Storyfall

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Storyfall ("the Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use the Platform.

2. User Accounts and Age Requirements

You must be at least 13 years old to create an account (16 years old for users in the European Union). Children under these ages may use the Platform with parental supervision and consent, in accordance with applicable laws. Parents or guardians are responsible for their children's use of the Platform. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and all activities that occur under your account. You must provide accurate and complete information when creating your account.

3. Marketplace Relationship

Storyfall is a marketplace platform, not a seller. When you purchase content on Storyfall, you are transacting directly with the individual author who created that content. Authors are independent creators, not employees or agents of Storyfall. We facilitate these transactions but are not a party to them.

As a marketplace:

Authors set their own prices and refund policies
Authors are responsible for the content they publish
Authors handle customer service for their content
Payment obligations are between readers and authors
Storyfall provides the platform and payment processing infrastructure

While we strive to maintain a trustworthy marketplace, Storyfall does not guarantee or warrant any content, nor are we liable for disputes between readers and authors. We reserve the right to intervene in cases of fraud, abuse, or violations of these Terms.

4. Content Ownership and Licensing

Author Ownership and Rights

You retain complete ownership of all content you create on Storyfall. You can import, export, modify, or delete your stories at any time. Your stories belong to you. By publishing content, you grant Storyfall a limited, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license solely to:

Host, display, and distribute your content to readers on the Platform
Cache, reformat, and adapt content for technical purposes (mobile display, performance optimization)
Create promotional materials using excerpts or screenshots (with attribution)
Include your content in Platform features (search, recommendations, categories)
Notify readers about updates to your stories
Maintain backups for service continuity

This license is necessary for Platform operations and does not transfer ownership. For content already sold to readers, the license survives account termination to ensure buyers retain access to purchased content.

Data Protection and Backup Disclaimer

Important: While Storyfall implements industry-standard practices for data backup and protection, including regular automated backups and redundant storage systems, we cannot guarantee against all forms of data loss. You acknowledge that:

Technical failures, bugs, or catastrophic database failures could potentially result in partial or complete data loss
Human error, malicious attacks, or unforeseen circumstances may compromise data integrity despite our best efforts
You use the Platform at your own risk and are strongly encouraged to maintain your own backups of important content using our export features
Storyfall is not liable for any data loss, corruption, or unavailability, whether temporary or permanent
We will make reasonable efforts to recover lost data when possible, but recovery cannot be guaranteed

We recommend regularly exporting and saving local copies of your stories, especially before major updates or for content you consider irreplaceable. The Platform provides export functionality specifically for this purpose.

Author Warranties and Rights Requirements

By publishing or selling content on Storyfall, you represent and warrant that:

You own all rights to the content or have obtained all necessary permissions, licenses, and authorizations to publish and distribute it on Storyfall
You have not transferred exclusive rights to another publisher, platform, or entity that would prevent you from publishing on Storyfall
Your content does not infringe on any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, or other intellectual property rights of any third party
You have the legal authority to grant the licenses described in these Terms
Your content does not violate any contractual obligations, confidentiality agreements, or non-disclosure agreements you may have with third parties

Important: If you have previously sold exclusive publishing rights to another publisher, granted exclusive distribution rights to another platform, or transferred copyright ownership of your work to another party, you may not publish that content on Storyfall without first obtaining written permission from the rights holder or terminating those exclusive arrangements.

Platform Liability for Rights Disputes

Storyfall is not liable for authors misrepresenting their ownership rights. As a marketplace platform, we rely on authors' warranties that they have the right to publish and sell their content. We do not verify copyright ownership or conduct rights clearance investigations before publication.

