Copyright Policy

Katha does not take ownership of original photographs, stories, recordings or other copyright-protected material simply because they are contributed to the service.

Contributors retain whatever intellectual property rights they lawfully hold in their Content.

Contributors provide Katha with the limited licence described in our Terms of Use so that Katha can host, store, process and display their Content as part of the service.

You should only contribute photographs, scans, written material, recordings or other protected works when you own the relevant rights, have permission from the rights holder, or otherwise have a lawful basis for using the material.

Uploading something to Katha does not itself establish that you own its copyright.

Katha is particularly interested in historical and family photographs. The age of a photograph, however, does not by itself determine whether copyright has expired.

Ownership of a physical photograph and ownership of copyright in that photograph are different things. For example, a family may possess an old print while copyright in the image may have originally belonged to a photographer or another rights holder.

Contributors should make a reasonable effort to understand the source and rights associated with historical material before publishing it.

Families often preserve photographs, letters, diaries and recordings across generations. Rights associated with such material can depend on who created it, when it was created, whether rights were transferred, and other circumstances.

Possessing or inheriting the physical object does not necessarily mean that every intellectual property right associated with the material has also been transferred.

If ownership is uncertain, contributors should provide appropriate attribution or context where known and avoid making false claims of authorship or ownership.

Being depicted in a photograph does not necessarily make you the copyright owner of that photograph.

If another person took the photograph, they or another rights holder may hold relevant rights. Before publishing it, consider whether you have permission or another lawful basis to share it.

Scanning, photographing or digitising an existing photograph, document, artwork or other work does not necessarily give the person making the scan ownership of the copyright in the underlying work.

Contributors should consider rights in the original material as well as any rights that may exist in the particular reproduction.

Audio contributed to Katha may involve rights belonging to the person who created the recording, people whose performances or works appear in it, or other rights holders.

Contributors should only upload recordings that they have the right to share.

Copyright considerations are separate from privacy and consent. A recording may raise privacy concerns even where the contributor has copyright permission.

Original stories written by a contributor may themselves be protected by copyright.

Contributors should not copy substantial portions of books, articles, websites, letters or other protected works into a Katha unless they have permission or another lawful basis to do so.

Historical facts themselves may be described, but copying another author's particular expression of those facts can raise different copyright considerations.

Where the photographer, creator, archive or source of historical material is known, contributors are encouraged to preserve that information as part of the Katha.

Attribution does not automatically replace the need for permission where permission is legally required.

Some material may no longer be protected by copyright, may have been released under a licence permitting reuse, or may otherwise be lawfully usable in particular circumstances.

Contributors are responsible for understanding and complying with any conditions attached to the material they use, including attribution requirements or other licence terms.

If you believe that a Katha contains material that infringes copyright you own or are authorised to represent, you may report the Katha through Katha's reporting system.

When reporting a copyright concern, please provide enough information for the claim to be meaningfully reviewed. This may include identification of the protected work, the allegedly infringing material, your relationship to the work and relevant supporting information.

Katha may review the reported Content and information available to us before determining an appropriate response.

Depending on the circumstances, Katha may seek additional information, restrict public visibility, flag the Content for review, remove material or take other appropriate action.

A report does not automatically establish infringement, and Katha may need to consider information from more than one party.

Copyright reports should be made in good faith. You should not knowingly submit false information or use the copyright process simply to suppress material you dislike.

Similarly, contributors should not knowingly make false claims of ownership or authorship over material belonging to another person.

Katha may remove Content or restrict accounts involved in repeated or serious infringement, subject to the circumstances and applicable legal requirements.

Copyright ownership does not automatically resolve privacy, dignity or safety concerns.

A person may have a legitimate privacy concern about a photograph, recording or story even when they do not own its copyright.

Katha therefore provides separate reporting categories for privacy and other safety concerns.

Katha's purpose of historical and cultural preservation does not automatically override the rights of creators or rights holders.

We want historically valuable material to be preserved while respecting the people who created it and the rights recognised by applicable law.

The Katha name, branding, original interface, software and original design materials may be protected by intellectual property law.

Nothing in this Copyright Policy transfers ownership of Katha's own intellectual property to users.

Katha will maintain an appropriate process for receiving copyright and intellectual property complaints.

Formal copyright contact and Grievance Officer information will be published before broad public launch once Katha's operating entity and official contact details are finalised.

This Copyright Policy may be updated as Katha develops or as applicable legal requirements change.

Material changes will be reflected by updating the effective date and providing additional notice where appropriate or required.