By accessing or using the Tellura.com website and services (collectively, the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Service.

1.1 Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years of age to use the Service. If you are under 18, you represent that you have your parent's or legal guardian's permission to use the Service. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet these eligibility requirements. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13 in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

1.2 Modifications

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Terms on the Service and updating the "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the modified Terms, you must stop using the Service.

To access certain features of the Service, you must create an account. When creating an account, you agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration;
• Maintain and promptly update your account information;
• Maintain the security of your password and accept responsibility for all activities under your account;
• Immediately notify us of any unauthorized use of your account;
• Create only one account per person. Multiple accounts may be terminated without notice.

You may register using your email address or through third-party authentication providers (Google, Microsoft, Apple, or Facebook). When you authenticate through a third-party provider, you authorize us to access certain account information from that provider as permitted by your privacy settings with that provider.

3.1 Ownership

You retain all ownership rights to the content you submit, post, or display on or through the Service ("User Content"), including but not limited to novels, chapters, comments, reviews, forum posts, and profile information.

3.2 License Grant

By submitting User Content to the Service, you grant Tellura a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform your User Content in connection with the Service and Tellura's business, including for the purpose of promoting and redistributing part or all of the Service. This license exists only for as long as your User Content remains on the Service and terminates when you delete your User Content or your account, except to the extent that the content has been shared with others who have not deleted it, or as reasonably necessary for Tellura to fulfill its obligations (such as cached copies or backup archives).

3.3 Representations

You represent and warrant that:

• You own or have the necessary rights to submit your User Content;
• Your User Content does not infringe, misappropriate, or violate any third party's intellectual property rights, rights of privacy or publicity, or any applicable law;
• Your User Content is original work and is not plagiarized from any source;
• You have the legal right and capacity to enter into these Terms.

3.4 Right to Remove

We reserve the right to remove any User Content that violates these Terms or that we find objectionable, without prior notice. We are not obligated to store, maintain, or provide you with a copy of any User Content that you or any other user posts on the Service.

You agree not to use the Service to:

• Upload, post, or transmit content that is plagiarized or copied from another source without proper authorization;
• Post content that is unlawful, defamatory, obscene, threatening, harassing, abusive, or that promotes violence or discrimination;
• Impersonate any person or entity, or falsely state or misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;
• Upload or transmit viruses, malware, or any other malicious code;
• Engage in any form of spam, including repetitive or unsolicited content promotion;
• Manipulate engagement metrics, including artificially inflating view counts, ratings, or follower counts;
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to other user accounts or to the Service's systems;
• Use automated means (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to access the Service without our prior written consent;
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any aspect of the Service;
• Circumvent any content protection, rate-limiting, or access control mechanisms;
• Use the Service for any commercial purpose not expressly permitted by these Terms;
• Violate any applicable local, state, national, or international law.

Violation of this section may result in immediate account suspension or termination.

Tellura employs content moderation to maintain the quality and safety of the Service.

5.1 Submission Review

Novels submitted by users are placed in a moderation queue and must be approved before they are publicly available. Tellura reserves the right to approve or reject any submission at its sole discretion.

5.2 Content Removal

We may, but are not obligated to, monitor, review, or edit User Content. We reserve the right to remove or hide any content that violates these Terms, including comments, reviews, forum posts, and novels, without prior notice.

5.3 No Obligation to Monitor

Tellura is not responsible for monitoring all User Content posted on the Service. We do not endorse any User Content or any opinion, recommendation, or advice expressed therein, and we expressly disclaim any liability in connection with User Content.

Tellura respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects its users to do the same. We comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA"), 17 U.S.C. Section 512.

6.1 Repeat Infringer Policy

In accordance with the DMCA, we have adopted a policy of terminating, in appropriate circumstances, the accounts of users who are deemed to be repeat infringers. We may also, at our sole discretion, limit access to the Service or terminate the accounts of any users who infringe the intellectual property rights of others, whether or not there is any repeat infringement.

6.2 DMCA Takedown Notices

If you believe that content on Tellura infringes your copyright, please submit a DMCA takedown notice to our designated agent. Your notice must comply with the requirements of 17 U.S.C. Section 512(c)(3). For detailed instructions on filing a notice, please see our DMCA Policy page.

