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.

User-Generated Content

You are solely responsible for the content you create, upload, or share. You represent and warrant that you have all necessary rights to the content you publish and that it does not infringe on any third-party rights.

5. Monetization and Payments

Author Earnings and Stripe Connected Accounts

Authors who monetize their content must connect a Stripe account to receive payments directly from readers. When a reader purchases your story, the payment goes directly to your Stripe Connected Account, minus a 15% platform fee. Authors receive their funds according to their Stripe payout schedule (typically 2-7 business days). Standard Stripe processing fees (typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) are deducted before the platform fee is calculated. Authors maintain full control over their Stripe account, including payout settings, tax information, and financial reporting.

Tax Responsibilities

Authors are independent contractors and are solely responsible for determining, collecting, and remitting any applicable taxes on their earnings, including but not limited to sales tax, VAT, GST, and income tax. Storyfall does not collect, remit, or file any taxes on behalf of authors, including VAT/GST obligations for international sales. Authors selling to EU customers or other jurisdictions with digital sales tax requirements are responsible for compliance with those tax laws. We recommend consulting with a tax professional regarding your specific obligations.

Refunds and Chargebacks

Purchases on Storyfall are transactions between readers and individual authors. Authors are responsible for setting their own refund policies and handling refund requests. Storyfall does not guarantee refunds on behalf of authors and is not liable for losses resulting from author refusal to provide a refund.

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. Payment processing, including refunds, is handled directly through Stripe under their policies and fees. The platform fee (15%) is non-refundable.

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Privacy

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

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. Contact Information

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