Terms of Use

01

Introduction & Definitions

For the purposes of these Terms:

• "KFS" means KIIT Film Society, its core committees, authorised representatives, volunteers, faculty advisors, and successors.
• "Website" includes all webpages, subdomains, applications, databases, content repositories, communication systems, digital services, software, and associated online platforms operated by KFS.
• "Social Media Channels" means all official KFS accounts, pages, handles, and presences on third-party social media and digital platforms, including but not limited to Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, and any other platform on which KFS maintains an official presence, whether current or future.
• "Digital Channels" means the Website, Social Media Channels, newsletters, email communications, messaging groups, and any other digital medium through which KFS communicates, publishes content, or engages with its community.
• "User" means any individual or entity accessing or using the Website or interacting with any official KFS Digital Channel.
• "Member" means any person formally associated with KFS.
• "Content" includes text, articles, blogs, reviews, editorials, graphics, photographs, audio recordings, films, videos, reels, shorts, stories, posts, captions, artwork, software, databases, event materials, documents, and all other information available through the Website or any Digital Channel.
• "Social Media Content" means all posts, reels, stories, shorts, videos, photographs, graphics, captions, hashtags, comments, replies, polls, live streams, and other material published on or through any official KFS Social Media Channel.
• "Society Intellectual Property" means all intellectual property owned, controlled, commissioned, licensed, funded, acquired, developed, maintained, or used by KFS in its official capacity.
• "Member Intellectual Property" means original intellectual property created independently by a member or contributor.
• "User Submission" means any content uploaded, submitted, transmitted, shared, tagged, mentioned, or otherwise provided to KFS through the Website or any Digital Channel.
• "AI Systems" includes artificial intelligence systems, machine learning models, large language models, generative AI systems, neural networks, automated content generation tools, and similar technologies.

02

Purpose of the Website

The Website and KFS's Digital Channels exist to support the educational, cultural, artistic, archival, and administrative objectives of KFS. They may be used to publish content, promote events, facilitate participation, showcase creative works, preserve institutional records, communicate with members, engage the broader film community, and support the Society's activities across all platforms.

Nothing on the Website or any KFS Digital Channel constitutes legal, financial, professional, academic, or commercial advice.

03

Eligibility & Authorised Use

Users must comply with all applicable laws, university regulations, platform-specific terms of service, and these Terms. Access to the Website and engagement with KFS Digital Channels is granted solely for lawful, educational, informational, cultural, and non-commercial purposes unless expressly authorised otherwise.

Interactions with KFS on any Social Media Channel — including comments, direct messages, mentions, shares, reposts, or other forms of engagement — are also subject to these Terms to the extent applicable, in addition to the terms of service of the relevant platform.

KFS reserves the right to refuse, restrict, suspend, or terminate access at its discretion where necessary to protect its interests, operations, members, content, systems, or legal rights, across any or all Digital Channels.

04

Ownership of the Website

The Website consists of software components, content, branding, visual assets, and other intellectual property. Certain software components may be made available under open-source licences, which may be used, modified, and distributed in accordance with their applicable licence terms.

However, the availability of any source code under an open-source licence shall not be interpreted as granting ownership of, rights in, or permission to reproduce any of the following:

• The KFS name, logos, trademarks, insignia, slogans, event identities, and branding elements, including as they appear across any Digital Channel
• The Website's distinctive visual identity, design language, artistic direction, presentation style, layout arrangements, graphics, illustrations, animations, audiovisual assets, or other protected creative expressions
• The overall look and feel of the Website, including combinations of design elements that identify it as an official KFS platform
• Articles, blogs, reviews, editorials, publications, photographs, films, videos, archives, databases, Social Media Content, and other content appearing on the Website or any Digital Channel
• Official Society records, member directories, event archives, publications, and institutional materials
• Any representation that another project, website, account, or service is affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to KFS

Users may build independent projects using lawfully licensed open-source software components, provided such projects maintain their own independent identity and do not reproduce protected branding, content, or visual presentation in a manner likely to cause confusion.

