HiveShorts User Agreement

Effective date: 2 October 2026. Last updated: 2 October 2026.

I. Introduction and who we are

Thank you for choosing HiveShorts! HiveShorts is an online platform providing short dramas and other short videos. The service includes our mobile applications, websites, related software, and the content available through them (together, the "Service" or "HiveShorts").

The Service is provided by Universal Content Group Limited, a company in Hong Kong ("UCGL", "we", "us" or "our"). Registered address: Room 101A, 1/F, Genplas Industrial Building, 56 Hoi Yuen Road, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong. Contact: support@hiveshorts.com.

This User Agreement (the "Agreement") is a binding agreement between you ("you" or "user") and UCGL. It applies to everyone who uses the Service. It works together with our Privacy Policy, and with the Top-up Agreement and VIP Membership Agreement that apply when you buy Hive Coins or a VIP subscription (see Section V). If you do not agree to this Agreement, do not use the Service.

Age requirements

HiveShorts is not intended for children under 13, and children under 13 may not use the Service. If we learn that a user is under 13, we may close the account and delete the related information.

If you are 13 or older but under 18 (or under the age of majority where you live, if higher), you may use the Service only with the consent and supervision of your parent or legal guardian, who must agree to this Agreement and our Privacy Policy on your behalf. Parents and guardians are responsible for the use of the Service by minors in their care, including any purchases. Where the law of your country sets a higher minimum age, you must meet it.

By using the Service you confirm that you meet these age requirements and that, if you are a minor, your parent or guardian has agreed to this Agreement.

Acceptance and changes

By creating an account, signing in, continuing as a guest, making a purchase or otherwise using the Service, you accept this Agreement. You also agree to follow any other rules or policies shown in the Service, which form part of this Agreement.

We may change this Agreement from time to time, for example to reflect changes to the Service or the law. We will post the new version with an updated date and, for material changes, give you notice in the app, by email or in another reasonable way before the change takes effect. If you keep using the Service after the change takes effect, you accept the new version. If you do not agree, you must stop using the Service and may delete your account. Changes do not affect purchases you have already made, except where the law allows.

II. Your account

1. You can use parts of the Service as a guest. A guest account is stored on your device and may not be recoverable if you change or reset your device, or delete the app. To keep your progress, rewards and purchases across devices, we recommend linking a Google or Apple sign-in to your account.

2. You agree to give us accurate information and to keep it up to date.

3. You are responsible for keeping your sign-in details and device secure, and for all activity under your account. Do not sell, trade, share or transfer your account. Tell us promptly at support@hiveshorts.com if you think someone has used your account without permission.

4. If you sign in with Google or Apple, those companies' own terms apply to that sign-in. We are not responsible for their services.

5. Deleting your account. You can ask us to delete your account at any time by following the instructions at https://help.hiveshorts.com/delete or by emailing support@hiveshorts.com. Deletion is permanent. You will lose access to your account, Hive Coins, VIP time and other purchased or earned rights, without refund except where the law requires. Deleting your account or the app does not cancel a subscription; cancel it in the App Store or Google Play. See the Privacy Policy for how we handle your data on deletion.

6. Suspension and termination. We may suspend or terminate your account or restrict access to the Service, with or without notice, if we reasonably believe that you have broken this Agreement or the law, put other users or the Service at risk, committed fraud or abuse (including abusing rewards, invites or ads), or if we are required to by law. We may also close accounts that have been inactive for a long time, after giving notice to the contact details we hold where we have them. If we terminate your account for breach, remaining Hive Coins, VIP time and rewards may be cancelled without refund, except where the law requires otherwise. If we end your paid access without a breach by you, we will deal with unused paid items fairly and as the law requires.

7. We may reuse usernames and identifiers after an account is closed. We do not guarantee that your content or data will be available forever, so keep your own copies of anything important.

III. Rules of conduct

You may use the Service only for your personal, non-commercial use, unless we agree otherwise in writing. You agree not to, and not to help others to:

1. Break any law or infringe anyone's rights, including intellectual property, privacy or publicity rights.

2. Harm minors or any other person in any way.

3. Copy, record, download (other than through features we provide), stream or redistribute the content, show it publicly, or use bots, scrapers, spiders or other automated tools to obtain content or information from the Service without our written permission.

4. Bypass, disable or interfere with security, access-control, region, paywall, digital rights management or anti-fraud measures, or use a VPN or other means to misrepresent your location to obtain different pricing or content.

