ADVANCED READER COPY AGREEMENT
The following outlines the terms of the Advance Reader Copy Agreement of Issac Tsang’s ARC Reader Team, hereinafter referred to as the “Agreement”. Issac Tsang, an individual residing in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the sole proprietor of Issac Tsang Publishing, an unlimited company registered in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is hereinafter referred to as the “Author”. Any individual accepted by the Author to receive an Advance Reader Copy is hereinafter referred to as the “Reader.”
1. Purpose of this Agreement
1.1 The purpose of this Agreement is to provide the Reader with an Advance Reader Copy, hereinafter referred to as “ARC”, of the Author’s novel titled Love Like A Swiftie, hereinafter referred to as “Novel”, for the sole purpose of receiving honest feedback and/or reviews, under a limited, non-transferable, revocable licence.
2. Reader’s Obligations
2.1 The Reader agrees to read the Novel and provide their honest review(s) on any publicly accessible platform, including but not limited to online bookstores, review websites, social media platforms, blogs, or print publications.
2.2 The Reader is encouraged to consult with the Author before deciding which platform(s) to share their review(s). Such consultation is entirely optional and is not intended to create any legal obligation.
2.3 The Reader agrees to clearly disclose in any review that they received a free ARC from the Author, without financial compensation, in exchange for their honest review(s), in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and the rules of the relevant platform(s) where they elect to share their review(s).
2.4 The Reader agrees to submit their review(s) within thirty (30) days from the date of confirmed receipt of the ARC, unless an alternative timeframe is agreed upon in writing by both parties.
3. Author’s Obligations
3.1 The Author agrees to provide the Novel in its entirety to the Reader in digital and/or physical format.
3.2 The format of the ARC shall be determined by the Author after considering the Reader’s stated preference.
3.3 Delivery of the ARC shall take place on a date mutually agreed upon between the Author and the Reader, or on a date determined by the Author at their own discretion.
3.4 For a digital ARC, delivery shall be deemed complete once the file is sent to the Reader’s nominated email address.
3.5 For a physical ARC, delivery shall be deemed complete upon the ARC being posted or couriered to the Reader’s nominated postal address using the Author’s chosen delivery method. The Author shall not be liable for postal delays, customs hold-ups, or damage occurring after the ARC has been handed to the postal or courier service.
3.6 The Reader acknowledges that the ARC is a pre-publication edition and may contain minor typographical or formatting errors that will be corrected in the final published version.
4. Confidentiality
4.1 The Reader agrees not to distribute, reproduce, or modify the ARC in digital form without the Author’s prior written consent.
4.2 The Reader agrees not to sell, trade, or otherwise profit from the ARC in any form, including resale of physical copies or provision of paid access to digital files.
4.3 The Reader agrees not to upload, transmit, or make available the ARC, or any portion of it, in digital form on any file-sharing platform, piracy website, or public repository, whether for free or for payment.
4.4 The restrictions in Clauses 4.1 to 4.3 do not apply to sharing cover art, synopsis, content, plot, characters, or personal impressions of the Novel for the purpose of writing and publishing an honest ARC review.
4.5 The Reader may include brief excerpts from the Novel in their ARC review solely to illustrate points of critique or praise, provided such excerpts do not exceed a total of one thousand (1,000) words and include proper attribution to the Author.
4.6 Any content from the ARC shared under Clauses 4.4 or 4.5 must clearly identify the Novel’s title and the Author’s name, and must not misrepresent the context or meaning of the excerpted material.
4.7 If the Reader breaches confidentiality, the Author reserves the right to take appropriate action, including but not limited to issuing a formal request to cease the breach, removing the Reader from the ARC Reader Team, seeking damages permitted under applicable law, or pursuing legal action.
5. ARC Review Content
5.1 The Reader is free to express any positive or negative thoughts about the Novel, including strong or critical opinions, as part of their honest review.
5.2 The Author shall not interfere with the content, timing, or placement of the Reader’s review(s), regardless of personal preferences or disagreement with the Reader’s opinions. The Author has no right to request the Reader to modify, rescind, or retract their review solely because it is unfavourable.
