Intellectual Property Policy

Important Disclaimer

This policy has not been reviewed by a qualified legal professional. Before relying on this policy, you should obtain independent legal advice. StudioLedger strongly recommends you understand all terms before transacting.

1. Purpose and Scope

This Intellectual Property & Copyright Policy ("IP Policy") sets out how StudioLedger Pty Ltd (ACN 696 549 809, ABN 31 696 549 809) ("StudioLedger", "we", "the Platform") handles intellectual property matters, copyright infringement claims, and content takedown requests.

This policy applies to all content hosted on or accessible through the Platform, including but not limited to: profile content, portfolio items, deliverables submitted under contracts, asset listings in the marketplace, and any other user-generated material.

This policy should be read together with the Terms of Service, in particular Section 11 (Intellectual Property).

2. StudioLedger's Role

StudioLedger is a contract transaction facilitator. We provide the infrastructure for creators and marketmakers to negotiate, execute, and settle contracts protected by XRPL escrow.

We do not:

• Create, commission, or direct user-generated content
• Review deliverables for originality or IP compliance before escrow release
• Warrant that any content on the Platform is free from third-party IP claims
• Act as an arbiter of copyright ownership disputes between users or third parties

IP disputes arising from contract deliverables are between the parties to the contract and, where applicable, third-party rights holders. StudioLedger's obligation is limited to processing takedown requests for Platform-hosted content and cooperating with lawful enforcement.

3. IP Ownership — Summary

Full IP ownership rules are set out in the Terms of Service, Section 11. The key principles are:

During a contract: The creator retains all IP rights in the work until acceptance and full payment release.

Upon completion: IP ownership transfers to the marketmaker, unless a License Deal or custom IP clause specifies otherwise. The creator retains the right to use the work in their portfolio and for MCC credentials.

License Deals: The creator retains underlying IP ownership. The marketmaker receives a License MCC (Taxon 2) recording the agreed usage rights on-chain.

Asset sales: For instant purchases through the marketplace (Phase 2-3), IP rights are governed by the license terms set by the creator at listing time, recorded in the License MCC issued to the buyer.

4. Minted Craft Credentials (MCCs) and IP

4.1 What an MCC Records

A Minted Craft Credential is a non-fungible token (XLS-20) minted on the XRP Ledger. An MCC records that a transaction occurred: work was delivered, accepted by the marketmaker, and paid for through escrow. MCCs reference contract terms, deliverable hashes (IPFS), and license conditions in their metadata.

4.2 What an MCC Does Not Certify

An MCC is a transaction record, not a certificate of originality. The MCC certifies that:

• A contract milestone was completed
• The marketmaker approved the deliverable
• Payment was released through escrow

The MCC does not certify that:

• The deliverable is original or free from third-party IP claims
• The creator had the right to use all materials incorporated in the deliverable
• No copyright, trademark, or other IP infringement occurred

4.3 MCCs Are Not Subject to Takedown

MCCs are immutable on-chain transaction records. Because an MCC records that a transaction happened — not that the work was original — MCCs are not removed, burned, or modified in response to IP infringement claims.

If a deliverable is found to contain infringing material, the appropriate remedies are:

• Takedown of the infringing content from Platform-hosted surfaces (profiles, portfolios, marketplace listings) under Section 5 of this policy
• Direct legal action between the rights holder and the infringing party
• Dispute resolution under the contract terms (see Terms of Service, Section 8)

The existence of an MCC does not confer, transfer, or validate any IP rights. It is a record of a commercial transaction.

5. Copyright Infringement — Takedown Process

StudioLedger operates under a notice-and-takedown framework consistent with:

• Part V, Division 2AA of the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (safe harbour provisions for carriage service providers)
• 17 U.S.C. § 512 (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) for US-based rights holders and content

5.1 Filing a Takedown Notice

If you believe content hosted on the Platform infringes your copyright, send a written notice to:

Email: legal@studioledger.ai Subject line: Copyright Infringement Notice — [Brief description]

Your notice must include:

1. Your identity: Full legal name, address, phone number, and email address of the rights holder (or their authorised agent).

2. Identification of the copyrighted work: A description of the work you claim has been infringed, with sufficient detail for identification. If multiple works are involved, provide a representative list.

3. Identification of the infringing content: The specific URL(s) or location(s) on the Platform where the infringing material appears.

4. Basis of claim: A statement explaining how the material infringes your rights. For Australian claimants, identify the exclusive right(s) under the Copyright Act 1968 that you believe have been infringed. For US claimants, identify the right(s) under 17 U.S.C. § 106.

5. Good faith statement: A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorised by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.

6. Accuracy statement: A statement, made under penalty of perjury (for US claimants) or statutory declaration (for Australian claimants), that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorised to act on the owner's behalf.

7. Signature: Your physical or electronic signature (or that of the authorised agent).

Incomplete notices may not be actioned. We will make reasonable efforts to contact you if information is missing.