5. Exploit bugs, loopholes or system vulnerabilities, abuse promotions, rewards, invites, ads or membership status, create fake or multiple accounts to claim rewards, or trade Hive Coins, accounts or rewards for money or other value outside the Service.

6. Impersonate any person or organisation, or falsely suggest that something comes from us.

7. Upload, send or post viruses or malicious code, spam, chain letters, unauthorised advertising, political propaganda, or content that is unlawful, abusive, hateful, sexually exploitative, or infringes anyone's rights.

8. Reverse engineer, decompile, modify or create derivative works of the app or the Service, except where the law allows despite this restriction.

You are responsible for any loss that results from your breach of this Section. We may investigate suspected breaches and report unlawful activity to the authorities.

IV. Your content

If the Service lets you submit content (for example comments, feedback, screenshots, a nickname or an avatar), you remain the owner of it. You give us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable licence to host, store, display, reproduce, adapt (for example to resize or format it) and distribute that content, and to let our service providers do so, as needed to operate, secure, support and improve the Service. This licence continues for a reasonable time after you delete the content or your account, for example in backups, and for content that others have already seen or shared.

You confirm that you have the rights to submit your content and that it does not break this Agreement or any law. We do not have to review content in advance, but we may remove or restrict content, and limit or end accounts, if we believe content breaks this Agreement or the law. If you think content on the Service infringes your rights or is unlawful, email support@hiveshorts.com with the details, and we will review it.

V. Purchases, Hive Coins and VIP

Some content and features are free; others require payment. Prices, plans, free-episode allowances and the ways to unlock content may change, and we may offer different prices in different countries or on different platforms. The price shown at the time of purchase applies.

Additional agreements. Purchases of Hive Coins are also governed by the HiveShorts Top-up Agreement (https://help.hiveshorts.com/topup.html), and VIP memberships and subscriptions by the HiveShorts VIP Membership Agreement (https://help.hiveshorts.com/vip.html). If there is a conflict between those agreements and this Agreement about a purchase, the more specific agreement applies, except that nothing in any of them limits your rights under mandatory consumer law.

Hive Coins and other virtual items. "Hive Coins" and any similar virtual items, vouchers or rewards that we offer under other names (together, "virtual items") are a limited licence to use features inside the Service. They are not real currency, are not property, have no cash value, cannot be exchanged for money, and cannot be transferred or sold. Virtual items can only be used within the Service. Where we offer an option to buy Hive Coins, purchased Hive Coins are non-refundable and non-exchangeable once credited, except where the law requires a refund or where we otherwise decide. We may adjust virtual item prices and exchange rates, and we may set limits for security or operational reasons. We may stop offering some virtual items, with notice and in line with the law.

Payments. Purchases are made through the Apple App Store or Google Play (or other payment methods we show you) and are processed by those providers under their terms. We do not receive your card number or payment password. Taxes, exchange-rate effects and bank or carrier fees may apply and are your responsibility. If a payment fails or is reversed, we may withhold or withdraw the purchased item until it is settled.

Subscriptions. VIP and other subscriptions renew automatically for the same period (for example weekly or monthly) at the price shown at purchase or renewal, until you cancel. Your account with Apple or Google is charged at confirmation of purchase and again within 24 hours before the end of each period. To avoid the next charge, cancel at least 24 hours before the current period ends: on iPhone, go to Settings > your name > Subscriptions; on Android, go to Google Play > profile icon > Payments & subscriptions > Subscriptions. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current period, and you keep access until then. If we change the renewal price, we will tell you in advance as the law and the store rules require. Deleting the app does not cancel a subscription.

Refunds. Hive Coins, VIP time and other digital content are digital items that are supplied at once. Payments are final and non-refundable, whether used or unused, except where required by applicable law (for example mandatory consumer rights if the item is faulty, not as described, or was bought without authority) or where Apple or Google refunds you under its own rules. For purchases through the App Store or Google Play, refund requests are decided by Apple or Google, so please contact them first. If you think you were charged by mistake or twice, email support@hiveshorts.com with your receipt or order number within 30 days of the charge, or earlier if the store requires. Nothing in this Section removes any right you have by law, and we will consider every such request fairly.

Ads and rewards. Some content may be unlocked by watching ads or by earning rewards. Ads are provided by us and third parties. We may limit, change or end these options, and we may cancel rewards obtained by fraud, abuse or error.

Right to withdraw. Some consumers have a statutory cooling-off right for online purchases. Where a digital item is delivered immediately with your consent, that right may be lost once delivery begins, as the law allows.