05

Society Intellectual Property

All Society Intellectual Property shall remain the exclusive property of KFS and/or its lawful licensors. This includes, without limitation:

• Names, logos, trademarks, symbols, slogans, and branding as used across all platforms
• Official publications and communications, whether on the Website or across any Digital Channel
• Event identities and promotional campaigns
• Website content and databases
• Official photographs, recordings, videos, reels, shorts, stories, and audiovisual works
• Archives and historical records
• Editorial publications, reviews, and articles
• Social Media Content, including posts, captions, graphics, video content, and related creative assets
• Educational resources and research materials
• Design assets, templates, graphical materials, and visual branding resources
• Hashtags, campaign identifiers, and unique terminology developed by KFS

Membership, volunteering, office-holding, content creation, social media engagement, or participation in Society activities shall not grant ownership rights in Society Intellectual Property unless expressly approved through a written agreement authorised by KFS. KFS reserves all rights not expressly granted.

06

Member Intellectual Property

Members retain ownership of independently created works, including but not limited to films, scripts, screenplays, treatments, concepts, photographs, artwork, essays, reviews, music, sound recordings, animations, research materials, and other original creative works.

Participation in KFS activities, including contributing content to KFS Digital Channels or Social Media Channels, shall not, by itself, transfer ownership of Member Intellectual Property to KFS. Where ownership arrangements differ, such arrangements must be documented through a separate written agreement.

07

Official Society Works

Any work expressly commissioned, funded, produced, directed, managed, or designated by KFS as an official Society project may be governed by separate ownership, licensing, archival, publication, or distribution arrangements established in writing.

KFS reserves the right to maintain official archives of Society-related works, records, publications, photographs, videos, social media posts, and historical materials for institutional, educational, promotional, and archival purposes across all Digital Channels.

08

User Submissions

Users submitting content through the Website or any KFS Digital Channel — including tagging KFS accounts, replying to posts, submitting via direct message, or otherwise making content available to KFS — represent and warrant that:

• They possess all necessary rights to submit the content
• The content does not infringe any third-party rights
• The content complies with applicable laws and platform terms
• The content is accurate to the best of their knowledge
• They have the right to grant KFS the licence described below

By submitting content, users grant KFS a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to host, display, archive, reproduce, distribute, promote, and use such content solely for Society-related purposes, Website operations, and official Digital Channel activity. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, ownership remains with the creator.

KFS may share User Submissions across its Social Media Channels with appropriate attribution. Users may withdraw consent for further use of their submitted content by contacting KFS in writing, except where such content has already been published or archived in a manner that cannot reasonably be reversed.

09

Blogs, Articles & Published Content

All blogs, reviews, articles, editorials, essays, reports, publications, graphics, photographs, audiovisual materials, Social Media Content, and other published content appearing on the Website or across any KFS Digital Channel are protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

Except where expressly permitted, users shall not:

• Copy, reproduce, republish, redistribute, archive, aggregate, or commercially exploit Website or Social Media Content
• Translate, adapt, modify, summarise, annotate, or create derivative works for public distribution
• Repost substantial portions of Website or Social Media Content on other platforms without attribution and prior consent
• Remove attribution, copyright notices, watermarks, account tags, or ownership information
• Compile Website or Social Media Content into databases, repositories, newsletters, publications, or commercial products
• Screenshot, download, or archive Social Media Content for redistribution without express permission

Limited quotations for criticism, commentary, academic discussion, or research may be permitted where required by applicable law and accompanied by proper attribution to KFS and the relevant Digital Channel.

10

Film & Creative Content

Films, photographs, videos, reels, shorts, scripts, screenplays, music, sound recordings, artwork, animations, and other creative works displayed, screened, archived, streamed, or otherwise made available through the Website or any KFS Digital Channel remain the property of their respective owners unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing.

