Just About Watches
How Just About Watches Uses Images — Policy, Protections, and Contact Information.
At Just About Watches we treat images as part of the story. Photographs, macros, historical adverts and editorial stills are carefully chosen to complement our long-form writing; they are not decorative extras but narrative partners. When an image on our site is not always one we own outright, we may only use it after taking one of the following lawful steps:
• we have an explicit licence from the copyright owner;
• the image is used under a recognised open licence (for example a Creative Commons licence) and we follow that licence’s attribution and reuse terms; or
• we rely on an applicable legal exception (for example, “fair use” in the United States or “fair dealing” in the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions where appropriate), and we use those exceptions responsibly and in good faith.
We always attribute images to their owners where required and where attribution information is available. If you see an image on this site you believe has been used improperly, please contact us — contact details and a takedown procedure are below.
Legal framework: the rules we rely on (short guide and citations)
United States — fair use and the DMCA
In the United States the principal statutory framework is Section 107 of the Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 107), which sets out the doctrine of “fair use.” Fair use is a fact-sensitive balancing test that considers purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research; and it weighs four statutory factors (purpose and character of the use, nature of the copyrighted work, amount used, and effect on the market). We consider fair use carefully before relying on it for editorial purposes.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), under 17 U.S.C. § 512, provides a notice-and-takedown procedure for copyright owners and also offers “safe harbour” protections for online service providers that promptly respond to proper takedown notices. If you are in the U.S. and believe your copyright has been infringed on our site, the DMCA sets out the information your notice should include. We respond to such notices in good faith.
United Kingdom — fair dealing and acknowledgement
In the UK, the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA) provides for more limited exceptions sometimes called “fair dealing” (for purposes such as criticism, review, news reporting, or caricature/parody). Fair dealing is narrower than the U.S. doctrine of fair use and often requires, among other things, that the dealing be fair and accompanied by sufficient acknowledgement of the original author where appropriate. We respect UK law and rely on these exceptions only when a careful fairness analysis supports doing so.
European Union and other jurisdictions
EU member states implement the InfoSoc Directive (2001/29/EC) and other measures differently; exceptions and limitations can vary across countries. In short: exceptions to copyright exist, but they are jurisdiction-specific and often limited; we consider local law before relying on any exception.
Creative Commons and other open licences
Some images online are shared under Creative Commons (CC) licences that explicitly permit reuse under stated terms (for instance CC BY, CC BY-SA, CC BY-NC). When we use CC-licensed images, we follow best practices: we include the title (if available), the author’s name, the source (a link where practical), and the licence (with link), commonly remembered as TASL (Title — Author — Source — License). If you provided an image under a CC licence and we’ve attributed it incorrectly, please contact us and we will correct the attribution promptly.
How we attribute images on the site
Where images are not our property we include clear on-page attributions in captions or in the image credit line, showing the rights holder and the licence (where applicable). Where an image is used under licence or under a permitted exception, we indicate that fact in the caption and preserve any author-provided credit lines as required by the licence.
A plain-English list of what this means for readers and rights-holders
• If you own an image and see it on our site, look for the caption or credit line. We attribute where possible.
• If you licensed an image to us but the credit line is missing or incorrect, we will correct it quickly if you notify us.
• If you believe we used your image without a proper licence, or that we misapplied a legal exception, please contact us (details below). We will investigate and, if appropriate, remove the image promptly.
• If an image is licensed under Creative Commons, you may reuse it under the CC terms; we will show the CC licence alongside the image as required.
How to contact us if you have a concern (DMCA / notice procedure & template)
We aim to resolve image concerns quickly and respectfully. If you are the copyright owner or authorised agent and have a complaint, please use the contact details below and include the required information. If you are in the U.S. and wish to file a DMCA notice, 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3) specifies the information to include — we summarise that below and provide a template you can copy and paste.
Please send your concerns to:
Email: support@justaboutwatches.com
Postal: Just About Watches, [insert postal address], Attn: Copyright Agent
(If you would like us to use a different email or address on the published policy page, replace the email and address above with your actual contact.)
