Intellectual Property & Copyright Policy
1. Purpose
This policy explains how intellectual property and copyright are handled on the Mecourse Lifelong Learning website ("Website") operated by Mecourse Lifelong Learning ("Mecourse", "we", "our", or "us").
It is intended to make clear what learners may do with course materials and certificates, what remains owned by Mecourse or third parties, and how copyright concerns can be raised.
2. Scope
This policy applies to course pages, lessons, assessments, MCQs, certificates, certificate verification pages, downloadable materials, images, video, audio, graphics, written content, branding, metadata, feedback, learner submissions, and other materials made available through the Website.
It applies whether access to courses or certificates is free, in public beta, paid, discounted, or provided through a special offer. Payment for access, if introduced, does not transfer ownership of course materials or other Website content.
3. Ownership of Mecourse materials
Unless another owner or licence is stated, course materials and Website content created by or for Mecourse are owned by Mecourse Lifelong Learning or are licensed to Mecourse for use on the Website.
This includes text, course structure, learning outcomes, assessments, explanations, certificates, certificate wording, page layouts, graphics, branding, and other materials prepared for the Website.
Learners receive a limited right to use these materials for personal study, CPD, reflection, and record keeping. Learners do not receive ownership of the materials.
4. Permitted learner use
Learners may access, read, watch, download, print, and save Mecourse course materials for their own personal study, CPD, professional development, revision, reflection, and records.
Learners may link to public Mecourse pages, provided the link is not misleading and does not imply endorsement, partnership, accreditation, or approval where none exists.
Learners may share their own CPD certificates, certificate PDFs, certificate details, and QR verification links with employers, regulators, professional bodies, clients, agencies, auditors, or others who reasonably need evidence of completion.
Sharing a certificate does not give anyone permission to alter it, issue a replacement certificate, remove verification details, or represent themselves as Mecourse.
5. Prohibited use
Except where allowed by law or agreed in writing by Mecourse, users must not:
- copy, republish, upload, scrape, reproduce, distribute, sell, license, or commercially exploit Mecourse course materials;
- use Mecourse materials to create a competing course, learning product, question bank, assessment, certificate service, or training platform;
- remove, alter, obscure, or misrepresent copyright notices, source acknowledgements, branding, watermarks, metadata, certificate codes, QR codes, or verification links;
- share account-restricted materials outside the account or access rights under which they were provided;
- copy or reuse third-party content from the Website unless the relevant third-party licence allows it;
- misrepresent a Mecourse certificate, course, mark, badge, or verification page as evidence of something it does not state.
6. Third-party materials
The Website may include third-party materials, such as licensed stock images, embedded videos, open-licence materials, quoted or referenced sources, commissioned or generated media, icons, fonts, software components, and other externally sourced content.
Third-party materials remain subject to their own copyright, licence terms, platform terms, or attribution requirements. Access through Mecourse does not give users a separate right to copy, download, reuse, edit, redistribute, or commercially exploit those materials.
Where we identify an attribution, licence, creator, source, or provider, users should preserve that information when making any use that is otherwise lawful or permitted.
7. Learner submissions and feedback
Learners retain any copyright they own in feedback, reports, reflections, messages, answers, comments, support requests, complaints, appeals, or other material they submit to the Website.
By submitting material, learners give Mecourse a limited permission to use it for operating the Website, providing support, recording learning activity, assessing course completion, handling complaints or appeals, maintaining records, improving courses, fixing errors, and protecting the service.
Mecourse may use anonymised learner comments, feedback, reports, or extracts as course feedback without asking for additional permission, provided the learner is not reasonably identifiable from the material used.
We will not normally publish a learner name, account identity, or identifiable private submission as a testimonial or endorsement without permission.
8. Copyright exceptions and lawful use
Nothing in this policy is intended to prevent uses that are permitted by law, such as applicable copyright exceptions, fair dealing, accessibility-related exceptions, criticism, review, quotation, or other lawful uses.
Users are responsible for making sure that any copying, sharing, quotation, or reuse they carry out is lawful and respects the rights of Mecourse and third parties.
9. Reporting copyright concerns
If you believe material on the Website infringes your copyright or another intellectual property right, please contact [email protected].
Please include enough information for us to understand and locate the issue, including:
- your name and contact details;
- the work or rights you believe are affected;
- the Website URL or location of the material complained about;
- why you believe the use is unauthorised or infringing;
- any evidence of ownership, authority, licence terms, or other relevant context.
10. Our response to concerns
We will review copyright and intellectual property concerns and take proportionate action where appropriate. This may include correcting attribution, adding licence information, removing or disabling access to material, replacing an asset, contacting the person who supplied the material, asking for more information, or declining a request where we believe the use is lawful.
If material submitted by a learner or other user is removed or restricted because of an intellectual property concern, we may contact that user where appropriate and give them an opportunity to provide relevant information.
We do not promise a fixed outcome or automatic removal in every case. The response will depend on the nature of the material, the evidence provided, the rights involved, and any applicable legal exceptions or licences.
11. Breach of this policy
A breach of this policy may lead to removal of material, restriction of Website access, cancellation of account privileges, withdrawal of incorrectly used certificates or badges, refusal of future access, or legal action where appropriate.
Where a breach affects a certificate, assessment, course record, or verification page, Mecourse may correct the record or take other proportionate steps to protect the integrity of the service.
12. Review and updates
This policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in Mecourse, the Website, copyright practice, licensing arrangements, or the law. Updated versions will be published on the Website.
13. Contact
For questions about this policy, permissions, attribution, copyright concerns, or reuse requests, please contact [email protected].
