Legal
Platform rules
These are the rules Bytesforge applies to what is sold, written and done on the marketplace. When we act on a listing, a release, a review, an account, a licence or a store, we tell whoever it affects which rule we applied and why.
Most rules are part of our terms. A rule marked Law covers content that is illegal; it names the law.
Listings and releases
1.1 A listing says truthfully what the product is
The name, description, screenshots, compatibility, editions and price of a listing match the product a buyer receives. Claims a buyer cannot check, fake urgency and borrowed screenshots are not allowed.
1.2 The product works as described
A product installs and runs as its listing says, on the versions it lists. A release that breaks installations, or is missing what it promises, may be pulled until it is fixed.
1.3 Sell only what you have the right to sell
A team sells only work it made or is licensed to sell, and respects the licences of the code, art and names it uses. Someone else's paid product, or a copy of one, is never allowed.
Law: Copyright and trade mark law, including Directive 2001/29/EC and Regulation (EU) 2017/1001
1.4 No harmful code
A product or release never contains code that harms, spies on or takes over the systems it runs on: backdoors, hidden miners, data theft, or remote control the listing does not state plainly.
Law: Directive 2013/40/EU on attacks against information systems
1.5 Nothing illegal
A listing never offers or describes anything that is illegal where it is sold, such as tools made for fraud or to break into other people's systems.
Law: The law of the EU member state where it is offered (Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, Art 3(h))
1.6 One listing per product, in the right place
A product is listed once, in the category it belongs to, without keyword stuffing, copies of the same listing or placeholder listings.
Reviews
2.1 Reviews come from real buyers
A review is written by someone who bought the product, about their own experience. Reviews that are paid for, swapped, written by the product's own team, or posted to push a rival down are removed.
Law: Directive 2005/29/EC, Annex I points 23b and 23c (fake reviews)
2.2 Reviews stay respectful
No insults, threats, hate, or anyone's personal details in a review or a reply to one. Criticism of a product, however sharp, is welcome.
2.3 Reviews are about the product
A review is about the product or the creator's service, not an advert, a support request, a link elsewhere or something unrelated.
Accounts
3.1 One honest account
An account belongs to one person, with true details. Pretending to be someone else, sharing an account, or using another account to get round a restriction is not allowed.
3.2 No payment fraud
Paying with a card or account that is not yours, false chargebacks, and abusing refunds to keep a product without paying for it are not allowed.
3.3 Treat people with respect
No harassment, threats, hate or spam towards buyers, creators or Bytesforge's team, in messages, tickets or anywhere else on the site.
3.4 Reports and appeals in good faith
Reports and appeals are for real problems. If many of the ones someone sends are clearly unfounded, Bytesforge first warns them, then stops handling new reports and appeals from them for a set time. Both are decisions they can appeal. Bytesforge looks at how many were unfounded, what share of everything they sent that is, and how serious they were (Digital Services Act, Article 23).
Licences
4.1 A licence is for your own installations
Software bought on Bytesforge runs on your own installations, as many at once as your edition allows. Sharing, reselling or publishing it, or its licence key, breaks the licence (Terms, section 7).
4.2 No tampering with licence checks
Removing or getting round licence checks or the markers in a download is not allowed (Terms, section 8).
Stores
5.1 Teams keep the seller agreement
A team that sells on Bytesforge answers its buyers, honours refunds the law or Bytesforge grants, keeps its payout details true and follows the seller agreement it accepted.
5.2 Repeated breaches
A store or account that keeps breaking these rules, after earlier decisions about it, may lose its storefront, its selling or its account for longer than a single breach would.
5.3 Emails to buyers are wanted and honest
A team emails only buyers who agreed to hear from it, says plainly who it is and what it offers, keeps to what it sells on Bytesforge and never promises what a buyer will not get. Misleading subjects and links that lead somewhere else than they say are not allowed.
Law: Directive 2002/58/EC, Art 13 (unsolicited communications), and Directive 2005/29/EC (unfair commercial practices)
Jobs
6.1 Jobs is for teams that show they can do client work
A team asking for Jobs says truthfully what it has built and the skills it offers, with work a client can check. Bytesforge may turn down a team whose application does not show this; it can apply again after 30 days.
6.2 Teams keep their Jobs contracts honestly
A team on Jobs logs only time it worked, keeps a client's code, access and details to the work, and does what it agreed. Billing for time not worked, or misusing what a client gave access to, may cost a team its Jobs access.
Advertising
7.1 Advertisers say who they are and advertise honestly
An advertiser gives its real company, website and what it offers, and advertises only lawful products and services that suit Bytesforge's audience. Misleading banners and links that lead somewhere else than they say are not allowed.
7.2 Advertisers pay for what they win
An advertiser keeps a working payment method and pays for the placements it wins. Unpaid or disputed charges may get an advertiser suspended.
When we decide something about you
You get a decision with its reasons: what we did and for how long, the facts behind it, the rule above it rests on, whether it was automated, and where it applies. It reaches you by email and on a ticket in your account, or in your team's console for a store. If you cannot sign in, the email has a private link to it.
Appealing
You can appeal from the decision's page for 6 months. Someone at Bytesforge who did not make the decision looks at it again, and tells you the outcome and the reasons. If we were wrong, we undo the decision.
You can also take the matter to the courts at any time. Appealing to us does not stop you.
Questions
Write to [email protected].