bookshelves.me - Book Tracking for Readers, Teachers & Teams

Welcome to STORY (bookshelves.me), operated by Lysensy Inc.. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of our mobile application, website, and services (collectively, the "Service"). Please read these Terms carefully before using the Service.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account, accessing, or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Service.

You must be at least 13 years old (or 16 in the European Economic Area) to use the Service. By using the Service, you represent that you meet this age requirement.

2. Description of Service

STORY is a comprehensive book tracking and social reading platform that provides the following features:

Personal library management and book tracking
Reading progress tracking and statistics
Notes, highlights, and quote collection
Reading journals and reflection tools
Book collections and organization
Social features including following, sharing, and book matching
Reading goals and challenges
Book recommendations and discovery
Workspace collaboration for groups and teams
EPUB reader for digital books

3. User Accounts

3.1 Account Creation

To use certain features of the Service, you must create an account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to update such information as necessary.

3.2 Account Security

You are responsible for:

Maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
All activities that occur under your account
Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access
Ensuring your account information remains accurate

3.3 Account Restrictions

You may not:

Create multiple accounts for deceptive purposes
Share your account credentials with others
Transfer your account to another person
Use another person's account without permission

4. Subscriptions and Payments

4.1 Subscription Plans

STORY offers both free and paid subscription tiers. Paid subscriptions provide additional features such as unlimited books, advanced analytics, team workspaces, and priority support.

4.2 Payment Processing

Payments are processed through:

Apple App Store for iOS in-app purchases
Polar.sh for web-based subscriptions
We do not directly store your payment card information

4.3 Auto-Renewal

Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing period unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the renewal date. You can manage and cancel subscriptions through your device settings (iOS) or account settings (web).

4.4 Refunds

Refund policies are governed by the respective payment platforms:

Apple App Store: Subject to Apple's refund policy
Polar.sh: Subject to our refund policy (within 7 days for unused subscriptions)

4.5 Price Changes

We may change subscription prices with reasonable notice. Price changes will apply to subsequent billing periods, not the current one.

5. User Content

5.1 Your Content

You retain ownership of all content you create, upload, or share through the Service, including notes, reviews, journal entries, highlights, and profile information ("User Content").

5.2 License Grant

By posting User Content, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute your content in connection with operating and improving the Service. This license ends when you delete your content or account.

5.3 Content Restrictions

You agree not to post content that:

Infringes intellectual property rights of others
Contains hate speech, harassment, or discrimination
Is defamatory, obscene, or pornographic
Promotes violence or illegal activities
Contains malware, viruses, or harmful code
Violates any applicable laws or regulations
Impersonates another person or entity
Contains spam, advertising, or promotional material

5.4 Content Moderation

We reserve the right to remove or disable access to any User Content that violates these Terms or is otherwise objectionable. We may also suspend or terminate accounts that repeatedly violate our policies.

6. Intellectual Property

6.1 Our Intellectual Property

The Service, including its design, features, graphics, logos, and software, is owned by Lysensy Inc. and protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, or distribute our intellectual property without permission.

6.2 Third-Party Content

Book metadata, covers, and descriptions are provided by third-party APIs (Google Books, Open Library, Hardcover) and belong to their respective owners. We do not claim ownership of this content.

6.3 Feedback

If you provide feedback or suggestions about the Service, we may use them without compensation or obligation to you.

7. Prohibited Conduct

When using the Service, you agree not to:

Violate any laws or regulations
Interfere with the proper functioning of the Service
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems
Use automated means to access the Service without permission
Reverse engineer or attempt to extract source code
Use the Service for commercial purposes without authorization
Circumvent any access restrictions or usage limits
Collect user information without consent

8. Third-Party Services

The Service integrates with or links to third-party services:

Google Books API for book search and metadata
Open Library for additional book information
Apple App Store for iOS distribution and payments
Polar.sh for subscription management

These services are governed by their own terms and privacy policies. We are not responsible for the content or practices of third-party services.

9. Termination

9.1 Termination by You

You may delete your account at any time through the app settings or by contacting support. Upon deletion, your personal data will be removed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

9.2 Termination by Us

We may suspend or terminate your account if you:

Violate these Terms or our policies
Engage in fraudulent or illegal activity
Create risk or legal exposure for us
Have an account that has been inactive for extended periods

9.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. Provisions that should survive termination (such as intellectual property rights and limitations of liability) will remain in effect.

10. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
NON-INFRINGEMENT of third-party rights
ACCURACY or RELIABILITY of book data or metadata
UNINTERRUPTED or ERROR-FREE operation
SECURITY of data transmission or storage

We do not guarantee the availability or accuracy of third-party book data. Book information is provided for informational purposes only.

11. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, Lysensy Inc. SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

Loss of profits, data, or goodwill
Service interruption or data loss
Unauthorized access to your data
Errors or inaccuracies in content
Personal injury or property damage

Our total liability shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim, or $100, whichever is greater.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Lysensy Inc. and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

Your use of the Service
Your User Content
Your violation of these Terms
Your violation of any third-party rights

13. Dispute Resolution

13.1 Informal Resolution

Before filing a formal dispute, you agree to contact us at legal@bookshelves.me to attempt to resolve the matter informally. We will work with you in good faith to address your concerns.

13.2 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Canada, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes shall be resolved in the courts of Canada.

14. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Terms in the app and updating the effective date. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

15. General Provisions

Entire Agreement: These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and us
Severability: If any provision is found unenforceable, other provisions remain in effect
Waiver: Failure to enforce a right does not waive that right
Assignment: You may not assign these Terms; we may assign them freely
Force Majeure: We are not liable for delays due to circumstances beyond our control

16. Contact Us

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

Lysensy Inc.

STORY (bookshelves.me)

Location: Canada

legal@bookshelves.me

https://bookshelves.me