Dear Website Owner:

 

It has come to our attention that you have made an unauthorized use of the copyrighted poem, entitled, "Heaven's Very Special Child".  The author of the copyrighted Poem, Edna Massimilla, has reserved all of her rights in the Poem, which was first published and registered as a poem with the U. S. Copyright Office in 1956.  Edna Massimilla thereafter recorded the poem as a song, and registered it as "words and music" in 1975.  The Poem is also included as part of numerous compilations and derivative works of Edna Massimilla, which works have also been published and registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in the years following 1956, up to and including 2004. 

 

As you neither asked for nor received permission to use, copy, distribute or print the Poem, including electronic copies of the Poem, please be aware that, to the best of our knowledge, information, and belief, you have willfully infringed Edna Massimilla's rights under 17 U.S. Code Section 101 et seq. and could be liable for damages as set forth in 17 U. S. Code Section 504. 

 

In the event that you were unaware of the Poem's author and of her copyrights, and/or unaware of the U.S. Copyright Law as it relates to unauthorized use of copyrighted material on your website, please be respectfully advised that you may not continue to use the Poem without Edna Massimilla's express written permission to do so.

 

We are sympathetic to those of you who have found personal comfort, and not monetary gain, from your use of the Poem on your website.  Edna Massimilla, as a mother of a Down's Syndrome child herself, is surely not adverse to the use of her Poem on a website that has been created by the loving families of special needs children, and keeps each and every special needs child in her prayers.  However, be advised that should you wish use the Poem on your website, you must first request and obtain specific written permission to do so by sending a written request to:  Edna Massimilla, Heaven's Very Special Child, Inc., P. O. Box 242, Hatboro, Pennsylvania, 19040.

 

Your request must include the name of your website, the name, address, and phone number of the website's owner, your reason for requesting permission to use the Poem, how, when, and where the Poem will be used, and whether or not your website is or will be linked to other websites which promote any specific causes, request donations, and/or which promote or sell any products.

 

In the event that we do not receive a response from you within ten (10) days of the date of this email, we regret that we will have no alternative but to take further action against you, should you continue authorized use of the copyrighted poem, "Heaven's Very Special Child", on your website.

 

We look forward to hearing from you in all hopes of amicably and timely resolving this matter.

 

                                    Heaven's Very Special Child, Inc.