Copyright Policy

This Copyright Policy explains how FormatOS approaches copyright, intellectual property rights, user-uploaded files, file conversion permissions, prohibited misuse, and rights-holder concerns. It applies to all users, uploaded files, conversion activity, downloaded outputs, and use of FormatOS.

This policy helps protect users, rights holders, FormatOS, third-party services, advertising partners, and the broader online environment from copyright misuse and rights infringement.

This Copyright Policy should be read together with the other legal and trust pages published on FormatOS, including the Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, Disclaimer, File Handling Policy, Editorial Policy, and Accessibility Statement. Those pages address related responsibilities not covered here.

Users retain ownership of the files they upload to FormatOS. FormatOS does not claim ownership of user-uploaded files. Uploading a file does not transfer copyright ownership to FormatOS. Users retain whatever rights they already hold in their files.

By uploading a file, users grant FormatOS a limited, non-exclusive, temporary permission to access, read, process, and handle that file only to the extent necessary to:

• Provide the requested file conversion
• Operate and maintain the service reliably
• Troubleshoot technical issues or failed conversions
• Detect and prevent abusive or harmful activity
• Protect the security and integrity of the service
• Comply with applicable legal obligations

Uploading a file to FormatOS does not mean FormatOS owns that file. This limited permission does not extend to selling, licensing, distributing, or publicly displaying user files.

Users may only upload, convert, download, store, share, or use files through FormatOS when they:

• Own the file outright
• Created the file themselves
• Have explicit permission from the copyright holder
• Hold a valid and applicable licence
• Are legally allowed to process the file under applicable law
• Are authorized by an employer, client, organisation, or rights holder
• Are using the file in a way clearly permitted by law

Users are solely responsible for confirming they have the right to upload and convert a file before doing so. If a user is unsure whether they have the necessary permission, they should not upload or convert the file until they have confirmed their rights. FormatOS does not and cannot grant users permission to use third-party copyrighted material.

Converting a file from one format to another does not remove, waive, modify, transfer, or in any way reduce the copyright protections, licensing terms, ownership rights, or legal obligations that apply to that file.

Specifically, file conversion through FormatOS does not:

• Remove copyright from the converted output
• Remove or waive any applicable licensing terms
• Transfer ownership rights from the original rights holder
• Remove usage restrictions attached to the original file
• Give users permission to share, publish, sell, or distribute protected content
• Grant permission to use a file commercially if the original licence does not allow it
• Bypass any legal obligations attached to the original file or its content

Users must not use FormatOS to engage in copyright misuse of any kind. Prohibited activities include — but are not limited to:

• Uploading pirated or stolen files
• Converting copyrighted material without permission
• Converting files the user is not licensed to use
• Copying, distributing, or republishing unauthorized content
• Removing copyright notices from files
• Removing ownership or authorship information
• Removing or altering licensing notices
• Bypassing digital rights management (DRM) systems
• Bypassing paywalls or subscription access controls
• Bypassing platform-level download or access restrictions
• Circumventing technical copyright protections
• Converting restricted media without legal authorization
• Creating unauthorized copies of protected works
• Distributing converted files in violation of copyright law
• Using converted files in violation of applicable platform rules
• Using converted files in violation of licence, contract, or law

FormatOS may restrict, block, limit, or remove access for users or sessions that appear to engage in prohibited copyright misuse, with or without prior notice.

FormatOS is not designed for, and must not be used for, piracy, unauthorized media copying, rights circumvention, restricted content downloading, or unlawful file distribution of any kind.

Users must not use FormatOS to download, copy, extract, convert, distribute, or republish protected media, documents, software, music, video, images, or other content from third-party platforms unless they have the clear legal right to do so under applicable law, licensing terms, and the relevant platform's rules.

Users must not use the service to:

• Bypass platform-level rules, terms of service, or licensing restrictions
• Circumvent digital rights management or copy-protection technologies
• Evade paywall, subscription, or access-control systems
• Acquire, copy, or redistribute content beyond what the user is licensed to do

FormatOS may restrict or block activity that appears to involve piracy, restricted media misuse, unauthorized copying, or rights infringement, with or without prior notice.

Some files may be governed by third-party terms of service, platform rules, software licences, contracts, distribution agreements, or usage restrictions that operate separately from and in addition to copyright law. Users are responsible for reviewing and following all applicable third-party terms before uploading or converting any file.

