of original visual images, which has organized - with the aid of its own Legal Counsel - a network of attorneys throughout North America to protect the copyright interests of its Members. 

Who can join i-Watch?

(A) Membership in InfringementWatch.org is open to visual artists in virtually all media (and to authorized exhibitors or sellers of such work) by application, submission of the appropriate dues payment and acceptance by the organization's executive committee. Only those applicants known by i-Watch officers or staff to be infringers themselves are normally denied membership.

What is InfringementWatch.org?

(A) InfringementWatch.org is a not-for-profit professional organization. Its mission is to combine the experience, knowledge, clout and resources of a group of owners, creators and/or authorized exhibitors of visual material to the end of better and more effectively preventing and/or removing the unauthorized posting or exhibition of  copyright images belonging to its Members.

When was InfringementWatch.org founded?

(A) Several of the founding Members first discussed the idea among themselves and a number of attorneys beginning in mid-1996. Discussion and planning continued with some frequency thereafter; and our formal organization date was April 30, 2000.

Where is InfringementWatch.org headquartered?

(A) Washington, DC USA.

Where can i-Watch take action?

(A) The Internet is a truly international institution; and the powers of laws and courts, the vagaries of juristiction and authority, the costs of action, the variety of languages, and the complexities of treaties - all combine to make international enforcement of copyrights a daunting challenge. Still, the vast majority of nations, businesses and institutions connecting to the Internet truly seek to honor the rights of artists, creators and owners of original work. The simple answer is that even though the methods, the agencies and the authorities may differ, effective action may be taken almost anywhere - maybe everywhere.

Why does InfringementWatch.org exist?

(A) People borrow; people steal; people misunderstand the law (read "Copyright Myths" by Brad Templeton, Chairman of The Electronic Frontiers Foundation - linked by permission!); people are careless; and it sometimes takes a fair amount of knowledge, experience and skill just to find and notify an infringer, isp or website host. As a well-counseled and growing organization, we benefit from the knowledge and experience of many.

How much does membership cost?

(A) Individual copyright owners may choose to pay their membership dues quarterly (at $45 every 90 days), or annually (at $75 a year). Exhibtor Members pay dues of $95 (quarterly), or $195 (annually). Each Membership Plan includes staff action on a specific number of reported Infringement Incidents, as well as a schedule of fees for action on Incidents beyond the included number. See "Terms of Membership" for details.