This policy explains how to report abuse and copyright infringement to us, how we handle it, and what we can and cannot do under Hong Kong law.
1. One common misunderstanding first
Hong Kong has no US-style DMCA. The local law covering online infringement is the Copyright Ordinance (Cap. 528), which provides a notice-and-takedown mechanism and liability protection for "online service providers". Note, though, that we are a domain registration reseller, not a host. We cannot remove a page, video or post sitting on someone else's server. What we can do is suspend or terminate the domain under our Acceptable Use Policy, and pass the complaint to the registrar, the registry or law enforcement.
2. How to report
What you can report. You do not have to work out first whether it is our problem - send it to us and we will say what we can do and who else should see it.
| Type | What it usually looks like | What we can do |
|---|---|---|
| Spam | Bulk unsolicited commercial mail from a domain | Require the holder to stop; suspend the domain if it continues |
| Phishing and fraud | Brand lookalike sign-in pages, fake payment requests, fake shops | Suspend the domain immediately where warranted, and refer to the registrar and law enforcement |
| Malware | Distributing trojans, ransomware or injected scripts | Require removal; suspend in an emergency |
| Copyright infringement | Copying or distributing a work without permission | Refer to the holder and act under the AUP; the page content itself is the host responsibility |
| Trademark and impersonation | Confusingly close to a known brand and used to mislead | Refer to the registrar and registry, and act on a dispute decision |
| Child safety | Material that harms minors | Suspend immediately and refer to law enforcement |
| Network attacks | A domain used to launch or support attacks | Suspend and cooperate with the investigation |
| False registration data | Contact details in the register that are plainly invalid | Require correction within a deadline; suspend if it is not met |
Send your complaint to hp@ry.hk, with "abuse report" or "copyright complaint" in the subject line. To let us act quickly, please give as much of this as you can:
- the domain complained of, and the URL or service in question;
- the facts and evidence (screenshots, logs, full email headers, a comparison of the infringing and original works);
- your relationship to the matter (rights holder, exclusive licensee, affected party or agent);
- for copyright complaints: proof of your rights, where the allegedly infringing material is, your contact details and postal address, and a statement that you have a good faith belief that the use is not authorised by the rights holder, its agent or the law, and that the information in your notice is accurate and you accept liability for a false statement;
- whether you consent to us passing your complaint (including your contact details) to the domain holder or the registrar.
3. How we handle it
- Within 1 working day: we acknowledge and check the report is complete.
- Within 3 working days: we make a preliminary assessment, check the WHOIS record, and where appropriate notify the domain holder and give them a reasonable time to reply (usually 3 working days).
- Within 10 working days: we decide and tell both sides. Where the matter is urgent - a phishing site, malware, a risk to children - we may suspend the domain immediately and notify afterwards.
- Reports that clearly raise a registration policy breach are passed to the registrar, the registry or ICANN; for .hk domains, to the Hong Kong Domain Name Registration Company Limited (HKDNR) under its dispute resolution mechanism.
4. Possible outcomes
- the holder is required to remove the offending content or correct the registration data;
- the domain is suspended from resolving (only where the abuse is serious or urgent);
- the registration is terminated;
- the complaint is rejected, with reasons;
- the matter is referred to law enforcement (for example the Hong Kong Police Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau).
5. The rights of the person complained about
If you are the domain holder and receive a notice, you may object, answer or provide your own evidence within the deadline. We weigh both sides. You may also bring proceedings separately under ICANN's Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) or the Uniform Rapid Suspension system (URS); for .hk domains, under HKDNR's dispute resolution policy before an approved provider.
6. Repeat infringers
Customers who repeatedly infringe, send spam or commit fraud face stronger measures, including account termination and refusal of further service.
7. Bad faith complaints
Where a complaint is made in bad faith, to harm a legitimate holder, or knowing the material is lawful, we may decline to act and reserve our rights.
