Terms of Use

1. Who we are

The Media Source (https://themediasource.co.uk) is operated by Barcadia Media Limited ("we", "us", "the operator"). For anything covered by these terms, contact us via our contact form.

Registered in England and Wales, company number 06970806. Registered office: 14 Edward Street, Blackpool, FY1 1BA.

2. Alpha status

The Media Source is currently in private alpha testing. The service is provided for evaluation and may be changed, restricted or withdrawn at short notice while we develop it. These terms may be updated during the alpha.

3. The service

The Media Source is a platform for distributing and discovering third-party press material, expert commentary and journalist media requests. We are not a news publisher; user-submitted content is not our editorial output and, unless clearly labelled The Media Source Editorial, is not endorsed by us.

4. Eligibility and account responsibilities

You must be at least 18 and use the platform for legitimate professional purposes in the UK mortgage, property or related sectors. You confirm that the information you provide at registration and in your profile is accurate, that you are authorised to represent any company you associate yourself with, and that you will keep your credentials secure. You are responsible for activity carried out under your account.

5. Content you submit and licences

• You keep ownership of content you submit.
• For content you publish or send through the platform, you grant the operator a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, display, index, distribute and archive that content on and via the platform, including in newsletters, feeds and search previews. This licence exists so we can operate the platform; it does not transfer ownership.
• You confirm that your content is accurate, lawful, does not infringe third-party rights, and complies with our Editorial Standards and Community and Submission Rules.
• You are responsible for content you submit. We do not endorse or verify every claim in user-submitted content.

6. Journalist media requests

• Journalists posting media requests must accurately represent the publication or outlet they are working for, the intended use of any responses, and any deadline or embargo.
• You must not use media requests to solicit business, mine personal data or obtain content for a purpose other than the one you have stated.
• Responses received via the platform may be used for the journalistic purpose described in the request and are subject to the confidentiality rules below.

7. Source, expert and PR responsibilities

• Responses to a media request, and any commentary or press release you submit, must be your own work, accurate, and clearly attributed. Do not submit content on behalf of another named person without their permission.
• Do not submit confidential, embargoed or personal information you are not authorised to share.
• Public profiles, press rooms and expert directories are visible to any visitor. Only publish information you are content to make public.

8. Prohibited content and conduct

You must not use the platform to publish or transmit content that is unlawful, defamatory, misleading, discriminatory, harassing, infringes third-party rights, contains malware, or breaches financial-promotion, market-abuse or advertising rules. You must not scrape the platform, attempt to circumvent access controls, or use the service to send unsolicited marketing.

9. Acceptable use

You must not use The Media Source in breach of our Community and Submission Rules, applicable law, or in a way that harms other users or the platform.

10. Moderation, removal and appeals

We may edit for compliance, withhold, remove or refuse content, and may suspend or terminate accounts. Where we act on your content or account, we will normally tell you the reason and how to appeal, following our Complaints and Takedown Policy.

11. Suspension and termination

Either party may close the account at any time. We may suspend or terminate access without notice for serious or repeated breach, to protect other users, or where we are required to by law. Provisions intended to survive termination (content licences, liability, indemnity) survive.

12. Fees

Core use of The Media Source is free during the alpha. Any paid services introduced later (for example featured placements or promoted press rooms) will be governed by separate order terms and clearly labelled. Sponsored content is always labelled.

13. Third-party links and integrations

The platform may link to third-party sites and integrate third-party services. We are not responsible for third-party content or practices.

14. Intellectual property

The Media Source name, logo, design and code are our property or that of our licensors. You may not copy, scrape or reverse-engineer the platform except as permitted by law.

15. Service availability

During the alpha we do not offer any uptime commitment. The platform may be temporarily unavailable, changed, or withdrawn without notice. We may add, change or remove features while we develop the service.

16. Disclaimers and alpha limitations

The platform is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis for evaluation. Alpha features may contain defects, and features and content may be incomplete or change during testing. To the maximum extent permitted by law we exclude implied warranties. Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under English law.

17. Limitation of liability

Subject to the paragraph above, our aggregate liability to you under or in connection with the platform is limited to £100 during the alpha. We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, loss of profits, loss of opportunity, or loss of goodwill. You should not rely on the platform as the sole record of anything material.

18. Indemnity

You indemnify the operator against third-party claims arising from content you submit or your breach of these terms.

19. Privacy

Our handling of personal data is described in the Privacy Policy. Cookies and similar technologies are described in the Cookie Policy.

20. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. Material changes will be notified to registered users by email and by a notice on the site, and we may ask you to accept the updated version before continuing to use the service.

21. Governing law and complaints

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction. Complaints about how the platform is operated should be raised via our contact form.