If you publish content that you do not have the legal right to publish:

You are solely responsible for any legal claims, damages, or disputes that arise
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Storyfall from any claims, lawsuits, or damages resulting from your rights violations
Storyfall may remove your content immediately upon receiving credible notice of infringement
Your account may be suspended or terminated for rights violations
You may be required to refund purchases and forfeit earnings related to infringing content

DMCA and Copyright Infringement

Storyfall respects intellectual property rights and responds to valid copyright infringement claims under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). If you believe content on Storyfall infringes your copyright, please contact us through our Support system with:

Identification of the copyrighted work you claim was infringed
Identification of the infringing content on our platform
Your contact information and signature
A statement that you have a good faith belief the use is not authorized
A statement under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate and you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner

User-Generated Content

You are solely responsible for the content you create, upload, or share. This includes ensuring you have all necessary rights, permissions, and authorizations before publishing any content on the Platform.

5. Monetization and Payments

Author Earnings and Stripe Connected Accounts

Authors who monetize their content must connect a US-based Stripe account to receive payments. When a reader purchases your story, the payment is processed on Storyfall's platform account, and funds are automatically transferred to your Stripe Connected Account after deducting the 30% platform fee. Each payment is subject to a 2.9% + $0.30 Stripe processing fee and 0.5% + $0.50 Stripe Tax fee to cover payment network and tax collection costs. This rate reflects the maximum Stripe processing and Stripe Tax fees that may apply, and ensures your payout amount is consistent across transactions. Authors receive their funds according to their Stripe payout schedule (typically 2-7 business days). Authors maintain full control over their Stripe account, including payout settings and financial reporting.

Sales Tax Collection and Compliance

Storyfall handles all US sales tax on your behalf. As a marketplace facilitator, Storyfall is legally responsible for collecting and remitting sales tax on transactions facilitated through our platform.

When you sell content on Storyfall, the platform automatically:

Calculates applicable sales tax based on customer location
Collects sales tax from customers at checkout
Remits collected taxes to appropriate jurisdictions
Handles all tax filing and compliance obligations
Maintains tax records and documentation

The Stripe Tax fee (0.5% + $0.50 per transaction) covers the cost of this automated tax compliance service. Authors do not need to collect, track, or remit sales tax on Storyfall transactions.

Income Tax Responsibility: While Storyfall handles sales tax, authors remain responsible for reporting income tax on their net earnings. Storyfall provides annual earnings reports to assist with your income tax filings. We recommend consulting with a tax professional regarding your income tax obligations.

Geographic Restrictions - US Sales Only

Storyfall currently restricts all monetized transactions to US customers and US-based authors only. Both the buyer and seller must be located in the United States for paid transactions.

Why this restriction exists: Over 50 countries outside the United States (including all the EU countries) have sales tax liability thresholds of $0, meaning even a single $1 sale triggers tax registration, filing, and remittance requirements in that country. Each jurisdiction requires:

Separate tax registration and local tax identification numbers
Regular tax return filings in local formats and languages
Ongoing compliance monitoring for rate changes and rule updates
Potential local legal representation and accounting services
Currency conversions and international banking arrangements

As a small business, Storyfall cannot afford the legal, accounting, and administrative resources required to maintain tax compliance across dozens of international jurisdictions. The cost of international tax compliance would far exceed our revenue and is economically unsustainable at our current scale.

This is not a limitation we impose by choice - it is a practical necessity imposed by government tax regulations that disproportionately burden small platforms and businesses. We sincerely apologize to our international users and authors for this restriction.

Our commitment: As Storyfall grows and generates sufficient revenue, we aim to expand to international markets with proper tax infrastructure and legal support. We will announce any geographic expansion through our official channels.

Enforcement: Payments from non-US billing addresses are automatically blocked and refunded. Authors without US-based Stripe accounts cannot enable monetization features.

Refunds and Chargebacks

Storyfall offers a 7-day refund window for all purchases. For complete details, including what can be refunded and how to request a refund, please see our Refund Policy.

Since Storyfall processes payments on behalf of authors (destination charges), all refund requests must be submitted through our Support Center. Refunds are processed by the platform via Stripe.