8. Law enforcement and formal process
We cooperate, so far as the law allows, with formal requests from the Hong Kong Police, Customs, the Communications Authority, the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data and the courts. The data we disclose goes no further than the law requires.
9. A report template you can copy
Filling this in and sending it saves a round trip:
Subject: Abuse report - [domain]
1. Domain complained about: [example.com]
2. URL or service involved: [https://...]
3. Type: [spam / phishing / malware / copyright / trademark / fraud / other]
4. What happened: [when you saw it, what it does, who it affects]
5. Evidence attached: [screenshots / mail headers / logs / comparison with the original work]
6. Your relationship to the material: [rights holder / exclusive licensee / affected party / agent]
7. Your contact details: [name, email, phone, postal address]
8. May we pass this to the domain holder or the registrar: [yes / no]
For a copyright complaint, also attach proof of your rights (registration, evidence of creation, the page where it was published), and these two statements: that you believe in good faith that the use is not authorised by the rights holder, their agent or the law, and that the information in the notice is accurate and you accept liability for a false statement.
10. How long it takes
| Stage | Time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledgement | Within 1 working day | We confirm receipt and check the report is complete; if not, we set out everything that is missing in one message |
| Initial assessment | Within 3 working days | We examine the registration record and the material, and where appropriate notify the holder and give them a reasonable time to respond |
| Decision | Within 10 working days | A decision is reached and both sides are told, with reasons |
| Urgent cases | Immediate | Phishing, malware and child safety risks can be suspended first, with both sides told afterwards |
| Complex cases | Up to 20 working days | Where material has to be gathered from several parties or the registry has to answer, we say so in writing and explain the delay |
11. What evidence we need
- Time and place. The date, time and URL where you saw it. A domain without a URL rarely lets us locate the specific material.
- Verifiable originals. For email, the full headers rather than a screenshot of a forwarded message. For a web page, a dated screenshot or an archive link.
- Proof of rights. For copyright, say what the work is, your relationship to it, and when and where it was first published.
- What not to send. Personal data that has nothing to do with the complaint, other people identity documents, private communications you are not authorised to disclose. None of it strengthens a report and some of it creates a new problem.
12. Counter-notice: what the holder can do
If you are the domain holder and receive a notice, you may file a counter-notice within the deadline it gives. A counter-notice should contain:
- your name, address, telephone number and email address;
- the specific location of the material, and why you say the complaint does not hold, with your evidence;
- where copyright is involved, your statement that you believe in good faith that the use is authorised, or is permitted by law;
- consent to the jurisdiction concerned and to service of process from the complainant.
We consider both sides. Once a valid counter-notice is received, if the complainant does not begin legal or dispute proceedings within a reasonable period, we restore what was restricted. Where a suspension affects an entire site and its mail, the decision states the conditions for restoring it.
13. Escalating further
If you think our outcome is wrong you can:
- ask us to review it, with new evidence - the review is carried out by a colleague who was not part of the first decision;
- raise registration policy and compliance issues with the registrar or the registry, or through ICANN compliance;
- for .hk domains, use the dispute procedure of the Hong Kong registry (HKDNR);
- for copyright, bring proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction.
14. What we do not act on
- Requests to remove a page, a video or an account from somebody else server - that is the hosting provider or platform responsibility, and we will say who to approach.
- Anonymous reports that cannot be checked, or reports with no contact address at all. We need at least one address that can be replied to.
- A domain sale negotiation being pursued through the abuse channel. Price, negotiation and performance of a contract are civil matters, not abuse.
- Repeated complaints made in bad faith. Where the same matter is raised again with no new evidence, we will say in the reply that we are not reopening it.
15. Contact and address
- Abuse and copyright reports: hp@ry.hk
- Anything else: open a ticket in the client area so that the whole record is in one place
- Postal address and the registered details of the company: shown at the top of this page, and in Registrar and registrant information
We handle written requests within the times set out in this policy. For a formal request from law enforcement, please give the agency, the case reference and the legal basis; we will cooperate as the law requires.