Media Rights Policy

This policy applies to all images, video, and other media files uploaded to BarkMind as part of case submissions.

You must have the right to upload any media you submit. By uploading, you represent that:

• You own the media or have explicit permission to use it for this purpose
• The media does not violate any third-party copyright or privacy rights
• Any identifiable people in the media have consented to this use, or the media has been appropriately anonymized
• The media does not depict animal cruelty or illegal activity

You retain ownership of all media you upload. BarkMind does not claim ownership of your media files.

By uploading media to BarkMind, you grant the platform a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to:

• Store and serve the media for platform operation
• Generate thumbnails and preview images
• Display the media to platform users as part of the associated case
• Reference the media in dataset exports and research publications

This license does not include the right to distribute bulk media downloads without separate agreement, or to use media for purposes unrelated to canine behavioral research.

The primary BarkMind dataset release (v1.0) includes case metadata and annotations but does not bundle media files in the default download due to file size and licensing complexity.

Media files for locked cases may be made available through a separate, opt-in media dataset with additional attribution requirements. Contributors will be contacted before any bulk media release.

If your media contains identifiable people, ensure you have appropriate consent before uploading. Media containing identifiable people without consent is a content policy violation and will result in the media being removed.

Dogs are not subject to privacy requirements under this policy. However, media depicting dog owners in identifiable ways should be submitted only with their knowledge and consent.

If you believe media has been uploaded without appropriate rights, contact us with:

• The URL of the specific case containing the media
• Your claim to the media or the privacy violation
• Contact information for follow-up

We will review and respond within 5 business days. Media on evidence-locked cases requires additional review as removal affects dataset integrity.

Takedown requests: [email protected]

Media is stored on our infrastructure. We implement reasonable security measures including magic-bytes validation on upload (preventing disguised file uploads) and server-side storage with controlled access.

Media questions: [email protected]