More than a marketplace
Find your sessions. Share your shots. Join the lineup.
Last updated: 19 March 2026
SurfLink is a digital marketplace purpose-built for the surf community, headquartered in Australia and serving users worldwide. Our platform connects surf photographers and videographers ("Creators") with surfers and ocean enthusiasts ("Buyers"), providing a dedicated space where surf media can be uploaded, discovered, previewed, and purchased.
These Terms & Conditions of Use ("Terms") form a legally binding agreement between you and SurfLink (operated via surf-link.com.au). By creating an account, browsing content, or completing a transaction, you confirm that you have read and agree to these Terms. If you do not accept them, please refrain from using the platform.
Throughout these Terms, the following definitions apply:
You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of legal majority in your jurisdiction, to register for an account and use the platform independently. Individuals under 18 may use SurfLink only under the direct supervision of a parent or legal guardian who has reviewed and accepted these Terms on their behalf.
By registering, you confirm that you have the legal capacity to enter into this agreement, and that all information you provide is accurate and complete.
Each user is responsible for maintaining a single, truthful account. When you register, you agree to:
SurfLink is a technology platform. We build and maintain the tools that allow Creators to showcase and monetise their surf media, and Buyers to find and purchase it. That is the extent of our involvement in any given Transaction.
To be clear about what we are not:
The contractual relationship for each Transaction exists directly between the Creator and the Buyer. SurfLink facilitates the payment and delivery process but is not a contracting party to the sale itself.
The surf environment is inherently unpredictable. Surfing, swimming, and working in or near the ocean carry real risks including, but not limited to, physical injury, equipment damage, encounters with marine life, and exposure to hazardous conditions.
Whether you are a Creator entering the water to capture footage or a Buyer whose surf session may appear on the platform, you acknowledge that:
SurfLink bears no responsibility for any accident, injury, loss, or damage that occurs during or in connection with any surf session, photography activity, or ocean outing — regardless of whether Content from that activity is later uploaded to the platform.
Creators retain full intellectual property ownership of every piece of Content they upload. SurfLink does not claim ownership of any user-generated media at any time.
By uploading Content, Creators grant SurfLink a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, store, reproduce, display, watermark, and promote the Content within the platform and through our marketing channels (such as social media and email newsletters) for the purpose of operating the service and facilitating sales. This licence persists for the duration that the Content remains on the platform and for a reasonable wind-down period after removal to allow for cache clearance and backup processes.
Creators represent and warrant that they are the rightful owner of all Content they upload, or that they hold all necessary licences and permissions to distribute and sell it. Creators further warrant that their Content does not infringe upon the intellectual property, privacy, or any other rights of any third party.
Surf photography frequently captures identifiable individuals in public settings. This section addresses the rights of those individuals and the responsibilities of Creators.
Creators must comply with all applicable laws regarding the commercial use of a person's likeness. Where required by law, Creators should obtain appropriate consent or model releases from identifiable individuals before listing Content for sale. Creators acknowledge that the legal requirements around image rights vary by jurisdiction, and that compliance is their sole responsibility.
Any person who is identifiably depicted in Content on the platform and who did not consent to its publication may submit a removal request to hello@surf-link.com.au. We will review such requests on a case-by-case basis and may remove or restrict access to the Content at our discretion. We may request the Creator to provide evidence of consent before deciding on the request.
SurfLink does not independently verify whether Creators have obtained consent from photographed individuals. We rely on the warranties provided by Creators under the Creator Warranties section. However, we take removal requests seriously and will act promptly when notified of a legitimate concern.
A purchase on SurfLink grants the Buyer a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable licence to use the Content for the following purposes:
The following uses are expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of the Creator:
Buyers who require broader commercial usage rights should contact the Creator directly to negotiate a separate commercial licence.
Content uploaded to SurfLink is stored using third-party cloud infrastructure (currently Google Firebase / Google Cloud). While we implement reasonable security measures to protect stored Content, we do not guarantee that Content will be preserved indefinitely or that storage will be free from disruption, data loss, or corruption.
Creators may remove their own Content from the platform at any time through their account dashboard. Once removed, the Content will no longer be available for purchase or preview. However, Buyers who purchased the Content prior to removal retain their licence to the purchased files.
If a Creator closes their account or has their account terminated, we will make reasonable efforts to remove their unpurchased Content from the platform within 30 days. Previously purchased Content that has already been delivered to Buyers is not subject to recall.
