Content Licensing Agreement for Featured Partners

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Content Licensing Agreement for Featured Partners

1. PARTIES

This Content Licensing Agreement ("Agreement") is entered into on [DATE] between:

• Startup Lessons (Startup.TK), a website being operated from India by its Publisher Aditya Basu and
• [Partner Name], an individual/company with its principal place of business at [Address] ("Content Provider").

2. DEFINITIONS

• Content: Includes articles, videos, interviews and podcast-related materials provided by the Content Provider for publication on the Publisher’s website (www.STARTUP.TK) and its Social Channels.
• Exclusivity Period: The time during which the Publisher has exclusive rights to publish the Content.
• Canonical Tag: An HTML tag used to indicate the original source of Content for SEO purposes.
• Featured Partner Plan: The subscription tier (Basic or Premium) selected by the Content Provider, detailing deliverables and financial commitments.
• Vodcast: A podcast episode that may include video elements, distributed on platforms such as Spotify and YouTube.

3. GRANT OF LICENSE

3.1 Articles

• The Content Provider grants the Publisher a non-exclusive, worldwide license to publish, edit, and distribute articles on the Publisher’s website.
• The Publisher has editorial rights to modify articles to fit the website’s style and standards, with prior notification to the Content Provider.
• Exclusivity Period: Articles shall be exclusive to the Publisher’s website for 30 days from the date of publication. After this period, the Content Provider may publish the articles elsewhere, provided they include a canonical tag pointing to the Publisher’s website as the original source.

3.2 Videos

• The Content Provider shall upload videos to their own YouTube channel ([Content Provider’s YouTube URL]).
• The Content Provider grants the Publisher a non-exclusive, worldwide license to:
  • Embed the videos on the Publisher’s website using YouTube’s embedding feature.
  • Include the videos in a YouTube playlist on the Publisher’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/@startupfundaz).
• The Content Provider agrees not to grant re-upload rights to third parties without the Publisher’s consent to avoid YouTube TOS violations (YouTube TOS).

3.3 Podcasts/Vodcasts

• The Content Provider grants the Publisher a non-exclusive, worldwide license to use their Content (e.g., articles, ideas and interviews) to produce podcast or vodcast episodes for the “Startup Lessons” Podcast/Vodcast series.
• The Publisher retains ownership of the produced podcast/vodcast episodes and has the right to distribute them on platforms such as Spotify, YouTube, Audible, and the Publisher’s website.
• The Content Provider may share podcast/vodcast episodes on their platforms, provided they attribute the Publisher as the producer and link to the Publisher’s website.

4. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

• The Content Provider retains ownership of the original Content (articles and videos).
• The Publisher retains ownership of any derivative works (e.g., edited articles, produced podcasts/vodcasts, hosted company page) created under this Agreement.
• The Content Provider warrants that the Content is original, does not infringe on third-party rights, and is free of any claims or encumbrances.

5. SEO AND DISTRIBUTION

5.1 Articles

• If the Content Provider publishes articles elsewhere after the Exclusivity Period, they shall:
  • Include a canonical tag pointing to the Publisher’s website as the original source.
  • Link back to the Publisher’s website when sharing articles on social media or other platforms.
• During the Exclusivity Period: The Content Provider may share snippets (up to 100 words) of articles on social media, provided they include a link to the full article (original article) on the Publisher’s website.
• Beyond the Exclusivity Period: The Content Provider can republish the article in another website/platform with a link back to the original article, and in the social channels can promote such re-published articles with a link back to the republished article which already has an embedded link to the original article in the Publisher’s website.

5.2 Videos

• The Publisher shall not re-upload videos to its YouTube channel to comply with YouTube’s TOS.
• The Publisher may promote embedded videos and playlists on its website and social media, with attribution to the Content Provider.

5.3 Podcasts/Vodcasts

• The Publisher shall distribute the produced podcast/vodcast content globally and promote podcast/vodcast episodes on its website and social media channels, with attribution to the Content Provider.
• The Content Provider may promote podcast/vodcast episodes on their platform and social media channels, linking back to the Publisher’s website.

