Terms of Service - The Edge Story

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using The Edge Story platform ("Platform," "Service," "we," "us," or "our"), you ("User," "you," or "your") agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must immediately cease using the Platform.

IMPORTANT: These Terms contain critical provisions regarding intellectual property rights, liability limitations, and dispute resolution. Please read them carefully before using the Platform.

2. Development Phase Status

The Edge Story is currently under active development. By using the Platform during this phase, you acknowledge and agree that:

Features may be incomplete, unstable, or subject to change without notice
The Platform may experience downtime, data loss, or technical issues
Your access may be revoked or limited at any time for testing purposes
No guarantees are made regarding service availability or data persistence
The Platform is provided "AS IS" for development and testing purposes only

                No Warranties: During the development phase, we make NO WARRANTIES of any kind,
                express or implied, regarding the Platform's functionality, reliability, or fitness for any particular
                purpose.
            

3. Intellectual Property Rights and Content Ownership

3.1 Platform Ownership

The Edge Story platform, including all software, code, designs, graphics, interfaces, and documentation, is the exclusive property of The Edge Story and is protected by international copyright, trademark, and intellectual property laws.

3.2 User-Generated Content - CRITICAL PROVISION

BY USING THIS PLATFORM, YOU IRREVOCABLY AGREE THAT:

All content, narratives, stories, characters, worlds, plots, dialogue, descriptions, and creative works created by you on or through the Platform ("User Content") become the exclusive, perpetual, and irrevocable property of The Edge Story upon creation.
You surrender all ownership rights, copyrights, and intellectual property claims to any User Content you create on the Platform.
The Edge Story may use, modify, reproduce, distribute, sublicense, sell, display, perform, create derivative works from, and otherwise exploit User Content without attribution, compensation, or further consent from you.
You waive all moral rights, attribution rights, and integrity rights to User Content.
This transfer of ownership is worldwide, royalty-free, and applies in perpetuity.

3.3 Collaborative and AI-Generated Content

All collaborative narratives created by multiple users, and all content generated or enhanced by our AI systems, are collective works owned exclusively by The Edge Story. Individual contributors have no ownership claims to collaborative or AI-assisted content.

3.4 Representations and Warranties

By submitting User Content, you represent and warrant that:

You have the legal right to grant The Edge Story ownership of all User Content
User Content does not infringe upon any third-party intellectual property rights
You will not seek compensation or attribution for User Content
You understand that ownership transfer is permanent and irrevocable

3.5 No Reversion of Rights

Rights granted to The Edge Story do NOT revert to you under any circumstances, including but not limited to:

Account termination or deletion
Discontinuation of the Platform
Changes to these Terms
Your withdrawal from the Platform
Any other reason whatsoever

4. User Accounts and Access

4.1 Account Creation

To access certain features, you may be required to create an account. You agree to:

Provide accurate and complete registration information
Maintain the security of your account credentials
Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access
Be responsible for all activities under your account

4.2 Account Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old (or 16 in the EU) to create an account. By creating an account, you represent that you meet this age requirement.

4.3 Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time, for any reason or no reason, without notice. Termination does not affect our ownership of User Content (see Section 3).

5. Acceptable Use Policy

5.1 Prohibited Conduct

You agree NOT to:

Violate any applicable laws or regulations
Infringe upon third-party intellectual property rights
Upload malicious code, viruses, or harmful software
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Platform or other users' accounts
Harass, abuse, threaten, or intimidate other users
Use the Platform for commercial purposes without written permission
Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Platform
Scrape, data mine, or extract data from the Platform using automated tools
Create accounts using automated means or false information
Interfere with or disrupt the Platform's operation

5.2 Content Restrictions

You agree not to create or share content that is:

Illegal, fraudulent, or deceptive
Defamatory, obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit
Hateful, discriminatory, or promoting violence
Infringing upon intellectual property rights
Violating others' privacy or data protection rights

Note: Violation of acceptable use policies may result in immediate account termination without refund (if applicable) and potential legal action.

6. Platform Modifications and Availability

6.1 Right to Modify

We reserve the right to:

Modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Platform at any time
Change features, functionality, or user interfaces without notice
Impose limits on storage, features, or usage
Remove or modify User Content for any reason

6.2 No Guarantee of Availability

We do not guarantee that the Platform will be available continuously, securely, or error-free. You acknowledge that interruptions, delays, and technical issues may occur.

7. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

7.1 AS-IS Basis

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR SECURITY.

7.2 No Liability for Content

We are not responsible for:

User Content or third-party content on the Platform
Accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content
Actions taken based on Platform content
Disputes between users

7.3 Limitation of Damages

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE EDGE STORY SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

Indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
Loss of profits, data, goodwill, or business opportunities
Service interruptions or data loss
Unauthorized access to your account or content
Errors, bugs, or security vulnerabilities

IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR TOTAL LIABILITY EXCEED €100 (ONE HUNDRED EUROS) OR THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO USE THE PLATFORM IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, WHICHEVER IS LESS.

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless The Edge Story, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

Your use of the Platform
Your violation of these Terms
Your User Content
Your infringement of third-party rights
Your violation of applicable laws

9. Third-Party Services and Links

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, services, or content. We do not endorse, control, or assume responsibility for third-party services. Your use of third-party services is at your own risk and subject to their terms and policies.

10. Privacy and Data Protection

Your use of the Platform is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. Please review our Privacy Policy to understand our data practices.

11. Dispute Resolution and Arbitration

11.1 Informal Resolution

Before pursuing formal dispute resolution, you agree to first contact us at [email protected] to attempt informal resolution.

11.2 Binding Arbitration

Any dispute arising from these Terms or the Platform that cannot be resolved informally shall be resolved through binding arbitration rather than in court, except where prohibited by law.

11.3 Class Action Waiver

YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS OR CLASS-WIDE ARBITRATION. All disputes must be brought on an individual basis.

11.4 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany and the European Union, without regard to conflict of law principles. Arbitration shall take place in Germany.

12. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be announced through:

Updating the "Last Updated" date
Posting notice on the Platform
Email notification (for significant changes)

Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms. If you do not agree to changes, you must stop using the Platform.

13. Severability and Entire Agreement

13.1 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

13.2 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and The Edge Story regarding the Platform and supersede all prior agreements or understandings.

14. Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights hereunder without our written consent. We may assign these Terms to any affiliate, successor, or acquirer without restriction.

15. Waiver

Our failure to enforce any provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of that provision or any other provision. No waiver shall be effective unless made in writing.

16. Contact Information

For questions, concerns, or legal inquiries regarding these Terms, contact us at:

Email: [email protected]
General Inquiries: [email protected]
Website: https://theedgestory.org

17. Survival

The following sections survive termination of these Terms or your use of the Platform:

Section 3 (Intellectual Property Rights and Content Ownership)
Section 7 (Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability)
Section 8 (Indemnification)
Section 11 (Dispute Resolution and Arbitration)
Any other provisions that by their nature should survive

ACKNOWLEDGMENT: BY USING THE EDGE STORY PLATFORM, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD, AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS OF SERVICE. YOU SPECIFICALLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE TO THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROVISIONS IN SECTION 3, WHICH GRANT THE EDGE STORY EXCLUSIVE OWNERSHIP OF ALL USER-GENERATED CONTENT.

                Development Phase Notice: These Terms reflect our current development status and
                will be updated as The Edge Story transitions to production. We encourage users to review these
                Terms periodically for updates.
            