---
title: "Community Rules"
slug: "rules"
weight: 3
translationKey: "legal-rules"
---


**Version 1.0 — 13 July 2026**

The market and messages in Tane are shared spaces built on trust between neighbours.
These rules are what everyone accepts before joining. They also define what counts as
content that can be reported and removed from the servers we operate.

## The rules

1. **Be honest about your seeds.** Describe what you actually have: the variety as you
   know it, the harvest year, anything relevant about how it was grown. Don't invent
   provenance.
2. **Share only what you may share.** Don't offer:
   - seed of **commercially protected varieties** (plant variety rights, patents)
     unless you are authorized;
   - **invasive or protected species** where their exchange is prohibited;
   - anything else that is illegal to share or sell where you or the recipient live.
3. **Seeds, not anything else.** The market is for seeds and plant reproductive
   material in the spirit of the app. It is not a general classifieds board.
4. **Respect people.** No harassment, threats, hate, or discrimination — in offers,
   profiles, ratings, or messages.
5. **No spam or scams.** No repeated postings, misleading offers, phishing, or
   pressure to move people onto shady deals.
6. **Honest reputation.** Vouch only for people you have actually met or exchanged
   with; rate only real experiences. Don't game the trust system.

## What happens if someone breaks them

- Anyone can **block** you — your offers and messages disappear for them.
- Anyone can **report** an offer or a person. Reports travel to the servers that carry
  the content; on the relay operated by Comunes (`relay.comunes.org`), content and keys
  that break these rules are removed. Other servers apply their own policies.
- There are no appeals or account suspensions because there are no accounts: the
  network simply stops carrying and showing what breaks the rules.

## A note on good faith

Most seed sharing is between amateurs, in small quantities, for the joy of keeping
varieties alive. When in doubt, prefer **gifting and swapping** over selling, label
things clearly, and ask. That's how it's always been done.