Even if a file can technically be converted using FormatOS, that does not mean the user has the legal right to convert, use, distribute, or share it. Technical ability does not equal legal permission.

FormatOS is not responsible for a user's violation of third-party platform rules, licence terms, contracts, subscription agreements, or intellectual property rights. Users assume full responsibility for ensuring their file use complies with all applicable third-party requirements.

Users must not use FormatOS to misuse trademarks, logos, brand assets, trade dress, product names, or other protected commercial materials belonging to third parties. This includes creating, converting, distributing, or modifying files in ways that:

• Mislead others about brand affiliation or endorsement
• Imply a false sponsorship, partnership, or official connection
• Counterfeit or misrepresent the authenticity of branded material
• Infringe trademark or trade-dress rights
• Violate the brand guidelines or trademark policies of rights holders

Users are responsible for ensuring they have the appropriate permission to use brand assets, logos, or trademarked material in any file they upload, convert, or distribute. FormatOS may restrict activity that appears misleading, fraudulent, or trademark-infringing.

Copyright is not the only rights issue users must consider when uploading or converting files. Users must not upload or convert files that violate other legal rights, including:

• Privacy rights of individuals
• Publicity rights and image rights
• Confidentiality obligations
• Employment agreements or duties of confidence
• Client agreements or engagement terms
• Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs)
• Contractual restrictions or licences
• Data protection and privacy laws
• Rights of minors or vulnerable individuals
• Other personal, business, or legal rights

Users are responsible for ensuring they have the appropriate permission to process files involving other individuals, clients, organisations, or confidential information. FormatOS is a general-purpose file conversion utility and is not a legal compliance service.

Users are responsible for how they use, store, share, and distribute converted files generated by FormatOS. Receiving a converted output does not grant any new rights to the content it contains.

Users must:

• Review converted files before using or distributing them
• Ensure converted files do not violate copyright or licensing terms
• Ensure converted files do not violate privacy, confidentiality, or third-party rights
• Not publish, sell, share, or distribute converted files unlawfully
• Comply with all applicable laws, platform rules, and licence terms when using converted files

FormatOS is not responsible for user misuse of converted outputs, including unlawful publication, unauthorized distribution, or violation of third-party rights.

Rights holders or authorized representatives who believe FormatOS is being used to infringe their copyright or other intellectual property rights may contact FormatOS through the Contact page. FormatOS will review complaints where sufficient information is provided to understand and evaluate the concern.

To help FormatOS review your concern effectively, please provide as much of the following information as possible:

FormatOS may review copyright or rights-related concerns and may take action depending on the circumstances. Possible responses may include:

• Reviewing the concern and the information provided
• Requesting additional information if needed
• Restricting access to relevant activity
• Blocking specific uploads or conversion flows
• Removing temporary files or links where technically possible
• Limiting or suspending suspicious activity or sessions
• Blocking abusive users or sessions
• Retaining limited technical information where needed for security or legal compliance
• Updating policies or user-facing guidance if appropriate
• Declining to act where the complaint is incomplete or unclear

FormatOS may not be able to verify every claim immediately, or at all if insufficient information is provided. Temporary files may already be deleted or unavailable by the time a complaint is received. FormatOS may reject incomplete, abusive, fraudulent, unrelated, or unclear complaints without further action.

FormatOS may restrict or block users, sessions, IP addresses, files, or activity that appears to involve repeat or serious copyright misuse. This includes — but is not limited to:

• Repeated uploads of unauthorized or pirated material
• Systematic attempts to bypass platform restrictions or access controls
• Use of automation, bots, or scripts to process unauthorized files
• Distribution or publication of pirated or unlawfully converted files
• Abuse of temporary download links to distribute unauthorized content
• Misuse of the service for unlawful file distribution schemes
• Attempts to disguise, transform, or repackage infringing files to evade detection

Actions taken may include restriction, blocking, rate-limiting, session termination, or other measures appropriate to the circumstances. These actions may be taken without prior notice.

Users and complainants must not submit false, misleading, abusive, fraudulent, or bad-faith copyright complaints. Making false or abusive copyright claims can harm users, content creators, rights holders, and the operation of the website.

