MRAA Intellectual Property and False Submission Policy

Effective Date: July 24, 2026

1. Purpose

This policy protects:

• MRAA intellectual property

• Applicant and member rights

• Copyright and trademark owners

• The integrity of certifications

• The accuracy of public records

• The reliability of submitted evidence

It applies to all MRAA users, applicants, members, representatives, certification recipients, and public-profile contributors.

2. MRAA Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise identified, MRAA or its licensors own the rights in:

• The MRAA name and logos

• Certification names and level designs

• Certificate layouts

• Award designs

• Website content

• Graphics

• Databases

• Software

• Review systems

• Scoring structures

• Reports

• Training materials

• Proprietary forms

• Written standards

• Public-record presentation

• Confidential certification methods

Access to an MRAA service does not transfer ownership of this material.

3. Permitted Use of MRAA Marks

An active member may accurately identify themselves as an MRAA member.

An approved certification recipient may display the official certification issued for that specific project, recipient, level, and date.

Users may not:

• Alter an MRAA certification level

• Change a certificate number

• Remove a revocation or expiration notice

• Create a counterfeit certificate

• Apply a certification to an uncertified project

• Imply MRAA endorsement

• Register a confusingly similar domain or social account

• Sell unauthorized MRAA merchandise

• Use MRAA marks in a deceptive advertisement

• Use an expired membership badge as though membership remains active

MRAA may issue brand-use standards governing size, placement, color, attribution, and context.

4. Applicant-Owned Content

Applicants retain the rights they lawfully hold in submitted music, artwork, photographs, videos, logos, reports, biographies, documents, and other materials.

Submitting content gives MRAA permission to use it as described in the Terms of Service and Certification Terms.

The applicant is responsible for obtaining permission from photographers, designers, labels, publishers, artists, agencies, brands, distributors, employers, clients, or other rights owners when required.

5. False Submissions

A false submission includes information or material that is knowingly or recklessly inaccurate, deceptive, fabricated, manipulated, unauthorized, or materially incomplete.

Examples include:

• False identity

• Impersonation

• Forged identification

• Altered royalty statements

• Manipulated analytics

• Edited screenshots that hide material information

• Fabricated platform reports

• False ISRC or UPC information

• False release dates

• False credits

• Fake campaign results

• False ownership claims

• Unauthorized contracts

• Misrepresented signatures

• Invented professional achievements

• Submission of another person’s work

• Concealment of material disputes

• Repeated submission of the same activity as different qualifying activity

• Misrepresentation of artificial, incentivized, or invalid activity as qualifying organic achievement

6. Duty to Correct

An applicant or recipient must promptly notify MRAA after discovering that submitted or published information is materially inaccurate.

A good-faith correction will be considered differently from intentional deception, but MRAA may still correct, suspend, downgrade, or revoke a certification when necessary.

7. Verification Authority

MRAA may:

• Contact an applicant

• Contact an authorized representative

• Request original documents

• Request unredacted information where reasonably necessary

• Confirm metadata

• Review public sources

• Contact distributors, agencies, platforms, rights owners, employers, or professional references

• Compare multiple data sources

• Examine document metadata

• Request a signed authorization

• Place a request on hold

• Require additional identity verification

MRAA is not required to disclose every verification source or technique.

8. Consequences

A false, misleading, or unauthorized submission may result in:

• Immediate denial

• Administrative closure

• Loss of fees

• Membership suspension

• Membership termination

• Certification suspension

• Certification downgrade

• Certification revocation

• Removal or correction of a public record

• Ban on future applications

• Recovery of investigation or enforcement costs where legally permitted

• Notice to an affected rights owner

• Notice to a payment provider

• Preservation of evidence

• Referral to legal counsel, law enforcement, or another appropriate authority where warranted

MRAA may withhold detailed information about an investigation when disclosure could compromise security, confidential sources, legal rights, or review methods.

9. Copyright Complaints

A copyright owner or authorized agent who believes material on an MRAA-controlled service infringes copyright may send a written notice containing:

• A physical or electronic signature

• Identification of the copyrighted work

• Identification and location of the allegedly infringing material

• Contact information for the complaining party

• A statement of good-faith belief that the use is unauthorized

• A statement that the information is accurate

• A statement under penalty of perjury that the complaining party is authorized to act for the copyright owner

Send notices to:

MRAA Copyright Agent
KLM Enterprises Services LLC
P.O. Box 140572
Kansas City, Missouri 64114
Email: support@mraa.me
Telephone: [INSERT DMCA AGENT TELEPHONE NUMBER]

The subject line should state: Copyright Infringement Notice.

MRAA may request additional information if a notice is incomplete.

10. Counter-Notification

A user whose material was removed may submit a legally valid counter-notification containing:

• The user’s physical or electronic signature

• Identification of the removed material

• The former location of the material

• A statement under penalty of perjury that removal resulted from mistake or misidentification

• The user’s name, address, and telephone number

• Consent to the jurisdiction required by applicable law

• Acceptance of service from the complaining party

MRAA may provide the counter-notification to the original complaining party and may restore material when legally permitted.

11. Repeat Infringers

MRAA may terminate or restrict users who repeatedly infringe intellectual-property rights or repeatedly submit unauthorized materials.

12. Trademark and Publicity Complaints

A complaint involving a trademark, business name, stage name, logo, likeness, publicity right, or impersonation should include:

• The complainant’s identity

• The right being asserted

• Registration information, if available

• The location of the disputed material

• The requested action

• A good-faith explanation

• Supporting documentation

• Contact information

MRAA may decline to decide private ownership disputes that require a court or other legal authority.

13. Evidence Preservation

MRAA may preserve disputed submissions, logs, communications, documents, payment records, account information, and review history when reasonably necessary for:

• Investigation

• Fraud prevention

• Rights enforcement

• Litigation

• A legal hold

• Compliance with legal process

• Protection of certification integrity

Removing public access does not require immediate deletion of preserved evidence.

14. No Retaliation for Good-Faith Reports

MRAA will not knowingly retaliate against a person for submitting a good-faith intellectual-property, fraud, or false-submission report.

Knowingly false complaints, fraudulent takedown demands, harassment, or abuse of the reporting process may result in restriction or legal action.

15. Contact

Intellectual-property and false-submission reports may be sent to support@mraa.me.