Copyright & Intellectual Property Policy

1. Your Work Remains Yours

This can include rights in:

• artwork;
• renders;
• writing;
• photographs;
• original models;
• original textures;
• illustrations;
• Guides;
• original diagrams;
• original code;
• videos; and
• other eligible creative works.

The licence granted to SecondPass under the Terms of Service exists so the Service can host, display, process and operate your Content.

It is not a transfer of copyright ownership.

2. You Must Have the Right to Publish What You Upload

You may only upload or publish Content where you have the necessary rights or another lawful basis to do so.

Depending on the circumstances, this may mean:

• you created the work;
• you own the relevant rights;
• the copyright owner gave you permission;
• the applicable licence permits publication;
• the work is legitimately available under an open licence;
• the material is in the public domain;
• an applicable legal exception or limitation permits your use; or
• you otherwise have a lawful right to publish it.

Simply finding something online does not mean it is free to reuse.

3. Portfolio Authorship Must Be Accurate

Portfolio Projects should accurately represent what you personally contributed.

SecondPass does not require every Portfolio Project to have been created entirely by one person.

Professional creative work is often collaborative.

You may showcase collaborative work provided that your presentation does not materially mislead viewers about your role.

You should credit other contributors where appropriate.

Do not present an entire team project as solely your work where that would create a materially false impression.

4. Using Purchased or Licensed Assets

SecondPass does not prohibit the use of legitimately licensed third-party assets.

Creative workflows commonly involve:

• purchased 3D models;
• asset libraries;
• stock photography;
• texture libraries;
• materials;
• fonts;
• brushes;
• plugins;
• sound libraries;
• motion-capture data;
• scanned assets;
• marketplace assets; and
• other licensed resources.

Using such material does not automatically make a project inappropriate for SecondPass.

However:

1. you must comply with the applicable licence; and
2. you must not claim that you personally created assets you did not create where that would mislead others.

A licence allowing you to use an asset in a rendered project does not necessarily allow you to redistribute the source asset itself.

You are responsible for understanding the licence.

5. Commercial Asset Libraries

Do not upload source material from commercial asset libraries where redistribution is prohibited.

Examples may include:

• marketplace meshes;
• paid texture packs;
• proprietary scan libraries;
• commercial material libraries;
• paid brushes;
• sound libraries;
• stock imagery;
• fonts; or
• commercial templates.

You may generally show such assets as part of your own finished work if your licence permits that use.

You may not redistribute the underlying asset through SecondPass merely because you purchased access to it.

6. Client and Employer Work

You are responsible for ensuring that you are permitted to publish work created:

• for a client;
• for an employer;
• at a studio;
• under contract;
• during an internship;
• through a university-industry project; or
• as part of another professional relationship.

Do not publish:

• confidential client files;
• material covered by an NDA;
• unreleased production work;
• internal concept material;
• proprietary source files;
• confidential architectural information;
• embargoed work; or
• material your employer or client has prohibited you from disclosing.

Being one of the creators does not necessarily mean you have the contractual right to publish the work publicly.

7. Student and Educational Work

Users may publish student work they are entitled to share.

You should identify substantial external contributions where necessary to avoid misleading viewers.

For example:

• instructor-provided base files;
• shared studio assets;
• team projects;
• tutorial starter projects;
• course templates; or
• externally supplied models.

Following a tutorial does not make publication automatically prohibited.

However, presenting a tutorial reproduction as an entirely original professional project may be misleading.

8. Work Created From Tutorials

Recreating a workflow demonstrated in a tutorial can be a legitimate learning activity.

Where a project closely follows another creator's tutorial, course or project:

• do not falsely claim the underlying concept or workflow as your own invention;
• credit the source where appropriate;
• do not redistribute paid tutorial materials;
• do not reproduce substantial protected teaching material without permission; and
• distinguish your own modifications and additions where useful.

Learning from another person's technique is not itself plagiarism.

