Terms and Conditions

Effective Date: 30 August 2026
Last Updated: 30 August 2026

Welcome to Mysothly (“Mysothly”, “we”, “us”, or “our”).

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Mysothly website, platform, services, features, content, and user-submission functionality (collectively, the “Service”).

By accessing, browsing, creating an account, submitting content, or otherwise using Mysothly, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree with these Terms, you must not use Mysothly.

1. About Mysothly

Mysothly is an online reading and writing platform that may allow users to:

  • read books, chapters, stories, articles, and other written material;
  • create user accounts;
  • submit and publish original short stories or “Short Shorts”;
  • interact with other users;
  • comment on or otherwise engage with content;
  • discover authors and writers; and
  • access other features that Mysothly may introduce from time to time.

Mysothly reserves the right to modify, suspend, discontinue, or replace any part of the Service at any time, subject to applicable law.

2. Acceptance of These Terms

You agree to these Terms when you:

  • access or use Mysothly;
  • create an account;
  • submit content;
  • interact with content or other users; or
  • otherwise use any feature of the Service.

If you are using Mysothly on behalf of another person, organisation, business, or entity, you confirm that you have authority to accept these Terms on their behalf.

If you do not have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement under the laws applicable to you, you must not use Mysothly unless permitted by applicable law and with any required parental or guardian consent.

3. Eligibility and Age Requirements

Mysothly is intended for a general audience unless a particular section of the Service is specifically identified as age-restricted.

You must provide truthful information about your age where Mysothly requests it.

If you are under the age required to legally consent to certain online services or processing of personal information in your country, you must obtain the consent of a parent or legal guardian where required by applicable law.

Parents and legal guardians are responsible for supervising minors' use of the Service where appropriate.

Mysothly reserves the right to restrict or terminate accounts where we reasonably believe that a user has violated applicable age requirements.

4. Accounts

Certain features may require you to create an account.

You agree to:

  • provide accurate and current information;
  • keep your login credentials confidential;
  • not allow unauthorised persons to use your account;
  • promptly notify Mysothly if you believe your account has been compromised; and
  • accept responsibility for activity occurring through your account, subject to applicable law.

You must not create an account using another person's identity or impersonate another person.

Mysothly may suspend or terminate an account where reasonably necessary to protect the Service, its users, or comply with applicable law.

5. Your Responsibility for Submitted Content

Mysothly may allow you to submit stories, chapters, poems, comments, reviews, artwork, images, usernames, biographies, and other material (“User Content”).

You remain responsible for the User Content you submit.

By submitting User Content, you represent and warrant that:

  1. you created the content yourself, or you have obtained all rights, permissions, licences, and consents necessary to submit it;
  2. you have the legal authority to grant Mysothly the rights described in these Terms;
  3. the content does not knowingly infringe another person's copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, moral, contractual, or other legal rights;
  4. the content does not unlawfully disclose another person's personal information;
  5. the content does not contain malicious code, viruses, or other harmful material;
  6. the content does not unlawfully impersonate another person;
  7. the content does not constitute fraud, harassment, threats, or unlawful discrimination;
  8. the content does not violate applicable law; and
  9. any factual claims contained in the content are not intentionally presented in a materially deceptive manner.

You are responsible for obtaining permission before submitting content belonging to another person.

6. Copyright and Intellectual Property

Mysothly respects copyright and other intellectual-property rights.

The Copyright Act 98 of 1978 regulates copyright in South Africa, including copyright relating to literary and other protected works.

Unless otherwise stated, Mysothly or the relevant copyright owner retains all rights in content owned or licensed by Mysothly.

This includes, where applicable:

  • Mysothly's name and branding;
  • logos;
  • website design;
  • original graphics;
  • software;
  • original text;
  • editorial material;
  • Mysothly-created stories;
  • Mysothly-created chapters; and
  • other original material made available by Mysothly.

You may not reproduce, distribute, sell, publicly display, modify, republish, or commercially exploit Mysothly-owned material without appropriate permission, except where permitted by applicable law.

Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership of Mysothly's intellectual property to you.

7. Ownership of User Content

You retain ownership of your original User Content.

Mysothly does not automatically become the owner of your copyright merely because you upload or publish your work on the Service.

However, you grant Mysothly the licence described in Section 8 below so that we can operate the platform.

You are responsible for keeping your own copies of your work. Mysothly does not guarantee that your content will always remain available.

8. Licence Granted to Mysothly

When you submit User Content, you grant Mysothly a:

  • non-exclusive;
  • worldwide;
  • royalty-free;
  • transferable only to service providers or successors as reasonably necessary to operate the Service;
  • sublicensable only as reasonably necessary to operate, maintain, distribute, promote, or improve the Service; and
  • licence to host, store, reproduce, display, communicate, format, adapt for technical purposes, distribute through the Service, and promote your User Content.

