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BookVitae

Terms of Service

Effective Date: 14 March 2026

Welcome to BookVitae. These Terms of Service govern your access to and use of the BookVitae platform, including all content, functionality, and services offered. By creating an account or using the platform, you agree to be bound by these terms.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using BookVitae, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, you must not use the platform.

We may update these terms from time to time. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

2. Definitions

Throughout these terms, the following definitions apply:

  • "Platform" — The BookVitae website, applications, and all associated services.
  • "User" — Any individual who creates an account or accesses the platform.
  • "Content" — Any text, images, media, biographical information, tributes, forum posts, or other material uploaded, submitted, or displayed on the platform by users.
  • "Memorial Profile" — A profile created on the platform to commemorate a deceased individual.
  • "Tribute" — A message, symbol, or media contribution left on a profile or memorial by another user.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 16 years of age to use BookVitae. By creating an account, you represent that you meet this requirement and that all information you provide is accurate and truthful.

4. Account Responsibilities

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must notify us immediately of any unauthorised access.

You may not create accounts for the purpose of impersonating another person, misleading other users, or engaging in fraudulent activity.

5. User-Generated Content

You retain ownership of any content you submit to BookVitae. However, you are solely responsible for the accuracy, legality, and appropriateness of all content you upload, post, or share.

BookVitae does not verify the accuracy of user-submitted content, including biographical information, dates, relationships, media, or written tributes. The platform acts as a host and is not responsible for the truthfulness or completeness of user contributions.

You must not submit content that is defamatory, obscene, fraudulent, infringing on intellectual property rights, threatening, harassing, or otherwise unlawful.

BookVitae reserves the right to remove, edit, or disable access to any content that violates these terms, without prior notice. We will endeavour to act promptly on reports of inaccurate or abusive content, but we cannot guarantee real-time moderation.

6. Memorial Profiles & Accuracy

Memorial profiles are created by users and may contain information contributed by multiple individuals. BookVitae does not independently verify the identity of the deceased, the relationship of the creator to the deceased, or the accuracy of any memorial content.

If you believe a memorial contains inaccurate, misleading, or defamatory information, you may report it using the platform's reporting tools. BookVitae will review reports and take reasonable corrective action, but is not liable for any harm arising from inaccurate content posted by third parties.

BookVitae is not responsible for disputes between users regarding memorial ownership, content accuracy, or the right to memorialise a particular individual.

7. Forum & Community Conduct

BookVitae provides community features including forums, groups, and discussion spaces. The following conduct is prohibited:

  • Hate speech, harassment, bullying, or threats of violence
  • Spam, advertising, or unsolicited commercial content
  • Sharing of personal information about others without their consent
  • Impersonation of any person or misrepresentation of your affiliation
  • Posting of illegal, obscene, or sexually explicit material
  • Deliberate disruption of discussions or manipulation of community features

BookVitae reserves the right to moderate, edit, or remove forum content and to suspend or terminate accounts that violate community standards, at our sole discretion.

8. Intellectual Property

The BookVitae name, logo, design, software, and all proprietary content are the intellectual property of BookVitae and are protected by applicable copyright and trademark laws.

You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from any BookVitae proprietary content without express written permission.

You must not upload content to which you do not hold the necessary rights. If you believe your intellectual property has been infringed on the platform, please contact us using the details provided in these terms.

9. Content Licence Grant

By submitting content to BookVitae, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, display, reproduce, and distribute your content solely for the purpose of operating and providing the platform's services. This licence continues for as long as your content remains on the platform.

You may delete your content at any time, at which point we will remove it within a reasonable timeframe, except where retention is required by law or where cached or archived copies exist in backup systems.

10. Reporting & Takedown

BookVitae provides reporting tools for users to flag content that is inaccurate, abusive, infringing, or otherwise in violation of these terms. We commit to reviewing reports promptly and taking appropriate action, which may include content removal, editing, or account suspension.

While we strive to address issues quickly, BookVitae does not guarantee any specific response time and shall not be held liable for any harm that occurs between the time content is reported and the time corrective action is taken.

11. Subscriptions & Payments

BookVitae offers free and paid subscription tiers. Paid subscriptions are processed through Stripe, a third-party payment provider. By subscribing, you agree to Stripe's terms of service in addition to these terms.

Subscription fees are billed in advance on a recurring basis. You may cancel at any time, but refunds are not provided for partial billing periods unless required by applicable law.

BookVitae reserves the right to modify subscription pricing with reasonable advance notice. Continued use after a price change constitutes acceptance of the new pricing.

12. Data Preservation & Loss

BookVitae takes reasonable measures to preserve and protect the data stored on the platform, including regular backups and security practices appropriate to the nature of the service.

However, no system is infallible. BookVitae does not guarantee the permanent preservation of any data and shall not be liable for any loss, corruption, or destruction of user content arising from system failures, security breaches, natural disasters, or any other cause beyond our reasonable control.

Users are encouraged to maintain their own copies of any content they consider irreplaceable. BookVitae provides data export functionality to assist with this.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, BookVitae and its officers, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of data, loss of profits, or emotional distress, arising from your use of the platform.

BookVitae's total liability for any claim arising from or relating to these terms or the platform shall not exceed the amount you paid to BookVitae in the twelve months preceding the claim.

This limitation applies regardless of the legal theory on which the claim is based, including breach of contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or any other basis.

14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless BookVitae and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from your use of the platform, your content, your violation of these terms, or your violation of any third-party rights.

15. Termination

BookVitae may suspend or terminate your account at any time for violation of these terms, abusive behaviour, or any other reason at our reasonable discretion. We will endeavour to provide notice where practicable.

Upon termination, your right to access the platform ceases immediately. We may retain certain data as required by law or legitimate business purposes, as outlined in our Privacy Policy.

16. Modifications to Terms

BookVitae reserves the right to modify these terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via the platform or by email. Your continued use of the platform following any modification constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

17. Governing Law

These terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Japan. Any disputes arising from these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Japan.

18. Severability

If any provision of these terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

19. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at admin@bookvitae.com.