DMCA expands to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. It is a US copyright law. protecting 1.13 million websites daily from copyright infringement. Some countries recognize it while others choose to ignore it.
If you fear that your website might get a DMCA takedown notice, here is a DMCA ignored countries list.
9 Best DMCA ignored countries list in 2023
When choosing a country from our list to host your website, there are several things you need to be mindful of. Familiarize yourself with the laws and policies of the hosting country.
Keep in mind that language and cultural barriers also play an important role in choosing one country over another.
Also, choosing the right hosting company in the country is another factor to consider. Not all hosting providers in these countries ignore DMCA. Some hosts are more lenient to DMCA than others. Select the one who is not bothered about any legal troubles for ignoring the DMCA notices.
It will prevent your website content from getting unpublished.
Russia
Russia is the best country to host DMCA-violating content. The country completely disregards the US copyright law. Host your website in Russia when you want to stay away from copyright infringement notices and legal troubles.
The country is quite tolerant of piracy.
That said, Russia does regulate all the content hosted in its jurisdiction and can restrict it. The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) regularly monitors all the published content in Russia.
It disallows politically-sensitive content and pirating of Russian intellectual property. The authority automatically shuts down websites sharing radical political views. So avoid building an inconvenient political website in Russia.
Apart from that, the country is suitable for hosting any type of DMCA-violating website.
Bulgaria
The next country that makes it to our DMCA ignored countries list is Bulgaria because it outright defies the copyright laws. The country brought many changes to its operations after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
But it still disregards US copyright laws and will never bother you for sharing DMCA-violated content.
Most hosting providers in Bulgaria will allow you to host your content even after receiving a DMCA takedown notice. So you can easily build a website in Bulgaria without worrying about its long-term existence.
However, there are some risks associated with hosting political content in Bulgaria too. The country ranks high on the list when it comes to corruption in the European Union. A Bulgarian host can hand you over to the government in exchange for a reward or heavy bribe.
So, hosting a politically incorrect website in Bulgaria is very risky.
Here is a Statista report showing the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score of different European countries in 2022:
Netherlands
The Netherlands is famous for emphasizing privacy and freedom of expression among its citizens in different ways. The Netherlands is the first nation to adopt the Copyright in the Digital Single Market (CDSM) Directive in full.
Here’s a map showing all the European countries implementing this directive:
The Netherlands even restricts the US National Security Agency (NSA) from spying on its internet activity. So the country offers you the safest space to host any type of content. Also, the Netherlands is a great host for websites sharing political views.
The country has never taken down any website hosting political content.
However, it is important to mention that the Netherlands does have a copyright law in place. Therefore, you must familiarize yourself with the rules before hosting your website here.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg, like the Netherlands, is also lax about American copyright infringement. The country is inclined towards its local copyright laws rather than those of the US.
So many hosting companies in Luxembourg allow you to keep your website content online even after receiving DMCA takedown notices.
Another great thing about this northwestern European country is that it has a high cost of living. So it becomes expensive for DMCA lawyers to follow up on cases here. In other words, there are almost nil chances of your content going offline.
Also, no follow-up implies no legal action against you from the US government.
Here is a chart from Numbeo sharing the cost of living index of European nations in 2023:
Hong Kong
Hong Kong city is geographically a part of China. While the Chinese government mandates that you take a unique identification number before hosting anything there, Hong Kong has maintained its jurisdictional independence.
So it does away with this identification number.
Hosting providers in the city do not bother about the DMCA notices. You can expect your website content to remain online even if it leads to copyright infringement in the US. One thing to avoid here is political content.
Hong Kong is in political conflict with China. So it is best to stay away from the topic to prevent any legal action.
Singapore
Singapore too makes way to our DMCA ignored countries list because it doesn’t care much about the US copyright law. The government is quite lenient towards the hosting industry.
So sharing DMCA-violated content in Singapore won’t land you in trouble.