This licence exists only to the extent reasonably necessary for Mysothly to operate, maintain, improve, market, and provide the Service.

For example, Mysothly may need to reproduce your story on its servers, create technical copies, display it on different devices, generate previews, or include it in promotional material for the platform.

You do not transfer ownership of your copyright to Mysothly.

Unless separately agreed with you, Mysothly does not acquire exclusive publishing rights to your work.

9. Removing Your Content

Where technically and legally practicable, you may request removal of your User Content.

Removing content does not necessarily require Mysothly to delete:

  • technical backups;
  • records required by law;
  • records necessary to investigate abuse or security incidents;
  • information required to resolve disputes; or
  • copies that remain lawfully accessible through third parties or users who previously accessed the content.

Mysothly may also retain limited information where required or permitted by applicable law.

10. Plagiarism

Plagiarism is prohibited.

You must not submit another person's writing and represent it as your own.

This includes copying:

  • entire stories;
  • chapters;
  • paragraphs;
  • poems;
  • substantial passages;
  • distinctive characters or creative expression;
  • artwork; or
  • other protected material

without the necessary legal permission.

Mysothly may remove suspected plagiarised content and may suspend or terminate accounts involved in repeated or serious violations.

Mysothly does not guarantee that every submission has been independently verified as original.

11. Copyright Infringement Complaints

If you believe content published on Mysothly infringes your copyright, you may contact Mysothly through the copyright-reporting contact method provided on the website.

Your complaint should include sufficient information for us to identify and investigate the alleged infringement, including, where applicable:

  • your name and contact information;
  • identification of the copyrighted work;
  • evidence or information establishing your ownership or authority;
  • the URL or location of the allegedly infringing material;
  • an explanation of the alleged infringement; and
  • any other information reasonably necessary to investigate the complaint.

Mysothly may request additional information.

After receiving a credible complaint, Mysothly may investigate and may remove, restrict, or disable access to the disputed material where appropriate.

Mysothly may also notify the person who submitted the disputed content where appropriate.

Nothing in this section limits any rights available to copyright owners under applicable law.

12. Counter-Notifications

If your content has been removed because of an alleged copyright infringement and you believe the removal was made in error, you may contact Mysothly and explain why you believe you have the right to publish the material.

Mysothly may request information or documentation supporting your position.

Where appropriate, Mysothly may restore content following review.

Nothing in this process prevents either party from exercising rights available under applicable law.

13. Prohibited Content

You must not use Mysothly to publish, transmit, distribute, or promote content that is unlawful or that violates these Terms.

Prohibited content may include, where unlawful or otherwise prohibited:

  • plagiarism;
  • copyright infringement;
  • fraudulent material;
  • credible threats of violence;
  • unlawful harassment;
  • unlawful hate-based material;
  • content unlawfully exploiting children;
  • non-consensual intimate imagery;
  • material unlawfully revealing another person's confidential or personal information;
  • malware or malicious code;
  • impersonation intended to deceive;
  • content promoting or facilitating unlawful activity;
  • spam;
  • scams or phishing;
  • content designed to interfere with the operation of Mysothly; and
  • content that violates applicable court orders or laws.

Nothing in these Terms is intended to prohibit lawful expression, criticism, satire, commentary, or other activity protected by applicable law.

14. User Conduct

You agree not to:

  • interfere with the operation of Mysothly;
  • attempt to gain unauthorised access to accounts or systems;
  • scrape or harvest information in violation of applicable law or these Terms;
  • introduce malicious software;
  • circumvent security measures;
  • use automated systems in a manner that places unreasonable load on the Service;
  • impersonate Mysothly or another person;
  • manipulate engagement metrics through fraudulent means;
  • use Mysothly for unlawful commercial activity;
  • harass or threaten other users; or
  • assist another person in violating these Terms.


15. Comments and Community Interaction

If Mysothly provides comments, reviews, messaging, or community features, you remain responsible for what you post.

You must communicate respectfully and must not use community features for harassment, threats, spam, fraud, or unlawful activity.

Mysothly may moderate, hide, remove, or restrict comments or other interactions that violate these Terms.

Mysothly does not necessarily endorse opinions expressed by users.

16. Content Moderation

Mysothly may, but is not obligated to:

  • review User Content;
  • investigate complaints;
  • remove content;
  • restrict visibility;
  • disable accounts;
  • restrict posting privileges;
  • preserve information relevant to investigations; or
  • cooperate with lawful requests from authorities.

Mysothly may use automated tools, human moderators, or a combination of both where appropriate.

Because it may not be technically possible to review every submission, Mysothly cannot guarantee that all unlawful or inappropriate content will be detected immediately.