VI. Intellectual property

The Service, the dramas and videos, and all related software, interfaces, text, graphics, logos, trademarks, audio, images and other materials are owned by UCGL or our licensors and are protected by intellectual property laws. We reserve all rights not expressly granted.

We give you a limited, personal, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to download and use the app, and to view content within it, for your personal, non-commercial use, under this Agreement. You may not copy, distribute, sell, rent, publicly perform or display, adapt, translate or create derivative works from the Service or its content without our written permission. We may update the app, and some updates may be needed to keep using it.

If you give us ideas or feedback about the Service, we may use them freely without obligation to you.

VII. Advertising and third parties

The Service may show advertisements and promotions, including ads from third parties, and may link to other websites, apps or services. We do not control third parties or their content, products or offers, and we are not responsible for them. Any dealings with advertisers or third parties are between you and them, and their own terms and privacy policies apply.

We may send you service messages and, where the law allows, promotional messages. You can opt out of promotional messages at any time. Our Privacy Policy explains how personal information is used for advertising and your choices.

VIII. Privacy

Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share and protect personal information and what choices and rights you have. Please read it. It is part of this Agreement to the extent it applies to your use of the Service.

IX. Disclaimers

The Service and its content are provided "as is" and "as available". As far as the law allows, we do not promise that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure or error-free, that content will always be available (content may be removed, scheduled or changed, including because of licensing, legal or operational reasons, and downloaded or cached content may stop working), or that it will meet your particular needs. We are not responsible for the actions or content of other users or third parties.

Nothing in this Agreement excludes or limits any warranty, right or remedy that you have under mandatory consumer or other law and that cannot be excluded.

X. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent the law allows, UCGL, its affiliates, directors, employees and licensors are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive loss, or for loss of profits, revenue, data, goodwill or business opportunity, arising out of or related to the Service, even if we were told it could happen.

To the maximum extent the law allows, our total liability to you for all claims relating to the Service is limited to the total amount you paid to us for the Service in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim.

Nothing in this Agreement limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, for anything that cannot be limited under applicable law, or any of your non-excludable statutory rights as a consumer.

We are not responsible for failures or delays caused by events beyond our reasonable control, such as natural events, war, government action, changes in law, power or internet failures, third-party platform or payment-service outages, cyber attacks, or labour disputes.

XI. Indemnity

To the extent the law allows, you agree to compensate us for losses, liabilities and reasonable costs (including reasonable legal fees) that we suffer because of a third-party claim arising from your breach of this Agreement, your content, or your infringement of any person's rights. Where you are a consumer, this applies only to the extent permitted by the law of your country.

XII. Changes to or ending the Service

We may change, suspend or stop all or part of the Service from time to time, for example for maintenance, legal or licensing reasons or business changes. Where reasonable we will give notice. If we stop the Service permanently, we will deal with any unused paid items fairly and as the law requires. Ending this Agreement does not affect rights and obligations that have already arisen, or terms that by their nature continue (including intellectual property, disclaimers, limitation of liability and governing law).

XIII. Governing law and disputes

This Agreement and any dispute arising from or related to it or the Service are governed by the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, without regard to conflict-of-law rules.

If you have a problem, please first email support@hiveshorts.com and give us a reasonable chance (at least 30 days) to resolve it informally. If we cannot resolve it, the courts of Hong Kong have non-exclusive jurisdiction, and either of us may bring proceedings there.

If you are a consumer, this clause does not take away any mandatory consumer protection rights you have under the law of the country where you live, or your right to bring a claim in the courts of your country where the law gives you that right.

XIV. General

1. Entire agreement: this Agreement, together with the Privacy Policy and the agreements referred to in Section V, is the whole agreement between you and UCGL about the Service.

2. If a provision is found invalid or unenforceable, the rest remains in effect.

3. If we do not enforce a right, that is not a waiver of it.

4. You may not transfer your rights under this Agreement. We may transfer ours to an affiliate or a successor to the business.

5. A person who is not a party to this Agreement has no right to enforce it under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Ordinance (Cap. 623) of Hong Kong.

6. Notices. We may give you notices through the app, on our website, by email or through other reasonable means. You may contact us at the details below.

7. This Agreement is provided in English. If it is translated, the English version prevails unless the law of your country requires otherwise.

XV. Contact us

Universal Content Group Limited

Email: support@hiveshorts.com

Registered address: Room 101A, 1/F, Genplas Industrial Building, 56 Hoi Yuen Road, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong

Support site: https://help.hiveshorts.com

For questions, complaints, deletion requests or legal notices about the Service, contact us using the details above. We will reply as soon as we reasonably can.