6. FEATURED PARTNER PLANS AND FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS

6.1 Basic Featured Partner Plan

• Publisher Deliverables:
  • Hosted Company Page: Creation and maintenance of one (1) dedicated company page on the Publisher’s website, customized to the Content Provider’s brand identity, describing their products and services.
  • Article Posts: Publication of two (2) articles per month, edited and posted by the Publisher on the Publisher’s website, including a profile brief in the author bio.
  • Inclusion in Startup Lessons Podcast/Vodcast: Transformation of one (1) published article per quarter into a podcast/vodcast episode for the “Startup Lessons” series, distributed on platforms such as Spotify, YouTube, and Audible. Alternatively, a one-to-one discussion with the Content Provider may be recorded as an episode, subject to mutual agreement.
  • Social Media Promotion: Promotion of published articles on the Publisher’s social media channels, with attribution to the Content Provider.
• Content Provider Financial Commitments:
  • Monthly Payment Option: $62 per month (₹5,000 for India-based Content Providers), payable via PayPal (outside India) or UPI (India) on the fifth day of each month.
  • Yearly Payment Option: $595.20 per year (₹48,000 for India-based Content Providers), reflecting a 20% discount from $744 (₹60,000), payable in advance on the first day of the subscription term.
• Payment Terms: Payments shall be made to the Publisher’s designated account. Late payments may incur a 5% late fee after a 10-day grace period.
• Introductory Offer: The above rates are introductory and valid for bookings of six (6) months. Content Providers opting for a 12-month subscription via the yearly payment option may lock in these rates for the full year.

6.2 Premium Featured Partner Plan

• Publisher Deliverables:
  • Hosted Company Page: Creation and maintenance of one (1) dedicated company page on the Publisher’s website, customized to the Content Provider’s brand identity, describing their products and services.
  • Article Posts: Publication of two (2) articles per month, edited and posted by the Publisher on the Publisher’s website, including a profile brief in the author bio.
  • Branded Content Videos: Embedding of two (2) informative branded content videos per month (provided by the Content Provider and uploaded to their YouTube channel) on the Publisher’s website and inclusion in a YouTube playlist on the Publisher’s YouTube channel.
  • Inclusion in Startup Lessons Podcast/Vodcast: Transformation of two (2) published articles per quarter into podcast/vodcast episodes for the “Startup Lessons” series, distributed on platforms such as Spotify, YouTube, and Audible. Alternatively, one-to-one discussions with the Content Provider may be recorded as episodes, subject to mutual agreement.
  • Enhanced Social Media Promotion: Promotion of published articles and branded content videos on the Publisher’s social media channels, with featured posts and priority placement on the website’s homepage.
• Content Provider Financial Commitments:
  • Monthly Payment Option: $92 per month (₹7,500 for India-based Content Providers), payable via PayPal (outside India) or UPI (India) on the fifth day of each month.
  • Yearly Payment Option: $883.20 per year (₹72,000 for India-based Content Providers), reflecting a 20% discount from $1,104 (₹90,000), payable in advance on the first day of the subscription term.
• Payment Terms: Payments shall be made to the Publisher’s designated account. Late payments may incur a 5% late fee after a 10-day grace period.
• Introductory Offer: The above rates are introductory and valid for bookings of six (6) months. Content Providers opting for a 12-month subscription via the yearly payment option may lock in these rates for the full year.

6.3 Plan Selection and Changes

• The Content Provider shall select either the Basic or Premium Featured Partner Plan at the time of signing this Agreement, as indicated in Schedule A.
• The Content Provider may upgrade from the Basic to the Premium Plan or switch between monthly and yearly payment options by providing 30 days’ written notice to the Publisher. Downgrades or cancellations are subject to the Term and Termination provisions (Section 7).
• Plan benefits are non-transferable to other individuals or entities without the Publisher’s prior written consent.