6.3 Counter-Notifications

If you believe your content was removed in error, you may submit a counter-notification as described in our DMCA Policy. Please note that filing a false counter-notification may result in legal liability.

6.4 Designated Agent

Our designated agent for receiving DMCA notices can be reached at [email protected].

7.1 Nature of Coins

Tellura offers a virtual currency system ("Coins") that can be used to unlock premium content on the Service. Coins are a limited-use digital license and are not real currency. Coins have no monetary value and cannot be exchanged for cash, refunded, or transferred to another person or account except as expressly permitted by Tellura.

7.2 Purchase of Coins

Coins may be purchased through the Service using real currency via our payment processor, Stripe. All purchases are final and non-refundable except as required by applicable law or as otherwise stated in these Terms. Prices for Coin packs are listed in US Dollars and may be subject to applicable taxes.

7.3 Use of Coins

Coins may be used to unlock chapters that authors have designated as premium content. Once a chapter is unlocked, the unlock is permanent for your account. Coins are deducted from your balance at the time of unlock.

7.4 Free Coins

Tellura may offer free Coins through promotions, daily login rewards, or mission rewards. Free Coins function the same as purchased Coins but may have different expiration terms as disclosed at the time of issuance.

7.5 Modifications

We reserve the right to modify the pricing, availability, and terms of Coins at any time. We will provide reasonable notice before making material changes that adversely affect existing Coin balances.

7.6 Forfeiture

If your account is terminated for violation of these Terms, you may forfeit all Coins in your account, both purchased and free, without compensation.

8.1 Premium Chapters

Authors may designate certain chapters as premium content, requiring Coins to unlock. The Coin cost for each chapter is set by the author and displayed before purchase. Once unlocked, a chapter remains accessible to you as long as the content is available on the Service.

8.2 Novel Subscriptions

Some novels may offer subscription plans that provide early access to chapters. Subscriptions are billed on a recurring basis (weekly or monthly) through Stripe. By subscribing, you authorize Tellura to charge your payment method at the applicable rate on a recurring basis until you cancel.

8.3 Cancellation

You may cancel a subscription at any time. Upon cancellation, your subscription will remain active until the end of the current billing period, after which it will not renew. No partial refunds are provided for the remaining period after cancellation.

8.4 Payment Processing

All payment transactions are processed by Stripe, Inc. By making a purchase, you agree to Stripe's terms of service. Tellura does not store your credit card number or banking details. We store only a Stripe customer identifier to manage your transactions.

8.5 Refunds

Purchases of Coins and subscription payments are generally non-refundable. Refund requests for unused Coins or billing errors may be submitted to [email protected] and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Chargebacks and disputes are handled in accordance with Stripe's dispute resolution procedures.

9.1 Eligibility

Authors who meet the eligibility criteria may apply for monetization, allowing them to earn revenue from premium content on the Service. Monetization applications require the submission of identifying information, including legal name, date of birth, country of residence, and tax identification number. Approval is at Tellura's sole discretion.

9.2 Revenue Share

Approved authors earn a share of revenue generated from Coin unlocks and subscriptions on their content. The default revenue share is disclosed during the application process and may vary based on performance tiers. Tellura reserves the right to modify the revenue share percentage with 30 days' prior written notice.

9.3 Payouts

Author payouts are processed through Stripe Connect. Authors must complete Stripe Connect onboarding to receive payouts. Payout schedules, minimum thresholds, and processing details are provided during the onboarding process. Authors are responsible for all applicable taxes on their earnings.

9.4 Disputes and Adjustments

In the event of refunds, chargebacks, or disputes related to content purchases, Tellura may adjust or reverse author earnings accordingly. If a dispute is resolved in favor of the original transaction, reversed earnings will be reinstated.

The Service, including its design, code, logos, trademarks, and all non-user content, is the property of Tellura or its licensors and is protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

You may not:

• Copy, modify, or distribute the Service or any portion thereof;
• Use the Tellura name, logo, or branding without prior written consent;
• Use automated tools to scrape, crawl, or extract data from the Service;
• Frame or mirror any portion of the Service on any other server or website.

