What I can act on
This site lets people create tokens on Solana. Some of them choose to upload their token image through my storage rather than their own account, which makes me the host of that file. Those are the files I can remove.
Send a notice if content hosted through this site:
- Infringes your copyright or trademark. You own an image, or hold the rights to it, and it is being used without your permission.
- Is illegal. Child sexual abuse material, terrorist content, or anything else unlawful. These are acted on immediately and reported to the relevant authorities.
- Contains your personal data. A photograph of you, or other information identifying you, used without your consent.
- Impersonates you or your project. A token using your brand, logo or identity to mislead people.
What removal actually achieves, and what it does not
This part surprises people, so it is worth being plain about before you write to me.
I can stop hosting a file
If a file was uploaded through my storage, I can unpin it. That removes it from my account and I stop serving it.
I cannot delete it from IPFS
IPFS is a distributed network. Once content has been published, any other node that copied it can keep serving it indefinitely. Unpinning stops me hosting it. It does not and cannot make the content disappear from the internet. No host can offer that, and anyone who claims otherwise is mistaken.
I cannot change anything on the blockchain
A token's name, symbol and the link to its image are written to Solana permanently. Nobody can edit or delete them, including me, including the person who created the token. A removal request cannot change what is recorded on chain.
IPFS identifies content by its contents rather than by a filename, so two identical images are one single file with one address. If another person has created a token using the same image, removing it affects their token as well as the one you are reporting.
I weigh that when deciding. For illegal content or a clear infringement, I remove it and accept the effect on others. For a weaker claim, I may decline, or ask you for more before acting.
What a notice must contain
Send these to [email protected]. Incomplete notices will be sent back with a request for what is missing, which only slows things down for you.
- The exact address of the content. A link beginning
https://gateway.pinata.cloud/ipfs/, or the token's mint address if that is all you have. Without this I cannot identify the file. - What the content is, and what right it infringes. Describe the work or the material, and say whether this is a copyright claim, a trademark claim, a personal data matter, or a report of illegal content.
- Evidence that the right is yours. For a copyright claim, something showing you created or own the work: the original file at a higher resolution, source files, an earlier dated publication, or a registration. A screenshot of the content you are reporting is not evidence of ownership.
- A statement that the use is not authorised by you, your agent, or the law.
- A statement that the information in your notice is accurate, and that you are the rights holder or authorised to act on their behalf.
- Your real name and contact details, including a postal address and an email address I can reply to.
For reports of illegal content, items 3 and 4 are not needed. Send the address and a description and I will act on it.
A takedown notice can break somebody's token. Submitting one in bad faith, to damage a competitor or to remove content you do not own, may expose you to liability to the person affected. I keep a record of every notice received, including who sent it, what they claimed, and what was done.
What happens after you send one
- I acknowledge the notice, usually within a few days. This is a project run by one person, so I cannot promise a response time, though illegal content is dealt with as a priority.
- I check the file is one I host, and look at what you have sent.
- I check whether other tokens depend on the same file, so I know what removal would affect.
- If the notice is valid, I unpin the content and tell you it is done.
- If a token other than the reported one was affected, I tell that person what happened and why.
- If I decline, I tell you the reason, so you can decide what to do next.
If your content was removed and you disagree
Write to the same address. Give the content's address, explain why you believe the claim was wrong, and include your real name and contact details.
If your explanation holds up, I will say so and pass your contact details to the person who made the claim so the two of you can resolve it. I am not in a position to decide a genuine ownership dispute between two parties, and I will not pretend otherwise.
Note that unpinning cannot be undone in the sense you might expect. If the file is still available elsewhere on IPFS it will continue to resolve. If it is not, the only way to restore a token's image is for whoever holds the update authority to point the token at a new one, and that is only possible if they did not revoke it.
Content I cannot help with
- Files uploaded through somebody's own Pinata account. Most people use their own. Those files are pinned under their account and I have no access. Contact Pinata or the person directly.
- Anything written on the blockchain. Names, symbols, supply, authorities. Permanent and beyond anyone's reach.
- Tokens created with other tools. Anyone can create a Solana token without this site. If a token was not made here, I have nothing to do with it and nothing to remove. The token checker will tell you about any token's current state, but it cannot tell you where it was created.
- Disputes about a token's value or conduct. I create tokens. I have no involvement in what anyone does with one afterwards, and no ability to intervene.
Records
I keep a record of each notice received: who sent it, what was claimed, what evidence was provided, what I decided, and when. This is kept so that decisions can be justified later, and because a pattern of false claims is worth being able to show.
How that information is handled is described in the Privacy Notice.