Terms of Service

VT-01 Who is who

My Digital Sovereignty Ltd (NZBN 9429053246547) ("we") provides the Village Product to the person or organisation that opens the account ("you"). My Digital Sovereignty Ltd (NZBN 9429053246547) owns the intellectual property in the Village Products. "You" may be a subscriber (ongoing use), a purchaser (a one-off deliverable) or an evaluator (invited evaluation access), as your Order Schedule says. A guest is someone who takes part in what a subscriber runs. A "Distributor" is an independent business appointed to sell or help you adopt a Village Product; it is not us and cannot change these terms.

VT-02 What makes up the agreement

The agreement is these Village Terms, the Product Schedule for each Village Product you use, and your Order Schedule. If they conflict, the Order Schedule prevails over the Product Schedule, and the Product Schedule prevails over these Village Terms, except that nothing in a Schedule can remove a protection in clauses VT-04, VT-06, VT-08, VT-16 or VT-17.

VT-03 Your subscription

We give you a non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the Village Product for your own purposes, for the term. Where the Village Product is installed on your systems, that right is a licence to run it there, without access to the source, for the term. You may not copy, sell, sublicense or reverse engineer it, or use it to build a substitute for it.

VT-04 Your records are yours

You own your records and your content. We hold and process them only to provide, secure and support the Village Product for you, as you direct. That includes the automated processing the Village Product needs to run, such as indexing, sealing, backup and any AI features you use. We do not use your records or content to train any AI model, and we do not sell them. Our staff do not read the content of your records except to provide or support the Village Product at your request, to deal with a security problem, or where the law requires it; where the law allows we tell you. A Distributor never has access to the content of your records.

VT-05 Other people's contributions

Where other people (guests, members, participants) put material into your records, you are responsible for having the notices and consents you need from them. We hold their material on your behalf. If we receive a request from one of them about their own material, we pass it to you and help you answer it.

VT-06 Personal information

We handle personal information under the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 and, where it applies to you, the EU General Data Protection Regulation. We process personal information only on your documented instructions; keep it in the place the Product Schedule states (time-stamp fingerprints may leave that place); require everyone with access to keep it confidential; use only the sub-processors listed in the Product Schedule, tell you 30 days before adding or changing one, let you object and end the agreement if you do, and bind each to terms at least as protective as these; protect it with reasonable safeguards; help you respond to requests from the people it is about and to show you are meeting your own obligations, including by answering reasonable audit questions; tell you without undue delay if we find it has been accessed or disclosed without authority, saying what happened, how many people are affected and what we have done; and delete or return it when the agreement ends (VT-08).

VT-07 Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the Village Product and your records. No system is free of risk, and we do not promise that the Village Product will be free of faults or interruption.

VT-08 Getting your records out

You can export your records at any time in an open format described in the Product Schedule. For 90 days after the agreement ends we keep them available for export, and then we delete them, except copies we must keep by law. Where the Product Schedule provides sealing, sealed records remain checkable by anyone holding the record and the public verification material, whether or not we continue to operate.

VT-09 Acceptable use

You will use the Village Product lawfully, including New Zealand sanctions and export law, and will not attack, overload or bypass its protections, share your credentials or keys, or use it to harm others. Where you connect your own software or AI agents to it, you are responsible for what they do through it, for the permissions you give them, and for keeping a person accountable for their actions. We may suspend access that is putting the Village Product or other subscribers at immediate risk, tell you why, and restore access as soon as the risk is resolved.

VT-10 AI in the Village Product

Where a Village Product uses AI, it says so. AI output can be wrong. It informs your decisions; it does not make them for you, and it is not legal, financial, medical or other professional advice. Live participation by AI in a session is disclosed to everyone in the session.

VT-11 What a sealed record shows

A sealed record shows that particular material existed, and was signed with a particular key, at the time stated. Where a time-stamp is included, an outside time-stamp authority has confirmed the time. A sealed record does not show that its contents are true, that a person was authorised, or that a legal duty was met, and we make no promise about how a court, regulator or other body will treat it. Where the Product Schedule says who holds the signing keys, that statement governs.

VT-12 Other providers

We use other providers to deliver the Village Product. The Product Schedule lists those that handle your records or personal information. Where a Village Product measures or connects to third-party services, we are not responsible for those services or for what they say or do.

VT-13 Fees

You pay the fees, if any, in your Order Schedule, which are read from our published price list on the date of the order. Fees are in New Zealand dollars unless the Order Schedule says otherwise and exclude tax. We give you 30 days' notice of a price change, and you may end the agreement on notice before it takes effect. If you do not pay after 14 days' notice, we may suspend the Village Product until you do; we keep your records safe and exportable meanwhile.

VT-14 Term and ending

The term is the billing period in your Order Schedule, renewing until one of us ends it. A fixed term never exceeds 12 months. Either of us may end the agreement on 30 days' notice. Either of us may end it sooner if the other has seriously breached it and has not put it right within 14 days of written notice. Ending one Village Product does not end your others unless you are in breach of them too. Clauses that by nature continue (VT-04, VT-06, VT-08, VT-11, VT-17 to VT-20) continue.

VT-15 Availability and support

We provide the Village Product with reasonable care and skill and support it through support@mysovereignty.digital as the Product Schedule describes. Unless the Product Schedule states a service level, we make no promise of uninterrupted availability, and we give notice of planned maintenance where we can.

VT-16 Consumer rights and business use

If you are an individual using the Village Product for personal or household purposes, or an organisation using it for a purpose of a kind ordinarily acquired for personal or household use, nothing in these terms limits your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, the Fair Trading Act 1986, the Australian Consumer Law where you are in Australia, or any other law that cannot be excluded. If you are a business using the Village Product for business purposes, you acknowledge that in your Order Schedule and agree, to the extent the law permits, that the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and sections 9, 12A and 13 of the Fair Trading Act 1986 do not apply.

VT-17 Limits on our liability

Except for fraud, wilful misconduct, and liability the law does not let us limit, our total liability to you for everything arising from the agreement in any 12 months is limited to the greater of the fees you paid or owe us for the 12 months before the event and NZ$1,000, and we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, lost profit or lost opportunity. Your liability to us is limited in the same way, except for unpaid fees and misuse of the Village Product in breach of VT-03 or VT-09.

VT-18 Confidentiality

Each of us keeps the other's non-public information confidential, uses it only for the agreement, and discloses it only to those who need it and are bound to the same standard, or where the law requires. This does not apply to information that is public without breach, was already known to the recipient, or is independently developed.

VT-19 Intellectual property

My Digital Sovereignty Ltd (NZBN 9429053246547) owns, and keeps solely, all intellectual property in the Village Products, including the sealing, signing and time-stamping design and the programme interfaces. Nothing in the agreement transfers any of it to you or to a Distributor. You may give us feedback, and we may use it without obligation.

VT-20 Changes to these terms

We may change the Village Terms or a Product Schedule by giving you 30 days' notice. You may end the agreement at any time before a change takes effect, without penalty and with a refund of any fees you have paid for the period after you end it, and export your records under VT-08. A change never reduces your ownership of your records.

VT-21 If we change, transfer or stop

My Digital Sovereignty Ltd (NZBN 9429053246547) may transfer the agreement to any company that takes over the business of providing the Village Products, or to a company formed to provide them, by giving you notice, on the same terms, and the company it is transferred to takes on every obligation we have to you. You may end the agreement within 30 days of the notice, with a refund of any fees you have paid for the period after you end it. If we stop providing a Village Product, we give you at least 60 days' notice, keep your records exportable for 90 days after the end, and your right to check sealed records (VT-08) is not affected.

VT-22 The Distributor

A Distributor is independent. It has no authority to vary these terms, give a warranty for us, or receive your records. The Distributor's own services to you are a separate agreement between you and the Distributor, and we are not a party to it. We may tell the Distributor that you are a subscriber and which Village Products you use, so that it can serve you, and nothing more about you.

VT-23 Force majeure

Neither of us is liable for delay or failure caused by events beyond reasonable control, provided we tell the other promptly and do what we can to limit the effect. This does not excuse payment.

VT-24 General

The agreement is the whole understanding between us on its subject. If part is unenforceable, the rest continues. A failure to enforce a right is not a waiver. Notices are given by email to the addresses in the Order Schedule, and an email is received on the next business day after it is sent. The law of New Zealand governs the agreement and the courts of New Zealand have jurisdiction, but nothing stops a subscriber who is a consumer relying on rights it has where it lives, including under the Australian Consumer Law.

