Terms of Service

Updated 24/11/2024

1. Agreement

By accessing Ghostwatch.com, you agree to these Terms of Service (“Terms”). These Terms govern your use of our website and paranormal investigation and research platform.

2. Age Requirements and Eligibility

By using Ghostwatch.com, you represent and warrant that:

  • You are at least 18 years of age; and
  • If you are accessing our services on behalf of a business or organisation, you have authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

3. User Licence

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use Ghostwatch.com for personal, non‑commercial purposes only.

4. Content Rights and Usage

When you submit content to Ghostwatch.com, you retain full ownership of your paranormal evidence, stories, photographs, videos, audio recordings, and other materials. By submitting content, you grant Ghostwatch.com a worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free, non‑exclusive licence to:

  • Conduct scientific analysis of paranormal phenomena;
  • Include submissions in our research database;
  • Collaborate with verified paranormal research organisations;
  • Develop investigation methodologies;
  • Archive historical paranormal documentation;
  • Create educational resources;
  • Share content across our media platforms;
  • Include submissions in publications and documentaries; and
  • Feature content in articles, educational works, and social media.

Ghostwatch.com does not claim ownership of user‑submitted content. You are solely responsible for ensuring you have all necessary rights and permissions. By uploading content, you confirm:

  1. You are the copyright owner or have obtained all legal permissions;
  2. The content does not infringe any third‑party rights; and
  3. You accept full legal responsibility for your submissions.

5. Fair Use & Fair Dealing Policy

A. US — Fair Use Notice

Ghostwatch.com operates as a non‑commercial, educational research platform dedicated to the study of paranormal phenomena. Some content displayed here may be used for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. We believe such uses qualify as “fair use” under Section 107 of the US Copyright Act. If you believe your copyright‑protected work has been used in a way that does not qualify, please contact us via our Takedown Policy.

B. UK — Fair Dealing Notice

In accordance with Sections 29 and 30 of the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, certain third‑party materials may be reproduced for:

  • Non‑commercial research or private study;
  • Criticism or review; or
  • Reporting current events.

Such use must include sufficient acknowledgement of the original creator when possible, and must be genuinely non‑commercial and in good faith for educational, research, and scholarly purposes. For the purposes of these Terms, “sufficient acknowledgement” means identifying the work by title or description, and crediting the creator or rights holder where known.

6. Hosting Provider & Safe Harbour Protection

Ghostwatch.com acts as an online hosting provider for user‑generated content. We:

  • Do not actively monitor or pre‑screen all uploads and have no general obligation to monitor user submissions;
  • Respond promptly to valid takedown notices; and
  • Remove or disable access to infringing content in compliance with the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), UK/EU notice‑and‑takedown systems, and equivalent applicable laws in other jurisdictions.

We are not liable for copyright infringement committed by users, provided we act promptly upon becoming aware of the infringement. Our liability, if any, is fully discharged upon removal or disabling of access following a valid notice.

7. User Responsibilities

You agree to:

  • Provide accurate account information;
  • Maintain the confidentiality of your account;
  • Not submit false or misleading material;
  • Not upload copyrighted content without permission or legal exemption;
  • Properly credit any third‑party material used under fair dealing/fair use exemptions;
  • Use Ghostwatch.com for lawful purposes only;
  • Be respectful towards other users.

8. Repeat Infringer Policy

In accordance with copyright laws and safe harbour requirements, Ghostwatch.com will terminate, in appropriate circumstances, accounts of users who are found to be repeat infringers of intellectual property rights.

9. Content Moderation

We reserve the right to:

  • Review, edit, or remove content at our discretion;
  • Suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms;
  • Investigate reported misuse.

10. Privacy and Data Protection

We protect your personal information as detailed in our Privacy Policy. By using our site, you consent to our collection and use of data for legitimate research purposes.

11. Takedown Policy

If you believe your copyright has been infringed, email support@ghostwatch.com with:

  • Identification of the copyrighted work;
  • URL/location of the allegedly infringing material;
  • Statement of good faith belief that the use is unauthorised;
  • Statement under penalty of perjury that your claim is accurate and you are the rights holder or authorised agent.

We will review and, if necessary, remove the content promptly.

12. Educational & Archival Use

Materials collected and displayed on Ghostwatch.com are for historical preservation, education, and scholarly research. The site derives no profit from third‑party content and no commercial exploitation will occur without prior written consent from the rights holder.

13. Disclaimer

Ghostwatch.com provides resources and reports “as is” without warranties. We cannot guarantee the authenticity of user‑submitted material. Your participation in investigations is at your own risk. We are not responsible for any infringing actions by our users that occur without our knowledge or outside of our reasonable control.

14. Limitation of Liability

We are not liable for:

  • Loss of use or data;
  • Unauthorised access to content;
  • Actions of other users;
  • Service interruptions;
  • Acts beyond our control.

15. Indemnification

You agree to fully indemnify and hold harmless Ghostwatch.com, its owners, affiliates, and partners from all claims, damages, costs (including legal fees) arising from:

  • Your content submissions;
  • Your breach of these Terms;
  • Your copyright or IP violations.

16. Force Majeure

We are not responsible for service failures caused by events beyond our control (e.g., natural disasters, outages, legal changes, cyberattacks).

17. Intellectual Property Rights

All Ghostwatch.com branding, logos, and original site content are owned by Ghostwatch Paranormal Research & Investigation (GWPRI). You may not copy, modify, or use them without permission.

18. External Links

We are not responsible for external websites linked from Ghostwatch.com. Links must not misrepresent affiliation.

19. Changes to Terms

We may change these Terms at any time. Continued use of the site equals acceptance of updated Terms.

20. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms, and any dispute arising from them, are governed by the laws of England and Wales. You agree that any legal proceedings related to Ghostwatch.com will be brought exclusively in the courts of England and Wales.

21. Contact

For questions or legal notices, contact: support@ghostwatch.com