5.3 The Reader shall not make any statements or claims that are knowingly false, libellous, or unsubstantiated about the Novel or the Author. All reviews must reflect the Reader’s genuine opinions and observations without misrepresentation or malicious intent.
5.4 While critical reviews are welcomed, the Reader acknowledges the importance of maintaining ethical standards in expressing their views, including fairness, accuracy, and respect for the truth.
5.5 If any ARC review contains statements that are knowingly false, libellous, or unsubstantiated in a manner that harms the reputation of the Novel or the Author, the Author may remove the Reader from the ARC Reader Team with immediate effect.
5.6 In addition to removal under Clause 5.5, the Author may request that the Reader take down or amend only the portion of the review that contains such false, libellous, or unsubstantiated claims. The Author also retains the right to pursue legal action, if necessary, to protect their reputation and intellectual property.
5.7 The Reader is encouraged to write their review in their own words to ensure it reflects their authentic reading experience. While the use of generative artificial intelligence tools is not prohibited, the Reader is asked to ensure that any such tools are used only as a support and not as a substitute for their own genuine thoughts and opinions.
6. ARC Reader Team
6.1 The formation, management, and membership of the Author’s ARC Reader Team are at the sole discretion of the Author.
6.2 The Author reserves the right to include or remove any Reader from the ARC Reader Team at any time. The Author will normally notify the Reader if they are removed from the ARC Reader Team, but retains the right to do so without prior notice, consent, or obligation to provide an explanation.
6.3 Membership in the ARC Reader Team is based on the identity, username, or account details provided by the Reader at the time of acceptance. For the purposes of this Agreement, the Reader’s provided identity is assumed to be their real-life identity. The Author will not require proof of identity, but the Reader is deemed to understand that they are personally bound by this Agreement in their real-life capacity, regardless of the online identity they use to interact with the Author.
6.4 If the Author cannot reasonably verify the identity of the Reader, or if the Reader uses anonymity, false information, or multiple identities to avoid accountability under this Agreement, the Author may terminate the Reader’s membership immediately.
6.5 In deciding whether to retain a Reader in the ARC Reader Team, the Author will give priority to Readers who consistently provide honest reviews of the Novel within the agreed-upon timeframe.
6.6 Participation in the ARC Reader Team is a voluntary arrangement based on goodwill. It does not create any form of employment, agency, or partnership relationship between the Author and the Reader.
6.7 No monetary compensation or other form of payment shall be provided by the Author to the Reader in connection with participation in the ARC Reader Team.
6.8 Membership in the ARC Reader Team is exclusive to the Reader and is non-transferable. The Reader may not assign, delegate, or transfer their membership to any other person or entity under any circumstances.
7. Acknowledgement of Ownership
7.1 The Reader acknowledges that full copyright in the Novel, in all formats and media, whether digital, physical, or otherwise, is owned by Issac Tsang Publishing, an unlimited company registered in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
7.2 The Reader acknowledges that Issac Tsang, as the author of the Novel, retains all moral rights and other authorial rights recognised under the Copyright Ordinance (Cap. 528) of Hong Kong, including but not limited to the right to be identified as the author and the right to object to derogatory treatment of the work.
7.3 The Reader shall not claim ownership of, or any rights in, the Novel or any part of it, and shall not use the Novel for any purpose not expressly permitted under this Agreement.
8. Mutual Non-Defamation
8.1 Both the Author and the Reader agree not to make any statements or claims about the Novel or about each other that are knowingly false, defamatory, libellous, or unsubstantiated, regardless of any disagreements or circumstances that may arise.
8.2 In the event that either party engages in conduct in breach of Clause 8.1, the aggrieved party reserves the right to pursue legal action and seek any remedies or damages available under the applicable law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
9. Indemnification
9.1 The Author agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Reader from any claims, liabilities, damages, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:
9.1.1 the Novel being found to infringe upon the copyright or other intellectual property rights of any third party, provided such claims do not result from any unauthorised modification or use of the Novel by the Reader; or
9.1.2 the Novel being leaked as a result of events outside the Reader’s reasonable control, such as a cyberattack on the Reader’s computer or systems. This indemnity does not apply if the leakage results from the Reader’s gross negligence, intentional actions, or failure to take reasonable steps to safeguard the ARC.
