The Macguffin’s Guide to Propriety & Deportment
(or: Our Terms of Use)
TLDR: submit a great story idea and if it passes muster, we’ll raise money to help you tell it.
Macguffin.co is a media franchise development and intellectual property licensing business, in which anyone with an original idea concept for a media franchise can submit a logline, synopsis and/or a treatment for that media franchise, and we will consider it for posting to the Macguffin community , who will help determine whether to greenlight it through several stages of a creative process that may then result in an offer by Macguffin to acquire exclusive rights to represent, securitize, and issue of shares to investors for the idea in order to raise capital as compensation to the originator to develop the property.
PROLOGUE: The Basic Rules of Propriety & Deportment
RULE ZERO: Keep it classy. We’re here to have fun, support creatives, and invest in the creative process. So let’s keep it positive. Good intentions only, please. We’re building a community and well-functioning communities police themselves. So…
Don’t lose the plot. Don’t post information you know is false, misleading, inaccurate, or fraudulent.
Don’t be the villain. Don’t misrepresent yourself or others, do anything illegal, phish, or do anything the villain might do to harm the heroes of this story, your fellow Macguffins.
And no evil scientists. Don’t engage with Malware or other Digital Abominations. Don't try to hack, disrupt, reverse-engineer, or damage our website or any associated systems. That's just mean.
A note on dialoguing: While we encourage lively discussions and debates, please refrain from engaging in hate speech, discrimination, or any form of offensive behavior. Let's keep the atmosphere friendly and welcoming to all.
0.1 By accessing or using our website, you agree to comply with these Terms of Use, which may occasionally be subject to updates.
Chapter 1: The Macguffins Journey
If you’ve signed up to become a Macguffin, it’s probably because you enjoy the creative process, you may want to contribute to the creative process of others, and you may even be interested in investing in the early stages of particular character and story ideas that might grow into something bigger. Here’s how it works:
Being a Macguffin is easy. It doesn’t cost anything and all you have to do is provide an email to receive a weekly newsletter. Which can you can do at various places through the website. This makes you a subscriber, which makes you a Macguffin.
Once you have signed up, you’ll be automatically subscribed to Guff’s Character Issues, our free weekly newsletter. You can browse through various Loglines, Concepts, and Pilots on the website and in Guff’s emails and even text alerts if you like, and choose the ones that pique your interest. You’ll notice that Loglines, Concepts, and Pilots are usually posted with interactive forms and surveys, and a voting feature called Redlight/Greenlight.
We consider the responses to each when determining whether a Logline should progress to the Offering stage.
If a LOGLINE is greenlit, we’ll assign a creative team to develop a full Pilot for the concept - one that includes a more robust and detailed storyline, a storyboard with visual references, detailed character studies, and a product strategy to commercialize the concept in multiple media formats.
Similarly, if a CONCEPT is greenlit, we’llto proceed to an Offering. That is, we will create a formal offering, and sell shares in the copyrighted CONCEPT to investors in order to raise CAPITAL. This capital in intended to fund (i.e. compensate the originator/creative team for) the development of a PILOT PROJECT, which is intended to be licensed to third-parties in order to expand the underling IP OF THE CONCEPT into a MULTIMEDIA FRANCHISE.
Chapter 2: Rules, Rules, Rules
By participating in the program, you are agreeing to the rules below.
The decision to Greenlight a concept from one stage to another remains at the discretion of Macguffin Co.
We promise to do our best to keep our merchandise selection fresh, funky, and fabulous. However, we reserve the right to modify, add, or remove items from our inventory at any time.
The whole process is designed around communication throughout the creative process. Macguffins understand that they’re not buying anything tangible when they contribute to a CONCEPT project—they’re helping to shepherd an idea to a documented form - from which which it can be commercialized through the creation of books, movies and other multimedia. With all the vagaries of the creative process that entails.
As a Logliner, you must provide accurate and truthful information about your project. We encourage you to be as creative as possible in presenting your ideas, but please refrain from promoting illegal, harmful, or offensive content.
You understand and agree that TMCI reserves the right to review and approve your project before it goes live on our platform. We may request additional information or modifications to ensure compliance with our guidelines.
