Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Jence ("the Platform"), accessible at jence.xyz, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, you must not use the Platform.

2. Description of Service

Jence is an open-source hardware engineering ecosystem. Contributors publish version-controlled projects, code integrations, teardowns, and BOMs. The community forum operates in parallel for text-based publications, discussion, and Q&A.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use the Platform. By registering, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement and have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement.

4. Contributor Identity and Credentials

• Contributors publish under their real names by default.
• Credentials (LinkedIn, GitHub, ORCID) may be requested for verification.
• Pseudonyms are allowed only in exceptional cases with editorial approval.
• Affiliations and locations are optional and must be accurate if provided.

5. Disclosures and Conflicts of Interest

• Every project iteration must include a conflict-of-interest disclosure via commit notes if applicable.
• Sponsorships, vendor relationships, or personal stakes must be stated clearly.
• Failure to disclose conflicts may result in removal or account suspension.

6. Safety and Responsible Disclosure

• No dangerous step-by-step instructions that enable harm.
• No export-controlled or weaponization content.
• Security research must follow responsible disclosure timelines.
• Unsafe or exploitative content will be removed.

7. Payments and Tips

• Payments for tips are processed seamlessly via checkout.
• Project owners can receive one-time tips for their hardware designs.
• Renewal payments do not generally apply as tips are one-time.
• Refunds are not available for completed tips.

8. Intellectual Property

Content posted by contributors, including physical designs, 3D models, schematics, and source code (e.g., .ino, .cpp), remains the intellectual property of the contributor. By uploading content, contributors grant Jence a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, and sub-licensable license to host, display, parse, and distribute the content on the Platform.

Contributors are strongly encouraged and responsible for assigning appropriate open-source licenses (such as CERN-OHL, CC-BY, MIT, or GPL) to their own repositories to clearly define how the community can use, modify, or manufacture their designs. Users must strictly respect the license attached to each project.

9. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the Platform for unlawful purposes or unsafe activity.
• Publish false disclosures or misrepresent credentials.
• Attempt to bypass security or tip controls.
• Harass, threaten, or abuse other users.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Platform is provided "as is" without warranties. Jence does not certify that content is safe for deployment in any environment. Always validate in controlled settings and follow applicable standards.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Jence shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Platform.

12. Modifications

Jence reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. Continued use constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

13. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by applicable international commercial law. Any disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration.

14. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms, contact us at [email protected].