5.2 Platform Response

Upon receiving a valid takedown notice, StudioLedger will:

1. Acknowledge receipt within 2 business days.

2. Investigate the claim within 5 business days of receipt. Investigation may include reviewing the identified content, comparing it against the claimed original work, and contacting the user who posted the content.

3. Take action if the claim appears substantiated:

   • Remove or disable access to the identified content from Platform-hosted surfaces (profiles, portfolios, marketplace listings, deliverable previews)
   • Notify the user who posted the content ("the respondent") of the takedown and provide a copy of the notice (with your personal contact details redacted unless required by law)
   • Record the takedown in the respondent's account history

4. Preserve evidence: The removed content and associated metadata will be preserved for a minimum of 7 years (consistent with AUSTRAC record-keeping requirements) in case of legal proceedings.

Content that is not hosted on the Platform (including deliverables held only by the contracting parties, IPFS-pinned files, or on-chain data) is outside the scope of this takedown process.

5.3 Counter-Notice

If your content has been removed and you believe the takedown was made in error or that you have authorisation to use the material, you may submit a counter-notice to legal@studioledger.ai containing:

1. Your identity: Full legal name, address, phone number, and email address.

2. Identification of removed content: A description of the content that was removed and the location where it appeared before removal.

3. Basis of dispute: A statement explaining why you believe the content was removed in error or why you have the right to use the material.

4. Consent to jurisdiction: For Australian users, consent to the jurisdiction of the Federal Court of Australia. For US users, consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for the district in which your address is located (or the Southern District of New York if outside the US).

5. Good faith statement: A statement, under penalty of perjury (US) or statutory declaration (Australia), that you have a good faith belief that the material was removed as a result of mistake or misidentification.

6. Signature: Your physical or electronic signature.

5.4 Counter-Notice Response

Upon receiving a valid counter-notice, StudioLedger will:

1. Forward a copy of the counter-notice to the original complainant (with contact details redacted unless required by law).

2. Inform the complainant that the removed content may be restored in 10 business days unless the complainant files a court action seeking a restraining order against the respondent.

3. If no court action is filed within 10 business days, restore the content and notify both parties.

4. If a court action is filed, the content remains removed pending resolution.

6. Repeat Infringers

StudioLedger maintains a policy of terminating accounts of users who are repeat infringers.

A user will be considered a repeat infringer if they receive three or more substantiated takedown notices within any 12-month period where no valid counter-notice was filed or the counter-notice was rejected.

Action on repeat infringement:

• First substantiated notice: Warning and content removal
• Second substantiated notice: Account restriction (unable to create new contracts or listings for 30 days) and content removal
• Third substantiated notice: Account suspension pending review; potential permanent termination

StudioLedger reserves the right to terminate any account at any time for egregious infringement, regardless of the number of prior notices.

7. Trademark

"StudioLedger" is a registered trade mark of StudioLedger Pty Ltd (Trade Mark No. 2641028, IP Australia, Classes 9 and 36). Use of the StudioLedger name, logo, or brand assets without written permission is prohibited.

Users may reference StudioLedger by name for purposes of accurate attribution, commentary, or review, consistent with the fair dealing provisions of the Australian Copyright Act 1968 and equivalent provisions in other jurisdictions.

8. Platform IP

All Platform software, design, documentation, and branding are owned by StudioLedger Pty Ltd or its licensors. Users are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the Platform for its intended purpose.

Users may not:

• Copy, modify, or reverse-engineer Platform software
• Use Platform branding or design elements in their own products
• Scrape, crawl, or bulk-download Platform content

9. User-Generated Content

Users retain ownership of all content they upload to the Platform, subject to the IP transfer and licensing rules in the Terms of Service (Section 11).

By uploading content, you grant StudioLedger a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to:

• Host, display, and cache the content for the purpose of operating the Platform
• Create thumbnails and previews for marketplace listings
• Include content metadata in search indexes

This licence terminates when you remove the content from the Platform, except where the content is referenced in active contracts, MCCs, or legal proceedings.

10. Limitations

This policy does not:

• Create an obligation for StudioLedger to monitor all user content for infringement
• Constitute legal advice regarding IP ownership or copyright law
• Override the terms of any contract between users on the Platform
• Apply to content not hosted on or controlled by StudioLedger

StudioLedger is not liable for IP disputes between users or between users and third parties. Our role is limited to processing takedown requests for Platform-hosted content.

11. Governing Law

This policy is governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the State of Tasmania. Disputes arising under this policy are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Tasmania and the Federal Court of Australia.

For US-based claims under the DMCA (17 U.S.C. § 512), the designated agent for receiving notifications of claimed infringement is:

StudioLedger Pty Ltd Attn: Copyright Agent Email: legal@studioledger.ai

12. Changes to This Policy

StudioLedger may update this policy at any time. Material changes will be communicated via the Platform dashboard and email. Your continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance.

13. Contact

For IP inquiries, takedown notices, and counter-notices:

Email: legal@studioledger.ai Entity: StudioLedger Pty Ltd ACN: 696 549 809 ABN: 31 696 549 809