CalFresh Calculator (calfreshcalculator.com) respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects its users and content contributors to do the same. This DMCA & Copyright Policy outlines our procedures for responding to notices of alleged copyright infringement in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 ("DMCA") and other applicable intellectual property laws.
1. Copyright Notice
All content published on the CalFresh Calculator website, including but not limited to text, articles, blog posts, calculator tools, graphics, images, logos, page layouts, user interface designs, software code, and data compilations, is protected by copyright law. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, all content on this website is the original work of CalFresh Calculator and its founder, Wasim Akram.
Copyright ownership of all original content on calfreshcalculator.com is held by:
- CalFresh Calculator (operated by Wasim Akram, Independent Web Publisher since 2018)
- All rights are reserved unless explicitly granted under a specific license or written permission
The compilation of all content on this website, including the arrangement and assembly of text, graphics, and other material, is the exclusive property of CalFresh Calculator and is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. Any unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, or exploitation of the content or layout of this website, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.
2. Our Original Content
CalFresh Calculator creates all original content through rigorous research and editorial processes. Our content includes:
- SNAP eligibility calculator algorithms and logic – Developed based on publicly available federal and state SNAP guidelines, translated into functional estimation tools through our original programming and mathematical modeling
- Blog articles and educational guides – Written by our team based on research of official government sources, academic publications, and public policy documents
- Calculator user interface and design – Custom-designed interface elements, form structures, and result presentation formats
- Explanatory content and interpretations – Our original explanations of SNAP rules, eligibility criteria, and benefit calculation methodologies
While we reference and cite publicly available government regulations, USDA publications, and state SNAP program documentation, the way we synthesize, interpret, and present this information constitutes our original creative work and is protected by copyright.
3. DMCA Takedown Procedure
In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512), CalFresh Calculator has adopted the following procedure for receiving and responding to notifications of claimed copyright infringement. We will respond to clear notices of alleged copyright infringement that comply with the DMCA and other applicable intellectual property laws.
Our DMCA takedown process follows these steps:
- Receipt of DMCA Notice: We receive a written notification of claimed infringement from a copyright holder or their authorized agent
- Review and Verification: We review the notice for substantial compliance with DMCA requirements (see Section 4 below)
- Content Assessment: We evaluate the identified material to determine if it appears to infringe the claimed copyright
- Content Removal or Disablement: If the notice is valid and the material appears infringing, we promptly remove or disable access to the identified material
- Notification to Subscriber: We make a reasonable attempt to notify the party that made the content available (if applicable)
- Counter-Notification Opportunity: The affected party has the opportunity to submit a counter-notification if they believe the removal was improper
- Restoration (if applicable): If a valid counter-notification is received, we may restore the removed material after 10-14 business days, unless the copyright owner files a court action
We strive to process valid DMCA notices within 5 business days of receipt, though complex cases may require additional time for proper evaluation.
4. How to File a DMCA Notice
If you believe that your copyrighted work has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement and is accessible on the CalFresh Calculator website, you may notify us by providing the following information in writing to our Designated DMCA Agent:
Required Elements of a DMCA Notice
To be effective, your DMCA notification must include all of the following elements:
- Identification of the copyrighted work that you claim has been infringed. If multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, provide a representative list of such works
- Identification of the infringing material that is claimed to be infringing and that is to be removed or have access disabled, including information reasonably sufficient to permit CalFresh Calculator to locate the material (such as the specific URL(s) where the material appears)
- Your contact information, including your full legal name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address
- A statement that you have a good faith belief that the use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law
- A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate, and that you are authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright that is allegedly infringed
- Your physical or electronic signature (typing your full legal name at the end of the email constitutes an electronic signature)
DMCA Notice Format
We recommend using the following format when submitting a DMCA notice to ensure all required elements are included:
DMCA Takedown Notice
1. Copyrighted Work: [Description of the original copyrighted work and, if available, its URL]
2. Infringing Material: [Description of the infringing material and the exact URL(s) on calfreshcalculator.com where it appears]
3. Contact Information:
Name: [Your full legal name]
Address: [Your mailing address]
Phone: [Your telephone number]
Email: [Your email address]
4. Good Faith Statement: I have a good faith belief that the use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
5. Accuracy Statement: I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate, and that I am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright that is allegedly infringed.
6. Signature: [Your typed full legal name]
5. Designated DMCA Agent
CalFresh Calculator has designated the following contact as its DMCA Agent for receiving notifications of claimed copyright infringement:
- DMCA Agent: Wasim Akram, Founder
- Email: calfreshcalculator@gmail.com
- Subject Line: Please include "DMCA Takedown Notice" in the subject line of your email
Please submit all DMCA notices via email to the address above. We recommend also sending a copy via certified mail to ensure delivery, though email is our primary method of receiving and processing DMCA notices.
