1. Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to LocaleLore ("Service", "Platform", "we", "us", or "our"). These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("you", "your", or "User") andAscend Leads, LLC, governing your access to and use of the LocaleLore platform, including our website, mobile applications, and all related services.

BY ACCESSING OR USING THE SERVICE, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD, AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Service.

These Terms apply to all visitors, users, and others who access or use the Service, including free users, subscribers, and contributors.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use this Service. If you are under 18 years of age (or the age of legal majority in your jurisdiction), you must have your parent or legal guardian's permission to use the Service and your parent or legal guardian must agree to these Terms on your behalf.

By using the Service, you represent and warrant that:

• You meet the age requirements stated above
• You have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms
• You are not barred from using the Service under applicable laws
• All information you provide is accurate, complete, and current

3. Account Registration and Security

3.1 Account Creation

To access certain features of the Service, you must register for an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, complete, and current registration information
• Maintain and promptly update your account information
• Maintain the security of your account credentials
• Accept responsibility for all activities under your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use or security breach

3.2 Account Responsibility

You are solely responsible for all activity that occurs under your account. We reserve the right to disable any account at any time if we believe you have violated these Terms.

3.3 Account Termination

You may terminate your account at any time through your account settings or by contacting us at support@localelore.org. Upon termination, your right to access and use the Service will immediately cease.

4. Subscription Plans and Payments

4.1 Early Access

LocaleLore is in an early-access period. During it, every feature is available at no cost and we don't collect payment details. Before paid plans begin, we'll tell you by email at least 30 days in advance. You'll never be charged unless you choose a paid plan.

Sections 4.2 to 4.8 describe the paid plans and apply only once paid plans have begun and you have chosen one. Purchases from creators, such as premium content (Section 4.9), and tips to creators are not part of early access.

4.2 Subscription Tiers

When paid plans begin, LocaleLore will offer the following plans:

• Free Plan: Free - Browse all lore, explore maps, search and discover content
• Contributor Plan: $4.97/month - Submitting lore, commenting, proposing edits, and the other contributor features

4.3 No Free Trial During Early Access

There is no free trial during early access, because nothing is charged: every feature is already free. Before paid plans begin, we'll email you the terms of any trial, along with the plan details, at least 30 days in advance. You'll never be charged unless you choose a paid plan.

4.4 Billing and Payment

If you choose a paid plan after paid plans have begun, you authorize us to charge your designated payment method on a recurring monthly basis. We do not collect payment details during early access. You agree to:

• Provide current, complete, and accurate billing information
• Promptly update payment information if it changes
• Pay all charges at the prices in effect when incurred
• Be responsible for all applicable taxes

4.5 Automatic Renewal

Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of each billing period unless you cancel before the renewal date. We will charge your payment method for the next billing period within 24 hours of the renewal date.

4.6 Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings or by contactingsupport@localelore.org. Cancellation will be effective at the end of your current billing period. You will retain access to paid features until the end of your paid period.

4.7 Refund Policy

We offer refunds under the following circumstances:

• Technical issues preventing service access (subject to verification)
• Unauthorized charges (subject to investigation)
• Within 30 days of initial subscription purchase (first-time subscribers only)

No refunds will be provided for partial subscription periods or unused portions of your subscription. To request a refund, contact support@localelore.org with your account details and reason for the request.

4.8 Price Changes

We reserve the right to change our prices with 30 days' advance notice. Price changes will take effect at the start of your next billing cycle after the notice period. Continued use of the Service after a price change constitutes acceptance of the new price.

4.9 One-Time Purchases

Certain features may be available as one-time purchases, such as premium content sold by a creator. These purchases are non-refundable except as required by law and do not auto-renew. They are paid to creators and are not part of early access.

5. User Content and Conduct

5.1 User-Generated Content

The Service allows you to create, upload, and share content including stories, facts, images, and comments ("User Content"). You retain all ownership rights to your User Content.

5.2 License Grant

By submitting User Content, you grant Ascend Leads, LLC a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform the User Content in connection with the Service and our business, including for promoting and redistributing part or all of the Service.

5.3 Content Responsibilities

You represent and warrant that your User Content:

• Is accurate and not misleading
• Does not infringe any intellectual property or privacy rights
• Does not violate any applicable laws or regulations
• Does not contain viruses, malware, or other harmful code
• Does not contain personal information of others without permission

5.4 Prohibited Content

You agree not to post User Content that:

• Is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, or invasive of privacy
• Promotes violence, discrimination, or hatred against individuals or groups
• Contains sexually explicit material or exploits minors
• Infringes intellectual property rights or contains unauthorized copyrighted content
• Contains false, deceptive, or misleading information
• Promotes illegal activities or violates any laws
• Contains spam, advertising, or commercial solicitation
• Impersonates any person or entity

5.5 Content Moderation

We reserve the right, but have no obligation, to monitor, review, and remove User Content that violates these Terms or is otherwise objectionable. We may suspend or terminate accounts that repeatedly violate these Terms.

