Authorial Terms of Service

Effective date: 28 January 2026

These Terms of Service (Terms) apply to the Authorial website and any pages that link to these Terms (Site), and the Authorial web application hosted at app.authorial.com.au (App). In these Terms, “Authorial”, “we”, “us” or “our” means Authorial Pty Ltd (ABN 50 684 226 015).

By accessing or using the Site or App, you agree to these Terms.

1. Definitions

In these Terms:

Author means a user who creates or manages writing projects, including manuscripts.

Professional means a user who offers services through the marketplace, including editing, design, cover art, formatting, marketing copy, and similar.

Marketplace means the parts of the App where Authors and Professionals can discover each other, communicate, and transact.

Project means an Author’s workspace, manuscript, files, briefs, chats, and related materials.

User Content means any content you upload, submit, post, transmit, or make available through the Site or App, including manuscripts, text, images, files, messages, reviews, profile content, and links.

Authorial IP means the Site and App, all software, systems, templates, workflows, interface designs, databases, trademarks, branding, and any other content or materials we own or license (excluding User Content).

Generative AI Tools means tools or features that generate or synthesize new text, images, designs, audio, video, code, or other media, or that materially rewrite content beyond limited corrective assistance.

Non generative assistive tools means tools used for limited assistance such as spelling, grammar, accessibility, formatting, or transcription, where the tool does not generate substantial original expression.

2. Eligibility and accounts

2.1 Minimum age
You must be at least 15 years old to use the Site or App. By using the Site or App, you confirm you meet this requirement. If we learn that a user is under 15, we may suspend or terminate their account.

2.2 Account security
You are responsible for safeguarding your login details and all activity under your account. You must promptly notify us of any unauthorised use.

2.3 Your information
You must provide accurate information and keep it up to date.

2.4 Public profiles
Profile information may be public. You are responsible for what you choose to display publicly.

3. The service and changes

3.1 We provide tools only
Authorial provides a platform for writing workflows and a marketplace for Authors and Professionals. We do not provide professional services ourselves, and we are not a party to any contract between an Author and a Professional.

3.2 Availability and changes
We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Site or App at any time. Where reasonably practicable, we will provide notice of material changes, especially where changes materially impact paid features or marketplace operations.

3.3 Beta features
Some features may be offered as beta, preview, or early access. Beta features are provided as is and may change or be removed.

4. Acceptable use

You must not use the Site or App to:
4.1 break the law or encourage unlawful activity
4.2 upload content you do not have rights to use
4.3 infringe intellectual property or confidentiality obligations
4.4 harass, threaten, defame, impersonate, dox, or otherwise harm others
4.5 distribute malware or attempt to gain unauthorised access
4.6 scrape, crawl, spider, or use automated tools to extract data without our permission
4.7 reverse engineer or attempt to discover source code, underlying ideas, models, or algorithms (except where prohibited by law)
4.8 use User Content or Authorial IP to train or improve any machine learning or AI system
4.9 bypass or attempt to bypass access controls, rate limits, or security measures
4.10 use the platform to create, distribute, or promote hateful, violent, sexually exploitative, or otherwise prohibited content.

We may remove content or restrict access if we believe you have violated these Terms.

5. Projects, collaboration, and confidentiality

5.1 Project access
Projects may include private materials such as manuscripts, files, and messages. You control who you invite to your Projects.

5.2 Confidentiality by default
Any non public Project content is confidential (Confidential Information). If you receive access to another user’s Confidential Information through a Project or the Marketplace, you must:
(a) keep it confidential
(b) use it only for the Project or permitted purpose
(c) not disclose it to any third party.

5.3 Limited carve outs
The confidentiality obligations do not apply to information that:
(a) is required to be disclosed by law, court order, or a regulator, or
(b) is disclosed to enforce rights or respond to an alleged breach, provided disclosure is limited to what is necessary.

5.4 Indefinite confidentiality
Confidentiality obligations continue indefinitely.

5.5 Leaks and enforcement
We may investigate suspected leaks by reviewing relevant platform activity (including chats and access history where available). We may take action including warnings, suspension, termination, and removal from the platform. We are not required to pursue legal action on your behalf. Users may pursue disputes and remedies outside the platform.

6. Marketplace terms

6.1 Marketplace contracting model
When an Author engages a Professional, the contract for services is directly between the Author and the Professional. Authorial is not a party to that contract.