9.2 The Reader agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Author and Issac Tsang Publishing from any claims, liabilities, damages, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) directly arising from:
9.2.1 any knowing and unauthorised digital distribution or upload of the ARC by the Reader that results in a third party bringing a legal claim against the Author; or
9.2.2 any knowingly false, defamatory, or libellous statements made by the Reader about the Author or the Novel that result in a third party bringing a legal claim against the Author.
9.3 These indemnities shall not apply to actions taken by either party in good faith, without intent to cause harm, and in full compliance with this Agreement.
9.4 Neither the Author nor the Reader shall be liable for any delay or failure to perform their obligations under this Agreement if such delay or failure is caused by events beyond their reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, natural disasters, pandemics, governmental restrictions, cyberattacks, server or platform outages, postal strikes, or other force majeure events. In such cases, the affected party shall notify the other party as soon as reasonably practicable and shall make reasonable efforts to resume performance as soon as possible.
10. Termination
10.1 This Agreement shall terminate naturally upon the Author’s acknowledgement of the Reader’s review(s) being published on the Platform(s) of their selection. Such termination under this clause releases the Reader from their obligation to provide a review, but does not, by itself, remove them from the ARC Reader Team or affect any other benefits or opportunities they may have as a member.
10.2 The Author may invoke premature termination of this Agreement before the time described in Clause 10.1 if, in the Author’s reasonable opinion, the Reader:
10.2.1 breaches any provision of this Agreement;
10.2.2 fails to respond to communications for an extended period;
10.2.3 fails to post an ARC review within the agreed timeframe; or
10.2.4 engages in offensive, abusive, or disrespectful conduct towards the Author or others involved in the ARC Reader Team.
10.3 Where premature termination occurs under Clause 10.2, the Author will normally notify the Reader in writing, but retains the right to terminate without notice if deemed necessary.
10.4 From the date of premature termination under Clause 10.2, the Reader shall not share, disclose, or use any unpublished content from the ARC, including but not limited to excerpts, summaries, or opinions based on non-public portions of the Novel.
10.5 Any continued sharing, disclosure, or use of unpublished ARC content in breach of Clause 10.4 shall constitute a breach of confidentiality. In such cases, the Author reserves the right to take appropriate action, including but not limited to issuing a formal request to cease the breach, removing the Reader from the ARC Reader Team, and seeking damages permitted under applicable law.
11. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
11.1 This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, without regard to its conflict of law principles.
11.2 The parties agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the resolution of any disputes arising out of or in connection with this Agreement.
11.3 For Readers residing outside the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the choice of Hong Kong law and jurisdiction in this Clause 11 shall apply to the fullest extent permitted under the laws of their place of residence.
11.4 If any provision of this Agreement is found to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall be deemed severed from this Agreement and shall not affect the validity, legality, or enforceability of the remaining provisions.
11.5 The parties shall negotiate in good faith to replace any invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable provision with a valid and enforceable provision that, to the greatest extent possible, achieves the original intent of the provision.
12. Survival
12.1 The termination or expiry of this Agreement, for any reason, shall not affect any rights, obligations, or liabilities that have accrued prior to such termination or expiry.
12.2 Upon natural termination under Clause 10.1, the following provisions shall survive indefinitely and remain in full force and effect, subject to the statutory limitation periods under the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region:
12.2.1 Section 4 (Confidentiality);
12.2.2 Section 5 (ARC Review Content), to the extent it relates to false, defamatory, libellous, or unsubstantiated statements;
12.2.3 Section 7 (Acknowledgement of Ownership);
12.2.4 Section 8 (Mutual Non-Defamation);
12.2.5 Section 9 (Indemnification); and
12.2.6 Section 11 (Governing Law and Jurisdiction).
12.3 Upon premature termination under Clause 10.2, all provisions listed in Clause 12.2 shall survive indefinitely, together with:
12.3.1 Clause 10.4 and 10.5 (Post-Termination Restrictions); and
12.3.2 Section 12 (Survival) itself.
12.4 Any other provisions which, by their nature, are intended to operate after termination or expiry shall also continue in full force and effect indefinitely.
