Copyright & Content Policy

Last updated: 31 July 2026

Cinevol is a knowledge platform for Indian independent film. We catalogue films, credit the people who make them, and link viewers to films where the rights holders published them. This page explains what we store, what we do not, and how to reach us if you believe something on Cinevol infringes your rights.

What Cinevol stores, and what it does not

We store factual metadata: titles, credits, runtimes, languages, release years and genres. Facts are not subject to copyright. We do not collect view counts, likes, comments or any other engagement statistics from the platforms that host these films, and none appear anywhere on Cinevol. The numbers you see here are our own: Cinevol ratings, and Cinevol plays.

The synopses on our film pages are written by Cinevol. We do not copy platform descriptions, and we do not paraphrase them either: the description text is never stored, so a Cinevol synopsis cannot be derived from one. Our film artwork is generated by Cinevol, and video thumbnails are served by YouTube and credited as such.

We never host film files. Playback happens through an embedded player from the platform where the rights holder published the film, most often YouTube, and playback is never placed behind a payment, a subscription or a signup. The rights holder stays in control: if embedding is disabled or a film is removed at the source, it cannot be played through Cinevol either.

How long we keep what we find

When we first discover a film we may hold a small amount of data obtained from the hosting platform's API. That data expires after 30 days. Before it expires we either re-establish those facts from an independent source, such as the film's own credits, a festival record or the filmmaker, or we discard them. The only things we keep permanently from the hosting platform are the video and channel identifiers, which are addresses rather than content.

Anything published on a film page has therefore either been independently established, written by Cinevol, or supplied by the people who made the film.

Unclaimed listings, and how to remove one

Cinevol builds its early catalogue by finding films that are already public and creating a listing for them. Nobody is asked first, so every such page is labelled Unclaimed and says that it was compiled from public sources. An unclaimed listing states facts about a film; it does not imply that anyone credited on it endorses Cinevol or is a member here.

If a film or profile is yours and you would rather it were not here, you do not need an account and you do not need to claim it first. Use the take it down button on the page. We aim to respond within 24 hours, and we remove the page rather than argue about it. Claiming the page instead gives you control of its contents, which most filmmakers prefer, but the choice is yours and removal is always available.

Data provenance

Every film page includes an About this listing section showing where each kind of information came from and whether the people it describes have confirmed it. Credits compiled from public sources are shown as exactly that until someone credited on the film confirms them. Portraits are shown only where the image licence permits it, with the credit that licence requires. We keep this record so that rights and accuracy questions can be answered quickly and precisely.

Owners manage their own pages

Filmmakers, cast and crew can claim the profile that represents them. Verification requires evidence and is reviewed by our team. Once verified, owners manage their own information, and their pages are marked with a verified badge to distinguish them from community-maintained listings. If you are credited on a film in our catalog, you can start at cinevol.com/activate.

Reporting a copyright issue

Every film page has a Report a copyright or content issue link. You do not need a Cinevol account to use it. You can also email joseph@cinevol.com. To help us act fast, include: who you are and your relationship to the work, the exact page affected, what content you believe infringes, and what you would like us to do.

How reports are handled

Our process follows five steps. First, we log your report and acknowledge it. Second, we verify the claim and the identity of the reporter. Third, for credible copyright claims we temporarily hide playback of the affected film while the review continues. Fourth, we review the claim on its merits, contacting you or the uploader if needed. Fifth, we either restore the content or remove it from the catalog. We aim to acknowledge reports within a few days and to resolve most reviews within two weeks.

Counter notices and disputes

If your content was hidden or removed and you believe this was a mistake, reply to our decision email or write to joseph@cinevol.com with the page affected and the basis on which you hold or licence the rights. We review counter notices with the same care as the original report.

Repeat infringement

Accounts that repeatedly post infringing material, or repeatedly file bad faith reports, may be suspended or removed.

Contact

Rights and content questions: joseph@cinevol.com