SurfLink is not liable for any loss, corruption, or accidental deletion of Content stored on the platform. Creators are strongly advised to maintain their own independent backups of all original media files.
SurfLink is a platform dedicated to surf culture and ocean photography. All Content must be relevant to this purpose and comply with applicable laws in your jurisdiction. The following is not permitted:
To enforce these standards, SurfLink employs automated content moderation powered by Google Cloud Vision SafeSearch. All uploaded media is automatically scanned for inappropriate content, including explicit nudity, pornography, and graphic violence. Content that is flagged by our automated systems is removed immediately and will not appear on the platform. Photographers whose content is rejected will be notified via their dashboard.
We reserve the right to remove non-compliant Content at any time, without prior notice and without obligation to provide a reason. Repeated violations may result in account suspension or termination under our Repeat Infringer Policy.
All Transactions are processed securely through Stripe. By making a purchase or receiving a payout through SurfLink, you agree to comply with Stripe's terms of service. SurfLink is not responsible for payment failures, delays, or errors attributable to Stripe or your financial institution.
Creators set their own prices. All prices are displayed in Australian Dollars (AUD) by default, though we may introduce additional currency options as the platform expands. SurfLink does not control or approve individual pricing decisions made by Creators.
SurfLink retains a commission on each completed Transaction. The applicable commission rate is disclosed to Creators during onboarding and is visible within the Creator dashboard. We may adjust commission rates from time to time, with reasonable advance notice provided to affected Creators before any change takes effect.
Creator earnings are disbursed via Stripe Connect to the bank account or payment method configured in the Creator's Stripe profile. Payout timing depends on Stripe's processing schedule and may be delayed due to identity verification, fraud review, open disputes, or pending chargebacks.
Each Creator is independently responsible for understanding and meeting their tax obligations in their country of residence. SurfLink does not withhold, calculate, or remit taxes on behalf of any user. We recommend seeking advice from a qualified tax professional regarding your obligations under the tax laws applicable to you.
Because the products sold through SurfLink are digital files delivered electronically, all Transactions are considered final under normal circumstances. We may, however, approve a refund at our discretion if:
Refund requests must be submitted to hello@surf-link.com.au within 14 days of the original purchase, including your order reference and a description of the issue.
These Terms do not exclude, restrict, or modify any guarantee, right, or remedy available to you under the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2, Competition and Consumer Act 2010), the EU Consumer Rights Directive, or any other mandatory consumer protection legislation that applies in your jurisdiction. Where a consumer guarantee applies, you are entitled to the remedies prescribed by that law, regardless of any other provision in these Terms.
If you file a chargeback or payment dispute with your bank or card issuer instead of contacting us first, we reserve the right to suspend your account while the matter is investigated. Chargebacks found to be fraudulent or without legitimate basis may result in permanent account termination. Fees and costs arising from a chargeback may be recovered from the party responsible, to the extent permitted by law.
You agree that you will not, under any circumstances:
SurfLink maintains a policy of terminating the accounts of users who repeatedly violate these Terms or who are the subject of multiple valid intellectual property complaints. We track reported violations and may, at our sole discretion, issue warnings, temporarily suspend, or permanently terminate accounts based on the frequency and severity of infractions. This policy exists to protect the integrity of our Creator community and the broader platform.
The SurfLink platform — including its brand name, logo, visual identity, user interface design, underlying source code, and all associated proprietary materials — is owned exclusively by SurfLink and is protected under applicable intellectual property laws in Australia and internationally. No part of the platform may be reproduced, modified, distributed, decompiled, or used to build competing products or services without our prior written authorisation. User-generated Content remains the property of its respective Creators, subject to the licences described in the Content Ownership section.
We take copyright infringement seriously. If you believe that Content on our platform infringes your copyright, please send a written notice to hello@surf-link.com.au containing:
We will investigate all substantiated claims and take appropriate action in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), the DMCA for eligible US-based notices, and any other applicable copyright legislation in the relevant jurisdiction.
By creating an account, you consent to receive communications from SurfLink electronically, including account notifications, transaction confirmations, platform updates, promotional offers, and service announcements. These communications may be delivered via email, in-app notifications, or push notifications.
You may opt out of promotional communications at any time through your account settings or by following the unsubscribe instructions included in our emails. However, transactional and account-related communications (such as purchase confirmations and security alerts) cannot be opted out of while your account remains active, as they are essential to the operation of the service.
SurfLink relies on a number of third-party providers to deliver its service, including Stripe for payment processing, Firebase and Google Cloud for authentication and data storage, and Vercel for application hosting. These services operate under their own terms and privacy policies, which we encourage you to review.
We are not responsible for the availability, performance, accuracy, or security of any third-party service. Any links to external websites or resources provided through the platform are offered as a convenience and do not imply endorsement or affiliation by SurfLink.
SurfLink is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without warranties of any kind. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, we disclaim all express, implied, and statutory warranties, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, reliability, and non-infringement. Without limiting the foregoing, we make no representation that the platform will be available at all times, that it will function without errors or interruptions, that any defects will be corrected within a specific timeframe, or that the platform is free from vulnerabilities. We do not verify or endorse the identity, qualifications, or reliability of any Creator or Buyer. All use of SurfLink is at your sole risk.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, SurfLink and its founders, directors, employees, contractors, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, revenue, data, business opportunities, or goodwill, arising from or in connection with your use of or inability to use the platform, any Content, any Transaction, any interaction with other users, or any reliance on third-party services.
Our total aggregate liability for any claim arising under or in connection with these Terms will not exceed the greater of: (a) the total platform commissions retained by SurfLink from your Transactions during the 12 months preceding the claim; or (b) AUD $100.
Nothing in this section excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law, EU consumer protection regulations, or any other mandatory consumer protection framework applicable in your jurisdiction.
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless SurfLink and its founders, directors, employees, contractors, and agents from and against any claims, demands, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) that arise from or relate to your use of the platform, any Content you upload, publish, or sell, any Transaction you are involved in, any breach of these Terms, any violation of applicable laws, or any dispute between you and another platform user.
Your privacy is important to us. Our Privacy Policy, available on the platform, explains in detail how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information. By using SurfLink, you acknowledge that you have reviewed our Privacy Policy and consent to our data practices as described therein.
You also acknowledge that certain third-party providers integrated into the platform (such as Stripe and Firebase) may independently collect and process your personal data in accordance with their own privacy policies.
We may suspend, restrict, or permanently close your account at any time if we reasonably determine that you have breached these Terms, engaged in fraudulent, abusive, or illegal conduct, created a risk to the platform, its users, or our reputation, or where required to do so by law or regulation.
Upon termination, your right to access and use the platform ends immediately. Outstanding payouts owed to Creators will be processed according to our standard schedule, subject to any active disputes, chargebacks, or compliance investigations.
Sections of these Terms that are intended to survive termination — including Content Ownership, Limitation of Liability, Indemnification, Governing Law, and Dispute Resolution — shall remain in full force and effect.
If a dispute arises between you and SurfLink, we ask that you first contact us at hello@surf-link.com.au to give us the opportunity to resolve the matter informally. Both parties agree to make a genuine good-faith effort to settle any disagreement before pursuing formal legal action.
If an informal resolution cannot be reached within 30 days, either party may escalate the matter to the courts specified in the Governing Law & Jurisdiction section, unless the mandatory laws of your jurisdiction require otherwise.
SurfLink will not be held liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations under these Terms to the extent that such failure or delay is caused by events outside our reasonable control. Such events include, without limitation, natural disasters, severe weather, hazardous ocean conditions, pandemics or public health emergencies, government orders or regulatory changes, internet or hosting infrastructure outages, cyberattacks, power failures, and disruptions to third-party services on which the platform depends.
These Terms are governed by and shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of Queensland, Australia. Any legal proceedings arising under or in connection with these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the courts of Queensland, Australia, unless mandatory laws in your jurisdiction require otherwise.
SurfLink operates from Australia and serves users globally. If you access the platform from outside Australia, you are responsible for compliance with all local laws that apply to your use of the service. If the mandatory consumer protection laws of your country grant you the right to bring a claim in your local courts, those rights are preserved and not excluded by these Terms.
We may update these Terms periodically to reflect changes in our service, business operations, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Where practicable, we will also notify registered users via email or in-app notification prior to the changes taking effect.
Your continued use of the platform after updated Terms have been published constitutes your acceptance of those changes. We encourage you to review this page from time to time.
If any provision of these Terms is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, unenforceable, or contrary to law, that provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or severed if modification is not possible. The remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect, unaffected by the invalidity of the severed clause.
If you have questions, concerns, or feedback about these Terms, or if you need to report an issue with the platform, please contact us:
