Intellectual Property, Logo & Brand Policy

1Introduction & Scope

This policy explains who owns the intellectual property on the HmperCo Platform, what you may and may not do with it, and how to report infringement.

2Legal Framework

• Copyright Act 98 of 1978 — protects original literary, artistic, and software works, including the Platform's text, images, and code.
• Trade Marks Act 194 of 1993 — governs registration and protection of the HmperCo name and logo as trademarks.
• Merchandise Marks Act 17 of 1941 — prohibits unauthorised use of marks in a manner likely to deceive or cause confusion.
• Companies Act 71 of 2008 — governs use and protection of the registered company/trading name.
• Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020 — prohibits unlawful access to, and interference with, computer data and systems, relevant to scraping and reverse-engineering prohibitions in clause 6.

3Ownership of Platform IP

All intellectual property in the Platform — including its design, layout, source code, databases, product photography (save where separately licensed from a supplier), graphics, and written content — is owned by, or licensed to, HmperCo, and is protected under South African and applicable international intellectual property law.

4HmperCo Name, Logo & Trademarks

The "HmperCo" name and logo are trademarks of HmperCo (Pty) Ltd. They may not be used, copied, or imitated, in whole or in part, without HmperCo's prior written consent, save as expressly permitted in clause 5.

5Permitted Use

You may view, download, and print pages of the Platform for your own personal, non-commercial use. Approved Split & Sell Sellers, affiliates, and Driver Partners may use HmperCo branding strictly within the limits set out in their respective programme dashboards or agreements.

6Prohibited Use, Scraping & Reverse Engineering

Without HmperCo's prior written consent, you must not: reproduce, republish, or commercially exploit any part of the Platform; scrape, crawl, or systematically extract data from the Platform using automated means; reverse-engineer or decompile any part of the Platform's software; or use HmperCo's name, logo, or branding in a way likely to imply endorsement or affiliation that does not exist.

7User Content

Intellectual property in content you submit (reviews, photos, comments) remains yours, subject to the licence you grant HmperCo, as described in the Reviews, Ratings & User-Generated Content Policy.

8Third-Party & Supplier Content

Certain product images, brand names, and descriptions on the Platform belong to HmperCo's suppliers or the relevant brand owners, and are used under licence or with permission. Such content remains the property of its respective owner.

9Infringement Notices & Takedown

If you believe content on the Platform infringes your intellectual property rights, notify us at legal@hmperco.co.za with sufficient detail to identify the content and your rights in it. HmperCo will investigate and, where appropriate, remove or disable access to the content expeditiously, consistent with the intermediary take-down approach recognised under the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act.

10Contact Details