Terms of Service

Effective Date: January 14, 2025
Last Updated: January 14, 2025

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User," "you," or "your") and Patere AI ("we," "us," or "our") regarding your use of the Patere AI website, application, and services (collectively, the "Service").

By creating an account, accessing the Service, or using any features, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and all applicable laws and regulations.

2. Eligibility

You must meet the following requirements to use the Service:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have the legal capacity to enter into binding contracts
• Not be prohibited from using the Service under applicable laws
• Provide accurate and complete registration information
• Not have been previously suspended or banned from the Service

3. Description of Service

Patere AI provides an AI-powered platform for:

• Searching the USPTO patent database for prior art
• Analyzing existing patents and their relevance to user inventions
• Generating draft patent applications using artificial intelligence
• Providing tools and resources for patent research

4. Account Registration and Security

4.1 Account Creation

To access the Service, you must create an account by providing:

• Valid email address
• Secure password
• Payment information (processed securely through Stripe)

4.2 Account Security

You are responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials
• All activities that occur under your account
• Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access
• Using strong, unique passwords

4.3 Account Sharing

Accounts are for individual use only. Sharing accounts or login credentials is strictly prohibited and may result in account termination without refund.

5. Subscription and Payment Terms

5.1 Pricing and Plans

We offer the following subscription options:

• One-Time Search: Single patent search and draft generation
• Monthly Subscription: Unlimited searches, billed monthly
• Enterprise: Custom pricing and features

5.2 Payment Processing

• All payments are processed securely through Stripe
• You authorize us to charge your payment method for all fees
• Prices are in U.S. Dollars (USD) unless otherwise stated
• All fees are non-refundable except as stated in our Refund Policy

5.3 Automatic Renewal

Monthly and annual subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing period unless you cancel before the renewal date. You will be charged the then-current rate.

5.4 Price Changes

We reserve the right to modify pricing with 30 days' notice. Continued use after price changes constitutes acceptance. Existing subscribers will be grandfathered at their current rate for 90 days.

5.5 Taxes

Prices do not include applicable taxes. You are responsible for all taxes, duties, and government charges.

6. Cancellation and Refunds

6.1 Cancellation

• You may cancel your subscription at any time
• Cancel through account settings or by contacting support@patere-ai.com
• You retain full access until the end of your current billing period
• No future charges will be made after cancellation

6.2 No Refunds

All sales are final. We do not provide refunds.

• When you cancel, you keep access until your next billing date
• No refunds for unused time in current billing period
• No refunds for one-time purchases
• No partial month or pro-rated refunds

6.3 Limited Exceptions

Refunds may be considered only for:

• Service failures (72+ hours of complete outage)
• Billing errors (duplicate charges, charges after cancellation)
• Extraordinary circumstances (with documentation)

See our complete Refund Policy for full details. All exception requests are reviewed at our sole discretion.

7. Acceptable Use Policy

7.1 Permitted Use

You may use the Service only for:

• Legitimate patent research and drafting purposes
• Your own inventions or those you're authorized to research
• Lawful business activities

7.2 Prohibited Activities

You agree NOT to:

• Violate any applicable laws or regulations
• Infringe on intellectual property rights of others
• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information
• Attempt to reverse engineer or copy the Service
• Use automated systems (bots, scrapers) without permission
• Resell or redistribute access to the Service
• Abuse, harass, or threaten other users or our staff
• Upload malicious code or viruses
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems
• Use the Service to compete with us
• Engage in any activity that could harm the Service or other users

8. Intellectual Property Rights

8.1 Our Property

The Service, including all software, designs, text, graphics, logos, and functionality, is owned by Patere AI and protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

8.2 Your Content

You retain ownership of all invention descriptions, data, and content you submit ("Your Content"). By using the Service, you grant us a limited license to:

• Process Your Content to provide the Service
• Use anonymized, aggregated data for Service improvement
• Store Your Content in accordance with our Privacy Policy

8.3 Generated Content

Patent drafts and analyses generated by the Service are provided to you for your use. However, these outputs may not be copyrightable under current law, and we make no warranties regarding their legal status or originality.

8.4 AI Training

Your submitted content may be used to train and improve our AI models. If you do not consent, please contact us at privacy@patere-ai.com.

9. Disclaimers and Warranties

We specifically disclaim any warranties that:

• The Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
• AI-generated content will be accurate, complete, or legally sufficient
• Using the Service will result in successful patent applications
• Search results will identify all relevant prior art
• The Service meets your specific requirements

No Legal Advice: Patere AI does not provide legal advice. Consultation with a licensed patent attorney is required.

No Attorney-Client Relationship: Use of the Service does not create an attorney-client relationship.

USPTO Disclaimer: Patere AI is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

10. Limitation of Liability

Our total liability to you for any claims arising from your use of the Service shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or $100, whichever is greater.

This limitation applies to:

• Rejected patent applications
• Inaccurate AI-generated content
• Incomplete or missed prior art searches
• Service outages or data loss
• Third-party actions or content
• Any other claims related to the Service

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Patere AI, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of another party
• Your Content or patent applications

12. Termination

12.1 By You

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings or by contacting support@patere-ai.com.

12.2 By Us

We may suspend or terminate your account immediately if you:

• Violate these Terms
• Engage in fraudulent activity
• Abuse the Service or other users
• Fail to pay fees
• Provide false information

12.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your right to access the Service immediately ceases
• We may delete Your Content after 90 days
• You remain liable for all fees owed
• Sections that should survive termination will remain in effect

13. Dispute Resolution

13.1 Informal Resolution

Before filing any formal action, you agree to contact us at legal@patere-ai.com to attempt to resolve the dispute informally.

13.2 Arbitration Agreement

Any disputes arising from these Terms or the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the American Arbitration Association's Commercial Arbitration Rules. You waive any right to a jury trial or to participate in a class action.

13.3 Exceptions

Either party may seek injunctive relief in court to protect intellectual property rights.

14. Governing Law

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

15. General Provisions

15.1 Modifications

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email or Service notification. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

15.2 Severability

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

15.3 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

15.4 Assignment

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

15.5 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and Refund Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Patere AI regarding the Service.

16. Contact Information