Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Knotic ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

Knotic is a web application that helps users discover validated business opportunities by aggregating and analyzing publicly available problem data from various online platforms. The Service uses artificial intelligence to provide personalized recommendations based on user profiles.

3. User Accounts

3.1 Account Creation

• You must provide accurate and complete information when creating an account
• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials
• You must be at least 13 years old to use the Service
• One person or entity may maintain only one account

3.2 Account Security

• Passwords must be at least 8 characters with uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols
• You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account
• We use bcrypt encryption and HTTPOnly cookies for account security

3.3 Account Termination

You may delete your account at any time through the account settings. Upon deletion, all your data will be permanently removed from our systems in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

4. Data Collection and Use

4.1 What We Collect

We collect and process the following data:

• Account information (username, email, profile data)
• Chat messages and conversations with our AI assistant
• Profile data (experience, industry, budget, time commitment)
• Usage and technical data

4.2 Third-Party Data Processing

Your data may be processed by third-party services:

• Tavily API: Processes search queries to aggregate publicly available data
• Groq API: Processes chat messages and profile data to generate AI responses
• Upstash: Stores user data, profiles, and chat histories
• Google OAuth: Processes authentication if you sign in with Google

For more details, please review our Privacy Policy.

5. Data Aggregation and Web Scraping

5.1 How We Aggregate Data

Our Service aggregates publicly available data from various platforms including G2, Capterra, TrustPilot, Hacker News, Indie Hackers, Product Hunt, Quora, Stack Overflow, GitHub, Medium, YouTube, and BBB. This aggregation is performed through the Tavily search API, not through direct scraping.

5.2 Third-Party Content

• We provide attribution and source URLs for all aggregated content
• Stack Overflow content is attributed in accordance with CC BY-SA license requirements
• We do not claim ownership of any third-party content
• All content remains the property of its original creators and platforms

5.3 Legal Compliance

We rely on Tavily API for data aggregation, which provides a legal separation between our Service and source platforms. We respect robots.txt files and Terms of Service of all platforms. If you believe content has been improperly aggregated, please contact us immediately.

6. Acceptable Use Policy

6.1 Prohibited Activities

You agree NOT to:

• Use the Service for any illegal purpose or in violation of any laws
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to other user accounts
• Transmit viruses, malware, or other harmful code
• Scrape, copy, or duplicate the Service without permission
• Use automated systems (bots, scrapers) to access the Service
• Reverse engineer or decompile any part of the Service
• Impersonate another person or entity
• Harass, abuse, or harm other users
• Spam or send unsolicited communications
• Attempt to overwhelm our servers (DoS/DDoS attacks)

6.2 Content Guidelines

When using our Service, you agree to:

• Provide accurate information in your profile
• Use the Service for legitimate business opportunity research
• Respect intellectual property rights of third parties
• Not use the Service to compete with or replicate our business model

7. Intellectual Property

7.1 Our Intellectual Property

The Service, including its original content, features, and functionality, is owned by Knotic and protected by international copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property laws.

7.2 Your Content

You retain ownership of any content you create through the Service (chat messages, profile data). By using the Service, you grant us a license to use, store, and process this content solely for the purpose of providing the Service to you.

7.3 Third-Party Content

All aggregated content from third-party platforms remains the property of the original creators and platforms. We provide this content under fair use principles for research and informational purposes.

8. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

8.1 Service "As Is"

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

8.2 AI-Generated Content

Our Service uses artificial intelligence to generate recommendations. While we strive for accuracy:

• AI-generated recommendations may contain errors or inaccuracies
• We do not guarantee the success of any business opportunity identified
• You should conduct independent research before pursuing any opportunity
• We are not liable for decisions made based on AI recommendations

8.3 Aggregated Data Accuracy

While we aggregate data from reputable sources, we cannot guarantee:

• The accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of aggregated content
• That aggregated content represents current market conditions
• The authenticity of user-generated content from third-party platforms

8.4 Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, KNOTIC SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES.

9. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Knotic and its affiliates from any claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, or expenses arising from:

• Your use of the Service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property rights
• Any content you submit through the Service

10. DMCA Copyright Policy

We respect intellectual property rights. If you believe content aggregated through our Service infringes your copyright, please contact us with:

• Description of the copyrighted work
• URL or location of the infringing content
• Your contact information
• A statement of good faith belief that use is unauthorized
• A statement that the information is accurate and you are authorized to act

We will respond to valid DMCA notices by removing or disabling access to allegedly infringing content.

11. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes by posting the new Terms on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

12. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your account and access to the Service immediately, without prior notice, for any reason, including but not limited to:

• Violation of these Terms
• Fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity
• Extended periods of inactivity
• Requests by law enforcement or government agencies

Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease. You may delete your account at any time through account settings.

13. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

13.1 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of [Your Jurisdiction], without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

13.2 Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved through good faith negotiations. If negotiations fail, disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration or in the courts of [Your Jurisdiction].

14. Miscellaneous

14.1 Entire Agreement

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

14.2 Severability

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

14.3 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights.

14.4 Assignment

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

15. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms, please contact us at:

• Email: [Your contact email]
• GitHub: [Your GitHub repository]