Legal
Terms of Service
Effective 22 April 2026
1. Acceptance of terms
By accessing or using the matte platform — including the website, streaming service, filmmaker tools, and any associated features — you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the platform.
These terms constitute a binding legal agreement between you and the operator of matte. Using the platform after any revision to these terms constitutes acceptance of the revised version. We will notify registered users of material changes by email or prominent notice on the site.
2. Description of service
matte is a curated streaming platform for independent film. Access to the film catalogue requires an active paid subscription. The platform also provides tools for filmmakers to submit work, manage their presence, and receive earnings.
We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the service at any time without notice or liability. Features described on the platform are subject to change. We do not guarantee the availability of any specific film, feature, or functionality.
3. User accounts
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorised access.
Accounts are personal and non-transferable. You must provide accurate information when registering. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or remain inactive for an extended period. You must be at least 16 years old to create an account.
4. Subscriptions and payment
Billing
Subscriptions are billed on a recurring monthly or annual basis. By subscribing you authorise us to charge your payment method at the start of each billing period. All prices are inclusive of applicable taxes where required by law.
Cancellation
You may cancel your subscription at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. No partial refunds are issued for unused time within a billing period, except where required by applicable law.
Refunds
Payments are generally non-refundable. Exceptions may apply where required by consumer protection law in your jurisdiction. Contact us within 14 days of a charge if you believe an error has occurred.
Price changes
We may change subscription prices at any time. We will give at least 30 days' notice before a price change takes effect. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the new price.
5. Content and intellectual property
All films, images, text, and other content on matte are protected by copyright and owned by their respective rights holders. Your subscription grants you a limited, personal, non-transferable licence to stream content for private, non-commercial viewing only.
You may not download, reproduce, redistribute, broadcast, screen publicly, or otherwise exploit any content on the platform without explicit written permission from the rights holder. Circumventing any technical protection measures is prohibited and may constitute a criminal offence.
6. Filmmaker submissions and content
By submitting a film or any other material to matte, you represent and warrant that you hold all necessary rights, licences, and clearances — including music, footage, performances, and all other elements — to grant the permissions described in these terms.
Licence grant
You grant matte a non-exclusive, worldwide licence to host, stream, display, and promote your submitted content on the platform for the duration of your agreement with matte. This licence does not transfer ownership of your work.
Rights ownership
You are solely responsible for ensuring your content does not infringe third-party rights. matte does not verify rights claims and accepts no liability for submissions that infringe copyright, contain unlicensed music, or violate any third-party rights. Any claim arising from rights infringement is your responsibility entirely.
Prohibited content
You may not submit content that is unlawful, defamatory, obscene, or that violates any applicable law or regulation. matte may remove any content at its sole discretion without prior notice or liability.
7. Prohibited uses
You agree not to use the platform to:
Access content without a valid subscription
Share account credentials with third parties
Attempt to bypass, disable, or interfere with security features
Scrape, crawl, or extract content or data using automated means
Reverse-engineer or decompile any part of the platform
Transmit malware, spam, or any harmful code
Impersonate any person or entity
Engage in any activity that disrupts or interferes with the service
Violate any applicable local, national, or international law
8. Disclaimer of warranties
The platform is provided “as is” and “as available” without warranty of any kind, express or implied.
We make no warranty that the service will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free from viruses or other harmful components. We make no warranty regarding the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of any content on the platform. We do not warrant that defects will be corrected or that the platform will meet your requirements.
Film availability may change at any time due to licensing agreements, rights expiry, or editorial decisions. We make no representations about the continued availability of any specific title.
9. Limitation of liability
Important
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, matte and its operator, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages — including loss of profits, data, goodwill, or other intangible losses — arising from your use of or inability to use the platform, however caused and under any theory of liability.
Our total aggregate liability to you for any claim arising from or related to these terms or the platform shall not exceed the amount you paid to us in the three months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or €50, whichever is greater.
We are not responsible for any damage to your device or data resulting from use of the platform. We are not liable for the actions, content, or omissions of any third party, including filmmakers, payment processors, or content delivery providers.
Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. In such jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.
10. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless matte and its operator from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the platform, your violation of these terms, your submission of content, or your infringement of any third-party rights.
11. Third-party services
The platform integrates with third-party services including payment processors and video delivery infrastructure. We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or terms of any third-party service. Your use of third-party services is governed by their own terms and privacy policies.
Links to external websites or services are provided for convenience only. We do not endorse and assume no responsibility for any content or services accessed through such links.
12. Privacy
Your use of the platform is subject to our Privacy Policy. By using the platform you consent to the processing of your personal data as described therein.
We collect only data necessary to operate the service. We do not sell personal data to third parties. We comply with applicable data protection law including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where applicable.
13. Termination
We may suspend or terminate your access to the platform at any time, with or without cause or notice. Reasons include but are not limited to violation of these terms, fraudulent activity, or conduct harmful to other users or the platform.
Upon termination, your right to use the platform ceases immediately. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination — including intellectual property rights, disclaimers, and limitations of liability — shall survive.
14. Governing law
These terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Finland, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising from these terms or your use of the platform shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Finland.
If you are a consumer in the European Union, you may have additional rights under applicable consumer protection law, and mandatory provisions of the law of your country of residence may apply in addition to Finnish law.
15. Changes to these terms
We reserve the right to modify these terms at any time. We will provide at least 14 days' notice before material changes take effect, either by email or prominent notice on the platform. Your continued use after the effective date of any revision constitutes your acceptance of the new terms.
16. Contact
If you have questions about these terms, contact us at legal@matte.film.
For rights-related notices or takedown requests, please include “Rights Notice” in the subject line and provide full details of the claimed rights and the content in question.
matte — Terms of Service — Effective 22 April 2026