VT-25 Talking first

If we disagree, we each raise it in writing and talk in good faith for 14 days before starting any proceeding, unless something urgent needs a court's order.

VT-27 Evaluation access

Evaluation access is given by invitation, at our discretion, for the period and purpose in your Order Schedule, at no charge. It is not for production use, we may end it at any time, and we give no warranty for it. VT-17 applies to it, including the minimum. We keep your records for the period and 14 days more, exportable, and then delete them. Moving to a subscription needs a separate order. Evaluation access is not an offer, a commitment to supply, or a right to a subscription.

VT-28 Guests and participants

If you take part in a session or workspace that someone else runs, that person, not us, is responsible for telling you what is captured and for getting your consent. What you contribute is held for them under their agreement with us. You may ask them, and we will help them, to show, correct or remove your contribution.

VT-29 Who accepts, and the record of it

The person who accepts these terms for an organisation confirms they have authority to bind it. We record who accepted, for whom, when, and which version and text they accepted, and we can give you that record. A business subscriber's acknowledgement of business use (VT-16) is part of its Order Schedule.

VT-30 Your content

You confirm that you have the rights and permissions to put your content into the Village Product and that it is lawful. If someone tells us your content is unlawful or infringes their rights, we tell you, and we may remove or disable it while the matter is dealt with, following a fair process and restoring it if the complaint fails.

VT-31 Who may subscribe

You must be an organisation or an individual aged 18 or over. Children may take part only through an organisation or a parent or guardian who has given the consent the Product Schedule requires.

S1 Eligibility

S1.1 Age Requirements

You must meet the following age requirements to use the Platform:

• Minimum age for members: A member must be at least 13 years old
• Parental Consent: Users aged 13-16 in the European Union must have parental or guardian consent
• Legal capacity: The person who subscribes must be 18 or over and have the legal capacity to enter into binding contracts (VT-31)

S1.2 Verification

We reserve the right to verify your eligibility at any time. Providing false information about your age or identity may lead us to end the agreement as VT-14 provides, or the community's moderators to remove the member.

S2 Community Guidelines

My Digital Sovereignty Community is designed to foster respectful, constructive interactions. All users must adhere to the following guidelines:

S2.1 Respectful Conduct

• Treat all community members with respect and dignity
• Engage in constructive dialogue, even when disagreeing
• Respect diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and beliefs
• Use welcoming and inclusive language

S2.2 Appropriate Content

• Share content relevant to your community's purpose
• Ensure uploaded files comply with copyright and licensing requirements
• Mark sensitive content with appropriate warnings
• Respect privacy by not sharing others' personal information without consent

S2.3 Constructive Participation

• Contribute meaningfully to discussions
• Provide constructive feedback and criticism
• Help new members feel welcome
• Report violations of these guidelines to community administrators

S3 Tenant Administration

S3.1 Tenant Administrator Roles

Each community (tenant) has one or more administrators with elevated privileges, including:

• Managing member accounts (invite, remove, ban users)
• Setting community-specific rules and guidelines
• Moderating content and enforcing community standards
• Configuring features and privacy settings
• Exporting community data

S3.2 Tenant Administrator Responsibilities

Tenant administrators must:

• Comply with these Terms and our Privacy Policy
• Enforce community guidelines fairly and consistently
• Respond to user reports and complaints
• Respect user privacy and data protection rights
• Maintain accurate records of moderation actions

S3.3 Platform Oversight

S4 Content Moderation

S4.1 Automated Moderation

We use automated systems to detect and prevent prohibited content, including:

• Spam detection and filtering
• Content moderation and reporting workflows
• Malware scanning of uploaded files, where the scanner is available

S4.2 User Reporting

Users can report content or behavior that violates these Terms. Reports are:

• Reviewed by community administrators first
• Escalated to us only where the law requires it or a security risk is immediate (VT-09)
• Handled confidentially to protect reporter privacy

S4.3 Enforcement Actions

Depending on the severity and frequency of violations, the community's moderators may:

• Warning: First-time minor violations
• Content Removal: Delete violating content
• Temporary Suspension: 7-30 day account suspension
• Permanent Ban: Account termination with no reinstatement
• Legal Action: Report to law enforcement for illegal activities

S4.4 Appeals

If you believe a moderation action was taken in error, you may appeal by:

• Emailing support@mysovereignty.digital within 14 days
• Providing your account details and explanation
• Awaiting review by an independent moderator (we aim to respond within 7 business days)

S5 Retention and deletion

Your rights to your records, and to get them out, are in Part 1 (VT-04 and VT-08). These are the retention periods for the Village platform.