In cases of disputes, chargebacks, or fraudulent activity, Storyfall may investigate and take actions including account suspension, removal of content, or limiting access to the Platform. We strongly encourage users to contact support before filing a chargeback with their bank, as chargebacks create complications and may result in account suspension.

6. Prohibited Uses

You may not use the Platform to:

Violate any laws or regulations
Post content that is illegal, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable
Infringe on intellectual property rights
Spam or engage in unauthorized advertising
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Platform or other users' accounts
Interfere with the Platform's operation or security
Create multiple accounts to manipulate ratings or reviews

7. Content Moderation and Image Guidelines

Automated Image Moderation

All uploaded images (including profile avatars and story covers) are automatically reviewed by AI-powered moderation systems to ensure compliance with our content policies. Images are analyzed before being published on the platform.

Prohibited Image Content

The following types of images are strictly prohibited and will be automatically rejected:

Adult or sexual content: Nudity, sexual acts, or suggestive imagery
Extreme gore or disturbing content: Graphic injuries, dismemberment, body horror, or excessively disturbing imagery
Hate symbols or discriminatory content: Racist symbols, hate speech imagery, or content promoting discrimination
Spam or misleading content: Advertisements, promotional material unrelated to stories, or deceptive imagery
Animated GIFs: To maintain a consistent user experience, animated images are not permitted for avatars or covers

Allowed Content

The following types of content are explicitly allowed:

Fantasy and action violence (sword fights, magic battles, combat scenes)
Weapons, armor, and military equipment in non-threatening contexts
Dark, moody, or atmospheric content appropriate for horror/thriller genres
Monsters, demons, and fantasy creatures
Mild blood or non-graphic injuries consistent with story content
Artistic or stylized violence that is not excessively graphic

Appeals and False Positives

If you believe your image was incorrectly rejected by our automated moderation system, you can contact customer support through the support page for manual review. We strive to review appeals within 48 hours.

Story Content Moderation

We reserve the right to remove or restrict access to content that violates these Terms or our Content Guidelines. Repeated violations may result in account suspension or termination.

8. Intellectual Property

The Storyfall name, logo, and all related marks are trademarks of Storyfall. All Platform software, design, and content (excluding user-generated content) are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws.

9. Privacy

Your use of the Platform is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and protect your information.

10. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND. WE DO NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE PLATFORM WILL BE ERROR-FREE, UNINTERRUPTED, OR SECURE. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, STORYFALL SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Storyfall and its affiliates from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses arising from your use of the Platform, your content, or your violation of these Terms.

12. Termination and Content Survival

We may terminate or suspend your account at any time for violations of these Terms. You may delete your account at any time through your account settings.

For Authors Upon Termination

You can export and download all your story content before deletion
Unpublished content will be immediately deleted
Published free content will be removed from the Platform
For monetized content with existing sales: content becomes delisted but remains accessible to previous purchasers only
Your personal information will be deleted per GDPR requirements
Attribution may be anonymized while maintaining purchased content access

For Readers When an Author Terminates

You retain permanent access to content you purchased from that author
The author's name may appear as "[Deleted Author]" or similar
No new content or updates will be available from that author
Free content from that author will no longer be accessible
Your reading progress and characters for purchased stories remain intact

For Readers Upon Your Own Termination

You lose access to all content, including purchased stories
Your reading progress and character data will be deleted
Refunds are not provided for account termination

13. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify users of material changes via email or Platform notification. Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

14. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

For Users in the United States

These Terms are governed by applicable United States federal law and the laws of the state where the dispute arises. Any disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except where prohibited by law.

For International Users

For users outside the United States, disputes shall be resolved in accordance with the laws of your jurisdiction. Where arbitration clauses are not enforceable in your jurisdiction, disputes will be resolved through your local courts. EU consumers maintain all rights under EU consumer protection laws, which cannot be overridden by these Terms.

Informal Resolution

Before initiating formal proceedings, we encourage you to contact us through our Support system to attempt informal resolution of any disputes.

15. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms, please contact us through the Support page.