Content & Intellectual Property Policy

COPIC Content & Intellectual Property Policy

Effective Date: July 1, 2026

1. Purpose

This Content & Intellectual Property Policy ("Policy") explains the ownership, use, protection, licensing, and reporting procedures relating to content and intellectual property on the COPIC Platform.

The purpose of this Policy is to:

protect the intellectual property rights of users and COPIC;

explain how user-generated content may be used;

prevent copyright and trademark infringement;

establish procedures for reporting intellectual property violations;

maintain a lawful and trustworthy marketplace.

This Policy should be read together with the COPIC:

Terms and Conditions;

Privacy Policy;

Acceptable Use Policy;

Community Guidelines;

Identity Verification Policy; and

Dispute Resolution Policy.

By using the COPIC Platform, users agree to comply with this Policy.

2. Scope

This Policy applies to all content submitted, uploaded, created, displayed, transmitted, or otherwise made available through the COPIC Platform.

This includes content submitted by:

clients;

workers;

businesses;

administrators;

visitors where applicable.

It applies to all Platform features now available and any introduced in the future.

3. Definitions

For the purposes of this Policy:

"COPIC" means the owners, operators, employees, contractors, affiliates, successors, and representatives of the COPIC Platform.

"Platform" means the COPIC website, applications, software, databases, services, and related technologies.

"Content" means any information uploaded, created, shared, or transmitted through the Platform, including:

profile information;

photographs;

videos;

resumes;

certificates;

job descriptions;

applications;

reviews;

comments;

messages;

documents;

logos;

graphics;

audio;

code;

other digital materials.

"Intellectual Property" includes copyrights, trademarks, trade names, logos, designs, software, databases, trade secrets, patents, and other proprietary rights recognized under applicable law.

4. Ownership of User Content

Users retain ownership of the original content they lawfully create and upload to COPIC.

Nothing in this Policy transfers ownership of a user's intellectual property to COPIC.

Users remain responsible for ensuring that they have the legal right to upload, publish, or share any content submitted to the Platform.

Users represent and warrant that:

they own the content; or

they have obtained all necessary permissions, licences, or legal rights to use and share the content.

5. Licence Granted to COPIC

By uploading or submitting content to the Platform, users grant COPIC a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, revocable (subject to legal and operational requirements) licence to:

host;

store;

reproduce;

display;

publish;

transmit;

distribute;

format;

resize;

cache;

back up; and

otherwise process the content,

solely for purposes including:

operating the Platform;

providing Platform services;

displaying user profiles and job listings;

improving Platform functionality;

detecting fraud;

ensuring security;

complying with legal obligations;

resolving disputes; and

promoting COPIC, provided that promotional use does not misrepresent the user.

This licence ends when the content is permanently removed from the Platform, except where retention is reasonably necessary for backups, legal compliance, fraud prevention, dispute resolution, or enforcement of Platform policies.

6. COPIC Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise stated, all intellectual property belonging to COPIC remains the exclusive property of COPIC.

This includes:

the COPIC name;

logos;

branding;

icons;

website design;

application design;

source code;

software;

databases;

graphics;

animations;

page layouts;

written content created by COPIC;

user interface elements;

documentation;

proprietary algorithms;

business processes.

Users may not copy, modify, reproduce, distribute, sell, licence, reverse engineer, or exploit COPIC intellectual property without prior written permission, except as permitted by applicable law.

7. User-Generated Content

Users are solely responsible for the content they upload or publish.

Users should ensure that their content is:

accurate;

lawful;

respectful;

professional;

free from malicious software;

consistent with COPIC policies.

Users remain legally responsible for any consequences arising from the content they submit.

COPIC does not automatically endorse or verify all user-generated content.

8. Prohibited Content

Users must not upload or share content that:

infringes copyright;

infringes trademarks;

contains forged documents;

contains false or misleading information;

promotes fraud;

promotes illegal activities;

contains malicious software;

violates another person's privacy;

contains defamatory statements;

impersonates another person or organization;

violates applicable law.

COPIC reserves the right to remove prohibited content without prior notice where appropriate.

9. Copyright

Users must respect the copyrights of others.

Examples of copyright-protected works include:

photographs;

artwork;

written articles;

videos;

music;

software;

educational materials;

graphic designs;

architectural drawings.

Users should only upload copyrighted material where they:

own it;

have obtained permission;

hold an appropriate licence; or

are otherwise legally permitted to use it.

10. Trademarks

Users must respect trademarks owned by individuals and organizations.

