Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

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

2. Content Ownership and Licensing

All content published on The Story Hub, including stories, chapters, and branches, is protected by copyright and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).

2.1 What This Means:

• Attribution (BY): You must give appropriate credit to the original authors.
• Non-Commercial (NC): You may not use the content for commercial purposes or profit-making activities.
• No Derivatives (ND): You may not modify, remix, or create derivative works from the content without explicit permission.

2.2 What You CAN Do:

• Read stories freely on the Platform
• Share links to stories on social media
• Recommend stories to others

2.3 What You CANNOT Do:

• Copy stories for commercial use or profit
• Republish content on other platforms without permission
• Sell, license, or monetize any content from the Platform
• Create derivative works (adaptations, translations, etc.) without authorization
• Use content in paid publications, courses, or products

3. Prohibition Against Scraping and Automated Access

Strictly Prohibited: The following activities are expressly forbidden:

• Automated scraping, crawling, or harvesting of content
• Use of bots, spiders, or automated tools to access the Platform
• Mass downloading or copying of stories
• Systematic retrieval of data or content
• Using automated means to create accounts or post content
• Reverse engineering or attempting to extract source code

Consequences: Violation of this prohibition may result in:

• Immediate termination of your account
• IP address blocking
• Legal action including claims for damages
• Reporting to relevant authorities

4. User Contributions

By submitting content to The Story Hub (stories, chapters, comments, etc.):

• You retain copyright ownership of your original content
• You grant The Story Hub a license to display and distribute your content on the Platform
• You agree that your content will be licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
• You warrant that you have the right to submit the content and it doesn't infringe on others' rights
• You agree not to submit content that is illegal, harmful, or violates these Terms

5. Copyright Protection

All content is protected under international copyright law. Unauthorized use may result in:

• DMCA takedown notices
• Legal action for copyright infringement
• Claims for statutory damages
• Injunctive relief

6. Acceptable Use Policy

You agree NOT to:

• Use the Platform for any illegal purpose
• Harass, abuse, or harm other users
• Post spam, malware, or malicious content
• Impersonate others or misrepresent your affiliation
• Interfere with or disrupt the Platform's operation
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to systems or accounts

7. Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time, without notice, for:

• Violation of these Terms of Service
• Fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity
• Extended periods of inactivity

8. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND. We do not guarantee:

• Uninterrupted or error-free operation
• Accuracy or reliability of content
• Fitness for any particular purpose

9. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, The Story Hub and its operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Platform.

10. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

11. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms or to report violations, please contact us through the Platform.