Copyright & Intellectual Property Policy

Copyright & Intellectual Property Policy for Diamond Voices

Last Updated: October 2026

Diamond Voices ("we," "our," or "us") respects intellectual property rights and is committed to protecting the creative works, content, branding, and contributions published through www.diamondvoices.org.

This Copyright & Intellectual Property Policy explains the ownership, permitted use, licensing, and protection of content made available through Diamond Voices. By accessing or using this website, you agree to comply with this Policy.

1. Applicable Law

This Policy is governed by and interpreted in accordance with:

Belgian Copyright and Neighbouring Rights legislation.
The Belgian Code of Economic Law.
European Union copyright regulations.
International copyright treaties, including the Berne Convention 1886.
Applicable trademark, database, and intellectual property laws.

2. Ownership of Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise indicated, all content available on Diamond Voices is protected by copyright, trademark, database, design, and other intellectual property rights.

This includes, but is not limited to:

Website design and layout
Diamond Voices name and branding
Logos and visual identity
Podcasts
Music recordings
Audio productions
Videos
Photographs
Graphics and illustrations
Blog posts and articles
Educational materials
Marketing materials
Digital downloads
Community project content

All intellectual property rights remain the property of Diamond Voices and/or the respective rights holders.

3. Trademarks

The name Diamond Voices, associated logos, slogans, visual elements, and branding materials may constitute protected trademarks, trade names, or distinctive signs under Belgian and international law.
No user may reproduce, register, imitate, modify, or use these marks without prior written authorization from Diamond Voices. Unauthorized use may result in legal action.

4. Copyright Protection

All copyrighted materials published on the website are protected automatically upon creation and publication.

Users may not:

Copy content.
Reproduce content.
Redistribute content.
Sell content.
Modify content.
Publish content elsewhere.
Create derivative works.
Use content for commercial purposes.

Without prior written permission from the applicable rights holder.

5. Limited Permitted Use

Visitors may:

Access the website for personal and non-commercial purposes.
View website content.
Share links to publicly available content.
Quote limited excerpts for educational, journalistic, or non-commercial purposes where legally permitted and proper attribution is provided.

Such use must not:

Misrepresent the original content.
Suggest endorsement by Diamond Voices.
Infringe copyright or moral rights.

6. Contributor Licence Agreement

Licence Granted to Diamond Voices

By voluntarily submitting, uploading, recording, performing, publishing, or otherwise providing content to Diamond Voices, including but not limited to music, lyrics, podcasts, interviews, voice recordings, videos, photographs, artwork, written contributions, testimonials, and other creative works ("Works"), the contributor grants Diamond Voices a non-exclusive licence in accordance with Book XI of the Belgian Code of Economic Law.

Artists, musicians, podcasters, writers, photographers, volunteers, community participants, and other contributors retain ownership of all intellectual property rights in the submitted works, unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing.

The licence granted to Diamond Voices includes the right to:

Reproduce the Works.
Publish the Works.
Communicate the Works to the public.
Distribute the Works.
Display the Works.
Archive and store the Works.
Promote the Works.
Include the Works in podcasts, audiovisual productions, publications, websites, social media channels, streaming platforms, educational projects, cultural initiatives, exhibitions, and promotional campaigns related to Diamond Voices.

The licence is:

Non-exclusive.
Worldwide.
Royalty-free.
Transferable to service providers solely for the purpose of operating Diamond Voices activities.
Valid for the duration of the applicable intellectual property rights unless otherwise agreed in writing.

6.1 Warranties by Contributors

The contributor represents and warrants that:

They are the lawful owner of the Works or possess all necessary rights, permissions, and licences.
The Works do not infringe the intellectual property rights, portrait rights, privacy rights, or other rights of third parties.
Any third-party material incorporated in the Works has been lawfully authorized.
The Works comply with applicable Belgian and European laws.

The contributor agrees to indemnify Diamond Voices against claims arising from breaches of these warranties.

7. Moral Rights

Nothing in this Policy shall be interpreted as limiting the moral rights of creators under Belgian copyright law.