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. Please review our Privacy Policy to understand our practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information.

The Service integrates with or relies on third-party services, including but not limited to:

• Stripe for payment processing and author payouts;
• Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Facebook for authentication;
• Various infrastructure and hosting providers for content delivery and security.

These third-party services are governed by their own terms of service and privacy policies. Tellura is not responsible for the practices of any third-party service provider. Your use of third-party services is at your own risk, and you should review the applicable terms and policies before using them.

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

Tellura does not warrant that:

• The Service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free;
• The results obtained from the use of the Service will be accurate or reliable;
• Any content on the Service, including User Content, is accurate, complete, or appropriate;
• Any defects in the Service will be corrected.

You use the Service at your sole risk. No advice or information, whether oral or written, obtained from Tellura shall create any warranty not expressly stated in these Terms.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL TELLURA, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OR LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM:

• Your access to or use of (or inability to access or use) the Service;
• Any conduct or content of any third party on the Service, including any defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of other users or third parties;
• Any User Content obtained from the Service;
• Unauthorized access, use, or alteration of your transmissions or content.

IN NO EVENT SHALL TELLURA'S TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATED TO THE SERVICE EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID TO TELLURA IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED US DOLLARS ($100).

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES. IN SUCH JURISDICTIONS, OUR LIABILITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Tellura, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and licensors from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including but not limited to attorneys' fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Service;
• Your User Content;
• Your violation of these Terms;
• Your violation of any third-party right, including any intellectual property, property, or privacy right;
• Any claim that your User Content caused damage to a third party.

This indemnification obligation shall survive the termination of these Terms and your use of the Service.

16.1 Informal Resolution

Before filing any formal dispute, you agree to attempt to resolve the dispute informally by contacting us at [email protected]. We will attempt to resolve the dispute informally within 30 days. If the dispute is not resolved within 30 days, either party may proceed as set forth below.

16.2 Binding Arbitration

Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service that is not resolved informally shall be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") in accordance with its Consumer Arbitration Rules. The arbitration shall be conducted in the English language. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.

16.3 Class Action Waiver

YOU AND TELLURA AGREE THAT ANY DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEEDINGS WILL BE CONDUCTED ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT IN A CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. If for any reason a claim proceeds in court rather than in arbitration, both parties waive any right to a jury trial.

16.4 Small Claims Exception

Notwithstanding the above, either party may seek relief in a small claims court for disputes within the jurisdiction of such court.

16.5 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of [State], United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

17.1 Termination by You

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us at [email protected]. Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease.

17.2 Termination by Tellura

We may suspend or terminate your account and access to the Service at our sole discretion, without prior notice or liability, for any reason, including but not limited to a breach of these Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease.

17.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination of your account:

• Your license to use the Service is revoked;
• We may delete your User Content after a reasonable retention period (typically 30 days);
• Unused Coins may be forfeited if the termination was due to a violation of these Terms;
• Active subscriptions will be canceled;
• Outstanding author earnings that have been finalized will be paid out, subject to any adjustments for disputes or chargebacks.

17.4 Surviving Provisions

Sections 3.2 (License Grant, to the extent content remains accessible), 13 (Disclaimers), 14 (Limitation of Liability), 15 (Indemnification), 16 (Dispute Resolution), and this Section 17.4 shall survive any termination of these Terms.

18.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any other legal notices published on the Service, constitute the entire agreement between you and Tellura regarding the Service and supersede all prior agreements.

18.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be unenforceable or invalid, such provision will be changed and interpreted to accomplish the objectives of such provision to the greatest extent possible under applicable law, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

18.3 Waiver

The failure of Tellura to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not be deemed a waiver of such right or provision. A waiver of any right or provision will be effective only if in writing and signed by a duly authorized representative of Tellura.

18.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights under these Terms, in whole or in part, without our prior written consent. Tellura may assign its rights and obligations under these Terms without restriction.

18.5 Force Majeure

Tellura shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations under these Terms due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, labor disputes, government actions, internet or power outages, or failures of third-party services.

18.6 Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us at [email protected].