Terms of Service

1. Payment

1.1 Deposit

A deposit of 50% of the agreed project total is due at the time of booking and is collected via Stripe. Your booking is not confirmed until the deposit has been successfully processed and MLC has sent written confirmation by email. MLC reserves the right to decline any booking prior to sending that confirmation, in which case your deposit will be refunded in full within 5–10 business days.

1.2 Remaining balance

We'll invoice for the remaining balance on sign-off of the key art, or when you need to use it externally - whichever comes first. Final files are released once payment is received in full, at which point IP rights transfer as set out in clause 5.1. Invoices are payable within 14 days of receipt.

1.3 Late payment

If any payment is not made by the due date, interest will accrue on the overdue amount at 8% per annum above the Bank of England base rate, compounding daily from the due date until the date of actual payment.

1.4 Currency & fees

Projects can be priced and paid in GBP, USD, or EUR. You are responsible for any transfer fees charged by your bank or payment provider. MLC must receive the full invoiced amount net of any such charges.

1.5 No set-off

All sums are payable in full. You may not withhold or reduce any payment because of a dispute or claim against MLC, unless a court orders otherwise.

2. Client Obligations

2.1 General

To allow MLC to deliver your project effectively and on time, you agree to:

• ensure that all information provided during booking and briefing is accurate and complete;
• co-operate with MLC on all matters relating to the project;
• provide all materials, assets, and information we reasonably need to carry out the work; and
• hold all necessary licences and permissions for any materials you supply to us, including third-party assets and logos.

2.2 Brief materials deadline

All required brief materials must be submitted to MLC no later than 5 working days before your booked start date (the "Materials Deadline"). Required materials include, but are not limited to: game name and genre, visual references, character and world descriptions, logo files where applicable, and platform requirements.

2.3 If materials are not received in time

If MLC has not received all required brief materials by the Materials Deadline, MLC may - at its discretion - either reschedule your booking to the next available slot, or cancel the booking and refund your deposit in full within 5–10 business days. MLC will notify you in writing of the action it intends to take. The Materials Deadline is firm and no further notice period applies.

2.4 Client default

If you prevent or delay MLC's work - through missing deadlines, failing to provide feedback, failing to pay on time, or any other act or omission on your part - MLC may suspend work until the issue is resolved. MLC will not be liable for any delays or losses arising from such a suspension, and may recover from you any costs or losses it incurs as a direct result.

3. Delivery & Acceptance

3.1 Review period

You have 5 working days to review each deliverable after MLC sends it. If you approve it, please confirm in writing. If you do not respond within 5 working days, the deliverable will be considered accepted.

3.2 Rejection

If you reasonably believe a deliverable does not meet the agreed brief, you may reject it in writing within the review period, setting out clearly what needs to change. MLC will address the feedback and resubmit for review as quickly as reasonably practicable. If a deliverable is rejected, delivery deadlines for remaining work will be extended on a day-for-day basis to account for the additional work required.

3.3 Revision rounds

The number of revision rounds included in your booking is set out in your booking confirmation. Each revision round is one consolidated round of feedback, submitted in a single written communication. Additional revision rounds beyond those included may be agreed at extra cost.

3.4 Release of final files

Final files are released only once MLC has received payment in full.

4. Cancellation & Refunds

4.1 Cancellation by MLC before confirmation

If MLC declines your booking before sending written confirmation, your deposit will be refunded in full within 5–10 business days. No contract is formed.

4.2 Cancellation by MLC after confirmation

MLC may cancel a confirmed booking if you fail to provide brief materials by the Materials Deadline, if a force majeure event prevents delivery (see clause 10), or if you commit a material breach of these Terms. Where MLC cancels for reasons within its own control, your deposit will be refunded in full within 5–10 business days.

4.3 Cancellation by you before production starts

If you wish to cancel before production has started, please notify MLC in writing as soon as possible. MLC will assess whether a full or partial deposit refund is appropriate, taking into account any preparatory work already undertaken, and will act reasonably in making that determination.

4.4 Cancellation by you after production starts

Once production has started, the deposit is non-refundable. If MLC has already delivered any work at the point of cancellation, you will also owe a pro-rated portion of the remaining balance for work completed up to that point, as determined by MLC acting reasonably.

Production is deemed to have started on your booked start date, or when MLC notifies you in writing that work has begun, whichever is earlier.

4.5 Outstanding payments

On cancellation by either party, all outstanding invoices become payable immediately.

5. Intellectual Property

5.1 Transfer of rights

Once MLC has received payment in full, all intellectual property rights in the deliverables transfer automatically to you. Until full payment is received, all rights remain with MLC and you may not use, reproduce, publish, or distribute any deliverable.

5.2 Third-party assets

If MLC uses any third-party assets in your deliverables, we'll let you know on delivery. We'll sub-licence those assets to you to the extent our own licence permits. It is your responsibility to ensure that licence is sufficient for your intended use and to obtain your own licence from the rights holder if needed.

5.3 MLC's own IP

MLC's tools, processes, methods, and proprietary assets remain MLC's property at all times. These Terms give you no rights over MLC's own intellectual property.

5.4 Portfolio use

MLC may display completed deliverables in its portfolio and marketing materials, unless you ask us not to in writing before the project completes. If you make that request, MLC will not display your work.

6. Confidentiality

Both parties will keep the other's confidential information private - during the project and for 5 years afterwards. This includes anything that is or could reasonably be considered sensitive, such as unreleased game details, creative briefs, business information, and pricing.

Either party may share confidential information with employees, contractors, or advisers who need it to carry out the work, provided those people are subject to equivalent confidentiality obligations. Disclosure is also permitted where required by law or a court of competent jurisdiction.

Neither party will use the other's confidential information for any purpose other than performing their obligations under these Terms.

7. Warranties

Each party warrants that it has the authority to enter into these Terms and is not bound by any arrangement that would prevent it from performing its obligations.

MLC additionally warrants that:

• as far as we're aware, the deliverables won't infringe any third party's intellectual property rights;
• the deliverables won't contain malicious code or hidden programs;
• we won't knowingly do anything that creates obligations on you to a third party; and
• we'll take reasonable steps to keep your deliverables secure and confidential.

8. Liability

MLC's total liability in connection with any booking is capped at the total amount paid by you to MLC for that booking.

Neither party is liable to the other for any indirect or consequential losses, including loss of revenue, loss of profit, missed launch dates, or platform submission rejections.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other matter that cannot be excluded by law.

9. Non-Solicitation

During your project and for 12 months after it ends, you will not solicit, employ, or enter into any commercial arrangement with any MLC employee, contractor, or team member you had dealings with in connection with the project, without MLC's prior written consent.

10. Force Majeure

Neither party is in breach of these Terms for any delay or failure caused by events outside their reasonable control. If such circumstances persist for more than 30 days, either party may cancel the booking in writing. If MLC cancels on this basis, your deposit will be refunded in full.

11. General

11.1 Entire agreement

These Terms are the whole agreement between you and MLC for your key art booking. They replace any previous discussions, representations, or agreements on the same subject.

11.2 Changes

Any changes to these Terms must be agreed in writing by both parties.

11.3 Notices

Any notice under these Terms must be sent by email in English. An email is deemed received at the time it is sent, or when business hours resume if sent outside of them.

11.4 Severance

If any part of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force.

11.5 No waiver

Failure by either party to enforce any right under these Terms does not constitute a waiver of that right.

11.6 Third parties

These Terms are between MLC and the Client only. No third party has any rights under them, including under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

11.7 Assignment

You may not transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without MLC's prior written consent. MLC may assign its rights to any successor entity or affiliate.

12. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by English law. Any disputes arising in connection with these Terms - including non-contractual disputes - will be subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.