HISTORICAL CONTENT AND IMAGE RIGHTS POLICY (EN)
Website Name – www.ambassadormelissawells.com
Effective Date: December 17, 2025
This Historical Content and Image Rights Policy (“Policy”) governs the publication, use, preservation, and respectful treatment of all materials displayed on www.ambassadormelissawells.com (“the Website”), a digital memorial dedicated to the life and legacy of Melissa Foelsch Wells. This Policy applies to all visitors, contributors, researchers, and users accessing or submitting content to the Website.
The Website is curated by the legal heirs of Melissa Foelsch Wells (“the Estate”), residing in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. It is a non-commercial historical and cultural archive intended solely for educational, biographical, and memorial purposes.
- Purpose and Guiding Principles
The Website preserves and presents historical, personal, and biographical materials belonging to the personal archive of Melissa Foelsch Wells. The Estate is committed to:
- ensuring the respectful portrayal of her life and diplomatic career;
- preserving historical authenticity;
- protecting individuals who appear in the archive;
- maintaining the educational and cultural nature of the memorial;
- preventing misuse, distortion, or commercial exploitation.
All content is published in accordance with internationally recognized standards used by museums, archives, memory institutions, and cultural heritage organizations.
- Scope of Historical Materials
This Policy applies to all materials displayed on the Website, including:
- personal and professional photographs taken of Melissa Foelsch Wells, and by her;
- videos;
- non-confidential diplomatic or humanitarian documents;
- written materials, narratives, and biographical notes;
- images from interactions with communities, colleagues, diplomats, and public figures;
- user-submitted photographs, stories, or documents accepted by the Estate.
The archive includes content originating from multiple countries in which the diplomat served.
- Rights of Individuals Appearing in the Archive
The Website recognizes the image, privacy, and dignity rights of individuals appearing in historical materials, regardless of nationality, age, status, or the date when the material was originally produced.
Any individual, or a legal representative acting on their behalf, may request:
- removal or anonymization of their image;
- correction of factual information;
- restriction of specific content;
- protection in cases involving safety, vulnerability, or humanitarian concerns.
The Estate will review all requests in good faith and respond within the timelines established in the Privacy Policy.
- Posthumous Rights and Protection of the Diplomat’s Legacy
All image rights, personality rights, and biographical rights associated with Melissa Foelsch Wells remain protected under applicable Brazilian, U.S., and international laws.
The Estate retains exclusive authority to determine how her image, legacy, and personal archive are preserved and represented.
No individual or entity may:
- exploit, misrepresent, fictionalize, dramatize, or commercially use her image or story;
- use the archive for films, documentaries, advertising, or promotional purposes;
- create derivative works, digital alterations, or manipulations without explicit written authorization from the Estate.
Unauthorized use may result in civil and criminal liability.
- Institutional and Diplomatic Context
Although the archive contains images captured during periods of diplomatic service, humanitarian missions, and international engagements, the Website:
- does not represent the United Nations;
- does not represent the U.S. Government;
- does not represent any foreign ministry, embassy, consulate, or multilateral organization;
- does not imply endorsement, affiliation, or sponsorship by any institution mentioned or depicted.
Any incidental display of logos, insignia, buildings, uniforms, or official settings is presented strictly for historical context.
- Ethical and Safety Safeguards (“Do No Harm”)
The Estate is committed to ensuring that the publication of historical materials never causes harm. As such, the Website will not publish or will promptly remove materials that:
- expose individuals to political, social, cultural, or personal risk;
- depict minors or vulnerable populations in sensitive circumstances;
- reveal confidential, classified, or mission-restricted information;
- jeopardize humanitarian protections or privacy rights;
- contain offensive, discriminatory, defamatory, or abusive content.
In cases involving humanitarian or safety concerns, removal will be prioritized and handled on an accelerated basis.
- User Submissions and Licensing
Users may submit materials subject to moderation. By submitting content, contributors declare that:
- They own the rights to the material or are authorized to share it;
- The content does not violate confidentiality or diplomatic secrecy;
- The material does not originate from classified archives or restricted sources;
- No sensitive individuals are exposed to harm;
- No institutional copyright is infringed.
Contributors grant the Website a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to publish the content within the memorial. The Estate may refuse or remove any submission at its discretion.
- Prohibited Uses
Users are strictly forbidden from:
- downloading or extracting content for commercial or promotional use;
- creating films, documentaries, dramatizations, or fictional portrayals without authorization;
- misrepresenting, distorting, or altering historical materials;
- producing deepfakes, digital manipulations, or derivative works;
- using the diplomat’s likeness for political, ideological, or controversial purposes;
- publishing insults, defamatory comments, hate speech, harassment, or disrespectful messages.
Any violation will be subject to legal action under applicable civil, copyright, image rights, and cultural heritage laws.
- Intellectual Property and No-Derivatives Clause
All materials displayed on the Website, whether belonging to the personal archive or contributed by third parties, are protected under Brazilian and international copyright law.
Unless expressly authorized in writing by the Estate, users may not:
- modify, edit, alter, or digitally manipulate materials;
- create derivative works;
- republish or distribute content on external platforms;
- use materials for academic, journalistic, or artistic works beyond fair use;
- use AI tools to recreate the diplomat’s likeness, voice, or image.
Unauthorized use will result in immediate legal action.
- Preservation of Historical Integrity
The Estate maintains a commitment to the authenticity and accuracy of historical materials. Accordingly:
- content may be curated, captioned, or contextualized
- no materials will be artificially altered
- explanatory notes may be added where necessary
- sensitive areas may be blurred or restricted to protect privacy or safety
- archival quality and historical truthfulness are upheld at all times.
- Mechanism for Removal, Correction, or Concern Reporting
Individuals may contact the Estate to request removal, correction, or review of any content. Requests may involve:
- image rights
- safety concerns
- factual corrections
- cultural sensitivity
- ethical considerations
- copyright or ownership issues
Requests will be handled through the contact information provided on the Website and resolved within the timeframes stated in the Privacy Policy, and urgent cases (e.g., minors, risk situations, humanitarian concerns) will receive accelerated review.
- Exception for Historical and Humanitarian Documentation
The Website contains archival photographs taken during humanitarian and diplomatic missions, including images of minors who were victims of war, political violence, displacement, or other forms of trauma. These photographs are included solely for historical, educational, and documentary purposes, as they are essential to understanding the seriousness of the situations confronted by Ambassador Melissa Foelsch Wells during her career.
The inclusion of such images does not aim to sensationalize suffering nor to expose individuals to stigma, but to preserve the accuracy and integrity of the historical record.
Any individual depicted, including adults who appear in images taken when they were minors, may request removal at any time, and such requests will be honored promptly in accordance with the Takedown Policy.
- Enforcement and Legal Remedies
Violation of this Policy, including unauthorized use, reproduction, manipulation, or misuse of historical materials, may result in:
- civil action;
- injunctive relief;
- copyright enforcement;
- claims related to image rights, posthumous personality rights, or moral damages.
The Estate reserves the right to pursue all available legal remedies in Brazil or any jurisdiction where infringement occurs.
- Amendments
This Policy may be updated periodically to reflect evolving ethical, historical, or legal considerations. Updates will be published with a revised “Effective Date.”
- Contact
For inquiries related to historical content, image rights, or removal requests, please contact:
Email: ambassadormelissawells@gmail.com
Curator/Administrator: Christopher Stephan Wells
Data Controller: Christopher Stephan Wells (São Paulo, Brazil)