FormatOS may disregard, reject, or take no action on complaints that appear to be:

• Fraudulent or made in bad faith
• Abusive, vexatious, or intended to harass a user
• Materially incomplete or lacking usable information
• Unrelated to FormatOS or its file conversion service
• Clearly erroneous or based on a misunderstanding of rights

Complainants are responsible for the accuracy of the information they provide. Submitting a materially false complaint may expose the complainant to legal liability under applicable law.

Files may contain metadata that includes copyright notices, ownership information, authorship details, licensing terms, rights-management information, embedded watermarks, document properties, timestamps, or other legally relevant embedded information.

Depending on the file type and conversion method in use, metadata may be preserved, removed, altered, or exposed in the converted output. FormatOS does not guarantee that copyright metadata will always be preserved or removed in any specific way during conversion.

Users are responsible for:

• Checking metadata before uploading, converting, publishing, or sharing files
• Ensuring that rights-management information is not unlawfully removed from files
• Removing metadata they do not wish to include before sharing converted outputs
• Complying with applicable laws that prohibit the removal or alteration of rights-management information

Some jurisdictions recognize limited exceptions to copyright for certain uses such as fair use, fair dealing, education, quotation, commentary, criticism, research, news reporting, accessibility, archival, or backup purposes. These exceptions vary significantly between countries and are determined by the specific facts of each situation.

FormatOS does not determine whether a user's specific file use qualifies for a copyright exception or exemption. Users are solely responsible for evaluating their own legal rights and whether any exception applies to their specific situation.

If a user is uncertain whether their intended file use is lawful under an applicable exception, they should seek advice from a qualified legal professional before uploading or converting the file. FormatOS is not a legal compliance service and does not provide legal opinions.

This Copyright Policy is published for general information and website governance purposes only. It is not legal advice. Nothing in this policy — or anywhere else on FormatOS — constitutes a legal opinion about whether any specific file can lawfully be uploaded, converted, downloaded, shared, published, or used.

Copyright law, licensing rules, platform policies, and related legal requirements vary by jurisdiction, file type, intended use, and specific circumstances. Users and rights holders should consult qualified legal professionals for copyright, licensing, platform rule, or intellectual property questions specific to their situation.

FormatOS makes no representation that this policy covers all applicable legal requirements in every jurisdiction in which users access the service.

FormatOS may use third-party providers to operate the website and deliver the conversion service. These may include services for hosting, file processing infrastructure, temporary storage, security, performance monitoring, analytics, advertising, contact forms, error logging, content delivery, and abuse prevention.

Third-party services may have their own terms of service, copyright policies, intellectual property requirements, and legal obligations. Users are responsible for complying with applicable third-party terms when their file use involves third-party infrastructure or services.

FormatOS does not control all aspects of third-party systems, external websites, advertisements, or linked resources, and is not responsible for the copyright practices of third-party providers. Users should review third-party policies before relying on them for copyright-sensitive or legally significant file processing.

FormatOS may display advertisements through third-party advertising partners or advertising networks. Advertising supports the ongoing operation, maintenance, and improvement of the website and its file conversion tools.

The display of advertising does not change users' copyright responsibilities. Users remain fully responsible for the files they upload, convert, and use, regardless of the presence of advertising on the website. Advertising does not mean FormatOS sells uploaded files or user documents to advertisers or advertising partners.

The appearance of an advertisement does not mean FormatOS personally endorses the advertiser, their products, services, claims, licensing terms, or website. Users should independently review third-party websites, products, services, and privacy practices before interacting with them.

This Copyright Policy works together with the other legal and trust pages on FormatOS. Users should read all relevant pages before using the service for sensitive, commercial, regulated, copyrighted, licensed, or business-critical files.

If there is a conflict between this policy and the Terms & Conditions, the Terms & Conditions and applicable law may control depending on the specific situation. Users should consult qualified professionals where there is any ambiguity about their rights or obligations.

FormatOS may update this Copyright Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, technology, rights-holder processes, file handling practices, abuse-prevention systems, advertising practices, or website functionality.

When meaningful updates are made, the "Last updated" date shown at the top of this page will be revised. Continued use of the website after an updated policy is published constitutes acceptance of the revised version. If you do not agree with an updated policy, you should stop using the service.

We encourage you to review this page periodically, particularly if you regularly upload files or use the service for commercial, professional, or rights-sensitive file conversion.