Platform Disputes

The following article deals with platform disputes in crowdfunding. See the main article for an overview of the Disputes in Crowdfunding.

Platform disputes occur when project creators feel they have been mistreated by the platforms. Their campaigns are either cancelled, suspended or paused by crowdfunding platforms, in some cases without an obvious reason and explanation.

Cancellations and Suspensions

Most crowdfunding platforms can (without giving any explanation) take down any of the projects, which have been uploaded to their site. A majority of these platforms are protected by "Terms of use" in which their rights are stated - among those appears also their right to modify content or remove any project at any time for any reason.

The following section is taken from Kickstarter's Terms of use:

• 13. Our Rights

”[...] We have the right to reject, cancel, interrupt, remove, or suspend any project at any time and for any reason [...]”

Naked Paddock

Naked Paddock

This is an example for a dispute between the creator and the platform. The wife of a professional race car driver Chapman Ducote, Kristin "M.K" Ducote is the author of the book Naked Paddock, which talks about the drama in the life of professional motorsports. The Ducotes used Kickstarter to raise the funds needed to publish the book. A few days after the initial launch of the project the couple appeared on a reality TV series, where they advertised their crowdfunded project in hopes to attract more backers. But only five days after the launch, Kickstarter cancelled the project. A lawsuit followed, in which the couple demanded $1 million for compensation, but Kickstarter clearly states in its Terms of use, that they "[…] have the right to reject, cancel, interrupt, remove, or suspend any project at any time and for any reason". Later in the same year the lawsuit was settled and dismissed, where Kickstarter allegedly won and ended up paying nothing at all.