Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Minerva mobile application (the “App”) and its services, including access to public domain literature and the integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistance features (collectively, the “Service”). This is a legal agreement between you (“User,” “You”) and Minerva Reads LLC (“Minerva,” “We,” “Us,” or “Our”).

By clicking “I Agree” or by accessing or using the Service, you confirm your acceptance of these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Service.

1. Definitions and License Grant

1.1. Definitions

App: The Minerva mobile application for iOS.
AI-Generated Content (AIGC): The content, text, or images generated by the App's generative AI features, including 'Translate,' 'Simplify,' and 'Imagine.'
Public Domain Content: The classic literature and works accessible through the App, which are generally considered to be in the public domain under U.S. copyright law.
User-Generated Content (UGC): Any content created or uploaded by you, including reading notes, highlights, bookmarks, text prompts, and uploaded image data.

1.2. License to Use the App

We grant You a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and revocable license to install and use the App on any mobile device that You own or control and as permitted by the Apple App Store Terms of Service. This license is subject to your compliance with these Terms.

1.3. Access Tiers and Restrictions

Your access to and use of the features within the App are determined by your subscription status:

Free Tier: Grants access only to the Public Domain Content (reading and note-taking) and Basic Features (e.g., highlighting).
Basic Subscription ($9.99/month): Grants access to all Public Domain Content and a limited set of the AI-powered assistance features (e.g., Define, Explain, Translate, Ask a Question), with specified monthly usage limits on advanced features (e.g., 100 uses of 'Imagine' per month).
Scholar Subscription ($19.99/month): Grants access to all Public Domain Content and unlimited access to all AI-powered assistance features, including 'Imagine.'

2. Subscription, Payment, and Auto-Renewal

2.1. Payment and Billing

Access to the AI features requires a paid auto-renewable subscription. All payments and billing transactions are managed by Apple, Inc. via the App Store. Apple serves as the Merchant of Record, and your payment is subject to Apple's terms and conditions.

2.2. Auto-Renewal and Cancellation

Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing cycle unless you cancel or downgrade your subscription at least 24 hours before the end of the current period.

Cancellation Process: You must cancel your subscription directly through your Apple ID subscription settings. Minerva does not control this process and cannot manage cancellations on your behalf.
Price Changes: We reserve the right to change the price of subscriptions. If we increase the subscription price, we will provide You with reasonable prior notice as required by law, and the price change will take effect on your next renewal date.

2.3. Refunds

All purchases are final, and refunds are granted solely at the discretion of Minerva, except where mandated by applicable consumer protection law (e.g., certain rights of withdrawal for EEA/UK users). Requests for refunds must be directed to Minerva (for post-purchase issues) or Apple (for immediate billing issues).

3. Public Domain Content Disclaimer and Intellectual Property

3.1. Public Domain Status

The texts available through the App are sourced from public domain materials (e.g., Project Gutenberg) and are assumed to be in the Public Domain under United States copyright law. We do not claim copyright ownership over the original source texts.

3.2. Jurisdictional Risk and Indemnification

WARNING:

Copyright status is jurisdiction-dependent. A work that is in the public domain in the U.S. may still be protected by copyright in other countries (e.g., the European Union).

You use and rely upon the public domain status of the texts entirely at your own risk.
You are solely responsible for verifying the copyright status of any text before redistributing or utilizing it commercially in any jurisdiction outside the U.S.
You agree to indemnify Minerva against any third-party claims arising from your commercial use or redistribution of Public Domain Content in a jurisdiction where the content is still under copyright.

3.3. Minerva's Intellectual Property

Minerva, its logo, the App, its code, design, and proprietary AI models are owned by Minerva and are protected by intellectual property laws. You may not use Minerva's trademarks or intellectual property without our prior written consent.

4. Ownership of User-Generated Content (UGC) and AI Output (AIGC)

4.1. User-Generated Content (UGC)

Reading Notes/Prompts: You retain ownership of your reading notes, highlights, bookmarks, and text prompts submitted to the AI. By submitting UGC, you grant Minerva a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, store, and process this content solely for the purpose of operating, improving, and developing the Service (including AI model training, subject to the opt-out mechanism in the Privacy Policy).