13. Agreement Acceptance
13.1 No physical or electronic signature from the Author or the Reader is required for this Agreement to take effect. The Agreement shall be deemed accepted by the Reader upon the Reader communicating their consent to receive an ARC from the Author and to be bound by the terms of this Agreement, including but not limited to:
13.1.1 replying by email to confirm they wish to receive an ARC and accept this Agreement;
13.1.2 sending a direct message via Instagram, Facebook, or other social media platform confirming they wish to receive an ARC and accept this Agreement;
13.1.3 completing and submitting an online form on the Author’s website, including clicking a checkbox or similar mechanism indicating agreement to the terms of this Agreement; or
13.1.4 providing equivalent written confirmation through any other digital or electronic communication platform used by the Author to manage ARC distribution.
13.2 Acceptance shall be binding upon the Reader in their real-life capacity, regardless of whether the Reader communicates or interacts with the Author under an online identity, username, or pseudonym. The identity provided by the Reader at the time of acceptance shall be assumed to represent their real-life identity for the purposes of this Agreement.
13.3 Teen readers under the age of 18 are welcome to participate in the ARC Reader Team. However, by accepting an ARC, the Reader represents and warrants that they are doing so with the knowledge and approval of a parent or legal guardian, unless such approval is not required under the laws of their place of residence. The Author does not knowingly enter into binding agreements with minors without such approval. If it is later discovered that such approval was not obtained, this Agreement shall not be deemed automatically void or non-binding solely on that basis, and the Reader acknowledges that providing a false representation or warranty under this Clause constitutes a breach of this Agreement. In such circumstances, the Author may take reasonable steps to address the breach, including but not limited to terminating the Reader’s participation in the ARC Reader Team and requesting the return or deletion of any ARC materials provided.
13.4 The date of the Reader communicating their consent shall be considered the effective date of the Agreement
13.5 All notices, requests, or other communications under this Agreement shall be made in writing and delivered by email, direct message via the social media platform used for ARC coordination, or any other method expressly agreed upon by both parties. Notices shall be deemed received:
13.5.1 if sent by email, upon confirmation of delivery or after 24 hours if no delivery failure notice is received;
13.5.2 if sent by direct message, upon the recipient viewing the message or after 48 hours from sending, whichever occurs first;
13.5.3 if posted through a website form or ARC portal, upon submission and confirmation.
13.6 No failure or delay by either party in exercising any right, power, or remedy under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of such right, power, or remedy. Any waiver must be made in writing and signed or explicitly agreed to by the party granting it. A waiver of one breach shall not be deemed a waiver of any subsequent breach.
14. Applicability
14.1 This version of the Advance Reader Copy Agreement is dated 14 August 2025 and is coded LEG-ARC-DIS-AUG25/115 for reference.
14.2 The publication of this updated Agreement does not void or nullify any previous versions of the Advance Reader Copy Agreement entered into between the Author and other Readers.
14.3 Readers who have entered into earlier versions of the Agreement shall remain bound by the terms of those versions unless the Author has specifically notified them in writing that they are now required to comply with this updated version.
14.4 This Agreement may be executed or accepted in counterparts, including electronically or via separate communications (such as email or direct message), each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.
14.5 This Agreement is executed in the English language in accordance with the legal conventions of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. By accepting this Agreement, the Reader confirms that they have sufficient understanding of the English language to comprehend its terms and conditions.
15. Data Protection and Privacy
15.1 The Author will collect, store, and use the Reader’s personal information (including but not limited to name, email address, mailing address, and social media handles) solely for the purposes of administering the ARC Reader Team, delivering the ARC, and communicating about related matters.
15.2 The Author will take reasonable steps to protect the Reader’s personal information and will not share such information with third parties without the Reader’s consent, except as required by law or as necessary to enforce the terms of this Agreement.
15.3 This section is made in compliance with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and equivalent data protection laws where applicable to the Reader’s location.
16. Entire Agreement
16.1 This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the Author and the Reader with respect to the subject matter herein and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, discussions, communications, and understandings, whether written or oral, relating to the same subject matter.
16.2 No modification, amendment, or variation to this Agreement shall be valid unless made in writing and signed, or otherwise explicitly agreed to, by both parties.