Beneath the Surface AU
Version 2.0 : Effective 14 August 2026
Scope
This notice applies to all original works created by or for Beneath the Surface AU (BTS AU) and to personal works authored by Matt Vapor that are used by or associated with BTS AU. It covers the organisation’s website, workshop materials, published articles, keynote speeches, consulting outputs, proprietary frameworks, organisational policies, and the personal creative and academic works of Matt Vapor. This notice operates under Australian law and applies internationally via Australia’s obligations under the Berne Convention.
1. Copyright Ownership
1.1 Beneath the Surface AU
All materials created or commissioned for the operations of Beneath the Surface AU are the intellectual property of Beneath the Surface AU, ABN 16 843 916 557. This includes, but is not limited to, workshop curricula, proprietary frameworks (including the LANA Methodology), keynote speeches, published articles, consulting reports and deliverables, organisational policies, forms, and brand materials.
Standard copyright notice for BTS AU works: © 2018–2026 Beneath the Surface AU. All rights reserved.
1.2 Matt Vapor — Personal Works
Matt Vapor holds personal copyright in the following works, which are authored in his personal capacity and used by or associated with BTS AU:
- Black Mask memoir trilogy: Beneath the Mask, Masked Up, and Unmasked. The Black Mask trilogy is an original three-book memoir series documenting lived experience with childhood neglect, domestic abuse, and recovery
- PhD research outputs: original research frameworks, critical analysis, position papers, and academic writing produced as part of Matt Vapor’s doctoral candidacy. Copyright in PhD research outputs is held by Matt Vapor, subject to any applicable intellectual property policy of his enrolling institution. Readers are advised that some PhD research outputs may be subject to shared or institutional IP arrangements depending on the terms of candidacy enrolment.
Standard copyright notice for personal works: © Matt Vapor. All rights reserved.
2. Protected Works
The following categories of work are protected under this notice:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Workshop materials and curricula | Slide decks, facilitator guides, handouts, participant resources (all current and archived workshop versions) |
| LANA Methodology | Proprietary framework; all documentation, tools, and supporting materials |
| Published articles | All articles published at beneaththesurface.au and affiliated platforms |
| Keynote speeches | Scripts, notes, and recordings of speeches delivered by Matt Vapor |
| Consulting reports and deliverables | Reports, audits, surveys, action plans, and advice prepared for clients |
| Organisational policies and forms | All BTS AU policies, procedures, and form templates |
| Personal narratives and lived experience materials | Autobiographical content shared in any format, including photographs |
| Black Mask memoir trilogy | All manuscript drafts, synopses, and author materials (Matt Vapor) |
| PhD research outputs | Frameworks, critical analysis, position papers, and academic writing (Matt Vapor) |
3. Moral Rights
Under Part IX of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), Matt Vapor holds moral rights in all works he has authored. These rights are personal to the author and cannot be transferred, assigned, or waived.
3.1 Right of Attribution (s.195AR): Any reproduction, communication, or adaptation of a work must clearly and reasonably attribute Matt Vapor as the author. False attribution, including any representation that attributes the work to another person, is a violation of this right.
3.2 Right of Integrity (s.195AZA): Works must not be treated in a derogatory manner. This includes distortion, mutilation, modification, or any other act done to the work that is prejudicial to Matt Vapor’s honour or reputation.
Moral rights persist for the lifetime of the author and 70 years thereafter.
4. Duration of Protection
4.1 Copyright in original works arises automatically upon creation in Australia. No registration, publication, or deposit is required for protection to subsist.
4.2 Under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth):
| Work Type | Duration |
|---|---|
| Literary, artistic, musical, and dramatic works (authored) | Life of the author + 70 years |
| Works made by or for a company (unpublished) | 70 years from creation |
| Works made by or for a company (published) | 70 years from first publication |
4.3 Copyright subsisting in BTS AU’s earliest materials (from 2018) and in Matt Vapor’s personal works is fully in force and will remain so for many decades.
