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
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 handle foreign DMCA notices differently than others. Pick a host that explains how it handles complaints, and remember that every country on this list still has its own copyright law.
Russia
Russian hosts don't have to act on US DMCA notices, because the DMCA is a US law. That doesn't make Russia a safe place for copyright infringement: Russia has its own copyright law, and courts can order sites blocked.
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.
Hosting in Russia also comes with practical risks, such as payment restrictions and blocking by other countries, so it suits few legitimate projects.
Bulgaria
The next country on our DMCA ignored countries list is Bulgaria. As an EU member, Bulgaria follows EU copyright rules, not the US DMCA.
Many Bulgarian hosts review a DMCA notice under local law instead of removing content automatically. That protects you from false or abusive takedown requests, but it doesn't protect content that really infringes copyright.
Keep in mind that Bulgaria scores poorly on corruption indexes compared with most EU countries, which matters if you plan to host sensitive political content.
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. The Netherlands is a strong choice for privacy and for websites sharing political views.
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 review DMCA notices under local and EU law instead of removing content automatically.
Luxembourg also has a high cost of living, which makes legal action there expensive. That said, EU copyright law applies in Luxembourg, so infringing content can still be taken down.
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.
Many hosting providers in the city don't act on DMCA notices automatically, but Hong Kong has its own copyright law. 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.
Still, Singapore enforces its own copyright law.
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.
Many global hosts offer servers in Singapore, but it's not a place to host infringing content.
Malaysia
Malaysian hosts don't have to follow US DMCA notices, and several of them offer privacy-focused hosting to international customers.
Some accept crypto payments and need very little personal information to sign up. That reduces the data tied to your account, but it doesn't make you untraceable or protect you from legal action over illegal content.
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 check how your host handles complaints before you rely on it.
Switzerland
If privacy is your priority, 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.
Swiss hosts review copyright complaints under Swiss law, so a US DMCA notice alone usually isn't enough to remove a site.
Moldova
Moldova is another country where hosts don't have to follow US DMCA notices. This eastern European nation is popular with privacy-focused hosts.
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 for privacy-focused hosting. 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.
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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 don't have to act on DMCA takedown notices, because they aren't bound by US law. They still follow their own country's copyright law, so infringing content can still be removed.
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.
If your website is hosted in a DMCA-ignored country, your host may not act on the notice. But local copyright law still applies, and the copyright owner can take action in that country.
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.