17. Reporting Content

If you believe content violates these Terms or applicable law, you may report it using the reporting or contact method provided by Mysothly.

Reports should be made honestly and in good faith.

Mysothly may request additional information before taking action.

Submitting knowingly false or malicious reports may result in restrictions on your account.

18. Privacy

Mysothly may collect and process personal information in connection with operating the Service.

Where South African law applies, Mysothly will process personal information in accordance with applicable requirements of the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”). POPIA establishes conditions for lawful processing, including accountability, processing limitation, purpose specification, information quality, openness, security safeguards, and data-subject participation.

Mysothly will maintain a separate Privacy Policy explaining:

  • what information is collected;
  • why information is collected;
  • how information is used;
  • who information may be shared with;
  • how long information may be retained;
  • cookies and similar technologies;
  • international data transfers;
  • user privacy rights; and
  • how privacy complaints can be made.

The Privacy Policy forms part of these Terms.

19. International Users and Data Transfers

Mysothly may be accessible internationally.

If you access the Service from outside South Africa, you are responsible for complying with laws applicable to you.

Personal information may be processed or stored in countries other than your country of residence where permitted by applicable law and as explained in the Privacy Policy.

Where laws such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), UK data-protection law, or other foreign privacy laws apply to Mysothly's processing activities, Mysothly will take reasonable steps to address applicable requirements.

However, the applicability of foreign law depends on the circumstances and cannot be established solely by a user's location.

20. Children's Privacy

Mysothly does not knowingly seek to collect personal information from children in circumstances where parental or guardian consent is legally required unless the required consent has been obtained.

If you believe that a child has provided personal information to Mysothly in circumstances where this was not permitted, please contact us.

Mysothly may take reasonable steps to remove information or restrict an account where required by applicable law.

21. Third-Party Services

Mysothly may use third-party providers for services such as:

  • website hosting;
  • content delivery;
  • analytics;
  • authentication;
  • email;
  • security;
  • payment processing;
  • advertising; and
  • other technical services.

Third-party services may have their own terms and privacy policies.

Mysothly is not responsible for the independent acts or omissions of third-party providers except to the extent liability cannot lawfully be excluded.

22. External Links

Mysothly may contain links to third-party websites.

These websites are not necessarily operated or controlled by Mysothly.

We do not guarantee the accuracy, availability, security, or legality of third-party websites.

You access third-party websites at your own risk and should review their terms and privacy policies.

23. Accuracy of Information

Mysothly aims to provide useful and accurate information but does not guarantee that all information on the Service will always be complete, accurate, current, or error-free.

Creative writing, reviews, opinions, and other user-generated material represent the views of their respective authors and not necessarily Mysothly.

Mysothly does not guarantee that any story, chapter, review, recommendation, or other content will meet your expectations.

24. Availability of the Service

Mysothly does not guarantee that the Service will:

  • always be available;
  • operate without interruption;
  • be free from errors;
  • be free from security vulnerabilities; or
  • preserve every piece of content indefinitely.

Maintenance, technical failures, cyberattacks, third-party failures, and circumstances outside our reasonable control may affect availability.

25. Security

Mysothly will take reasonable measures appropriate to the Service to protect its systems and information.

However, no internet service can guarantee absolute security.

You acknowledge that transmission of information over the internet carries inherent risks.

You must notify Mysothly promptly if you believe that your account or security credentials have been compromised.

26. No Professional Advice

Unless expressly stated otherwise, content on Mysothly is provided for informational, educational, entertainment, or creative purposes.

Nothing on Mysothly constitutes legal, medical, financial, professional, or other specialised advice.

You should obtain advice from an appropriately qualified professional where necessary.

27. Disclaimers

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Mysothly provides the Service on an “as available” basis.

We do not guarantee that the Service or its content will be uninterrupted, secure, complete, accurate, or suitable for every purpose.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits a right, guarantee, warranty, or remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited under applicable law.

28. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Mysothly and its owners, operators, employees, contractors, and service providers will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive losses arising from your use of the Service.

This may include, where legally permissible:

  • loss of profits;
  • loss of revenue;
  • loss of business;
  • loss of anticipated savings;
  • loss of data;
  • loss of reputation; or
  • loss resulting from reliance on User Content.

Nothing in these Terms excludes liability for matters that cannot legally be excluded or limited under applicable law, including liability that applicable law prohibits us from excluding.

29. Consumer Rights

Nothing in these Terms is intended to deprive a consumer of rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Where the South African Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 applies, Mysothly will comply with applicable consumer-protection requirements. The Act establishes national norms and standards relating to consumer protection and regulates, among other matters, consumer information and unfair business practices.

If Mysothly later offers paid products, subscriptions, memberships, digital goods, or other consumer services, additional terms may apply.

30. Electronic Communications

Mysothly may communicate with you electronically.