Where applicable, creators retain the right:

To be identified as the author.
To object to unauthorized modifications.
To protect the integrity of their work.
Diamond Voices will make reasonable efforts to credit creators appropriately.

8. User-Generated Content

Users submitting materials through forms, podcasts, contests, projects, interviews, or collaborative activities confirm that:

They own the necessary rights.
They have obtained all necessary permissions.
Their content does not infringe third-party rights.
Their content does not violate applicable laws.

Users remain responsible for the content they submit.

Diamond Voices reserves the right to refuse, edit, suspend, or remove content that may violate intellectual property rights or legal obligations.

9. Withdrawal of Content

Contributors may request the removal of their submitted Works by contacting Diamond Voices.

Diamond Voices will assess such requests in good faith, taking into account:

Existing licences granted.
Contractual obligations.
Public interest considerations.
Archival requirements.
Legal obligations.
The rights of third parties.

Removal of content shall not affect uses that were lawfully made before the removal request was received.

10. Commercial Exploitation

Unless explicitly agreed otherwise in writing, submission of content to Diamond Voices does not create an employment relationship, partnership, joint venture, agency relationship, royalty entitlement, or right to financial compensation.

Any commercial exploitation, licensing arrangement, revenue-sharing agreement, sponsorship agreement, or royalty arrangement shall require a separate written agreement signed by both parties.

11. Copyright Infringement Procedure

Diamond Voices respects the rights of copyright holders.

If you believe that material published on our website infringes your intellectual property rights, you may submit a written notice containing:

Your full name.
Contact details.
Identification of the copyrighted work.
Identification of the allegedly infringing material.
A statement explaining the claimed infringement.
Documentation proving ownership or authority to act on behalf of the owner.

Notices should be sent to:

Upon receiving a valid notice, we will investigate the matter and may remove, disable, or restrict access to the disputed material where appropriate.

12. Repeat Infringers

Diamond Voices reserves the right to suspend, restrict, or terminate the participation of users who repeatedly infringe intellectual property rights.

13. Artificial Intelligence and Content Scraping

Without prior written permission, no person or organization may:

Use content from Diamond Voices to train artificial intelligence systems.
Scrape or harvest website content on a large scale.
Create datasets from website content.
Use automated tools to reproduce substantial portions of the website.

Except where such use is expressly authorized by law.

14. Copyright of Podcasts and Recordings

Unless otherwise agreed in writing:

Podcasts produced by Diamond Voices are protected by copyright and neighbouring rights.
Audio recordings, interviews, and productions created by Diamond Voices remain protected intellectual property.
Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, rebroadcasting, or commercial use is prohibited.

Third-party music, performances, or recordings remain the property of their respective owners.

15. Educational and Community Use

Diamond Voices supports education, intercultural dialogue, and community engagement.

Requests for educational, non-profit, or community use of content may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Permission must be obtained before reproducing substantial portions of copyrighted material.

16. Limitation of Liability

Diamond Voices cannot guarantee that all content submitted by third parties is free from intellectual property claims.

Users agree that:

Diamond Voices acts in good faith when publishing contributed material.
Contributors remain responsible for the rights associated with their submissions.
Diamond Voices may remove disputed content pending investigation.

17. Enforcement

Diamond Voices reserves all rights available under Belgian, European, and international intellectual property laws.

We may pursue legal remedies in the event of:

Copyright infringement.
Trademark infringement.
Unauthorized commercial use.
Content scraping.
Unauthorized reproduction or distribution.

Such remedies may include injunctions, removal orders, claims for damages, and legal proceedings before the competent Belgian courts.

18. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

This Copyright & Intellectual Property Policy shall be governed by the laws of Belgium.

Any dispute concerning intellectual property rights, copyright, trademarks, or related matters shall fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts of Antwerp, Belgium, unless mandatory legal provisions provide otherwise.

19. Contact Information

For copyright, licensing, trademark, or intellectual property matters, please contact:

Diamond Voices
Website: www.diamondvoices.org
General Email: info@diamondvoices.org

Registered Address: [Pending]
VAT Number: [Insert VAT Number, Pending]

By using www.diamondvoices.org, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Copyright & Intellectual Property Policy.