Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account, uploading content, reading stories, or otherwise interacting with the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms, as well as our Privacy Policy. These Terms form a legally binding agreement between you and Stardust Literacy.

Your continued use of the Platform following any changes to these Terms constitutes acceptance of those changes.

2. Eligibility

To use the Platform, you must:

• Be at least 13 years old. If you are under 18, you must have parental or guardian consent to use the Platform.
• Not be barred from using similar services under applicable laws or by us due to prior violations.
• Provide accurate and complete information during registration.
• Have the legal capacity to enter into binding contracts in your jurisdiction.

3. Account Registration and Security

Account Creation

You must register an account to access certain features (e.g., publishing stories, commenting, following authors). You agree to provide truthful, accurate, and complete information and keep it updated.

Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials (username, password, email). You agree to:

• Use a strong, unique password for your account
• Not share your account credentials with others
• Notify us immediately at support@stardustliteracy.com if you suspect unauthorized use of your account
• Accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account

We are not liable for any loss resulting from unauthorized access due to your failure to secure your account.

Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at our discretion, including for violations of these Terms, fraudulent activity, or extended periods of inactivity.

4. Content Ownership and Licensing

Your Content

You retain ownership of the stories, comments, or other content you upload ("User Content"). By submitting User Content, you grant Stardust Literacy a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, transferable, and sublicensable license to use, reproduce, distribute, display, and perform your User Content solely for the purpose of operating and promoting the Platform.

Content Representations

By submitting User Content, you represent and warrant that:

• You own or have the necessary rights to the content
• The content does not infringe on third-party rights
• The content complies with all applicable laws and regulations
• You have obtained all necessary permissions for any identifiable persons in your content

Our Content

All text, graphics, designs, software, logos, and other materials provided by Stardust Literacy ("Platform Content") are owned by us or our licensors and protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, modify, distribute, or create derivative works from Platform Content without our written permission.

Content Responsibility

You are solely responsible for your User Content, including its legality, accuracy, and appropriateness. We do not endorse User Content and are not obligated to monitor it, though we may review and remove content at our discretion.

5. User Conduct

You agree not to:

• Post content that is unlawful, defamatory, obscene, threatening, harassing, hateful, or infringes on others' rights (e.g., copyright, privacy, publicity)
• Use the Platform to distribute spam, malware, phishing attempts, or engage in harmful activities
• Impersonate others or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, hack, compromise, or interfere with the Platform's functionality or security
• Use automated tools (e.g., bots, scrapers) to access or extract content without permission
• Engage in any activity that could disable, overburden, or impair the Platform's infrastructure
• Collect or harvest personal information about other users without consent
• Post sexually explicit content involving minors or non-consensual imagery
• Promote violence, self-harm, dangerous activities, or illegal substances
• Manipulate engagement metrics (views, likes, follows) through artificial means

Violations may result in content removal, account suspension, permanent ban, or legal action.

6. Community Guidelines

Stardust Literacy is a collaborative space built on respect and creativity. You agree to:

• Provide constructive feedback and engage respectfully with other users
• Report inappropriate content or behavior to support@stardustliteracy.com
• Respect intellectual property by not plagiarizing or posting others' work without permission
• Welcome diverse perspectives and creative expressions
• Support fellow writers and readers with kindness and encouragement
• Use content warnings for sensitive topics (violence, trauma, adult themes)
• Respect authors' rights to their creative choices and interpretations

7. Intellectual Property

Copyright Complaints (DMCA)

If you believe your copyright has been infringed, submit a notice to support@stardustliteracy.com with:

• A description of the copyrighted work claimed to be infringed
• The location of the infringing material on the Platform (URL)
• Your contact information (name, address, phone, email)
• A statement of good faith belief that the use is unauthorized
• A statement under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate
• Your physical or electronic signature

Counter-Notices

If your content is removed due to a copyright claim and you believe it was removed in error, you may submit a counter-notice per the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Trademark

"Stardust Literacy" and associated logos are trademarks of Stardust Literacy. You may not use our trademarks without prior written consent.

8. Payments and Subscriptions

Premium Features

Some features (e.g., Stardust Elite, ad-free reading, advanced analytics) may require payment. Pricing and terms will be clearly provided at the time of purchase.

Billing

• Subscription fees are billed in advance on a recurring basis (monthly or annually)
• You authorize us to charge your payment method for all fees
• Prices are subject to change with 30 days' notice to active subscribers
• You're responsible for all taxes associated with your purchase

Cancellation and Refunds

You may cancel your subscription at any time. Upon cancellation, you'll retain access until the end of your current billing period. Payments are non-refundable except as required by law or specified in a separate agreement.

Free Trials

We may offer free trials for premium features. If you don't cancel before the trial ends, you'll be charged for the subscription.

9. Termination

By You

You may stop using the Platform or delete your account at any time through your account settings or by contacting support.

By Us

We may terminate or restrict your access for violating these Terms, with or without notice. Reasons for termination include but are not limited to:

• Violation of these Terms or applicable laws
• Fraudulent or illegal activity
• Repeated copyright infringement
• Harm to other users or the Platform
• Extended periods of account inactivity (18+ months)

Effects of Termination

Upon termination, your license to use the Platform ends. We may delete your account and User Content, though some provisions of these Terms (e.g., content licenses, liability limitations) survive termination.

10. Privacy and Data Protection

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection and use of personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy. By using the Platform, you consent to:

• Collection of information as described in our Privacy Policy
• Use of cookies and similar technologies
• Processing of your data in accordance with applicable data protection laws
• Receiving service-related communications (which you may opt out of marketing communications)

We implement reasonable security measures but cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

11. Disclaimers

• We do not guarantee the Platform will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free
• We do not warrant that defects will be corrected or that the Platform is free of viruses or harmful components
• User Content reflects the views of its authors, not Stardust Literacy
• We make no representations about the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of User Content
• Any material downloaded or obtained through the Platform is at your own risk

12. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Stardust Literacy, its affiliates, officers, employees, and agents will not be liable for:

• Indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• Loss of profits, revenue, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses
• Damages resulting from your use or inability to use the Platform
• Unauthorized access to or alteration of your content or data
• Statements or conduct of any third party on the Platform
• Any other matter relating to the Platform

Our total liability is limited to the greater of (a) the amount you paid us in the past 12 months, or (b) ZAR 1,000.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Stardust Literacy, its officers, directors, employees, contractors, and partners from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Platform
• Your User Content
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of another party
• Your violation of applicable laws or regulations

14. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of South Africa, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Platform will be resolved through:

• Good faith negotiations between the parties
• If unresolved, binding arbitration in South Africa, except for small claims or requests for injunctive relief
• Arbitration will be conducted in English by a single arbitrator

You waive any right to participate in class action lawsuits or class-wide arbitration.

15. Third-Party Services and Links

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites or integrate with third-party services. We do not control and are not responsible for these external sites or services. Your use of third-party services is subject to their terms and policies.

16. Modifications to Service

We reserve the right to modify or discontinue the Platform (or any part thereof) at any time, with or without notice. We will not be liable to you or any third party for any modification, suspension, or discontinuance of the Platform.

17. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms at our discretion. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Material changes will be notified via:

• Email to your registered email address
• Prominent notice on the Platform
• In-app notification

Your continued use after changes constitutes acceptance. If you don't agree to the modified Terms, you must stop using the Platform.

18. Severability and Waiver

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full effect. Our failure to enforce any right or provision will not be considered a waiver of those rights.

19. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other legal notices published by us on the Platform, constitute the entire agreement between you and Stardust Literacy concerning the Platform.