You consent, where permitted by applicable law, to receiving service-related communications electronically.

Electronic transactions and communications involving Mysothly may be subject to applicable electronic-communications legislation, including South Africa's Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002.

Nothing in this section overrides applicable requirements concerning electronic marketing or consent.

31. Direct Marketing

Mysothly will not treat your acceptance of these Terms as unlimited consent to receive marketing communications where applicable law requires separate consent.

Where required, you will be provided with appropriate choices concerning marketing communications.

You may unsubscribe from marketing communications using the available unsubscribe mechanism or by contacting Mysothly.

32. Indemnity

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to indemnify Mysothly against claims, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, and reasonable legal expenses arising from:

  • your unlawful use of the Service;
  • your violation of these Terms;
  • your infringement of another person's rights;
  • your User Content; or
  • your violation of applicable law.

This indemnity does not apply to the extent that the relevant loss was caused by Mysothly's own unlawful conduct or where such indemnification is prohibited by law.

33. Account Suspension and Termination

Mysothly may suspend or terminate your account where reasonably necessary because:

  • you materially violate these Terms;
  • you repeatedly infringe intellectual-property rights;
  • you engage in fraudulent or unlawful activity;
  • your activity threatens the security of the Service;
  • your account is being used to harm other users; or
  • suspension or termination is required by law.

Where appropriate and legally permissible, Mysothly may provide notice and an opportunity to address the issue.

You may stop using Mysothly at any time.

Termination does not automatically extinguish provisions that by their nature should continue, including intellectual-property provisions, liability provisions, dispute provisions, and legally required record-keeping obligations.

34. Changes to the Service

Mysothly may modify or discontinue features of the Service.

If a change materially affects your rights or obligations under these Terms, we may provide notice where required by applicable law.

Continued use of Mysothly after updated Terms become effective may constitute acceptance of the revised Terms where legally permissible.

35. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time.

The latest version will be published on the Mysothly website with an updated effective date.

Where applicable law requires additional notice or consent for material changes, Mysothly will provide that notice or obtain that consent.

36. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, except where applicable mandatory laws of another jurisdiction provide otherwise.

Nothing in this section is intended to deprive consumers or users of mandatory protections that apply to them under the laws of their country or jurisdiction.

37. Dispute Resolution

If you have a dispute with Mysothly, you should first contact us and attempt to resolve the matter informally.

Where appropriate, the parties may attempt mediation before commencing formal legal proceedings.

Nothing in this section prevents a person from exercising a statutory right, seeking urgent relief, reporting unlawful conduct to an appropriate authority, or using a legally available consumer or regulatory complaint process.

Where South African law applies, applicable dispute-resolution mechanisms under relevant legislation may also be available.

38. Jurisdiction

Subject to mandatory consumer-protection or other applicable laws, the courts of South Africa will have jurisdiction over disputes arising from these Terms.

Where applicable law grants you the right to bring proceedings in another jurisdiction, nothing in these Terms is intended to remove that right.

39. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful, invalid, or unenforceable, that provision will be modified or removed only to the extent necessary.

The remaining provisions will continue to apply to the extent permitted by law.

40. No Waiver

If Mysothly does not immediately enforce a provision of these Terms, that does not mean Mysothly has permanently waived the right to enforce it later.

41. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any additional terms expressly incorporated into them, constitute the agreement between you and Mysothly concerning your use of the Service, except where additional written agreements apply.

42. Assignment

You may not transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent where such consent is legally required.

Mysothly may transfer or assign its rights and obligations in connection with a merger, restructuring, sale of assets, acquisition, or other lawful business transaction, subject to applicable law.

43. Force Majeure

Mysothly will not be responsible for delays or failures caused by circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, civil unrest, government action, widespread internet failures, cyberattacks, infrastructure failures, or failures of third-party service providers.

This provision does not remove rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded.

44. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms, copyright complaints, plagiarism reports, privacy matters, or other legal concerns, please contact Mysothly using the contact information published on the website.

Mysothly

Website: [INSERT WEBSITE ADDRESS]

Legal/General Contact: [INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS]

Copyright Complaints: [INSERT COPYRIGHT EMAIL ADDRESS]

Privacy/POPIA Contact: [INSERT PRIVACY EMAIL ADDRESS]


45. Acknowledgement

By using Mysothly, you acknowledge that:

  • you have read these Terms;
  • you understand the rules governing use of the Service;
  • you understand that you are responsible for content you submit;
  • you understand that you retain ownership of your original User Content subject to the licence granted to Mysothly;
  • you agree not to infringe the rights of other authors or users; and
  • you agree to comply with applicable laws and these Terms.


Thank you for helping us keep Mysothly a respectful, creative, and welcoming place for readers and writers.

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