Copying their protected expression and presenting it as your own may be.

9. Guides and Technical Knowledge

SecondPass Guides are intended to communicate useful technical knowledge.

Facts, ideas, methods and workflows may not receive copyright protection in the same way as the particular expression used to describe or illustrate them.

This means two people may legitimately explain the same technique.

However, do not copy another author's:

• wording;
• screenshots;
• illustrations;
• diagrams;
• videos;
• distinctive example project;
• substantial written structure; or
• other protected expression

and present it as your own.

When building on another person's work, provide appropriate attribution where required.

10. Contributions and Replies

Users retain applicable rights in original Contributions and Replies they create.

Publishing a technical solution on SecondPass does not give another user ownership of the author's written explanation.

At the same time, receiving advice does not normally give the contributor ownership of the recipient's later project.

11. Ideas Are Different From Copyrighted Expression

Copyright generally protects qualifying expression, not every underlying:

• idea;
• concept;
• style;
• method;
• workflow;
• technique;
• theme; or
• artistic influence.

Two projects being stylistically similar does not automatically establish copyright infringement.

Likewise, independently producing work based on a common technique does not automatically amount to copying.

SecondPass will not treat every creative similarity dispute as copyright infringement.

12. Style Imitation

Users may be inspired by:

• artistic movements;
• genres;
• visual traditions;
• software workflows;
• common industry styles; and
• individual artists.

A complaint that something “looks similar” to another artist's style may raise legitimate ethical or community concerns, but it does not automatically establish copyright infringement.

Where protected elements of a specific work have been copied, the issue may be different.

SecondPass may separately apply Community Guidelines concerning deception, attribution or plagiarism even where a copyright violation is not established.

13. Plagiarism and Copyright Are Not Identical

Plagiarism and copyright infringement overlap, but they are not the same concept.

Content may therefore violate SecondPass's Community Guidelines even where a formal copyright infringement claim cannot be established.

For example, deliberately copying someone's technical explanation without attribution may violate SecondPass's plagiarism rules even where the legal copyright analysis is uncertain.

14. AI-Generated and AI-Assisted Content

SecondPass does not automatically prohibit AI-assisted creative work.

However, users must not use AI to misrepresent authorship or professional skill.

Where generative AI materially created a work, users should comply with the AI disclosure requirements in the Community Guidelines.

Uploading AI-generated Content does not guarantee that the user owns copyright in that Content.

Questions concerning copyright in AI-generated material can depend on applicable law, human authorship, the underlying source material and other circumstances.

SecondPass does not certify ownership merely because Content is accepted for publication.

15. AI Outputs That Infringe Other Works

A user remains responsible for Content they publish even where the Content was produced using an AI system.

Do not knowingly publish AI-generated material that unlawfully reproduces protected elements of another person's work.

16. AI Training and Scraping

Publishing Content publicly on SecondPass does not grant unrelated third parties a licence from SecondPass to use that Content for generative-AI training.

Any rights third parties may claim must arise independently under applicable law or from the relevant rightsholder.

SecondPass may use technical measures or platform rules concerning automated scraping where appropriate.

However, because Public Content is accessible on the internet, SecondPass cannot guarantee that unrelated third parties will never attempt to copy or scrape publicly accessible material.

17. Reference Images

Reference images can be essential to creative practice.

Using something as a visual reference does not automatically mean that the reference image may be copied or redistributed.

Be especially careful when publishing:

• copyrighted photography;
• concept art;
• movie stills;
• character artwork;
• architectural photographs;
• product imagery;
• paid reference packs; or
• another artist's work.

Where reference material itself does not need to be included in the published Content, consider linking or crediting rather than re-uploading it.

18. Fan Art and Existing Intellectual Property

Fan art may involve rights belonging to:

• copyright holders;
• trademark owners;
• game studios;
• film studios;
• publishers;
• artists; or
• other rightsholders.

