Community rules

Draft for legal review. These rules apply from launch.

Subtitles and captions for any video are welcome: transcriptions, translations, hearing-impaired versions and fan work. A subtitle that faithfully includes offensive dialogue from a film is fine: these rules are about what you write, not what the characters say.

The rules

1. No spam, ads or links in subtitles

Don't add lines that advertise a site, a channel or a service ("Subtitles by…" with a web address), and don't hide links in subtitles. Credit lines without addresses are fine.

2. No links to pirated video

Not in subtitles, titles, descriptions or source links.

3. Don't pass off someone else's work

Uploading another person's subtitle as your own isn't allowed. Make a new version or a fork instead, so the authors stay credited.

4. Flag machine translation

Subtitles made mostly by machine translation must carry the machine-translated flag.

5. No harassment, hate or personal data

In titles, descriptions, profiles and anything else you write: no harassment, threats, hate speech, impersonation, or other people's personal data.

6. No malicious or illegal content

No files made to exploit software, and nothing unlawful.

7. Respect copyright

Rights holders can ask for subtitles to be removed. See Copyright takedowns.

What happens when rules are broken

Staff review reports and act in proportion: a version can be removed, a subtitle hidden, and an account warned, suspended (it can still sign in and download, but not publish) or closed. Every decision names the rule and the reason, appears in your inbox, and can be appealed; a different staff member reviews appeals.

Accounts with three upheld copyright notices are closed.