6.2 Professional vetting
We may review Professionals before allowing them onto the Marketplace, but we do not guarantee identity, qualifications, legality, or performance. You are responsible for your own due diligence.

6.3 Payments and Stripe
Payments are processed using Stripe. You authorise us and Stripe to process payments and related activities. Where enabled, we may facilitate holding funds and releasing them based on milestones and approvals, including through Stripe features.

6.4 Platform fee
We charge a platform fee equal to 20 percent of the total project value, displayed as 10 percent charged to the Author and 10 percent charged to the Professional.

6.5 Stripe fees
Unless we state otherwise, Authorial pays Stripe processing fees.

6.6 Milestones, approvals, and releases
Where the Marketplace supports milestones:
(a) Authors may approve or reject milestone delivery within a reasonable review period
(b) on approval (or after any stated holding period), funds may be released to the Professional
(c) if an Author does not respond within the review period, we may treat the milestone as approved.

6.7 Disputes between users
We are not responsible for resolving disputes about scope, quality, timing, or outcomes. We may offer tools, guidance, or internal processes as a courtesy, but decisions and liability remain between the Author and Professional.

6.8 Chargebacks
If a user initiates a chargeback, we may investigate. We may suspend accounts or restrict Marketplace access while a chargeback is ongoing. We do not guarantee recovery of funds.

6.9 Taxes
Users are responsible for their own taxes and compliance. Professionals confirm they are independent contractors and not employees of Authorial. If we are required to charge or collect taxes in any jurisdiction, we may do so.

6.10 Non circumvention
You must not avoid Authorial fees by taking a relationship off platform where the connection originated through the Marketplace, for 12 months after first contact on Authorial.

If we determine non circumvention has occurred, we may:
(a) charge the fees that would have been payable, and
(b) suspend or terminate accounts, and
(c) restrict access to the Marketplace.

7. Intellectual property and rights

7.1 Your content remains yours
You retain ownership of your User Content.

7.2 Licence you grant to Authorial
You grant Authorial a worldwide, nonexclusive, royalty free licence to host, store, reproduce, process, display, and transmit your User Content only as necessary to operate, improve, secure, and provide the Site and App, and to perform obligations you request (such as sharing links, collaboration, exporting, and backups).

7.3 No training on User Content
We do not use your User Content to train machine learning or AI models.

7.4 Marketing use
We may use public profile information and public reviews for marketing, promotion, and product communications. We will not use private Project content, private messages, or non public manuscript excerpts for marketing without your express permission.

7.5 Authorial IP
Authorial IP remains owned by Authorial and its licensors. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, lease, or create derivative works from Authorial IP except as permitted by these Terms.

7.6 Professional deliverables and IP assignment
Unless otherwise agreed in writing between an Author and a Professional:
(a) the Professional retains ownership of their pre existing materials, tools, templates, and know how
(b) upon full payment of the applicable milestone or project fee, the Professional assigns to the Author all intellectual property rights in deliverables created specifically for the Author under that Project, to the extent permitted by law
(c) where moral rights cannot be assigned, the Professional consents to acts or omissions that would otherwise infringe their moral rights, including editing, adapting, and using deliverables without attribution, to the extent permitted by law.

7.7 Professional portfolios
A Professional may display completed work in their portfolio only if:
(a) the work is already public, and
(b) the Author has given written permission.

8. Strict Generative AI rules

8.1 Core rule
Authorial has a strict stance against the use of Generative AI Tools to create or materially rewrite work produced through the platform. This applies to:
(a) manuscripts and book content
(b) professional deliverables including copy, design, covers, graphics, branding, marketing assets, and similar
(c) prompts, intermediate outputs, or other AI generated components intended to be included in final deliverables.

8.2 What is allowed
Non generative assistive tools are allowed, including limited tools for spelling, grammar, accessibility, formatting, and transcription, provided they do not generate substantial original expression and you have rights to the source material.

8.3 Representations and warranties
You represent and warrant that:
(a) your manuscript content is human authored, and
(b) any services delivered by Professionals through the platform are human created and comply with these Terms and any applicable project requirements.

8.4 Evidence and audits
If we receive a credible report of Generative AI use or other breach, we may request reasonable evidence, including drafts, version history, process notes, working files, or other provenance information.

