Contributor Credit & Attribution Policy

Plain-language summary

The original creator of an idea is permanently and visibly credited in the idea record.
We also credit meaningful contributors, pathway proposers, project creators, and event organisers.
AI-assisted content is labelled(for example “AI-refined idea”), so credit stays honest.
We keep a version history so you can see who added what, and when.
When ideas are merged or marked as duplicates, we preserve credit for everyone involved.
Attribution is not legal ownership. It is not authorship, inventorship, copyright, patent rights, partnership, employment, or a promise of payment.
If a credit looks wrong, you can ask us to review it through our contact form.

1. Why attribution matters

Clap Ideas is built on open collaboration: ideas are public, and others can build on them. Attribution is how we honour the people who contribute. It keeps a clear, visible record of who started an idea and who helped it grow, so collaboration stays fair and motivating.

This Contributor Credit & Attribution Policy explains how we assign credit and what that credit means. It works together with our Idea Submission & Open Collaboration Terms and our IP & Attribution Policy. A few legal terms appear below; we explain each in plain words the first time.

2. Who we credit

We recognise several kinds of contribution:

2.1 Original idea creator

The person who first publishes an idea is recorded as its original creator. This credit is permanent and visible in the idea record. Even as the idea is discussed, refined, forked, or built upon, the original creator stays credited.

2.2 Meaningful contributors

People who make a meaningful contribution — substantive comments, added analysis, evidence, refinements, or other real input that shapes the idea — are credited as contributors. Routine actions such as a simple vote or a one-word reply are generally not treated as a creditable contribution.

2.3 Pathway proposers

When someone proposes a pathway — a concrete route toward making an idea real — they are credited as the proposer of that pathway.

2.4 Project creators

When someone starts a project from an idea (for example through Run-With-This-Idea), they are credited as the project creator, and the project links back to the source idea and its original creator.

2.5 Event organisers

When someone organises an event connected to an idea or project, they are credited as the organiser, with a link back to the related idea or project.

3. AI-assisted content is labelled, not credited as a person

AI is not a contributor and does not receive personal credit. Instead, AI involvement is labelled transparentlyso the community can tell what a human wrote and what AI generated or reshaped. Labels include “AI-refined idea,” “AI Research Brief,” “AI-generated draft,” and “AI-classified.”

When you accept an AI-refined version of your idea, you remain the human creator of record; the “AI-refined” label simply shows AI helped structure it. For the meaning of each label and AI’s limits, see our AI Transparency Policy.

4. Version history

We keep a version history for ideas and related contributions. This record helps show how an idea evolved and who added what over time. Version history supports fair attribution and helps resolve questions about who contributed which part.

Version history reflects activity on the Platform. It is a record of participation, not a legal determination of authorship or inventorship.

5. Merged and duplicate ideas

Because similar ideas often appear, the Platform may detect potential duplicates and may cluster or merge closely related ideas. When this happens:

We aim to preserve credit for everyone involved, including the original creators of each merged idea.
The merged or canonical record links back to the contributing ideas where practical.
Duplicate detection can be imperfect — it may flag distinct ideas as duplicates, or miss a true duplicate. You can dispute a duplicate or merge decision (see section 7).

6. How credit is displayed

Attribution appears in the relevant records — for example a Contributors view on an idea, and attribution links on projects and events back to their source idea and creator. Credit uses the display name or identity you have chosen on your profile, consistent with our Privacy Policy. If you change your display name, we update how you are credited going forward where technically practical.

7. How attribution disputes are handled

If you believe a credit is missing, wrong, or unfairly assigned — for example you were not credited for a meaningful contribution, or someone is credited for work that is not theirs — you can ask us to review it. To raise an attribution dispute:

Submit the details through our legal contact form, or email legal@clapideas.com.
Tell us the idea, project, or event involved, the credit in question, and what you believe is correct.
Include any supporting context, such as relevant version history or links.

A human administrator reviews attribution disputes — AI does not make the final call. We may adjust, add, or remove a credit based on the available record and our policies. Because attribution reflects participation and not legal ownership, our review decides how credit is displayed on the Platform; it does not decide legal rights between people. If your dispute is really about copyright, see our Copyright & DMCA Policy; appeals of moderation actions follow our Moderation, Enforcement & Appeals Policy.

8. What attribution does not mean

This is the most important point in this policy. Being credited on Clap Ideas is not, and must not be treated as:

Legal authorship— a copyright-law status with its own rules.
Inventorship— the legal question of who invented something under patent law.
Ownership of any idea, content, copyright, patent, or other intellectual property.
Copyright or patent rights of any kind.
A partnership, joint venture, agency, or fiduciary relationship.
An employment or contractor relationship with anyone or with Clap Ideas.
Any promise of compensation, revenue, equity, or reward.

Attribution is a community record of who contributed. Legal questions about ownership, authorship, inventorship, and rights are determined by the applicable law and the agreements between the people involved — not by a credit on this Platform. If you need to know your legal rights, consult a qualified attorney.

9. Changes to attribution

We may update how attribution works as the Platform evolves — for example adding new contribution types or improving how credit is displayed. We will keep the core commitment: original creators stay credited, and meaningful contributors are recognised. Material changes are tracked by document version.

This policy works closely with our Idea Submission & Open Collaboration Terms and our IP & Attribution Policy, and connects to our AI Transparency Policy and Projects, Teams & Events Terms. For attribution questions or disputes, use our contact form or email legal@clapideas.com.

Change history is tracked by document version; see the Legal Centre.