Terms of Service

Welcome to the Internet Sacred Text Archive ("the Archive", "we", "us"). These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of this website and its features. By using the Archive you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.

1. Using the Archive

Most of the Archive's texts are freely available to read without an account. Some features — saving texts, highlighting, taking notes, commenting, and publishing research — require you to sign in. You are responsible for the activity that occurs under your account and for keeping your sign-in credentials secure. Notify us promptly of any unauthorised use.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to create an account. By registering you confirm that you meet this requirement. See our Child Safety page for more.

3. Your Content

You retain ownership of the content you post — comments, highlights, notes, and research ("Your Content"). By posting, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, store, reproduce, and display Your Content solely for the purpose of operating and providing the Archive. This licence ends when you delete Your Content, except for copies already shared with other users and copies we are required to retain by law. You are responsible for Your Content and represent that you have the rights necessary to post it.

4. Acceptable Use

Our Community Guidelines are part of these Terms. You agree not to post unlawful, infringing, or harmful content; not to harass or abuse other users; and not to interfere with, overload, scrape, or attempt to gain unauthorised access to the service outside its documented interfaces.

5. Intellectual Property

Many texts on the Archive are in the public domain. Other materials — including the site's design, compilations, and original commentary — are protected by intellectual-property rights held by us or our licensors. We respond to copyright complaints as described on our DMCA / Takedown page. Repeat infringers will have their accounts terminated.

6. Purchases and Subscriptions

Where the Archive offers paid products or subscriptions, they are billed through our payment processor on the terms presented to you at checkout. Prices and availability may change. Any refund or cancellation terms are those shown at the point of purchase.

7. Disclaimers

The Archive is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, to the fullest extent permitted by law. We do not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components, or that any text is accurate or complete.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Internet Sacred Text Archive and its operators will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, arising out of or relating to your use of the Archive.

9. Changes and Termination

We may update these Terms from time to time; material changes will be announced on the site, and continued use after a change constitutes acceptance. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or the Community Guidelines. You may close your account at any time from your account settings, which includes a tool to delete the content you have posted.

10. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the applicable laws of the United States and the jurisdiction in which the Archive is operated, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. [confirm: governing state / country.]

11. Contact

Questions about these Terms can be sent through our support channel.