Professionals agree to retain working files and drafts for at least 6 months after project completion.

8.5 Enforcement
If we reasonably determine a breach has occurred, we may take action including content removal, warnings, withholding or delaying payouts, suspension, permanent bans, and referral to relevant parties. Decisions may be appealed through our support process.

9. Content moderation, reports, and safety

9.1 Reporting
Users can report alleged breaches, illegal content, or policy violations by contacting info@authorial.com.au.

9.2 Response times
We aim to respond within 48 hours to reports, unless further investigation is required.

9.3 Removals and restrictions
We may remove or restrict access to content, limit visibility, suspend accounts, or restrict payments where we believe it is necessary to enforce these Terms, comply with law, or protect users.

9.4 Appeals
Where practicable, we will provide an appeal path for significant enforcement actions.

10. Copyright complaints and takedowns

10.1 Notices
If you believe content on Authorial infringes your copyright, you may submit a notice to info@authorial.com.au, attention: Annie Ozdemir.

Your notice should include:
(a) identification of the copyrighted work
(b) identification of the allegedly infringing material and where it appears (for example a link)
(c) your name and contact details
(d) a statement of good faith belief that the use is not authorised
(e) a statement that the information is accurate
(f) your physical or electronic signature.

10.2 Counter notice
If content is removed and you believe it was removed in error, you may submit a counter notice with details supporting restoration.

10.3 Repeat infringers
We may terminate accounts of users who repeatedly infringe intellectual property rights.

11. Privacy, cookies, and communications

11.1 Privacy Policy
Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and store personal information. The Privacy Policy forms part of these Terms.

11.2 Cookies and analytics
We use cookies and similar technologies. Where required, we provide cookie controls and consent choices.

11.3 Messages
We may send you service related messages about your account, security, transactions, and product updates. You can opt out of marketing messages where required by law.

12. Suspension and termination

12.1 By you
You may stop using the Site or App at any time.

12.2 By us
We may suspend or terminate your account, restrict features, or remove content if we reasonably believe:
(a) you have breached these Terms
(b) you pose a security risk
(c) we must do so to comply with law
(d) your conduct creates risk or harm to users or the platform.

12.3 Effect of termination
We may retain certain data as required for legal, security, dispute, or compliance purposes. You may be able to export certain data before account closure where available in the App.

13. Disclaimers

13.1 Platform provided as is
To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Site and App are provided as is and as available. We do not guarantee uninterrupted, error free, or secure operation.

13.2 No responsibility for user conduct
We are not responsible for:
(a) the quality, legality, or outcomes of Professional services
(b) disputes between users
(c) plagiarism, infringement, or misconduct by users
(d) losses caused by sharing links or inviting collaborators.

14. Liability

14.1 Consumer law rights
Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts, or modifies any consumer guarantee, right, or remedy that cannot be excluded under applicable law.

14.2 Liability cap
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Authorial’s total liability arising out of or related to the Site, App, or these Terms is limited to the total platform fees paid to Authorial by you in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim.

14.3 Excluded losses
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Authorial is not liable for indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive losses, or any loss of profit, revenue, business, goodwill, opportunity, or data.

14.4 Exceptions
Nothing in these Terms limits liability for fraud or other liability that cannot be limited by law.

15. Indemnity

You indemnify Authorial against claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:
(a) your User Content
(b) your breach of these Terms
(c) your infringement of intellectual property or confidentiality rights
(d) any Generative AI breach or misrepresentation about authorship.

16. Governing law and disputes

16.1 Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of Queensland, Australia.

16.2 Courts
You submit to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland and the courts that can hear appeals from those courts.

16.3 International mandatory rights
If you are a consumer in a jurisdiction that provides mandatory rights that cannot be waived, those rights continue to apply to the extent required by law.

17. General

17.1 Assignment
You may not assign these Terms without our consent. We may assign these Terms as part of a restructure, sale, or similar transaction.

17.2 Severability
If any part of these Terms is unenforceable, the rest remains in effect.

17.3 Entire agreement
These Terms, together with any policies incorporated by reference (including the Privacy Policy and Generative AI Policy), form the entire agreement between you and Authorial for use of the Site and App.

18. Contact

Support, legal, and policy notices: hello@authorial.com.au
Copyright notices: hello@authorial.com.au, attention: Annie Ozdemir