Fridge Media501(c)(3)
List workSign inProfile
Legal

Terms of Service

Version v1.0 Last updated: [EFFECTIVE_DATE]

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the Fridge Media platform (the "Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you may not use the Platform.

These Terms apply to all visitors, registered users, creators, and donors. By creating an account or submitting a project, you represent that you are at least 18 years of age and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.

2. Platform Description

Fridge Media is operated by Fridge Media, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization ("we," "us," or "Fridge Media"). The Platform enables independent creators to submit creative projects for crowdfunding by the public.

A project closes funded when allocations reach its full funding goal, or when its Creator settles early at a minimum funding goal as described in Section 3. When a project closes funded, its Creator is bound to assign all intellectual property rights in the work to Fridge Media. Once Fridge Media confirms delivery of the completed work and the assignment, it dedicates the work to the public domain under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (Section 7). Projects that do not close funded by the stated deadline expire, and all donor allocations to them are returned to the donors' Platform wallets.

Fridge Media does not guarantee that any project will reach its funding goal or that any deliverable will be produced after funding.

3. Creator Terms

By submitting a project to the Platform, you ("Creator") agree to the following:

  • IP Assignment upon Funding. Submission of a project constitutes your binding agreement to assign and transfer all intellectual property rights in the funded work — including copyright, moral rights to the extent waivable by law, and any related rights — to Fridge Media when the project closes funded, whether by reaching its full funding goal or by an early settlement under "Minimum Funding Goal" below. This assignment is irrevocable once the project closes funded.
  • Minimum Funding Goal. You may set a minimum funding goal below your full funding goal. While the project is open and allocations to it meet or exceed that minimum, you may close the project early. An early close has the same effect as reaching the full funding goal for every purpose of these Terms, including the IP assignment, compensation, and refund provisions. A project without a minimum funding goal closes funded only on reaching its full funding goal.
  • Ownership Warranty. You represent and warrant that you own, alone or jointly with the other Creators listed on the project, all intellectual property rights in the work described in your project submission (or have full legal authority to assign them), and that the work does not infringe any third-party rights.
  • Co-Creators. Where a project lists more than one Creator, each Creator makes the warranties and the assignment in this Section for their own interest in the work, and each is bound by these Terms individually. The shares the Creators agree for dividing project funding do not limit what each Creator assigns.
  • No Reversal After Funding. Once a project closes funded, the IP assignment to Fridge Media is final and cannot be reversed, rescinded, or challenged. You may not submit a DMCA takedown or any other IP claim against works you assigned under these Terms.
  • Creator Compensation. 100% of project funding goes to the rights holder. When a project closes funded, Fridge Media disburses the full amount allocated to it to the Creator, or, for a project with more than one Creator, divides it among them according to their agreed shares. No fee is deducted from project funding. Disbursement follows the schedule communicated at the time of project approval.
  • Delivery and Transfer. Compensation is disbursed when a project closes funded, before the work is delivered. Within [DELIVERY_PERIOD] of the project closing, you must deliver the completed work described in your project submission and sign any documents Fridge Media reasonably requests to confirm the IP assignment. If you do not, Fridge Media may suspend your account, withhold any disbursement not yet paid, and seek recovery of amounts disbursed for the project.

Fridge Media reserves the right to reject or remove any project submission at its sole discretion, including for violations of the Prohibited Content policy in Section 8.

4. Donor Terms

By contributing to Fridge Media or recommending a project, you ("Donor") acknowledge and agree:

