Copyright & Image Use

Established: August 2, 2026

This English text is a convenience translation. The official text is the Japanese version; if the two differ, the Japanese version prevails.

A book belongs to the person who made it. At the same time, book-making always brushes against the rights of others — their writing, their photographs. This document explains who owns the finished book, and the rules we ask users to keep. It forms part of the Terms of Service.

1. Copyright in the Finished Book Belongs to You

1. Copyright and other rights in a book made with BOOK:// (including the body text, the structure, and prose finished with AI assistance) belong to the user. The Company asserts no rights in your finished book.
2. You are free to sell your finished book, distribute it for free, or take it to another publisher. No report to the Company, and no fee, is required.
3. The Company uses your content only to the extent necessary to provide the Service — storage, display, conversion, backup, and AI processing (Terms of Service, Article 6).

2. Responsibility for the Book's Content Rests with the Author

Responsibility for the finished book's content — including factual accuracy and respect for other people's rights — rests with you as its author. The rules below exist to protect you, and the people who appear in your book.

3. Other People's Writing — No Unauthorized Use; the Rules of Quotation

1. Writing by someone else may not be reproduced in your book without permission. This applies equally to web articles, books, blogs, and social media posts.
2. However, where the conditions for lawful "quotation" under Japan's Copyright Act are met, you may quote without permission. As a guide:
   • the work has been published;
   • your own writing is the main body, and the quotation is subordinate to it;
   • there is a genuine need to quote, and the quotation stays within that need;
   • the quoted passage is clearly distinguished, for example with quotation marks;
   • the source (author, title, and so on) is clearly indicated;
   • the quoted passage is not altered.
3. Song lyrics require particular care: even a short line often needs permission from a rights-management organization (such as JASRAC in Japan).
4. To include personal letters or emails, obtain the consent of the person who wrote them.

4. Photographs and Images

1. Photos you took — generally free to use.
2. Photos taken by others — permission from the photographer (or rights holder) is required. For old family photos, confirm as far as reasonably possible.
3. Photos with people in them — obtain the consent of the people shown (portrait rights). For photographs of the deceased, be considerate of the bereaved family.
4. Images found online — images saved from search results cannot be used. Even free stock images carry site-specific conditions (commercial use, attribution) that must be checked.
5. Artworks, characters, logos — protected by copyright or trademark. Take particular care in books sold commercially.
6. Maps — commercial maps and map-service screenshots are rights-protected; publication requires checking each provider's terms.

5. AI-Generated Images

1. If you use images made with other AI services (image generators) in your book, check for yourself that the generating service's terms permit commercial use and use in publications.
2. Do not use AI-generated images made to resemble real people, or images that deliberately imitate the style of real works — these can raise rights and publicity issues.

6. Writing About Real People and Organizations

1. When writing about a real person, keep to the facts and be mindful of their honor and privacy. For information the person has not made public (medical history, career details, and the like), the rule is to obtain their consent.
2. When writing about an employer or business partner, check that nothing conflicts with confidentiality obligations or internal rules.

7. Materials Provided by BOOK://

1. The templates, layouts, and cover-design system the Service provides may be freely used and published as part of your finished book.
2. However, the templates and the system itself may not be copied and offered as a separate service (Terms of Service, Article 8).

8. Reporting Rights Infringement

If you believe a book made with BOOK:// infringes your rights, please contact us via the contact page or at oginuma@gmail.com. We will review the matter and respond in accordance with the law. Where a user has infringed third-party rights in breach of this document, the Company may restrict their use of the Service (Terms of Service, Article 9).

9. When in Doubt

If you're unsure about the rights in something, ask before you include it. We cannot give individual legal judgments, but we can point you to whom or where to check. And for material you remain unsure about, "don't use it" is always the safest choice.

End of document

J-Catalyst LLC