5.6 Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the Service for any illegal purpose or in violation of any laws
• Interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers/networks connected to the Service
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Service
• Use any automated systems (bots, scrapers, etc.) without written permission
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Service
• Collect or harvest personal information of other users
• Engage in any activity that imposes an unreasonable load on our infrastructure
• Circumvent any access restrictions or security features
• Sell, resell, or commercially exploit the Service without permission

6. Intellectual Property Rights

6.1 Our Intellectual Property

The Service and its original content (excluding User Content), features, and functionality are and will remain the exclusive property of Ascend Leads, LLC and its licensors. The Service is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

6.2 Trademarks

"LocaleLore" and our logos are trademarks of Ascend Leads, LLC. You may not use these marks without our prior written permission.

6.3 Limited License

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Service for your personal, non-commercial use, subject to these Terms.

6.4 Copyright Infringement

We respect intellectual property rights. If you believe any content infringes your copyright, please contact us at legal@localelore.org with:

• A description of the copyrighted work
• The location of the infringing material
• Your contact information
• A statement of good faith belief that use is not authorized
• A statement that the information is accurate and you are authorized to act
• Your physical or electronic signature

7. Privacy and Data Protection

Your privacy is important to us. Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information. By using the Service, you agree to our collection and use of information as described in our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

8. Third-Party Services and Links

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by Ascend Leads, LLC. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites or services.

We use third-party service providers, including:

• Stripe for payment processing
• Cloudflare for map tile hosting, Esri for satellite imagery, and Geoapify for place search and directions
• Supabase for hosting and database services
• Sentry for error tracking

Your use of these services is subject to their respective terms and conditions.

9. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

9.1 "As Is" Disclaimer

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

Ascend Leads, LLC does not warrant that:

• The Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
• The results obtained from using the Service will be accurate or reliable
• The quality of any content or information will meet your expectations
• Any errors in the Service will be corrected

9.2 Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, Ascend Leads, LLC SHALL NOT 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
• Any content obtained from the Service
• Unauthorized access, use, or alteration of your content

IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100), WHICHEVER IS GREATER.

9.3 User Content Disclaimer

We are not responsible for User Content and do not endorse any opinions expressed by users. User Content does not reflect the views of Ascend Leads, LLC.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Ascend Leads, LLC, its officers, directors, employees, agents, licensors, and suppliers from and against all claims, losses, expenses, damages, and costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, resulting from:

• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of another party
• Your use of the Service
• Your User Content

11. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

11.1 Governing Law and Venue

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

Subject to Section 11.2, any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, and you and Ascend Leads, LLC consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

11.2 Dispute Resolution

Any dispute arising from these Terms or the Service shall be resolved through:

1. Informal Negotiation: Contact us at legal@localelore.org to attempt resolution
2. Mediation: If negotiation fails, parties agree to mediation
3. Arbitration: If mediation fails, disputes shall be resolved by binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), seated in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

11.3 Class Action Waiver

You agree that disputes will be resolved on an individual basis. You waive your right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.

11.4 Exceptions

Either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief to protect intellectual property rights in the courts named in Section 11.1.

12. Term and Termination

12.1 Term

These Terms remain in effect while you use the Service.

12.2 Termination by You

You may terminate your account at any time by following the account deletion process in your settings or contacting support@localelore.org.

12.3 Termination by Us

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason, including:

• Violation of these Terms
• Fraudulent activity or security concerns
• Extended periods of inactivity
• Legal requirements

12.4 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your right to access and use the Service will immediately cease
• We may delete your account and data within 30 days
• You will not be entitled to any refund of prepaid fees
• Provisions that should survive termination will remain in effect

13. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will provide notice of material changes by:

• Posting the new Terms on this page with a new "Last Updated" date
• Sending email notification to your registered email address
• Displaying a prominent notice on the Service

The end of early access (Section 4.1) is a change we will email you about at least 30 days before paid plans begin. Ending early access never puts you on a paid plan: you are charged only if you choose one.

Your continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the new Terms. If you do not agree to the new Terms, you must stop using the Service.

14. General Provisions

14.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Ascend Leads, LLC regarding the Service.

14.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

14.3 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights.

14.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms without our written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations without restriction.

14.5 Force Majeure

We will not be liable for any failure to perform our obligations due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, terrorism, riots, embargoes, acts of civil or military authorities, fire, floods, accidents, strikes, or shortages of transportation, facilities, fuel, energy, labor, or materials.

14.6 Survival

Provisions that by their nature should survive termination shall survive, including but not limited to ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity, and limitations of liability.

14.7 Electronic Communications

By using the Service, you consent to receive electronic communications from us. You agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures, and other communications provided electronically satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.

15. Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us:

• Company Name: Ascend Leads, LLC
• Address: Philadelphia, PA
• Email: legal@localelore.org
• Support: support@localelore.org