5. Permitted Uses — Fair Dealing
The Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) provides limited exceptions for fair dealing with copyright material. These exceptions are narrow and do not authorise wholesale reproduction or commercial use.
| Purpose | Provision | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Research and private study | s.40 | Genuine non-commercial research or study; extent must be reasonable |
| Criticism and review | s.41 | Sufficient acknowledgement of the source and author must be given |
| Reporting news | s.42 | Sufficient acknowledgement must accompany the reproduction |
| Parody and satire | s.43C | Must not misrepresent or distort the original work’s meaning |
If you are unsure whether a proposed use falls within fair dealing, contact matt@beneaththesurface.au before proceeding.
6. Prohibited Uses
Unless expressly authorised in writing by Beneath the Surface AU or Matt Vapor, the following are prohibited:
6.1 Reproducing or copying any protected work, in whole or in part, in any format or medium
6.2 Distributing, sharing, uploading, or transmitting any protected work to third parties
6.3 Commercial use, resale, or redistribution of any protected work
6.4 Adapting, translating, abridging, or creating derivative works from any protected work
6.5 Using any protected work (including workshop content, lived experience narratives, frameworks, or research outputs) as training data for artificial intelligence systems, machine learning models, or any automated processing system
6.6 Removing, altering, or obscuring any copyright notice, attribution statement, or proprietary marking attached to a protected work
7. Licensing and Permissions
7.1 Default position: All rights are reserved. No permission to reproduce, adapt, or distribute any protected work is granted unless expressly confirmed in writing.
7.2 Commissioned work: Clients who have engaged BTS AU under a signed agreement receive a non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use delivered materials solely for the purpose agreed at the time of engagement. This licence is subject to the terms of Terms (Quotes) and Terms (Invoices) and does not permit redistribution, adaptation, or commercial on-use without written consent.
7.3 Permission requests: All other requests (including media reproduction, educational use, adaptation, translation, or any use not covered by 7.2 or Section 5) must be submitted in writing to:
matt@beneaththesurface.au Subject: Copyright Permission Request
Include details of the proposed use, the specific material, the intended audience, and the medium of reproduction. Requests are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
8. LANA Methodology — Proprietary Notice
The LANA Methodology is proprietary intellectual property developed and owned by Beneath the Surface AU. It is a named, protected framework under active development.
8.1 The LANA Methodology may not be reproduced, summarised for redistribution, adapted, repackaged, or presented under a different name.
8.2 The LANA Methodology may not be used to inform commercial products, consulting frameworks, training programs, or derivative tools without the express written consent of Beneath the Surface AU.
8.3 The LANA Methodology may not be used to train artificial intelligence systems or machine learning models.
8.4 Beneath the Surface AU reserves all rights in the LANA Methodology, including the right to develop, publish, formally license, or register it as intellectual property at any time.
9. Third-Party Materials
BTS AU’s work references academic research and publicly available data. These materials are governed by their own copyright and are used in accordance with applicable licence terms and fair dealing provisions.
9.1 Academic citations: Sources managed in Zotero and referenced in BTS AU materials remain copyright of their respective authors and publishers. Quoted passages are reproduced under fair dealing provisions or with express permission.
9.2 Government and public data: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data and other Commonwealth government materials are subject to Crown copyright or Creative Commons licence terms. Attribution is provided as required by the applicable licence.
9.3 Attribution: All third-party sources used in BTS AU materials are acknowledged. If you believe a source has been inadequately attributed, contact matt@beneaththesurface.au.
10. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
This notice is governed by the following instruments:
| Instrument | Scope | Regulator / Forum |
|---|---|---|
| Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) | Primary Australian copyright legislation; automatic protection, moral rights, fair dealing exceptions | Federal Court of Australia |
| Moral Rights (Part IX, Copyright Act 1968 (Cth)) | Attribution (s.195AR) and integrity (s.195AZA) rights for all authored works | Federal Court of Australia |
| Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works 1886 | International copyright protection; Australia signatory since 1928; automatic mutual protection in 170+ member countries | WIPO |
| WIPO Copyright Treaty 1996 | Extends copyright protection to digital works and online transmissions | WIPO |
| Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) 1994 | International minimum standards for IP protection and enforcement | WTO |
Jurisdiction: Western Australia, Australia. Any dispute arising from alleged infringement of copyright in BTS AU or Matt Vapor’s materials will be governed by Australian law.