SecondPass does not guarantee that fan art is legally permitted merely because it is non-commercial.

Users remain responsible for their use of third-party characters, logos, environments and other protected material.

19. Trademarks and Brand Assets

Do not use another person's or company's:

• name;
• logo;
• trademark;
• trade dress; or
• branding

in a way likely to falsely suggest that your Account, work or service is officially affiliated with or endorsed by them.

Legitimate references to software, studios, brands or products may be permitted.

20. Moral Rights and Attribution

Applicable law may provide authors with rights relating to attribution and integrity in addition to economic copyright rights.

SecondPass users should respect attribution requirements and avoid intentionally removing authorship information in order to misrepresent another person's work.

The platform may restore attribution, remove misleading attribution or restrict Content where appropriate.

21. Licence Information

Where Content is published under a specific licence, users should identify that licence accurately where relevant.

Examples may include Creative Commons or open-source licences.

Do not falsely label another person's work as:

• public domain;
• Creative Commons;
• open source; or
• freely redistributable.

If a licence requires:

• attribution;
• share-alike treatment;
• notice preservation;
• source-code availability; or
• another condition,

you are responsible for satisfying it.

22. External Embeds and Links

SecondPass may permit links or embeds from third-party services.

Embedding or linking to Content does not transfer ownership of that Content to SecondPass or the embedding user.

Third-party services remain subject to their own terms, availability and intellectual-property rules.

SecondPass may disable embeds or links where appropriate.

23. Reporting Copyright Infringement

If you believe Content available through SecondPass infringes copyright or another intellectual-property right that you own or are authorised to enforce, you may submit a report through the designated intellectual-property reporting mechanism.

Where appropriate, copyright issues may also be submitted through a broader illegal-content reporting mechanism.

24. What a Copyright Report Should Include

A report should contain enough information for SecondPass to understand and assess the allegation.

Where applicable, provide:

Do not send unnecessary highly sensitive personal information.

25. You Do Not Need a SecondPass Account to Report

A rightsholder or authorised representative does not need to become a SecondPass member merely to submit an intellectual-property complaint.

The reporting mechanism should remain accessible to:

• users;
• non-users;
• companies;
• studios;
• artists;
• photographers;
• publishers;
• representatives; and
• other eligible rightsholders.

26. What Happens After a Report

SecondPass may review:

• the reported Content;
• the information submitted by the complainant;
• account and publication context;
• available licence or attribution information;
• information supplied by the affected user; and
• other relevant evidence.

Depending on the circumstances, SecondPass may:

• take no action;
• request more information;
• contact the affected user;
• temporarily restrict access;
• remove specific Content;
• disable access to specific Content;
• restore attribution;
• modify metadata;
• preserve evidence;
• apply Community Guideline enforcement;
• restrict an Account; or
• take another proportionate action.

Submitting a complaint does not guarantee removal.

27. Targeted Removal

Where reasonably possible, SecondPass should address the specific material alleged to be unlawful rather than unnecessarily removing unrelated Content.

The appropriate action depends on:

• severity;
• repeat behaviour;
• context;
• technical feasibility; and
• applicable law.

28. Notification to the Affected User

Where appropriate and legally permitted, SecondPass may inform the affected user that Content was reported.

The notice may include:

• identification of the affected Content;
• nature of the complaint;
• action taken;
• relevant platform rule;
• applicable legal basis where required;
• whether the user may respond; and
• available appeal or redress mechanisms.

Information may be withheld where disclosure would be unlawful, unsafe or would improperly expose another person's private information.

29. Responding to a Copyright Complaint

If your Content is removed or restricted following an intellectual-property complaint and you believe the complaint is incorrect, you may be able to respond.

Your response should explain the basis on which you believe your use is lawful. This might include:

• you created the work;
• you own the rights;
• you received permission;
• the material is properly licensed;
• the complainant identified the wrong work;
• the Content was independently created;
• the allegedly copied material is not protected;
• an applicable exception or limitation permits the use; or
• another relevant reason.

