Copyright & DMCA Policy

Last updated: July 10, 2026

Our Approach to Copyright

GridWatch is an independent public-interest news and accountability publisher. We respect the copyrights of others, and we structure our own publishing accordingly:

  • We quote and link. We never republish full articles. When we cover someone else’s journalism, we link readers to the original source. We do not store or republish full copies of other outlets’ articles anywhere on this site. Story pages in The National Index are our own metadata records — headlines, links, and factual details that point to the original publisher.
  • Headlines, links, and facts. Much of what The National Index archives — headlines, hyperlinks, dates, and underlying facts — is the kind of material copyright does not protect. We collect and organize it to help the public follow news about the data-center buildout and its impact on power, water, and taxes.
  • Fair use. Where we quote from or excerpt copyrighted material, we do so for commentary, criticism, and news reporting — purposes at the heart of the fair use doctrine. We keep quotations limited and always identify and link to the source.
  • Embedded video. Videos in our Video Library are embedded from YouTube and remain hosted there. We do not host or copy the videos; we publish our own original commentary alongside them.

Public-Record Documents

Our document repository contains public records: permits, contracts, incentive agreements, utility filings, audits, and policies obtained through public-records requests or contributed by local chapters. We publish these as public records. Publication of a public record does not imply any endorsement of its contents, or any allegation beyond what the record itself states.

Filing a DMCA Takedown Notice

If you believe material on this site infringes a copyright you own or are authorized to enforce, you may send us a takedown notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. To be effective under 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3), your notice must include all of the following:

  1. Identification of the copyrighted work you claim has been infringed (or, if your notice covers multiple works, a representative list of them).
  2. Identification of the material you claim is infringing and enough information for us to locate it — include the specific URL(s) on our site.
  3. Your contact information: name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.
  4. A statement that you have a good-faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
  5. A statement that the information in your notice is accurate, and — under penalty of perjury — that you are the copyright owner or are authorized to act on the owner’s behalf.
  6. Your physical or electronic signature.

Incomplete notices may not be actionable, so please include every item above.

Where to Send a Notice

Send DMCA notices to us through our contact page. Mark your message “DMCA notice” so it is routed and handled promptly. When we receive a valid notice, we will review it and remove or disable access to the identified material where required, and we will make a reasonable effort to notify the person who provided the material.

Counter-Notices

If material you submitted to this site was removed in response to a takedown notice and you believe the removal was the result of a mistake or misidentification, you may send us a counter-notice through the same contact page, marked “DMCA counter-notice”. A counter-notice must include:

  1. Identification of the material that was removed and the location where it appeared before it was removed.
  2. A statement, under penalty of perjury, that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification.
  3. Your name, address, and telephone number.
  4. A statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for the judicial district in which your address is located (or, if you are outside the United States, any judicial district in which we may be found), and that you will accept service of process from the person who filed the original takedown notice or that person’s agent.
  5. Your physical or electronic signature.

If we receive a valid counter-notice, we may restore the removed material in not less than 10 and not more than 14 business days, unless the original complainant first notifies us that they have filed a court action seeking to restrain the allegedly infringing activity.

Misrepresentation

Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), a person who knowingly and materially misrepresents that material is infringing — or that material was removed by mistake — may be liable for damages, including costs and attorneys’ fees. Please do not use the DMCA process to target quotation, criticism, commentary, or other lawful uses.

Repeat Infringers

In appropriate circumstances, we will terminate the ability of repeat infringers to submit material to this site, including document contributions and comments.