Privacy Policy

Effective: 30 September 2026

Slightly Unhinged Software respects your privacy and aims to collect only the personal information reasonably needed to sell, license and support our software.

This privacy policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and disclose it, and how you can ask to access or correct information we hold about you.

Who we are

Slightly Unhinged Software is the trading name of Dean Gavin Wilson, a New Zealand sole trader.

NZBN: 9429053924933
Website: slightlyunhingedsoftware.com
Privacy and support contact: hello@slightlyunhingedsoftware.com

For the purposes of the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020, Slightly Unhinged Software is the agency collecting and holding the customer information described in this policy.

Information we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• your name and email address;
• purchase and transaction information made available to us by our payment provider, such as the product purchased, amount, currency, payment status, transaction or payment reference, purchase date, refund or dispute information, and limited billing or payment-method information;
• your Ink & Lantern Installation ID and associated licensing information;
• licence records, including licence issue and delivery information, device allocations, replacement licences and related purchase references;
• emails and other information you provide when requesting support, a refund, licence assistance or other help;
• limited technical information associated with use of our website or services that may be generated by our hosting, security or payment providers.

We do not need your manuscript, Story World content or other creative work in order to issue an Ink & Lantern licence.

Ink & Lantern's core writing, saving and export functions operate locally on your computer. Your manuscript and project content are not uploaded to Slightly Unhinged Software as part of ordinary use of the application.

Please do not send us payment-card numbers, passwords, private keys, manuscripts or other information that we have not asked for.

Why we collect information

We collect and use personal information where reasonably necessary to:

• process and verify purchases;
• match a purchase with an Installation ID;
• create, issue and support installation-specific Ink & Lantern licence files;
• administer the two-computer personal licence entitlement;
• process refunds and deal with payment disputes;
• provide customer and technical support;
• maintain appropriate transaction, licence and accounting records;
• prevent or investigate fraud, misuse or security problems;
• meet applicable legal, tax, accounting and regulatory obligations; and
• operate and protect our website and business services.

An Ink & Lantern Installation ID is used for software licensing and licence recovery. We do not use it to track your writing activity or the content of your projects.

Information collected through Stripe

When purchasing is available, payments are processed using Stripe.

You provide payment information to Stripe through Stripe's hosted payment service. Stripe may collect and process information including your name, email address, billing information, payment-method information, transaction information, IP address, device or browser information, and information used for security and fraud prevention.

Stripe provides Slightly Unhinged Software with information about the transaction that we need for purchase verification, fulfilment, refunds, accounting and customer support. We do not receive or store your full payment-card number or card security code as part of our normal fulfilment process.

Stripe may process personal information for its own purposes as described in Stripe's privacy policy and privacy centre.

Because some transaction information is provided to us by Stripe rather than directly by you, this policy also serves as notice that Slightly Unhinged Software may collect that information indirectly for the purposes described above.

Installation IDs and licence delivery

Paid Ink & Lantern licences are currently fulfilled manually.

After purchasing, you will be asked to send your Installation ID and purchase reference to hello@slightlyunhingedsoftware.com. We use those details to verify the purchase and create the installation-specific .illicense file.

Each licensed computer requires its own licence file. Your Installation ID and licence records may therefore be retained so that we can administer your licence entitlement, assist with legitimate licence recovery or replacement, and distinguish an authorised second computer or replacement from an additional unlicensed installation.

The Installation ID is licensing information. It does not contain your manuscript or Story World content.

Information you choose not to provide

Providing personal information to Slightly Unhinged Software is generally voluntary.

However, some information is necessary to provide particular services. For example, we cannot normally verify and fulfil a paid Ink & Lantern licence without sufficient purchase information, an email address and a valid Installation ID.

If you choose not to provide information reasonably required for a support or refund request, we may be unable to complete that request.

Who may receive your information

We do not sell your personal information.

Personal information may be handled by service providers where reasonably necessary to operate the business, including:

• Stripe, for payment processing, transaction administration, fraud prevention and refunds;
• website hosting, infrastructure and security providers;
• email providers used to receive and send customer, support and licence messages;
• professional advisers or accounting services where reasonably necessary; and
• government, regulatory, law-enforcement or other authorities where disclosure is required or permitted by law.

We aim to disclose only the information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

We do not add customers to a marketing mailing list merely because they purchased Ink & Lantern or contacted us for licence or support assistance.

Overseas processing

Some of the service providers we use, including payment, website and email providers, may process or store personal information outside New Zealand.

Where New Zealand privacy law applies to an overseas disclosure, we will take reasonable steps to ensure the disclosure is permitted and that appropriate privacy protections apply.

Individual providers may also process information under their own privacy policies and legal obligations.

Storage and security

We take reasonable steps appropriate to the nature of the information we hold to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, misuse, modification or disclosure.

No internet or email system can be guaranteed completely secure. Please avoid sending sensitive information that we have not requested.

How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as it is reasonably required for the purposes for which it may lawfully be used.

Purchase, payment, refund and accounting records may need to be retained to meet business, tax, accounting or legal requirements.

Licence records may be retained for the life of the relevant licence where reasonably necessary to administer a perpetual purchased-version licence, device allocations, replacement licences and licence recovery.

Support correspondence is retained only for as long as reasonably useful or necessary for support, record-keeping, dispute resolution or legal purposes.

When information is no longer reasonably required, we may delete it or remove identifying information from it where appropriate.

Access and correction

You have rights under the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 to ask for access to personal information that Slightly Unhinged Software holds about you and to ask for correction if you believe that information is wrong.

To make an access or correction request, email:

hello@slightlyunhingedsoftware.com

Please provide enough information for us to identify the relevant records. We may need to verify your identity before providing personal information.

Privacy questions or complaints

If you have a question or concern about how Slightly Unhinged Software has handled your personal information, contact:

hello@slightlyunhingedsoftware.com

We will try to address privacy concerns directly.

You may also have the right to complain to the New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy if our products, payment arrangements, service providers or legal obligations change.

The current version will be published on slightlyunhingedsoftware.com with its effective date.