No user shall:

• Download protected content except where expressly permitted
• Reproduce or redistribute creative works
• Publicly screen, perform, transmit, repost, or broadcast such works without authorisation
• Remove embedded credits, watermarks, metadata, account tags, or attribution information
• Use creative works for commercial purposes without authorisation from the lawful rights holder
• Re-upload or repost video content, reels, or short films from KFS Digital Channels to third-party platforms without prior written permission

The presence of creative works on the Website or any KFS Digital Channel shall not be interpreted as a transfer, assignment, waiver, or abandonment of intellectual property rights.

11

Social Media & Digital Channels

KFS maintains official presences on various social media and digital platforms, including but not limited to Instagram (@kiit.filmsoc.kfs) and YouTube. These presences constitute official extensions of KFS's public identity and are subject to these Terms in addition to the respective platform's own policies.

Ownership of Social Media Content

All original content created and published by KFS on its Social Media Channels — including posts, reels, short films, behind-the-scenes material, event coverage, graphic designs, captions, series, campaigns, and related assets — is owned by KFS or by the relevant rights holder as applicable, and is protected under copyright and intellectual property law. Platform-granted sharing features (such as Instagram's native "repost" or YouTube's "share") do not constitute authorisation for reproduction, download, re-upload, or commercial use.

Prohibited Actions on Social Media

In respect of KFS Social Media Channels, users shall not:

• Download, screen-record, or capture video content, reels, or live streams from KFS accounts for redistribution
• Re-upload KFS video or audiovisual content to other accounts or platforms without prior written consent
• Use KFS Social Media Content — including graphics, photographs, captions, or video — in commercial, promotional, or monetised contexts
• Impersonate, parody, or create accounts that replicate, mimic, or could be confused with official KFS Social Media Channels
• Create fan accounts or unofficial pages using KFS's name, logo, or branding without express written authorisation
• Use KFS's name, handle, or hashtags to promote unaffiliated events, products, or services
• Engage in coordinated inauthentic behaviour, including artificially inflating engagement metrics on KFS content
• Post comments, replies, or direct messages that are abusive, defamatory, harassing, or discriminatory in nature
• Spam KFS accounts with unsolicited promotional material
• Scrape follower lists, engagement data, or other metadata from KFS Social Media Channels

Tagging, Mentions & Community Contributions

Users who tag, mention, or share content directed at official KFS accounts acknowledge that KFS may engage with, reshare, or republish such content on its own channels with appropriate attribution. KFS is not obligated to engage with or publish any tagged content. Tagging KFS does not constitute an endorsement, a guaranteed feature, or a submission for membership, collaboration, or representation.

KFS reserves the right to remove, hide, or report any comment, message, or engagement on its Social Media Channels that violates these Terms, platform policies, applicable law, or KFS's community standards, without prior notice.

Unofficial Accounts & Impersonation

Accounts, pages, channels, or presences on any platform that are not expressly authorised by KFS in writing do not represent KFS, regardless of the name, handle, branding, or affiliation claimed. KFS will take appropriate steps — including reporting to the relevant platform and pursuing legal action where necessary — against accounts that misrepresent affiliation with or authorisation by KFS.

Platform Terms

Users engaging with KFS Social Media Channels do so subject to both these Terms and the terms of service of the relevant platform. KFS is not responsible for the policies, practices, availability, content, or actions of any third-party social media platform.

12

Community Standards & Language

KFS is committed to maintaining a respectful, inclusive, and professionally conducted community across all its Digital Channels, events, and activities. All users — including the general public, followers, event attendees, and KFS Members — are expected to engage in a manner consistent with these standards at all times.