Once your LOGLINE AND SYNOPSIS are live, it's showtime! Progress against goals, and REDLIGHT/Greenlight decisions will be communicated by TMCI on the project page, in social media posts, and in Guff Magazine Communication is key to maintaining a healty Logliner-Macguffin relationship.
TMCI will deduct transaction expenses from the funds raised. Such as credit card fees. But otherwise, all proceeds go to the Concept Originator.
Intellectual Property: At The Macguffin Co. we take intellectual property rights seriously, so please make sure that any content you upload doesn't infringe upon the rights of others. Plagiarism is a no-no. If we receive a credible infringement complaint, we reserve the right to remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing content. However, you grant us a non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, and distribute your content solely for the purposes of promoting and operating Macguffin.co.
Prohibited Content: While we embrace creativity, we have a few limits. Content that is defamatory, obscene, illegal, or promotes hatred or violence is strictly prohibited. Keep it clean, people! We will not tolerate any content that violates the privacy or rights of any individual or entity. Be respectful, even in the digital realm.
All content posted is either owned by the website or duly licensed from the original copyright owner. This includes but is not limited to text, images, videos, audio, software, and any other form of creative expression. All rights are reserved unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Any unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, or modification of the content without prior written consent is strictly prohibited. Users are strictly prohibited from using the content for any commercial purposes, including but not limited to, selling, licensing, or exploiting it for monetary gain.
• If a third party asserts that you did not have all rights required to make one of your Pitch available in n Macguffin.co, we may hold all payments due to you until we reasonably determine the validity of the third party claim. If we determine that you did not have all of those rights, we will not owe you Royalties for that Book and we may offset any of those Royalties that were previously paid against future Royalties, or require you to remit them to us.
• Upon termination of this Agreement, we may withhold all Royalties due for a period of three months from the date they would otherwise be payable in order to ensure our ability to off-set any refunds or other offsets we are entitled to take against the Royalties.
• If we determine that deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity has occurred with respect to your Pitch or your Macguffin account, then we may permanently withhold payments to you, and we may offset any payments previously paid against future payments or require you to remit them to us. We will use these funds to offset the costs of our enforcement efforts and/or to compensate third parties harmed by deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal conduct.
TMC reserves the right to terminate or suspend your account at any time, without prior notice, if we believe you have violated these Terms of Service or engaged in any fraudulent or harmful activities. We're all about creativity, not chaos!
Account Eligibility and Registration
a. You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a legally binding agreement to use our services. Sorry, kiddos – but we have to follow the rules.
b. By using our platform, you confirm that you have the legal right and authority to publish the content you submit.
C. Account Security. BE SAFE. You are solely responsible for safeguarding and maintaining the confidentiality of your account username and password and are responsible for all activities that occur under your account, whether or not you have authorized those activities.
While we strive to provide a seamless experience, TMCI is not responsible for any interruptions, errors, or delays that may occur due to technical glitches or external factors beyond our control.
These Terms of Service constitute the entire agreement between TMCI, our Logliners, and Macguffins. They supersede any prior agreements or understandings.
TMCI provides a platform for Logliners to showcase their projects, but we do not endorse or guarantee the success, quality, or outcomes of any project. Macguffins, you acknowledge that backing a project involves risks and uncertainties, just like navigating a twisty plot!
Our names Paul and this is between y’all: If you follow a link to another website, what happens there is between you and them—not us. Macguffin.co may contain links to other websites. (For instance, project pages, user profiles, and comments may link to other sites.) When you access third-party websites, you do so at your own risk. We don’t control or endorse those site….partners with other companies (such as Stripe) for payment processing. When you back or create a project, you’re also agreeing to the payment processor’s terms of service.
We value your privacy and handle your personal information with the utmost care. Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, store, and use your data. By using our platform, you agree to our Privacy Policy, so make sure to check it out for all the details!
Termination and Suspension: TMCI reserves the right to terminate or suspend your account at any time, without prior notice, if we believe you have violated these Terms of Service or engaged in any fraudulent or harmful activities. We're all about creativity, not chaos! In the event of account termination or suspension, you will lose access to our platform and any associated content. We recommend backing up your project-related materials to avoid any unexpected plot twists!