Provide supporting evidence where possible.

Do not submit fabricated licences, altered timestamps or false ownership claims.

30. This Is Not a US DMCA Counter-Notice Procedure

A user response under this Policy is a platform dispute/redress mechanism.

Different legal procedures may apply depending on:

• the parties;
• location;
• hosting arrangements;
• rights asserted; and
• applicable law.

31. Restoration of Content

SecondPass may restore Content where, after review:

• the original report appears mistaken;
• sufficient evidence of permission is provided;
• the complainant withdraws the allegation;
• the restriction was applied incorrectly;
• an applicable legal exception appears to apply;
• the dispute is resolved; or
• restoration is otherwise appropriate.

Restoration is not guaranteed merely because a user disputes a complaint.

32. Disputes That Require Legal Determination

SecondPass is not a court.

Some intellectual-property disputes may involve complex questions such as:

• ownership;
• employment agreements;
• joint authorship;
• contractual licensing;
• fair remuneration;
• copyright exceptions;
• derivative works;
• moral rights;
• jurisdiction;
• trademark confusion; or
• competing contractual claims.

SecondPass may take a temporary or platform-level moderation decision without claiming to finally determine the parties' legal rights.

Parties remain free to seek professional legal advice or use available legal processes.

33. False or Abusive Copyright Reports

Do not knowingly submit false intellectual-property complaints.

Prohibited behaviour includes:

• claiming ownership of work you do not own;
• using copyright reports to silence criticism;
• knowingly reporting authorised use;
• fabricating evidence;
• impersonating a rightsholder;
• submitting repeated malicious complaints;
• using reporting systems as leverage in unrelated disputes; or
• coordinating abusive mass reports.

A complaint that ultimately does not result in removal is not automatically abusive. The issue is whether the report was submitted dishonestly or recklessly.

Abuse of reporting systems may result in restrictions or other action.

34. Repeat Infringement

Users who repeatedly or seriously infringe intellectual-property rights may face escalating action.

Depending on circumstances, this may include:

• warnings;
• removal of Content;
• temporary restrictions;
• loss of publishing privileges;
• suspension; or
• permanent Account termination.

SecondPass does not necessarily use a fixed numerical “three strikes” rule. Relevant factors may include:

• number of substantiated incidents;
• severity;
• whether infringement was deliberate;
• whether the user corrected the behaviour;
• whether multiple rights were affected;
• attempts to evade restrictions;
• commercial exploitation; and
• previous warnings.

Serious infringement may result in stronger action without multiple prior warnings.

35. Repeat False Reporting

A person or entity that repeatedly submits manifestly unfounded intellectual-property complaints may also face restrictions on use of reporting mechanisms or other proportionate measures where permitted by law.

Reports will not be treated as abusive merely because SecondPass disagrees with them.

Patterns and circumstances matter.

36. Pirated Software and Assets

SecondPass must not be used to distribute or facilitate unauthorised copies of:

• commercial software;
• cracked plugins;
• stolen licence keys;
• paid asset packs;
• proprietary models;
• commercial texture libraries;
• pirated educational material;
• copyrighted project files; or
• other unlawfully distributed material.

Discussion about:

• licensing;
• software compatibility;
• archival issues;
• historical software;
• security;
• interoperability; or
• legal alternatives

is not automatically prohibited.

37. Source Files

If SecondPass introduces source-file sharing in the future, additional rules may apply.

Users must not assume that because they may display a project publicly, they also have the right to distribute:

• project files;
• source textures;
• licensed models;
• plugins;
• source code;
• proprietary shaders;
• commercial assets;
• client files; or
• other underlying materials.

Display rights and redistribution rights are not necessarily the same.

38. Recognition Does Not Establish Ownership

SecondPass Recognition, Helpful acknowledgements, Appreciation, Portfolio Recognition or similar signals do not determine copyright ownership.

