Content and copyright policy

Who’s responsible for what’s in an invitation

A Host (the person who creates and pays for an invitation) decides what goes in it: the names, wording, guest list, messages and any music they upload (“Your Content”). Hosts are responsible for Your Content.

We don’t review, monitor or check what Hosts write or upload before it’s published, and we have no way of checking who owns an uploaded file. We act when something is reported to us or comes to our attention, as this policy describes.

What isn’t allowed

Invitations, uploads and messages must not contain or be used for:

• anything unlawful, or that encourages or helps someone break the law;
• anything that infringes someone else’s rights: copyright, trademarks, or a person’s name, image, likeness or voice (including imitations made with AI) used without their permission;
• music you don’t have the right to use, including commercial recordings, unless you have permission from everyone who owns the rights (see below);
• hateful, harassing, bullying, threatening, violent or sexual content;
• anything that sexualises, exploits or endangers children. Children’s details should go no further than a normal birthday invitation needs, such as a first name and age;
• other people’s personal information shared without a lawful reason;
• spam, advertising or marketing, or invitations to anything that isn’t a genuine event;
• viruses, malware or harmful links;
• misleading invitations, phishing, scams, or requests for money or details under false pretences;
• impersonating a person or organisation, or falsely suggesting a connection with one.

Uploading music and other files

A Host may upload one music file for each invitation. It plays to every Guest who opens the invitation. Sending it to your Guests this way can count as sharing it with the public under copyright law, even for a private event, so “I bought the song” usually isn’t enough.

By uploading a file or adding any content, the Host promises that:

• they own it, or have permission from everyone who owns rights in it. For music, that means the owners of the song itself (the composition and lyrics, usually a publisher) and of the recording (usually a record label or the artist), unless the music is their own original work or is licensed for this use;
• they hold any licence their event needs to play the music publicly (for example from APRA AMCOS in Australia, PRS for Music in the United Kingdom, or ASCAP or BMI in the United States);
• it doesn’t break this policy or the law, and doesn’t infringe anyone’s rights.

Hosts keep ownership of Your Content. So that we can provide the invitation, each Host gives us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to store, copy, convert (for example to a format that plays on phones), display and play Your Content to the Host and their Guests, for as long as the invitation exists and as needed to keep it backed up and to deal with reports or legal requests. We don’t use Your Content for anything else.

If Your Content causes a problem

If Your Content breaks this policy or infringes someone’s rights and that leads to a claim against us, the Host is responsible for the reasonable losses, costs (including reasonable legal costs) and damages that result, to the extent they were caused by the Host’s content or breach and not by us. We’ll tell the Host promptly about any such claim and let them take part in dealing with it. This applies only as far as the consumer laws that protect the Host allow, and doesn’t take away any right the Host has under those laws.

What we may do

When we find or are told about content that is illegal or breaks this policy or our terms, we may, as far as is proportionate to the problem:

• remove the content, or make it unavailable (for example, turn off an uploaded song);
• stop invitations being emailed;
• pause or end the invitation;
• suspend or close the Host’s account.

We’ll tell you why. If we restrict a Host’s content or account, we’ll email them a statement of reasons: what we did and how far it goes, what it was about, whether we acted on a report, and the law or rule involved, unless the law prevents us or telling them would put someone at risk. Refunds are covered by our Refunds page.

Appeals. If you disagree with a decision we’ve made about your content or account, or about a report you sent, reply to our email within six months and tell us why. A person who wasn’t part of the original decision, where possible, will look at it again and let you know the outcome. If you’re in the European Union, you may also be able to use a certified out-of-court dispute settlement body, or go to court.

Repeat infringers. We’ll close the accounts of Hosts who repeatedly infringe other people’s rights.

Reporting content or a copyright infringement

Anyone can report an invitation, an uploaded file or a message they believe is illegal, infringes their rights or breaks this policy. Email hello@wonderfulinvites.com with the subject “Content report” and include:

• the link to the invitation, or enough detail for us to find the content;
• what the problem is, and why you think the content is illegal or breaks this policy;
• your name and email address (you may report anonymously, but we may not be able to act on some reports, such as copyright claims, without them);
• a statement that you believe, in good faith, that the information in your report is accurate and complete.

Extra details for copyright claims

If you own the copyright in something used in an invitation, or are authorised to act for the owner, please also include:

• a description of the work you say has been infringed (for example, the song and the recording);
• evidence that you own it or are authorised to act for the owner;
• your postal address and phone number;
• a statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use isn’t authorised by the owner, its agent or the law;
• for notices under United States law: a statement that the information in your notice is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that you are the owner or authorised to act for the owner;
• your physical or electronic signature (typing your full name is enough).

What happens next

We’ll confirm we’ve received your report, look at it promptly and carefully, and may ask you for more information. If we decide the content is illegal or breaks this policy, we’ll remove it or make it unavailable and let the Host know, with our reasons. We’ll tell you what we decided and how to ask us to look again. If content suggests a threat to someone’s life or safety, we may tell the police or other authorities. If anyone is in immediate danger, contact the police first.

Counter-notices (United States)

If your content was removed because of a copyright notice and you believe that was a mistake, or that the content was misidentified, you can send a counter-notice to hello@wonderfulinvites.com with the subject “Counter-notice”, including:

• a description of the content that was removed and where it appeared;
• a statement, under penalty of perjury, that you have a good-faith belief the content was removed or disabled by mistake or because it was misidentified;
• your name, postal address and phone number;
• a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the US federal district court for the district where your address is (or, if you live outside the United States, any judicial district in which we may be found), and that you will accept service of process from the person who sent the original notice, or their agent;
• your physical or electronic signature.

We’ll forward the counter-notice to the person who sent the original notice. Unless they tell us within 10 business days that they have started court action to stop the infringement, we’ll restore the content between 10 and 14 business days after receiving the counter-notice. Outside the United States, simply reply to our email to ask us to look at the decision again.

False or misleading reports

Please only report content you genuinely believe is unlawful or infringing. Knowingly making a false claim, such as a false copyright notice, may make you liable for the harm it causes. If someone often sends reports that are clearly unfounded, we may stop processing their reports for a time, after warning them.

Contact points

Authorities, rights holders, Hosts, Guests and anyone else can reach us about content, including under the European Union’s Digital Services Act, at hello@wonderfulinvites.com. We can deal with messages in English. A person reads and answers every message.

How we moderate

• We don’t monitor invitations or check uploads in advance. We act on reports and on problems that come to our attention.
• We don’t use automated tools to moderate content or to make decisions about accounts. Every decision is made by a person.
• We don’t rank or recommend Hosts’ content: an invitation is only seen by the people it’s sent to.
• We apply this policy fairly and proportionately, taking account of everyone’s rights, including freedom of expression.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as Wonderful Invites changes or the law requires. We’ll post the new version here with its date and, if a change matters to Hosts, tell them by email.

Contact

Questions about this policy? Email hello@wonderfulinvites.com.