Image Uploads (Ephemeral): When you upload an image for use with the 'Imagine' feature, you grant Minerva a temporary, non-exclusive license to use the image solely for the purpose of immediately processing the image to generate a custom AI scene. As stated in the Privacy Policy, we do not store or save uploaded image data after the image generation is complete.

Warranties on Uploaded Content: You represent and warrant that you own or have all necessary rights and permissions to any image or UGC you upload and that your content does not infringe on the intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights of any third party.

4.2. AI-Generated Content (AIGC) Ownership

To the maximum extent permissible by law, You own the intellectual property rights to the AIGC (text, images, or analysis) that You create or generate using the paid subscription features (Basic or Scholar).

Minerva Retention: This ownership is subject to Minerva's ownership of the underlying AI technology and the Public Domain Content used as the foundation for the output.
No Warranty of IP Rights: We make no warranty that the AIGC you generate will not infringe upon the intellectual property or privacy rights of a third party, and we expressly disclaim liability for any such infringement.

5. Acceptable Use and Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to use the App in any way that violates these Terms or any applicable law. Prohibited conduct includes, but is not limited to:

Data Extraction & AI Training: You shall not utilize any automated means (such as robots, spiders, scrapers, or scripts) to “scrape, mine, retrieve, cache, analyze or index” any data, content, or services from the App. Furthermore, you shall not use the App's content, data, or AIGC to train, develop, or improve any competing machine learning or generative AI model.
Unauthorized Use: Reverse engineering, decompiling, or attempting to extract the source code of the App or its AI models.
Unlawful Content: Uploading or generating any content that is defamatory, obscene, harassing, abusive, or that violates the privacy or publicity rights of others.

6. AI Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

6.1. AI Disclaimer

THE SERVICE USES EXPERIMENTAL GENERATIVE AI TECHNOLOGY.

The AIGC provided by the App (including text and generated images) is for informational and educational purposes only.

Inaccuracy and Error: AIGC may occasionally be inaccurate, incomplete, or unsuitable. We are not responsible for errors or omissions in the AIGC. Reliance on AIGC is solely at your own risk.
No Professional Advice: AIGC does not constitute, and should not be relied upon as, medical, legal, financial, or any other form of professional advice.
Liability Waiver: By using the AI features, you expressly waive any claim against Minerva for losses or damages incurred due to reliance on, or publication of, inaccurate, defamatory, or infringing AIGC.

6.2. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided to You on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis. We expressly disclaim all warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

6.3. Limitation of Liability

In no event shall Minerva be liable to You or any third party for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to damages for loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, resulting from: (i) your access to or inability to access or use the Service; (ii) the conduct or content of any third party; (iii) any AIGC, including defamation, IP infringement, or inaccuracy; (iv) any unauthorized access, use, or alteration of your transmissions or content.

7. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Minerva from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, or debt, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees) arising from:

Your breach of these Terms, including any violation of the Prohibited Conduct clause.
Your use or distribution of any AIGC that infringes upon the rights of a third party (including IP, privacy, or defamation claims).
Your commercial use or redistribution of Public Domain Content in a jurisdiction where it is still copyrighted.

8. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account and access to the Service immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any material breach of these Terms, including but not limited to failure to pay subscription fees or violation of the Prohibited Conduct clauses.

9. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

9.1. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

9.2. Binding Arbitration and Class Action Waiver

Any dispute arising from or relating to the subject matter of these Terms shall be settled by binding arbitration in Texas, in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), except for disputes related to intellectual property. By agreeing to these Terms, You and Minerva are each waiving the right to a trial by jury or to participate in a class action.

10. Miscellaneous

10.1. Entire Agreement

These Terms, along with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Minerva concerning the Service.

10.2. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. If a revision is material, we will provide at least 30 days' notice before any new terms take effect. By continuing to access or use our Service after those revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised terms.

10.3. Contact Information

For any questions regarding these Terms, please contact us at: Email Us

Minerva Terms and Conditions