Copyright and Intellectual Property Complaints Policy

Effective date: 24 October 2026 Last updated: 24 October 2026

1. Respect for rights

Publishers and other users must hold the rights needed for content they upload and the particular delivery and marketing uses they authorise, including post-withdrawal uses and any permitted onward use by service providers. Non-exclusive publishing on Guides does not override another platform's valid exclusive licence, a rights holder's restrictions or a commissioned-work agreement.

This is a general copyright-reporting policy. It does not represent that Guides has registered a United States DMCA agent or qualifies for any particular statutory safe harbour. Where an applicable statutory process imposes additional requirements, we will follow that process.

The Creator and Publishing Terms put clearance and accurate restriction disclosures for Publisher-supplied material on the Publisher. Their business-only indemnity allocates specified losses between the parties and is subject to its stated cap and conditions. It does not prevent a rights holder pursuing Guides, excuse Guides' own infringing use, or guarantee that every uploaded work is cleared. A paid purchase, credited author or accepted publishing agreement is not itself proof of third-party permission.

Guides may use withdrawn-Tour Marketing Materials under a valid Continuing Promotional Licence, but may not use it to republish the whole Tour, exceed an asset restriction or continue unlawful use. Withdrawal and rights infringement are different questions: a valid licence can survive ordinary withdrawal; a missing or expired underlying right cannot be repaired by that survival clause.

2. Sending a report

Send a report to hello@guides.app with the subject 'Copyright report'. Reports may concern a live Tour, withdrawn-Tour material, a Guides article, website image, social-media post or advertisement. Include the campaign/post/asset identifier where available. Identify the protected work and rights claimed, the precise allegedly infringing content and its URL or Tour/stop identifier, your contact details, why the use is alleged to infringe, and your authority to act for the rights holder. Provide a statement that the information is accurate and that you honestly believe the identified use is not authorised by the rights holder, its agent or law. Include a physical or electronic signature where a statutory notice requires it.

Do not assume that a similar route, historical fact, place name or general idea alone establishes copyright infringement. Explain the protected expression or other right allegedly copied. Consider lawful exceptions, licences and public-domain material before making a report. Knowingly false or abusive reports may result in proportionate action and legal consequences.

3. Assessment and interim measures

We may ask for clarification, notify the uploader, request rights evidence, disable identified material or apply a proportionate territorial restriction while assessing the report. An urgent, credible infringement concern can trigger an immediate pause of delivery or the affected marketing, including after withdrawal and despite a Tour's minimum publication period. We assess affected assets across our controlled channels and instruct relevant providers where appropriate.

We will act expeditiously where the law requires. We are not a court and a temporary restriction is not a final ruling on ownership. We may need to share the substance of a complaint and relevant contact details with the uploader where necessary for fairness or an applicable legal process, while limiting unnecessary disclosure.

4. Uploader response and restoration

An uploader may explain why the material is authorised, misidentified, protected by an exception or otherwise lawful, with supporting evidence. Do not re-upload restricted material simply to evade review. We will consider the response and restore material where appropriate, subject to court orders and other lawful restrictions.

If a United States DMCA process applies, a compliant counter-notification may require a signature, identification of the removed material and prior location, a statement under penalty of perjury that removal resulted from mistake or misidentification, contact information, the required federal-court jurisdiction consent and acceptance of service. Seek legal advice before submitting such a notice. Any applicable statutory forwarding, notification and restoration timing must be followed. This paragraph does not activate a DMCA-agent designation that has not been completed.

5. Existing purchasers and repeat infringement

A customer-continuity licence is not permission to continue distributing infringing content. Where lawful access cannot continue, we assess correction, replacement or refunds under the purchase terms and allocate costs under the relevant agreements.

We may terminate appropriate repeat-infringer accounts, taking substantiated incidents and relevant circumstances into account and following applicable procedural safeguards. Mistaken complaints are not automatically counted as established infringements.

6. Appeals and contact

You may challenge an action under the Enforcement and Appeals Policy. Mandatory legal remedies remain available. The legacy /legal/dmca address should direct to this policy unless a separately verified US-specific notice is implemented.