What to include in your notice (minimum):
1. A physical or electronic signature of the person authorised to act on behalf of the copyright owner;
2. Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to be infringed (including URL or other location information on our site where the material appears);
3. Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing and a description of where it is located on our site (e.g., article URL);
4. Information reasonably sufficient to permit us to contact you (email, telephone, postal address);
5. A statement that you have a good-faith belief that use of the material is not authorised by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
6. A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorised to act on the owner’s behalf.
Sample DMCA-style notice (please adapt to your needs)
To: support@justaboutwatches.com
Date: [insert date]
I, [name], declare under penalty of perjury that I am the owner (or authorised to act on behalf of the owner) of certain exclusive rights in the copyrighted work described below. I have a good-faith belief that the use of the copyrighted work described below on the website justaboutwatches.com is not authorised by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law. I hereby request that you remove or disable access to the material alleged to be infringing.
1. Description of the copyrighted work: [describe or attach]
2. Location on our site of the allegedly infringing material: [provide one or more URLs]
3. My contact information: [name, address, telephone, email]
4. I declare under penalty of perjury that the information in this notice is accurate and that I am the copyright owner or authorised to act on behalf of the owner.
Signed: [digital or physical signature]
—end—
How we handle takedown requests and counter-notifications
We review all valid notices. If we determine that the complaint is valid, we will remove or disable access to the content promptly and will notify the party who posted the content when feasible. If the person who posted the content believes it was removed in error (for example because the use was fair use or properly licensed), they may submit a counter-notification; where applicable we will follow the statutory counter-notice procedures set out in the DMCA and applicable local law. Our goal is to handle these matters promptly and transparently.
Creative Commons: how we attribute and what we do when licenses are violated
When we use a CC-licensed image, we include the title (if supplied), the creator’s name, the source link and the CC license name (and link to the licence text). That follows the Creative Commons “TASL” guidance (Title, Author, Source, License), which is the recommended best practice for attribution. If a CC-licensed image is reposted without the required attribution or in a way that violates the licence terms, the licence-holder may notify us and we will act to remedy the situation.
A few practical notes for rights-holders
• If you have licensed an image under Creative Commons and you want broader control, consider contacting us to discuss a direct licence — we respect creators’ wishes and can replace a CC image with a properly licensed replacement where agreed.
• If you believe we have misattributed an image, please let us know — most problems are resolved quickly by updating the credit line.
• If you are unsure whether your use is “fair use” or “fair dealing,” please consult an attorney — we can’t provide legal advice but we will cooperate in good faith with rights-holders and their authors.
Our commitment and your rights
We commit to publishing clear attribution where possible, to removing content that legitimately infringes rights, and to cooperating with rights-holders and their agents. We also commit to defending lawful uses — for example, properly argued fair use or fair dealing — when raised with us in good faith. We believe open, respectful dialogue solves most issues.
All images: ownership statement
All images on this site are either: (a) owned by Just About Watches; (b) used under licence from the rights holder; (c) used under an applicable open licence such as the Creative Commons licence; or (d) used under a legal exception such as fair use/fair dealing. Where an image is used under licence, we display attribution and licence details where required by that licence. Rights remain with the respective owners unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved by the respective rights holder(s), except where a licence explicitly permits reuse.
Disclaimer — this is informational only
This page is intended to explain our approach to image use in plain language. It does not constitute legal advice. Copyright law varies by jurisdiction and can be complex; if you require legal advice about a particular incident, please consult a qualified attorney in your jurisdiction.
Key legal references (selected)
• United States — 17 U.S.C. § 107 (fair use).
• United States — 17 U.S.C. § 512 (DMCA notice-and-takedown and service provider safe harbours).
• United Kingdom — Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (fair dealing exceptions, sections on criticism/review and acknowledgement).
• European Union — InfoSoc Directive (2001/29/EC) and member states’ transpositions concerning exceptions and limitations.
• Creative Commons — licence types and best-practice attribution (TASL).
Image Integrity: We respect all image copyrights and intellectual property. When featuring photography, we always strive to credit the rights holder either by implication or explicitly, recognising that proper attribution and coverage often serve as a valuable platform for the owner’s work.