  • Pure Donation. All contributions made through the Platform are charitable donations to Fridge Media, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. You do not receive any goods, services, equity, or other consideration in exchange for your contribution. Each contribution is a completed gift when it settles, and the funds belong to Fridge Media from then on.
  • Tax Deductibility. Because Fridge Media is a 501(c)(3) organization and no goods or services are provided in exchange, your contributions may be deductible for United States federal income tax purposes to the extent allowed by law. Deductibility outside the United States depends on the law of your country, and most countries do not allow a deduction for gifts to a United States charity. Fridge Media issues a written acknowledgment for each wallet contribution when it settles, showing the amount you contributed and the amount credited to your wallet after fees, and an annual donation summary for each tax year. You are solely responsible for verifying deductibility with your tax advisor.
  • Your Wallet Balance. Your Platform wallet shows the amount of Fridge Media's funds for which Fridge Media invites your recommendations: your settled contributions, less the fees in Section 5. It is not an account, deposit, or property of yours, and it cannot be withdrawn or transferred.
  • Recommendations. Allocating funds to a project is a recommendation that Fridge Media support it. Fridge Media's board keeps full discretion and control over all contributions and may accept, decline, or redirect any recommendation to other charitable purposes within its mission. Fridge Media expects to follow recommendations for projects it has approved and that remain eligible under its grant-making policy. Fridge Media alone decides which creators receive grants and how much.
  • Projects That Do Not Close Funded. If a project you recommended does not close funded by its deadline, or Fridge Media declines or withdraws it, the amount you recommended returns to your Platform wallet for a new recommendation.
  • Inactive Balances. If you make no recommendation and no contribution for three (3) years, Fridge Media will notify you by email. If you still make no recommendation within ninety (90) days of the notice, Fridge Media may apply your wallet balance to its general charitable purposes, including grants to other approved projects.
  • Sanctions. Fridge Media cannot accept contributions that United States sanctions law prohibits and may return or decline any contribution it believes to be prohibited.
  • No Ownership Rights. Funding a project does not grant you any intellectual property rights, ownership interest, royalties, or ongoing rights in the funded work. All funded works are released under CC0 and are freely available to everyone, including Donors.

5. Fees

Fridge Media retains an operations fee of 5% of each wallet contribution, taken when the contribution settles, to cover platform development, hosting, and nonprofit overhead. Payment processing fees charged by Stripe are deducted from the contribution at the same time. Your wallet is credited with the amount that remains after both.

No fee is taken from project funding: 100% of the funds allocated to a project go to its rights holder. Because fees are taken when a contribution settles, they are not returned when an allocation comes back to your wallet after a project expires.

6. Refunds

  • Expired Projects. If a project reaches its funding deadline without closing funded, all donor allocations to that project are automatically returned to each Donor's Platform wallet. No action is required by the Donor.
  • Funded Projects. Allocations to projects that close funded are non-refundable. Once a project closes funded and the IP assignment is triggered, funds are committed and are disbursed to the Creator.
  • Wallet Balance. Wallet contributions are completed charitable gifts and are not refundable, including any balance you have not yet allocated. Fridge Media refunds a contribution only where required by law. To report a billing error or an unauthorized charge, contact support.

7. Public Domain Dedication

Upon confirming delivery of the completed work and receipt of all intellectual property rights in it from a project that closed funded, Fridge Media irrevocably dedicates the work to the public domain under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/).

Under CC0, the work is released with no restrictions whatsoever. Anyone — anywhere in the world — may copy, modify, distribute, perform, or build upon the work, even for commercial purposes, without asking permission or providing attribution.

Fridge Media will maintain a public registry of all CC0-dedicated works accessible through the Platform.

8. Prohibited Content

The following project submissions are strictly prohibited on the Platform:

  • Works that are plagiarized or substantially derived from third-party material without authorization.
  • Works for which the Creator does not hold full and unencumbered intellectual property rights.
  • Works that infringe any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, or other intellectual property right of any third party.
  • Content that is defamatory, harassing, obscene, or otherwise illegal under applicable law.
  • Content that promotes hate, discrimination, or violence against any person or group.
  • Any submission that misrepresents the nature, scope, or ownership of the proposed work.

Violations of this policy may result in immediate project removal, account suspension, and reporting to appropriate legal authorities. Fridge Media reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion, whether content violates this policy.

9. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the [State of Incorporation], without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Any dispute arising under or relating to these Terms that cannot be resolved informally shall be submitted to binding arbitration in [State of Incorporation] under the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except that either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction.

10. Changes to Terms

Fridge Media reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. For material changes — including changes to the IP assignment provision, fees, or donor refund policy — we will provide at least 30 days' notice via email to all registered users and a prominent notice on the Platform prior to the changes taking effect.

Non-material changes (such as typographical corrections or clarifications that do not alter your rights or obligations) may take effect immediately. Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of any changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

11. Contact

Questions about these Terms should be directed to our legal team:

Fridge Media, Inc.
Email: legal@fridgemedia.org