Important: Please ensure your DMCA notice includes all required elements listed in Section 4. Incomplete notices may not be processed, and we may request additional information before taking action.
6. Counter-Notification Procedure
If you believe that material you posted on the CalFresh Calculator website was removed or disabled as a result of a mistake or misidentification, you may submit a counter-notification pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 512(g)(3). A valid counter-notification must include:
- Identification of the specific material that was removed or disabled and the location at which the material appeared before; it was removed or disabled
- A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that you have a good faith belief that the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification
- Your name, address, telephone number, and a statement consenting to the jurisdiction of the Federal District Court for the judicial district in which your address is located (or, if your address is outside the United States, the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California), and that you will accept service of process from the person who provided the original DMCA notification
- Your physical or electronic signature
Please send counter-notifications to calfreshcalculator@gmail.com with "DMCA Counter-Notification" in the subject line.
Upon receipt of a valid counter-notification, CalFresh Calculator will forward a copy to the original complaining party. The removed material may be restored after 10-14 business days unless the copyright owner files an action seeking a court order against the subscriber or user who posted the material.
7. Repeat Infringer Policy
In accordance with the DMCA and applicable law, CalFresh Calculator has adopted and implements a policy of terminating, in appropriate circumstances, the accounts or access of users who are repeat infringers of copyright. A "repeat infringer" is defined as a user who has been the subject of two or more valid DMCA takedown notices regarding content they have submitted to the website.
While CalFresh Calculator does not currently host user-generated content in the traditional sense (such as forums or comment sections), this policy applies to any scenario in which users may submit or post content to the website. We maintain records of DMCA complaints and take repeat infringement seriously as part of our commitment to respecting intellectual property rights.
8. Fair Use Statement
CalFresh Calculator acknowledges and respects the doctrine of fair use as codified in Section 107 of the United States Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 107). Fair use permits limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the copyright holder for purposes such as:
- Criticism and commentary – Reviewing or analyzing copyrighted works
- News reporting – Summarizing or quoting copyrighted works for journalistic purposes
- Teaching, scholarship, and research – Educational use of copyrighted materials
- Parody – Transformative works that comment on or parody original works
In creating our content, we may reference, quote, or summarize publicly available government documents, regulations, and official publications. Such use is consistent with fair use principles, as government works addressing SNAP eligibility criteria and benefit calculations are factual in nature and serve the public interest. We always strive to provide proper attribution and link to original sources when referencing third-party materials.
Similarly, if you wish to use excerpts of our content for purposes that may constitute fair use (such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, or education), you may do so provided you include proper attribution to CalFresh Calculator and link to the original source material on our website.
9. Content Sourcing and Attribution
CalFresh Calculator is committed to transparent content sourcing and proper attribution. Our content creation process follows these principles:
- Original content: All articles, guides, and calculator tools are original works created by our team
- Government sources: We reference publicly available USDA, FDA, and state agency publications, which are generally not subject to copyright protection as works of the U.S. government (17 U.S.C. § 105)
- Proper citation: When we reference or quote non-government sources, we provide clear attribution including the source name, author (if available), and a link to the original material
- Minimal quotation: We quote only the minimum amount necessary from third-party sources to support our educational content
- Transformation: Our content adds original analysis, interpretation, and value beyond simply reproducing source materials
10. Third-Party Content Licensing
Our website may include or display content, code, or resources from third parties under the following licenses:
- Google Fonts (Inter): Licensed under the SIL Open Font License (OFL)
- Google Analytics and Google AdSense: Used under Google's Terms of Service
- Open-source software: Any open-source libraries or frameworks used on our website are used in compliance with their respective licenses
Third-party content displayed through advertising (such as Google AdSense) is the responsibility of the respective advertisers and is not owned or controlled by CalFresh Calculator. Any copyright concerns regarding third-party advertisements should be directed to the appropriate advertising network.
11. Contact Information
For all copyright-related inquiries, DMCA notices, counter-notifications, or questions about this policy, please contact us:
- DMCA Agent / Copyright Inquiries: Wasim Akram
- Email: calfreshcalculator@gmail.com
- Website: calfreshcalculator.com/contact
For DMCA notices, please include "DMCA Takedown Notice" in the subject line. For counter-notifications, please include "DMCA Counter-Notification" in the subject line. For general copyright questions, please include "Copyright Inquiry" in the subject line.
We will acknowledge receipt of all DMCA notices within 2 business days and make every reasonable effort to process valid notices within 5 business days.
CalFresh Calculator is committed to protecting intellectual property rights and maintaining the integrity of our original content. We take copyright infringement seriously and will act expeditiously to remove infringing material upon receipt of a valid DMCA notice. This policy was last updated on August 8, 2026, by Wasim Akram, founder of CalFresh Calculator.