Prohibited Language & Expression

The following are strictly prohibited across all KFS Digital Channels, in-person events, and any context where KFS's name, identity, or platforms are involved:

• The use of profanity, obscene language, or vulgar expressions in comments, captions, direct messages, or any public-facing communication directed at or through KFS platforms
• Hate speech of any kind, including language that demeans, dehumanises, or incites hatred against individuals or groups on the basis of religion, caste, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, disability, language, or any other protected characteristic
• Slurs, derogatory epithets, or language designed to humiliate or degrade
• Sexually explicit, suggestive, or graphic language in any communication directed at or through KFS platforms
• Threats — explicit or implied — of violence, retaliation, doxxing, or any form of harm directed at any individual or group
• Language intended to intimidate, coerce, or silence others
• Targeted harassment campaigns, pile-ons, or coordinated abusive messaging against any individual
• Content that trivialises, mocks, or glorifies self-harm, suicide, violence, abuse, or trauma
• Content designed to incite communal disharmony, religious intolerance, or social division

Harassment & Bullying

KFS does not tolerate harassment of any kind. Harassment includes, but is not limited to, repeated unwanted contact, personal attacks, public shaming, deliberate misgendering, threatening messages, sharing of private information without consent, or any conduct reasonably perceived as hostile, abusive, or designed to cause distress. This applies equally in public comments, direct messages, group communications, and in-person interactions at KFS events.

Criticism & Disagreement

Constructive criticism, honest feedback, and good-faith disagreement regarding KFS content, decisions, or events are welcome and valued. However, critique must remain respectful and directed at ideas, content, or decisions rather than at individuals. Personal attacks, bad-faith provocation, or sustained hostile engagement will be treated as a violation of these community standards regardless of the underlying opinion expressed.

Moderation

KFS reserves the right to remove, hide, or restrict any content — including comments, replies, messages, or posts — that violates these community standards, without prior notice and without being required to provide an explanation. Repeated or egregious violations may result in permanent blocking or banning from KFS Digital Channels, referral to platform moderation, or escalation to university or legal authorities where appropriate.

13

Member Conduct & Obligations

KFS Members — including all formally enrolled members, committee members, office-bearers, volunteers, collaborators, and anyone acting in any official or semi-official capacity on behalf of KFS — are held to a higher standard of conduct than general users, commensurate with the trust placed in them and the responsibility they carry as representatives of the Society. Membership of KFS is a privilege, not an entitlement, and carries with it binding obligations that apply both within and outside the formal scope of Society activities.

Representation & Communication

Members shall not:

• Represent, speak on behalf of, or make public statements purportedly on behalf of KFS without explicit authorisation from the relevant committee or authority within KFS
• Use KFS's name, branding, platforms, or credentials to further personal agendas, commercial interests, or causes unconnected to KFS's objectives
• Make misleading, defamatory, or reputationally damaging statements about KFS, KSAC, KIIT, fellow members, alumni, collaborators, event participants, or any third party, whether publicly or privately
• Leak, disclose, or circulate internal communications, decisions, meeting records, editorial plans, content strategies, member information, or confidential materials to parties outside KFS without authorisation
• Publicly air internal grievances, disputes, or disagreements in a manner that embarrasses or undermines KFS, its leadership, or its members — internal mechanisms for raising concerns must be used first

Conduct on KFS Platforms

Members interacting on KFS Digital Channels — whether in an official capacity or as individual users — shall maintain conduct consistent with these Terms at all times. In particular, Members shall not:

• Use KFS platforms, group chats, or official communications to share, circulate, or amplify profane, offensive, sexually explicit, or harmful content
• Use their position within KFS to intimidate, pressure, or coerce other members or users
• Engage in or facilitate bullying, exclusion, or targeted harassment of any individual within or connected to the KFS community
• Share or misuse the personal contact details, personal information, or content of other members without their explicit consent
• Misuse access to internal KFS systems, databases, social media credentials, tools, or administrative accounts for personal gain or purposes outside their authorised role
• Post on KFS's official Social Media Channels without authorisation, or access shared accounts in an unauthorised manner

Conduct Outside KFS Platforms

While KFS does not seek to regulate the private lives of its members, conduct outside KFS platforms may be subject to these Terms where it directly and materially affects KFS, its reputation, its community, or its members. This includes publicly circulating content that misrepresents KFS, directly harassing fellow KFS members or collaborators on personal social media, or acting in a manner that a reasonable person would regard as bringing KFS into disrepute.

