Blackbook Community Guidelines

1. Safety

Creative work often involves on-location shoots, travel, physical equipment, and team collaboration. Safety is non-negotiable.

Physical Safety

Members must not:

• Engage in physical violence, intimidation, or harassment
• Create unsafe working environments
• Require work in hazardous conditions without disclosure
• Ignore legally required safety compliance (permits, insurance, crew limits, etc.)

Clients must:

• Disclose known risks (locations, stunts, weather exposure, unsafe structures)
• Ensure safe access to venues

Creatives must:

• Refuse unsafe instructions
• Follow reasonable on-site safety protocols

2. Security & Financial Integrity

Blackbook operates structured job flows and payment systems for a reason: to reduce fraud and protect both sides.

No Off-Platform Payments

Members may not:

• Divert payments outside Blackbook once a job is initiated
• Request cash settlements to bypass platform fees
• Pressure others to transact privately

Fraud & Misrepresentation

You must not:

• Submit false invoices
• Inflate gear rates after confirmation
• Claim work not performed
• Manipulate milestone approvals
• Threaten poor reviews to obtain payment or refunds

Asset Protection

Clients must not:

• Withhold payment after approved delivery
• Exploit preview files for final use without settlement

Creatives must not:

• Withhold deliverables once full payment has been released
• Deliver watermarked or incomplete files after final approval (unless contractually agreed)

3. Privacy & Intellectual Property

Creative work is IP-driven. Respect for rights is foundational.

Confidentiality

Members must not:

• Share project briefs without consent
• Publicly post unreleased campaign work
• Disclose budgets, internal communications, or negotiations

Intellectual Property

• Ownership must follow the confirmed job card and rider terms.
• No party may use, resell, license, or alter work outside agreed scope.
• Unauthorised portfolio usage must respect agreed rights.

Blackbook may remove content that infringes copyright or violates IP agreements.

4. Fairness & Professional Conduct

Blackbook is a professional marketplace — not a gig free-for-all.

Non-Discrimination

Members must not discriminate based on:

• Race
• Gender
• Sexual orientation
• Religion
• National origin
• Disability
• Health status

All applicable South African laws apply.

Harassment & Abuse

You may not:

• Harass collaborators
• Use discriminatory language
• Engage in public shaming or intimidation
• Weaponise ratings or reviews

Respecting Community Standards

• Treat crews, assistants, and subcontractors professionally.
• No exploitation of junior creatives through coercive rate pressure.
• No bait-and-switch briefs.

5. Authenticity & Transparency

Trust requires accuracy.

Profile Accuracy

Members must not:

• Fabricate credits or client work
• Misrepresent experience
• Use false names or duplicate accounts
• Post fake reviews

Rate Transparency

Creatives must:

• Publish clear service and gear rates
• Honor confirmed rates once accepted
• Disclose overtime, travel, or surcharge terms upfront

Clients must:

• Provide realistic budgets
• Accurately describe deliverables and timelines
• Avoid scope creep without formal revision

6. Reliability & Commitment

Blackbook is structured around commitments.

Job Card Integrity

Once confirmed:

• Scope may not change without mutual agreement
• Budgets may not be unilaterally reduced
• Deliverables may not be expanded without amendment

Cancellation Conduct

Members must not:

• Cancel confirmed jobs without valid reason
• Abandon projects mid-production
• Delay payment beyond agreed milestones

Communication Standards

Members must:

• Respond within reasonable timeframes
• Participate in dispute resolution if required
• Maintain professional tone in platform communications

Repeated unresponsiveness may result in suspension.

7. Platform Integrity

Blackbook is not a directory — it is a structured contracting environment.

Members must not:

• Scrape contact details to bypass platform systems
• Use the platform to recruit for unrelated services
• Circumvent job card workflows
• Reverse-engineer other creatives’ pricing structures for competitive exploitation

8. Dispute Resolution

If disputes arise:

1. Attempt resolution within the platform
2. Use Blackbook’s structured resolution process
3. Provide documentation (job card, messages, deliverables)

Blackbook may:

• Mediate disputes
• Freeze payouts during review
• Remove users for repeated violations

9. Enforcement

Violations may result in:

• Warnings
• Content removal
• Financial holds
• Account suspension
• Permanent removal
• Legal referral (where applicable)

Repeated or severe violations will result in immediate removal.

Core Principles

Blackbook exists to:

• Reduce administrative friction
• Protect creative value
• Ensure financial clarity
• Uphold contractual integrity
• Encourage long-term professional relationships

If you cannot operate within structured, transparent, professional systems — Blackbook is not for you.