Copyright and Intellectual Property
Effective Date: July 6, 2026
Last Updated: June 4, 2026
Version: 1.0
IMPORTANT: SecondBook respects intellectual property rights and expects the same from its users. This document describes our copyright policy and the procedure for filing infringement complaints.
Operator / Responsible Party
The 2ndBook service is provided by Ilnur Stybayev, an independent individual developer (not a legal entity). 2ndBook is a non-commercial tool that lets users find and contact each other directly. The operator is not a party to any transaction between users, does not hold, transfer or retain funds, and charges no commission. Any purchase, sale or exchange happens directly between users and outside the operator's responsibility. Data protection contact: support@secondbook.kz.
1. General Provisions
1.1. Our Position
SecondBook is a platform for exchanging and selling physical books between users. We:
- Respect the copyrights of authors, publishers, and other rights holders;
- Do not encourage or allow the distribution of counterfeit products;
- Respond promptly to substantiated copyright infringement complaints;
- Cooperate with rights holders to protect their interests.
1.2. Applicable Legislation
Our policy is based on:
- Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Copyright and Related Rights";
- Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works;
- Universal Copyright Convention;
- Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) — for international cases;
- EU Copyright Directive in the Digital Single Market — for EU users.
2. SecondBook Content Rights
2.1. SecondBook Intellectual Property
The following elements are the property of SecondBook and are protected by intellectual property laws:
- Trademarks: the name "SecondBook", logo, slogans;
- Software: website, mobile applications, API;
- Design: interface, graphic elements, icons;
- Databases: catalog structure and organization;
- Content: texts created by SecondBook (help, category descriptions, etc.).
2.2. Prohibited Use
Without written permission from SecondBook, it is prohibited to:
- Copy, modify, or distribute our content;
- Use our trademarks;
- Create derivative works based on our service;
- Use automated means for data collection (scraping);
- Decompile or reverse engineer our software.
3. Book Sales and Exchange
3.1. First Sale Doctrine
What this means: After legally purchasing a physical book, you have the right to resell or gift it without permission from the copyright holder. This is called the "first sale doctrine" or "exhaustion of rights".
SecondBook allows the sale and exchange of:
- Physical books legally purchased by you;
- Books received as gifts;
- Books from your personal library.
3.2. What Is Prohibited
It is prohibited to list on SecondBook:
- Counterfeit books: illegal copies, forgeries;
- Pirated editions: illegally printed copies;
- E-books: selling digital copies violates copyright;
- Scanned books: distribution of scans is prohibited;
- Promo copies: books marked "Not for Sale" (unless permitted by publisher);
- Books with removed protection: with DRM tags removed.
3.3. Special Cases
| Book Type |
Can Be Sold? |
Note |
| Regular books |
✅ Yes |
First sale doctrine |
| Gift books |
✅ Yes |
You are the legal owner |
| Antiquarian books |
✅ Yes |
No restrictions |
| Signed books |
✅ Yes |
Collectible value |
| Textbooks |
✅ Yes |
Check the license |
| E-books |
❌ No |
License, not ownership |
| Pirated copies |
❌ No |
Illegal |
| Library books |
❌ No |
Not your property |
4. Complaint Procedure (DMCA Takedown)
⚠️ For Rights Holders: If you believe your copyright has been infringed on SecondBook, you may file a complaint following the procedure described below.
4.1. Notice Requirements
A copyright infringement notice must contain:
- Work identification: title, author, ISBN (if available), link to original;
- Infringing material identification: URL of the listing on SecondBook;
- Complainant contact details: name, address, email, phone;
- Good faith statement: "I have a good faith belief that the use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law";
- Accuracy statement: "The information in this notice is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, I state that I am authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner";
- Signature: physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or authorized person.
4.2. Where to Send Complaints
Email: support@secondbook.kz
Subject line: DMCA Takedown Notice — [book title/author]
4.3. Processing Times
| Action |
Timeframe |
| Complaint receipt confirmation |
24 hours |
| Initial assessment |
48-72 hours |
| Material removal (if justified) |
Up to 7 business days |
| User notification |
After removal |
4.4. Counter-Notification
If you believe your content was removed in error, you may file a counter-notification containing:
- Your identification and contact details;
- Identification of the removed material;
- Statement under penalty of perjury of good faith mistake;
- Consent to court jurisdiction;
- Your signature.
5. User Content
5.1. Your Obligations
By posting content on SecondBook (photos, descriptions, reviews), you warrant that:
- You are the author of the content or have the right to use it;
- The content does not infringe third-party rights;
- You have the right to grant SecondBook a license to use the content.
5.2. License to SecondBook
By posting content, you grant SecondBook:
- Non-exclusive license;
- Royalty-free license;
- Worldwide license;
- To use, copy, modify, publicly display your content;
- For the purposes of operating and promoting the Service.
5.3. Book Photos
When photographing books:
- ✅ Allowed: photos of cover, spine, general condition;
- ✅ Allowed: photos of a few pages to demonstrate condition;
- ❌ Prohibited: photos of entire book contents;
- ❌ Prohibited: publication of book text.
6. Liability
6.1. User Liability
Users bear full responsibility for:
- Legality of books being sold/exchanged;
- Compliance with copyright when posting content;
- Accuracy of information about the source of book acquisition.
6.2. SecondBook Liability
SecondBook:
- Does not proactively verify the legality of each book;
- Acts as an information intermediary;
- Responds to substantiated complaints from rights holders;
- Applies sanctions to violators.
6.3. Sanctions for Violations
| Violation |
Sanction |
| First violation |
Listing removal + warning |
| Repeat violation |
Temporary block (7-30 days) |
| Systematic violations |
Permanent account block |
| Malicious actions |
Block + data transfer to law enforcement |
7. International Aspects
7.1. Territorial Features
Copyright is territorial in nature. What is legal in one country may be illegal in another. Users must comply with the laws of:
- Their country of residence;
- The country where the buyer is located;
- Kazakhstan (as the operator's country).
7.2. Copyright Duration
| Jurisdiction |
Protection Period |
| Kazakhstan |
Author's life + 70 years |
| Russia |
Author's life + 70 years |
| EU |
Author's life + 70 years |
| USA |
Author's life + 70 years (or 95/120 years for works for hire) |
8. Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell a book I purchased?
Yes. The first sale doctrine allows you to resell a legally purchased physical book.
Can I sell an e-book?
No. E-books are sold under license, not as property. Resale is usually prohibited by the terms of use.
What should I do if my listing was removed?
If you believe the removal was in error, file a counter-notification with proof of your rights.
How do I know if a book is counterfeit?
Signs of counterfeits: low print quality, missing ISBN, format inconsistency, suspiciously low price, missing publisher information.
© 2026 SecondBook. All rights reserved.
Document updated: June 4, 2026 | Version: 1.0 | Copyright Policy