Other Legal provisions. This Agreement may not be amended, except in writing signed by both parties. If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid by a court or other tribunal with jurisdiction over the parties to this Agreement, that provision will be deemed to be restated to reflect as nearly as possible the original intentions of the parties in accordance with applicable law, and the remainder of this Agreement will remain in full force and effect. The parties to this Agreement are independent contractors. Each party will bear its own costs and expenses in performing this Agreement. The failure of either party to enforce any provision of this Agreement will not constitute a waiver of the party's rights to subsequently enforce the provision.
Subject to the foregoing limitation, this Agreement will be binding upon, inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties and their respective successors and assigns. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to its subject matter, supersedes any and all prior or contemporaneous agreements between the parties with respect to its subject matter, and does not confer upon any other person other than the parties any rights or remedies. You consent to the use of electronic means to complete this Agreement and to provide you with any notices we give you in relation to this Agreement.
Force Majeure: In the event of a force majeure event, including but not limited to acts of nature, war, terrorism, government regulations, civil unrest, power outages, or any other unforeseen circumstances beyond our reasonable control, the performance of our obligations under these Terms of Use may be delayed or prevented. We shall not be held liable for any failure or delay in the performance of our obligations due to force majeure events. We will make reasonable efforts to mitigate the impact of such events and resume normal operations as soon as reasonably possible.
Dispute Resolution and Governing Law: Dispute resolution shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Washington. Any legal action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this clause shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in the State of Washington.
Indemnificatio: Macguffin shall be indemnified and held harmless by the user against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including legal fees) arising out of or related to the user's use of the website, violation of any terms of use, infringement of any intellectual property rights, or any other act or omission by the user. The user agrees to cooperate fully in the defense of any such claims and shall not settle any claims without the website owner's prior written consent.
Limitation of Liability: By using this website, you acknowledge and agree that the website and its operators shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages resulting from your use or inability to use the website, including but not limited to any loss of funds, data, or reputation. Furthermore, the website and its operators shall not be responsible for any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions on the website, nor for any damages or losses arising from your reliance on any information or content provided on the website. You understand and agree that the website and its operators do not guarantee the success of any Logline, Treament or Issuance, nor do they endorse or verify the accuracy, completeness, or legality of any campaign or its associated rewards.
In no event shall Macguffin and its operators be liable for any damages, whether arising in contract, tort, or otherwise, exceeding the total amount of fees paid by you to the website for your use of the services.
You acknowledge that the website and its operators are not responsible for the actions or omissions of any Logline, Treatment or Issuance creator, contributor, or third party, and to the extent that you engage and participate in Pitches at any stage, tou do so at your own risk.
This limitation of liability clause shall apply to the fullest extent permitted by law, and if any provision is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
By using this website, you agree to release, indemnify, and hold harmless the website and its operators from any claims, demands, or actions arising out of or in connection with your use of the website.
ALL CAPS DISCLAIMER SO IT MUST BE IMPORTANT:
Limitation of Liability. THE PROGRAM IS PROVIDED "AS IS." WE WILL IN NO EVENT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF PROFITS, COST OF COVER OR OTHER SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY OR RELIANCE DAMAGES ARISING FROM OR IN RELATION TO THIS AGREEMENT, OR FOR ANY EQUITABLE REMEDY OF DISGORGEMENT OR OTHERWISE, HOWEVER CAUSED AND REGARDLESS OF THEORY OF LIABILITY. IN NO EVENT WILL OUR LIABILITY UNDER THIS AGREEMENT EXCEED THE AMOUNT OF FEES DUE AND PAYABLE BY MACGUFFIN UNDER THIS AGREEMENT FOR THE TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD PRECEDING THE CLAIM. WE SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM, WITH RESPECT TO ALL SERVICES, SOFTWARE, CONTENT OR PRODUCTS PROVIDED BY OR ON BEHALF OF US IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT, ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE STRIVE TO MAKE OUR SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES ERROR-FREE AND EFFICIENT, BUT WE CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT THEY WILL BE, AND WE WILL HAVE NO LIABILITY ARISING FROM SYSTEM OR PROCESS FAILURES, INTERRUPTIONS, INACCURACIES, ERRORS OR LATENCIES.