A highly recognised user does not acquire rights in another user's project.

Likewise, a creator marking advice as Helpful does not transfer copyright to or from the contributor.

39. Moderation Records and Evidence

Where an intellectual-property complaint is submitted, SecondPass may retain appropriate records concerning:

• the report;
• affected Content;
• decisions;
• responses;
• evidence;
• enforcement history; and
• communications

where reasonably necessary for:

• complaint handling;
• repeat-infringement assessment;
• security;
• dispute resolution;
• legal compliance; or
• legal claims.

Personal-data processing relating to these records is governed by the Privacy Policy.

40. Relationship With the Community Guidelines

Content may violate both this Policy and the Community Guidelines.

For example:

SecondPass may act under whichever policy is most appropriate.

41. Relationship With Illegal-Content Reporting

Copyright infringement may constitute illegal Content depending on the circumstances and applicable law.

Where a report qualifies as a notice of illegal Content under applicable law, SecondPass may process it through its applicable illegal-content notice-and-action procedures.

The complainant should provide sufficiently precise information to allow identification and assessment of the material concerned.

42. Reasons for Restrictions

Where required by applicable law, SecondPass will provide affected users with a clear and specific explanation when Content or Account access is restricted because of alleged unlawful Content or violation of platform rules.

The explanation may include:

• the restriction imposed;
• the grounds relied upon;
• relevant facts and circumstances;
• applicable Policy or Terms provisions;
• applicable legal basis where appropriate;
• whether automated tools materially contributed; and
• available methods of redress.

43. Appeals and Redress

Where SecondPass provides an internal appeal mechanism, eligible users may challenge intellectual-property-related moderation decisions.

An appeal should identify:

• the decision being challenged;
• why it is believed to be incorrect;
• relevant evidence;
• applicable permission or licence; and
• any important context not previously considered.

Repeatedly resubmitting the same unsupported claim may not result in additional review.

44. Court and Authority Orders

SecondPass may comply with valid orders or legal obligations issued by:

• courts;
• law-enforcement authorities;
• regulatory bodies;
• competent administrative authorities; or
• other legally authorised entities.

Where legally permitted and appropriate, affected users may be informed.

45. Other Intellectual-Property Rights

This Policy focuses heavily on copyright because of the type of Content hosted by SecondPass.

However, complaints may also concern rights such as:

• trademarks;
• design rights;
• database rights;
• moral rights;
• trade secrets;
• contractual confidentiality;
• rights in photographs;
• related rights; or
• other intellectual-property rights.

Provide enough information to explain the specific right allegedly affected.

46. Confidential Information and Trade Secrets

Do not use SecondPass to publish confidential business information or trade secrets you are not authorised to disclose.

Examples can include:

• unreleased production assets;
• proprietary studio tools;
• confidential client drawings;
• internal documentation;
• private source code;
• commercial bids;
• unpublished design work; or
• confidential technical processes.

Copyright ownership does not necessarily resolve confidentiality obligations.

47. No Ownership Verification by Default

SecondPass does not independently verify ownership of every item published by every user before publication.

The fact that Content appears on SecondPass does not mean that SecondPass:

• certifies authorship;
• verifies licensing;
• confirms copyright ownership;
• guarantees originality; or
• endorses the uploader's ownership claim.

Users remain responsible for what they publish.

48. Changes to This Policy

SecondPass may update this Policy as:

• the Service develops;
• new media types are introduced;
• source-file sharing is added;
• Mentorship develops;
• legal requirements change;
• reporting procedures improve; or
• intellectual-property issues encountered by the community require clarification.

Material changes will be communicated where appropriate.

The current version and last-updated date will remain available on this page.

49. Reporting Routes

When implemented, SecondPass should provide distinct routes for different types of issues.

Using the most relevant route helps ensure that reports receive the correct type of review.

50. Short Version