S5.1 Community data

Community data (collective content created by all members) is owned by the community, managed by tenant administrators.

S5.2 Deleting your data

You have the right to delete your account and data at any time:

• Soft deletion: Recoverable for 30 days
• Permanent deletion: After 30 days, data is irrecoverably deleted
• Closed accounts: Remaining account data is removed within 90 days of closure, except records we are legally required to retain (for example, transaction records kept for 7 years under New Zealand tax law)

S6 Storage

Your subscription plan includes a storage quota for all tenant-generated data. This quota covers:

• Files and Documents: Uploaded files, shared documents, and file attachments
• Media Content: Photos, videos, and processed media files (including thumbnails)
• Database Storage: Stories, comments, user profiles, chat messages, and notifications
• System Backups: Incremental backups of your data for disaster recovery

Excluded from Quota: System logs, database indexes, and platform infrastructure overhead are not counted against your storage limit.

Storage limits: The storage your plan includes is stated in your Order Schedule and shown on your dashboard.

Quota: When your storage is full, further uploads are refused until you free space or move to a larger plan. Your dashboard shows your usage, and we tell you as it approaches the limit.

Monitoring: You can view your current storage usage and breakdown on your dashboard. Storage usage is calculated from:

• File storage via S3-compatible object storage
• Media files in our object storage
• Database collections containing your tenant's data

S7 Payments and koha

Subscription payments are processed by Airwallex (NZ) Limited, a New Zealand-licensed payment provider (FSP1001602). Airwallex's terms and privacy policy apply to payment transactions.

Your price at sign-up is your price for as long as your subscription remains active, as our Refund Policy states. For an active subscription this takes the place of the price-change notice in VT-13. That policy forms part of these terms.

Billing cycle: Subscriptions are billed monthly and renew automatically on the same date each month until cancelled. You may cancel at any time from your account. Cancelling ends the subscription at the end of the current billing period, and that is the notice VT-14 asks for.

Failed payments: If a payment fails, the payment processor will retry according to their standard retry schedule. If payment cannot be collected after several attempts, we give you notice as VT-13 provides, and your subscription may then be suspended.

Koha (voluntary donations): Koha are voluntary contributions to support platform operations. They are not payments for a specific service and are non-refundable except in the case of billing errors. See our Refund Policy for details.

All payments — subscriptions and koha donations, international and New Zealand domestic — are processed by Airwallex (NZ) Limited.

S8 Where your records are kept, and who handles them

This is the Product Schedule that VT-06, VT-08 and VT-12 refer to.

S8.1 Where they are kept

Your Village's application data and files are kept on infrastructure in the European Union (OVH, Strasbourg) or in New Zealand (Catalyst Cloud, Wellington), according to where your Village is hosted. The time-stamp fingerprint of a sealed record may leave that place (VT-06).

S8.2 Sub-processors

These handle your records or the fingerprints of them, for the purpose stated:

• OVH (European Union): hosting and object storage for Villages hosted in Europe.
• Catalyst Cloud (New Zealand): hosting and object storage for Villages hosted in New Zealand.
• Airwallex (NZ) Limited: payments (S7). It receives payment details, not your records.
• Certum (Poland): time-stamps a fingerprint of each sealed record. The record itself does not go with it.
• DeepL SE (Germany): translates text a member asks to have translated. Only that text goes to it.

We tell you before we add or change one, as VT-06 provides.

S8.3 Getting your records out

Your records export as plain JSON, and uploaded files as the originals you uploaded (VT-08).

S8.4 What you allow us to do with your content

You give us the licence we need to host, back up and show your content to the people you choose, and only to provide the Village to you (VT-04).

S8.5 If we stop providing the Village

We give at least 90 days' notice and help you export your records. VT-21 sets 60 days as the least we may give.

S9 Contact

For questions, concerns, or legal notices regarding these Terms, please contact: