Limnforge

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 10 September 2026.

Whitehand Publishing Pty Ltd, Australia (“we”, “us”), provides Limnforge Studio (“the Software”). This policy explains how information is handled through the Software, our website, purchases, licensing, guide requests, support and rights complaints. We are responsible for the personal information we collect for these purposes. Contact us at support@limnforge.com.

1. Your creative work is local-first

Manuscripts, character libraries, style references, prompts, generated artwork, snapshots and exports are stored on your computer or in locations you choose. Ordinary local editing does not upload your project library to Whitehand Publishing. We do not receive a copy of every manuscript, prompt or generated image simply because you use the Software.

Local-first does not mean entirely offline. Image generation, licence activation and validation, update checks, website forms and checkout involve network connections. If you put projects in a cloud-synchronised folder, share exports, or send material to support or an external service, those copies are handled separately by the recipients you choose.

2. Image generation and external AI services

The current integrated image-generation workflow uses your own OpenAI Platform account and API key. When you request generation or an edit, the Software sends the relevant prompt, selected reference images, source images and generation settings directly to OpenAI. Prompt content may include manuscript excerpts, character descriptions and other information incorporated into that request. Results return to the Software for use in your project. This workflow does not route those creative inputs and outputs through a Whitehand Publishing image-generation server.

OpenAI handles the submitted information under its own terms, account settings and API data practices. Its API documentation distinguishes abuse-monitoring records from data retained by particular features. Using your own key does not guarantee that OpenAI retains nothing. Review OpenAI’s API data controls before submitting confidential or personal information.

Creating or copying a Co-Pilot work order locally does not itself submit it to an external AI service. If you paste it into ChatGPT or another service, that service’s terms and privacy settings apply. Do not assume that a consumer chat service has the same data practices as an API account. Additional integrated providers, if introduced, will be identified in the Software and reflected in this policy.

Only submit personal information, photographs or confidential material that you are authorised to use and disclose for the intended purpose. The EULA’s responsibilities for your content do not remove our own privacy obligations.

3. API keys and local settings

The current Software saves your OpenAI API key locally in encrypted form using operating-system-backed secure storage. Saving a key requires that secure storage be available. The key is used to authenticate your requests to OpenAI; it is not sent to our licensing service or included in normal project exports. This protection does not encrypt your entire project library.

You can remove the saved key through Settings and revoke it through your OpenAI account. Old backups or copies you made may remain outside the Software’s control. Never include API keys, passwords or full payment-card details in support messages or screenshots.

4. Local Licence Agreement acceptance record

When you accept the Licence Agreement, the Software records acceptance locally. The record contains a randomly generated installation identifier, the agreement version, a document hash, the accepted agreement text, the acceptance date and time, the Software version and the acceptance method. Earlier acceptance entries may remain in the local record.

This record allows the Software to recognise acceptance of the applicable agreement. It is not automatically uploaded to Whitehand Publishing or the Merchant of Record (MoR), and it is separate from licence activation and checkout records. It is not a verified identity or electronic-signature service. We would receive a copy only if you separately provided one, for example during support. Accepting the EULA is not consent to receive marketing.

5. Purchases, licensing and Support & Updates

When you purchase through a checkout provider, the seller or Merchant of Record identified at checkout and on your receipt handles payment and relevant billing information under its own privacy notice. We receive the information needed to supply and administer your purchase, which can include your email address, customer and transaction identifiers, product, payment or refund status, subscription status and support/update entitlement dates. We do not require your full payment-card number or security code to provide licence support.

Activation and subsequent validation send your licence key and a device identifier to our licensing service. Activation can also include a device label and platform. Our records include activation and last-validation times, activation/deactivation history and licence status. The device identifier is used to recognise an installation and enforce activation limits; it should not be regarded as anonymous. IP addresses are also used for request rate-limiting and service protection.

We use these records to issue and validate licences, manage devices and renewals, deliver purchase emails, resolve payment or activation problems, and prevent misuse. Required licence information must be provided for activation and validation to work.

6. Guide requests, support and correspondence

Guide requests collect your name, email address, project type and any optional notes. We use these to deliver the requested materials, respond to related questions and understand what users hope to create. We retain a request and delivery-status record.

Support requests collect the contact details and issue information you provide, including platform, Software version, issue type, frequency and description. Email replies may include screenshots, error messages or files you choose to attach. We use this information to investigate and respond. Send only the material needed, and redact unrelated personal or confidential information. We do not need routine access to your complete manuscript.

Promotional communications are separate from essential service and purchase messages. Where consent is required, we will obtain it before sending marketing. You can ask us at any time to stop promotional messages by using an unsubscribe option where provided or emailing us. This does not stop essential messages about an existing purchase or support request.

7. Rights, safety and infringement complaints

If you report a copyright, privacy, likeness or other rights concern, we may receive your contact details, identification of the disputed material, evidence of your rights, relevant correspondence and information from the affected customer or provider. We use this to assess and respond to the report, address misuse and establish or defend legal claims.

Where reasonably necessary and lawful, relevant information may be shared with the affected customer, a service provider, the applicable MoR, professional advisers or an authority. We limit disclosure to what the matter requires; we cannot promise absolute confidentiality where a fair response or legal obligation requires disclosure. Reporting a concern does not give us automatic access to a customer’s local project files.

8. Website, downloads and technical information

Our website, form, licensing and download infrastructure necessarily receives technical information such as IP addresses, request times, requested resources and browser or connection information. This supports delivery, troubleshooting and security. Software update checks and downloads also contact the update host and may disclose device platform and version-related request information.

We do not operate an automatic upload of project contents for usage analytics or remote project monitoring. Technical service records are distinct from your creative library. External checkout and linked services may use their own cookies or similar technologies, as described in their notices. If we introduce optional analytics or advertising technologies on our website, we will explain them and provide any choices required by applicable law before using them.

9. Service providers and other recipients

We use Cloudflare for licensing and form-service infrastructure and associated database storage, and Resend to deliver service emails. Webcentral provides our domain, website hosting and support mailbox through a cPanel hosting account, processing website requests and the correspondence stored in that mailbox. Software-download hosts also process information needed to deliver downloads. Payment and subscription providers are identified at checkout. OpenAI receives the generation requests described above through your own account.

We may disclose relevant information to professional advisers or authorities for accounting, compliance, security, dispute resolution or enforcement where reasonably necessary and lawful. We do not sell your project data. We do not use EULA acceptance as permission to sell personal information or to disclose creative work for advertising.

10. Why we process personal information

Where applicable privacy law requires a legal basis, we rely on performing a contract or taking steps you request before a contract for purchases, licensing and requested services; our legitimate interests in responding to enquiries, operating and securing the business and resolving disputes where those interests are not overridden by your rights; legal obligations for required records and disclosures; and consent where required for optional marketing or other optional processing.

Providing optional notes or attachments is your choice. Without an email address we cannot email requested guides or reply to a support request. You may withdraw consent where we rely on it, without affecting the lawfulness of earlier processing.

11. How long information is kept

Local projects, settings and agreement records remain on your device until removed; uninstalling the Software may leave user data and project folders behind. You control your separate backups. Removing a local copy does not remove copies already sent to a provider or to us.

For information we receive, retention depends on its purpose: licence and entitlement records support the continuing licence relationship; purchase records may need to be kept for accounting and legal requirements; guide and support records support delivery, follow-up and issue resolution; complaint records may be needed through resolution and any relevant claim period. Security records are retained according to the investigation and protection needs they serve. We do not promise that all categories are automatically deleted after the same fixed period.

We assess deletion requests against these purposes and applicable requirements. Information no longer needed should be deleted or de-identified. Providers’ own retention rules apply to their independent records. Contact us for information about retention of a particular record.

12. Your choices, rights and complaints

You can manage local files, references, generated outputs, exports and backups, and choose whether to submit material to an external service. For personal information we hold, contact support@limnforge.com to request access, correction or deletion, or to raise a privacy concern. Depending on the law that applies, you may also have rights to portability, restriction, withdrawal of consent, and objection to processing, including processing based on legitimate interests. You can object to direct marketing at any time.

We may need proportionate information to verify a request and protect other people’s information. We will respond within the time required by applicable law and explain any lawful limitation. You may complain to the relevant privacy regulator, including the Australian Information Commissioner, the UK Information Commissioner, or the supervisory authority where you live or work in the EEA. Users elsewhere may have rights under their applicable national, provincial or state laws. Our licence and security checks do not involve automated assessment of your manuscript or its copyright status.

13. International handling

We are based in Australia. Information sent to us and to service providers may be handled in Australia, the United States and other countries where those providers and their infrastructure operate. Webcentral describes its cPanel hosting as Australian-hosted, but its privacy policy also allows international processing by service providers. This does not mean all information handled through Limnforge stays in Australia. Your chosen AI account and checkout provider may have separate international-processing arrangements.

Where applicable law requires safeguards for a transfer for which we are responsible, those requirements continue to apply; accepting the EULA does not waive them. Contact us for details about the recipients, processing locations and applicable transfer arrangements for your information.

14. Security and children

We take reasonable steps to protect information we handle, but no device, software, website, email or service is completely secure. Protect your computer, account credentials, project folders and backups. Encryption of a saved API key is not a guarantee against access by someone controlling your device.

Limnforge is intended for adult creators, authors, illustrators, publishers, educators and professional users, and is not directed at children as end users. Do not send children’s personal information unless you have the necessary authority and a legitimate reason. Contact us if you believe a child has supplied personal information to us inappropriately.

15. Changes and contact

We will post policy updates with a new last-updated date and provide additional notice or obtain consent where applicable law requires it. This policy describes information handling; it does not replace the EULA or permit us to disregard privacy rights.

Privacy enquiries: Whitehand Publishing Pty Ltd, Australia — support@limnforge.com.