6.4 Content Submission Requirements

• The Content Provider shall submit articles and videos (for Premium Plan) to the Publisher by the 15th of each month to ensure timely editing and publication. Late submissions may result in delayed publication.
• Articles shall be original, between 500-1,500 words, and align with the Publisher’s editorial guidelines, provided upon signing.
• Videos shall be uploaded to the Content Provider’s YouTube channel with embedding enabled and provided to the Publisher as URLs.

6.5 Refund Policy

• Monthly subscriptions are non-refundable after the first 15 days of each billing cycle.
• Yearly subscriptions are refundable within 30 days of payment, less a prorated amount for services rendered. No refunds are available after 30 days.
• Refunds shall be processed within 14 business days via the original payment method.

7. TERM AND TERMINATION

• This Agreement shall commence on [DATE] and continue for an initial term of six (6) months, renewing automatically for successive six-month terms unless terminated by either party with 30 days’ written notice prior to the end of the current term.
• Upon termination, the Publisher shall remove the Content Provider’s Content, including the hosted company page, from its website within 30 days, except for podcast/vodcast episodes, which the Publisher may continue to distribute unless otherwise agreed.
• Termination does not relieve the Content Provider of outstanding payment obligations for the current billing period.

8. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

• The Content Provider represents that they have the authority to grant the licenses outlined in this Agreement.
• The Publisher represents that it will use the Content in accordance with this Agreement and applicable laws.

9. INDEMNIFICATION

9.1 Content Provider Indemnity

• The Content Provider shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Publisher, its affiliates, officers, and employees from any claims, damages, or liabilities arising from breaches of this Agreement or third-party intellectual property claims related to the Content.

9.2 Publisher Indemnity

• The Publisher shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Content Provider, its affiliates, officers, and employees from any claims, damages, or liabilities arising from the Publisher’s breach of this Agreement.

9.3 Limitation of Publisher Liability

• The Publisher shall not be responsible for, nor liable for, any services provided by the Content Provider to third parties or for any wrongful acts or omissions committed by the Content Provider or by any website user who engages with the Content Provider through the Publisher’s platform. The Content Provider acknowledges that any such services or interactions are solely the responsibility of the Content Provider or the respective third parties.

10. DISPUTE RESOLUTION

• Any disputes arising under this Agreement shall be resolved through good-faith negotiations. If unresolved within 30 days, the parties agree to submit the dispute to mediation in New Delhi, Delhi, India before pursuing arbitration or litigation.
• Arbitration, if necessary, shall be conducted in New Delhi, Delhi, India under the rules of the Arbitration Bar of India.

11. GOVERNING LAW

• The Agreement shall be subject to jurisdiction of the courts at New Delhi, India..

12. ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES

• The parties agree that this Agreement may be executed electronically, and electronic signatures, including those generated by electronic signature platforms (e.g., DocuSign, Adobe Sign), shall have the same legal effect as handwritten signatures. The parties consent to the use of electronic signatures in accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act), the Electronic Signature or Electronic Authentication Technique and Procedure Rules, 2015 (ESEATPR), and any applicable rules or regulations under the IT Act. Electronic signatures must use an authentication technique specified in the Second Schedule of the IT Act, such as Aadhaar e-KYC or other e-KYC services, to ensure validity. The parties acknowledge that certain documents may require stamping under the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, or applicable state stamp laws, and agree to comply with such requirements by preparing and stamping a physical copy of this Agreement if necessary.

13. SIGNATURES

Startup Lessons - www.STARTUP.TK

By: ___________________________ (Electronic Signature)
Name: ADITYA BASU
Title: PUBLISHER
Date: [DATE]

[Partner Name]

By: ___________________________ (Electronic Signature)
Name: [Partner Name]
Title: [Partner Title]
Date: [DATE]

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SCHEDULE A: FEATURED PARTNER PLAN SELECTION

• Selected Plan: [ ] Basic Featured Partner Plan | [ ] Premium Featured Partner Plan
• Payment Option: [ ] Monthly | [ ] Yearly
• Start Date: [DATE]