Intellectual Property Obligations

Members shall not:

• Claim sole or disproportionate credit for collaborative or Society-supported work
• Distribute, publish, or commercially exploit KFS content, official works, or member contributions without authorisation
• Use KFS resources, equipment, production support, or institutional credibility to produce content for personal commercial gain without explicit written approval
• Submit content to KFS platforms that infringes the rights of third parties

Post-Membership Obligations

Obligations relating to confidentiality, intellectual property, non-disparagement, and reputational conduct continue to apply after a member's tenure, resignation, removal, or separation from KFS. Former members shall not disclose confidential information, misuse KFS credentials or content, or engage in conduct designed to damage KFS following their departure.

Consequences of Member Misconduct

Violations of these member obligations may result in one or more of the following consequences, at KFS's sole discretion: formal warning, suspension of member privileges, removal from internal platforms and communications, termination of membership, referral to KSAC or university disciplinary authorities, or initiation of legal proceedings where warranted. The severity of the consequence will be commensurate with the nature, intent, and impact of the violation.

14

Prohibited Conduct

Users shall not, through the Website or any KFS Digital Channel:

• Violate applicable laws or regulations
• Interfere with Website or Digital Channel operations or introduce malicious software
• Attempt unauthorised access to any part of the Website or backend systems
• Impersonate KFS, its members, or its representatives, or misrepresent affiliation with KFS on any platform
• Create or operate unofficial social media accounts, pages, or groups that use KFS branding or are likely to be confused with official KFS channels
• Submit false information in event registrations or any other form
• Infringe intellectual property rights or circumvent security measures
• Harvest user information, scrape Website or Social Media content, or clone Website functionality
• Engage in abusive, harassing, discriminatory, defamatory, or threatening conduct toward KFS, its members, or any user
• Use profane, obscene, hateful, or sexually explicit language on or directed at KFS platforms
• Post or transmit content that is unlawful, obscene, harmful, or otherwise objectionable
• Promote competing events, organisations, or commercial interests by misusing KFS platforms or identity
• Use Website resources or KFS Digital Channels for any unlawful purpose

15

Artificial Intelligence & Automated Access

Without prior written authorisation from KFS and, where applicable, the relevant rights holder, no person may use any Website content, Social Media Content, media, archives, databases, reviews, publications, metadata, audiovisual materials, photographs, films, scripts, articles, records, or other resources from any KFS Digital Channel for:

• AI or machine learning training, model development, fine-tuning, or testing
• Embedding generation, dataset creation, or knowledge-base construction
• Automated content generation or generative AI applications
• Data mining, automated extraction, or large language model development

Automated scraping, crawling, harvesting, indexing, downloading, aggregation, mirroring, or systematic retrieval of Website or Social Media Channel resources is prohibited, except for ordinary indexing by recognised search engines in accordance with industry-standard protocols and Website permissions.

The use of bots, scripts, automated agents, crawlers, or similar technologies to collect Website or Social Media content — including through third-party scraping tools or social media data APIs used beyond their intended personal use scope — without authorisation is prohibited.

This prohibition applies to content on all KFS Digital Channels, including content hosted natively on third-party social media platforms.

16

Confidentiality

Scripts, treatments, concepts, production plans, unpublished creative works, pitches, rough cuts, internal documents, meeting records, submissions, editorial plans, social media strategies, content calendars, and other confidential materials shared through KFS activities shall remain confidential unless expressly released by their owner or by KFS where authorised.

Unauthorised disclosure, copying, distribution, publication on social media, or exploitation of confidential materials is prohibited.

17

Copyright Complaints

KFS respects intellectual property rights. Any person claiming infringement of their rights through content published on the Website or any KFS Digital Channel may submit a written complaint identifying the allegedly infringed work and the allegedly infringing material, including a link to the relevant post or page where possible.

