Terms and Conditions of Birdist

Please read these Terms and Conditions ("Terms") carefully before using Birdist. By creating an account or using the app, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use Birdist.

1. Who we are

Birdist is owned and operated by Ram Senthil ("we," "us," "our"). Contact us at hello@birdist.app.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old (or the minimum age of digital consent in your country) to use Birdist. By using the app, you confirm you meet this requirement.

3. Your account

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity under your account. Notify us immediately at hello@birdist.app if you suspect unauthorized use of your account.

4. The service

Birdist provides bird identification (via photo and audio), a field guide, life-list tracking, and community features. Free accounts include limited access as described in the app; a paid subscription ("Pro") unlocks additional features as described in Section 6.

5. AI identification — important disclaimer

Birdist uses artificial intelligence to suggest species identifications based on photos, audio, and location/seasonal data. AI identification is provided for informational and educational purposes only and may be inaccurate or incomplete.

• Do not rely on Birdist as the sole basis for any decision involving safety, legal compliance (e.g., protected species regulations), hunting or fishing rules, or medical/allergy-related concerns.
• Do not approach, handle, disturb, or endanger wildlife or yourself while using the app in the field.
• We make no guarantee of identification accuracy and are not liable for actions taken based on Birdist's output.

6. Subscriptions and billing

• Free tier: limited photo identifications, birdsong identifications, and community posts as described in the app, subject to change.
• Pro subscription: billed monthly or annually at the price shown in the app at time of purchase, in your local currency where offered.
• Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period.
• Payments are processed through the Apple App Store or Google Play. Manage or cancel your subscription through your Apple ID or Google Play account settings — we do not process payments directly and cannot issue refunds on behalf of Apple or Google.
• Prices may change; we will provide notice before any change takes effect for existing subscribers where required by law.

7. User content

You retain ownership of photos, posts, comments, and other content you submit to Birdist ("User Content"). By posting User Content, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, display, reproduce, and distribute it within the app and for promoting Birdist (e.g., marketing materials), for as long as your content remains on the platform.

You are solely responsible for your User Content. You confirm that you have the right to share any photo or content you upload, and that it does not infringe on anyone else's rights.

8. Community conduct

When using community features, you agree not to:

• Post content that is abusive, harassing, hateful, sexually explicit, or illegal
• Post AI-generated or digitally manipulated images represented as real sightings
• Impersonate another person or misrepresent your affiliation with anyone
• Spam, advertise, or solicit other users without our permission
• Harm, disturb, or encourage harm to wildlife or their habitats

We reserve the right to remove content and suspend or terminate accounts that violate these standards, at our discretion.

9. Intellectual property

Birdist's app, design, logo, badges, and underlying technology are owned by Ram Senthil and protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, reverse-engineer, or redistribute any part of the app except as permitted by these Terms.

10. Third-party services and data

Birdist relies on third-party services and public data sources, including Lovable, RevenueCat, Despia, eBird, GBIF, IUCN, and Wikidata. We do not control and are not responsible for the accuracy, availability, or content of these third-party services.

11. Termination

You may stop using Birdist and delete your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or for any other reason at our reasonable discretion, with notice where practicable.

12. Disclaimer of warranties

Birdist is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to accuracy, reliability, or fitness for a particular purpose.

13. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Ram Senthil shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of data, profits, or revenue, arising from your use of Birdist.

14. Governing law

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

15. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes within the app or via email. Continued use of Birdist after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

16. Contact us

Questions about these Terms? Contact us at hello@birdist.app.