Users must not:

use another company's logo without permission;

falsely claim association with another business;

imitate another brand in a misleading way;

misuse trademarks in job advertisements or profiles.

The COPIC name, logo, branding, and associated marks may not be used without COPIC's written permission.

11. AI-Generated Content

Where users upload AI-generated content, they remain responsible for its accuracy, legality, originality, and compliance with Platform policies.

Users must not use artificial intelligence to:

impersonate another person;

generate fake identity documents;

create fraudulent certificates;

mislead users regarding qualifications;

create deceptive job advertisements.

COPIC may review AI-generated content where fraud or misuse is suspected.

12. Confidential Information

Users should not upload confidential information unless they have the legal right to do so.

Examples include:

trade secrets;

confidential contracts;

proprietary business information;

customer databases;

financial records;

personal identification documents belonging to others.

Users remain responsible for protecting confidential information they access through the Platform.

13. Reporting Intellectual Property Infringement

If a user believes that content on COPIC infringes their intellectual property rights, they may submit a report.

Reports should include:

the complainant's contact information;

a description of the protected work;

identification of the allegedly infringing content;

the location of the content on the Platform where possible;

a statement explaining the basis of the complaint;

any supporting documentation.

Submitting false intellectual property complaints may result in enforcement action.

14. Review of Complaints

Upon receiving a complaint, COPIC may:

review the submitted information;

request additional evidence;

temporarily remove disputed content;

contact affected users;

investigate the matter;

take appropriate enforcement action where necessary.

COPIC may decline complaints that are incomplete, unsupported, or clearly abusive.

15. Counter-Notice

Where content is removed following an intellectual property complaint, the affected user may submit a counter-notice.

A counter-notice should include:

identification of the removed content;

reasons why the user believes removal was incorrect;

any supporting documentation;

any additional information reasonably requested by COPIC.

COPIC may review the counter-notice before deciding whether the content should remain removed or be restored.

16. Repeat Infringer Policy

Users who repeatedly infringe the intellectual property rights of others may face escalating enforcement measures, including:

warnings;

content removal;

feature restrictions;

account suspension;

permanent account termination.

COPIC reserves the right to determine what constitutes repeated infringement based on the circumstances of each case.

17. Content Moderation

COPIC may review content to ensure compliance with Platform policies.

Moderation may include:

automated review tools;

manual review;

user reports;

fraud detection;

verification procedures.

Moderation is intended to improve safety and does not guarantee that all inappropriate content will be identified immediately.

18. Removal of Content

COPIC may remove content that:

violates this Policy;

violates applicable law;

creates security risks;

promotes fraud;

infringes intellectual property rights;

contains malicious software;

threatens user safety;

breaches other COPIC policies.

Removal decisions are made using reasonable judgment based on the available information.

19. Enforcement

Where users violate this Policy, COPIC may:

issue warnings;

remove content;

reject verification;

restrict Platform features;

suspend accounts;

permanently terminate accounts;

preserve evidence where appropriate;

cooperate with competent authorities where required by law.

The severity of enforcement will depend on the seriousness and frequency of the violation.

20. Disclaimer

COPIC does not guarantee that user-generated content is accurate, complete, lawful, or free from intellectual property claims.

Users access and rely on user-generated content at their own discretion.

COPIC does not become the owner of user content solely because it is uploaded to the Platform.

21. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, COPIC shall not be liable for:

content uploaded by users;

intellectual property disputes between users;

unauthorized use of user content by third parties;

indirect or consequential losses arising from user-generated content.

Nothing in this Policy excludes liability that cannot legally be excluded.

22. Policy Updates

COPIC may amend this Policy from time to time.

Material updates may be communicated through:

Platform notifications;

email;

account announcements; or

other reasonable communication methods.

Continued use of the Platform after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.

23. Governing Law

This Policy shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Kenya.

Any disputes relating to this Policy shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the competent courts of Kenya, unless otherwise required by applicable law.

24. Contact Information

Questions or complaints relating to content or intellectual property may be submitted through COPIC's official support channels.

Users may contact COPIC by:

submitting a support request through the Platform;

using the official support page; or

emailing COPIC's official support email address once published.

COPIC will make reasonable efforts to respond to legitimate inquiries within a reasonable timeframe.

User Acknowledgement

By creating an account, uploading content, posting jobs, submitting applications, or otherwise using the COPIC Platform, users acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agreed to comply with this Content & Intellectual Property Policy.