Forgeon Terms of Use

1. Registration and Account

• Registration: To access most Forgeon features, you must create an account and provide a valid email address and other required information. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide.
• Age: The Platform is available to users aged 13 and older. Users under 13 may use the Platform only with permission from a parent or legal guardian. Forgeon may request proof of age or guardian authorization.
• Security: You are responsible for keeping your login credentials secure. All actions performed through your account are considered to be performed by you. If you suspect unauthorized access, you must immediately contact support (support@forgeon.art).

2. Forgeon Services

Forgeon provides the following core services:

• Content Creation: Authors can create interactive books in the Forgeon Creator online editor and publish them on the Platform.
• Publishing and Monetization: Authors set the price of their books independently. Forgeon processes user payments and charges a sales commission: currently 20% of the sale price, with a reserved upper limit of up to 30% during tariff testing (final rates will be updated once approved). Details are available in the Author Agreement and Payout Policy; general refund rules are described in the Refund Policy. After the commission is deducted, the remaining revenue (royalty) is paid to the author.
• Reading: Users can read books in free mode (with ads and without progress saving) or in paid mode (after purchasing a book, ad-free with saving enabled). Purchasing a book grants the user a limited license to access the content (see Section 3).
• Premium Subscription: Forgeon offers a paid Premium subscription (automatic billing every 30 days), which includes the following benefits: ad-free reading, progress saving, and access to all paid books at no extra charge. See the "Subscription" page for details. Forgeon reserves the right to change subscription pricing and payment terms.

3. License and Content Rights

• Author Rights: Authors retain copyright to their content (texts, images, music, video, etc.). By publishing content, the author grants Forgeon a simple (non-exclusive), worldwide, royalty-free license to store, use, display, and distribute such content through Forgeon services. This license is necessary for Forgeon to provide access to books for other users.
• User Rights: A user who purchases a book or gains access to it through subscription receives a limited license to view and use the book content for personal purposes. The user does not obtain exclusive rights to the work and may not transfer, reproduce, or otherwise distribute content outside the Platform. Any attempt to copy, download, share with third parties, or otherwise use content without authorization (including screencasts or screen recording) is prohibited.
• User-Generated Content: Forgeon allows users to post reviews, comments, and messages in forums and inside books. Users retain rights to their content, but grant Forgeon a similar license (simple, non-exclusive) to use such materials. Forgeon may use user-generated content for moderation, display to other users, and analytics.

4. Prohibited Content and Actions

Users and authors agree not to post or perform the following on the Platform:

• Illegal Content: Materials that violate the law (including promotion of extremism, terrorism, drugs, child pornography, pirated works, etc.).
• Copyright Infringement: Any content used without permission of the rights holder (a book with someone else's text, image, music, video, etc.). Authors are responsible for having rights to everything they publish.
• Pornography and Explicit Erotica: Explicit genital nudity, pornographic content, and explicit undressing scenes are strictly prohibited. Erotic and 18+ content is allowed only in text format and only with a clear "18+" label before access.
• Abuse and Trolling: Threats, insults, and discrimination based on race, sex, orientation, religion, etc. Account suspension or deletion without refund may be applied for such violations.
• Spam and Fraud: Spam, phishing links, intrusive advertising, artificial inflation of views/subscriptions/points, and other system abuse.
• Malicious Activity: Publishing viruses, malware, data theft, or bypassing service security protections.

Forgeon reserves the right, without prior notice, to remove or block any content and accounts that violate these rules. Repeated violations may result in permanent suspension.

5. Refunds and Cancellation

• General Rules: Refunds are provided only in exceptional cases (payment error, duplicate charge, inaccessibility of purchased content) and after support review of the request. See the Refund Policy.
• Book Purchase: Refunds for digital books are not available once access has been granted. A user who purchases a book keeps it in their library permanently.
• Premium Subscription: A user may cancel the subscription at any time. A full refund (proportional to remaining time) is available only within 5 days of first subscription activation and only if the user's total reading time across all books does not exceed 45 minutes. See clarifications in the Refund Policy. After this period or in case of extended use, no refund is provided.
• Author Subscription (Forgeon Creator): Likewise, a refund is available within 3 days after purchase if the author has used the editor minimally (less than 1 hour). Details are in the Refund Policy.
• Refund Procedure: To request a refund, the user must contact support via the support form or by email at support@forgeon.art, providing purchase details and the reason for the refund. Forgeon reviews each request individually.

Note: refund matters are governed by Delaware (USA) law and applicable e-commerce requirements. Forgeon aims to support users, but reserves the right to deny a refund in cases of abuse or violation of purchase terms.

6. Author Payouts and Rewards

• Book Purchases: After deducting commission, Forgeon pays authors revenue from book sales. Payouts are made upon author request when the balance reaches USD 25 or more. The author submits a withdrawal request; Forgeon aims to process it within up to 5 business days, without guaranteed timing during checks, holidays, or force majeure. Details are in the Payout Policy.
• Reward Pool: Forgeon allocates part of Premium subscription revenue to a shared "Author Pool," including 50% of Premium net revenue (after payment system fees), according to rules determined by Forgeon. Distribution among authors may be based on reader activity (reading time) and other metrics. More details are available in the author dashboard and in the Payout Policy. Forgeon may change the pool distribution formula.
• Advertising: Revenue from ads shown on the Platform belongs to Forgeon; such revenue is not paid to authors as royalties unless Forgeon launches a separate program with clearly stated different terms.
• Minimum Threshold and Audit: Forgeon may require identity verification and author tax information (KYC) before payout.

7. Limitation of Liability

1. Service "as is": Forgeon provides the service without warranties of quality, fitness, or uninterrupted operation. We are not liable for direct or indirect damages caused by use of, or inability to use, the Platform.
2. Content: Forgeon is not responsible for the quality of, or consequences from, materials created by users and authors. Any claims regarding book or message content must be resolved between author and reader; Forgeon acts only as an intermediary.
3. External Services: Forgeon may integrate with payment systems and other third-party services. We are not responsible for their operation, failures, or changes in their terms.
4. Virtual Goods: Any in-game currencies, tokens, or items have no value outside the Platform. Forgeon is not required to convert virtual goods into real money.
5. Force Majeure: Forgeon is not liable for service disruptions caused by force majeure events (war, pandemics, natural disasters, network outages, etc.).

8. Arbitration and Governing Law

• Governing Law: This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, USA. All disputes arising from these Terms are subject to the jurisdiction of federal or state courts in Delaware.
• Arbitration: Any disputes between the user and Forgeon are resolved through binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association. The user waives the right to file or participate in class action claims against Forgeon.
• Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found invalid by a court, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect.

9. Changes to Terms and Notices

Forgeon may modify or supplement these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes through a website notice and/or email. Continued use of the Platform after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.

10. Contact Information

If you have questions or suggestions about the service, contact us at support@forgeon.art. For legal matters (for example, content violations), contact legal@forgeon.art.

Forgeon, Inc. is a platform for creating, publishing, and reading interactive books (131 Continental Dr, Suite 305, Newark, DE 19713, USA). Information about privacy and cookie use is available in the "Privacy" and "Cookie" sections on the website.