KFS reserves the right to investigate, remove content, request supporting documentation, suspend access, and take appropriate corrective measures across any or all Digital Channels.

18

Third-Party Services & Links

The Website and KFS Digital Channels may contain references or links to third-party websites, platforms, services, or resources, including social media platforms on which KFS maintains a presence. KFS does not control and is not responsible for third-party content, security, policies, practices, or availability. Access to third-party resources occurs at the user's own risk. The inclusion of any third-party link or platform reference does not constitute an endorsement by KFS.

19

Disclaimer of Warranties

The Website, all Digital Channels, and all content are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. KFS makes no warranties regarding accuracy, completeness, availability, reliability, security, uninterrupted operation, fitness for a particular purpose, or freedom from errors. This extends to content published across all Social Media Channels, which may be subject to platform outages, algorithmic changes, or other factors outside KFS's control. Users assume all risks associated with Website and Digital Channel use.

20

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, KFS, KSAC, KIIT, their officers, members, advisors, volunteers, representatives, affiliates, and licensors shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, punitive, or exemplary damages arising from:

• Website or Digital Channel use or inability to use the Website or any Digital Channel
• User submissions or third-party actions, including on social media platforms
• Content inaccuracies or technical failures
• Security incidents, data loss, or service interruptions
• Actions or decisions taken by third-party social media platforms affecting KFS accounts or content
• Loss of access to KFS Social Media Channels due to platform-side action, suspension, or policy changes

21

Indemnification

Users agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless KFS, KSAC, KIIT, and their associated persons from claims, damages, liabilities, losses, costs, expenses, and legal fees arising from:

• Violations of these Terms or applicable law
• Intellectual property disputes relating to User Submissions
• Misconduct connected to Website or Digital Channel use
• Impersonation of KFS or misuse of KFS branding on any platform
• Unauthorised use or redistribution of KFS Social Media Content

22

Enforcement & Termination

KFS reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to investigate suspected violations and take any action deemed necessary to protect its rights, members, systems, content, operations, and legal interests. Such actions may include:

• Removal of content or suspension of access on the Website or any Digital Channel
• Deletion or hiding of comments, messages, or posts that violate these Terms or community standards
• Permanent blocking or banning from KFS Digital Channels
• Termination of user privileges or preservation of evidence
• In respect of Members: issuance of a formal warning, suspension of member privileges, removal from internal platforms and communications, or termination of membership
• Reporting infringing, impersonating, or abusive accounts to the relevant social media platform
• Referral to KSAC, university disciplinary authorities, or law enforcement as appropriate
• Initiation of legal proceedings, injunctive relief, or recovery of damages

KFS is not obligated to provide advance notice before taking enforcement action, particularly where immediate action is necessary to prevent harm, protect the community, or preserve evidence. However, KFS will endeavour to act proportionately and in good faith in all enforcement decisions.

Rights and obligations relating to intellectual property, confidentiality, indemnification, limitation of liability, enforcement, and content ownership shall survive termination of access, membership, or association with KFS.

23

Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by the laws of India. Any dispute arising from or relating to the Website, Digital Channels, or Social Media activity shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

24

Amendments

KFS reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Updated versions shall become effective upon publication on the Website. Continued use of the Website or any KFS Digital Channel following publication constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. We encourage users to review this page periodically.

25

Entire Agreement

These Terms constitute the entire agreement governing use of the Website and KFS's Digital Channels and supersede all prior understandings relating to Website or Digital Channel use. If any provision is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

26

Contact Information

Questions regarding these Terms, intellectual property matters, copyright concerns, social media inquiries, or Website administration may be directed to:

• Email: filmsocietykiit@gmail.com
• Instagram: @kiit.filmsoc.kfs

By continuing to access or use the Website or any KFS Digital Channel, you acknowledge and agree to be bound by these Terms of Use.