But keep in mind that the country has its local copyright laws. The authorities share the provisions of the latest copyright act on the official government website:
Familiarizing yourself with all the Singaporean hosting rules is very important before selecting a host in the country. The authorities can flag and remove your content if it violates their copyright law.
That said, Singapore is very flexible and lenient in its approach. Many global hosts offering offshore hosting are choosing Singapore over other locations. So it is safe to host DMCA-violated content in this country.
Malaysia
Malaysia is one of the best choices for hosting a DMCA-violating website. The island country respects the privacy of its citizens. It has plenty of hosts offering anonymous hosting services internationally.
You can be sure of anonymity with untraceable accounts and crypto payments. It helps Malaysian hosts in creating a protective layer between you and your content. All this leads to your safety from any legal procedure.
Like most other countries on this list, Malaysia also has its set of local copyright laws regulated by MyIPO. But the data protection rules are quite lenient here. So consider hosting your anonymous website in Malaysia without worrying about DMCA takedown notices.
Switzerland
If you plan to build a website containing DMCA-violated content, Switzerland is a great choice. Privacy here is foremost. The country still has local infringement policies, overseen by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (SFIIP).
Yet, most hosts prioritize this central European country to provide offshore hosting services worldwide. Here are some reasons hosting providers prefer Switzerland, sourced directly from one of the competing hosts in the country:
Another excellent thing about Switzerland, is the way it tackles the eavesdropping of the foreign authorities. The Swiss government restricts the US National Security Agency from spying on its internet activity.
So, you can be sure of your content’s continued online existence even if it is against US copyright law.
Moldova
Moldova is yet another country to host DMCA-violating websites. This eastern European nation values anonymity and freedom of speech. So the authorities are lenient towards following the DMCA rules.
You can also expect to receive identity protection with completely anonymous payment modes from the hosts.
The Republic of Moldova has its local copyright laws. Thus, consider checking out all the rules concerning digital content distribution before choosing to host your website in the country.
That said, Moldova is among the favorite offshore locations of website owners ignoring DMCA. Here is what a leading offshore hosting provider has to say about it:
Conclusion
Choosing the right host is more important than country selection. And every host has unique rules. Even when a hosting provider ignores DMCA, it will not ignore your activities altogether.
Thus, before entrusting your money, confirm whether it allows the content you are planning.
Always be honest and upfront with your host. Shoot them an email sharing the way you want to utilize their server. If the provider isn’t ready to allow the website content you are planning, you’ll save your hosting money when there is no refund option.
Did you enjoy our DMCA-ignored countries list? If yes, please share it socially. If you have any further DMCA-related queries, please bring them up below.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Does DMCA apply internationally?
No, DMCA does not apply internationally. It is US copyright law and its recognition ends at the US borders. But many big hosting providers have their headquarters in the US and are required to follow US law since their business operates from within the country.
In such cases, they follow DMCA guidelines even if their customers are located out of the US.
What does DMCA ignored mean?
DMCA is an acronym for the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. It is a US copyright law that protects copyright infringement both online and offline. DMCA-ignored countries are the ones that do not give importance to this US copyright law.
Web hosting providers in these countries ignore DMCA takedown notices. As a result, it is possible to host a DMCA-violating website here.
What happens if a website ignores DMCA?
If a website ignores DMCA, it will receive a DMCA takedown notice. It means that the website owner needs to remove copyrighted content. If your website is hosted in the US jurisdiction, you must act immediately on the notice. Not doing so can lead to legal action against you.
But if your website is hosted in a DMCA-ignored country, you can ignore it without consequences.
Does DMCA apply to Europe?
No, DMCA does not apply to Europe. The continent has its local copyright laws called the European Union Copyright Directive (EUCD). Also, different European countries have their regional rules governing digital content.
Having said that, some European countries do act on DMCA notices to avoid any troubles with the US authorities.
Does DMCA work in India?
DMCA does not work in India directly because the country has its copyright laws. However, India is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty. So the authorities need to protect American copyrighted content within Indian jurisdiction.
In other words, web hosts in India do respect DMCA and will take down the violating content.
