Terms of Use.

These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Merl mobile application ("App") operated by Merl ("we", "us", or "our"). By downloading or using the App, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the App.

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use Merl. By using the App, you confirm that you are 13 or older. If you are under 18, you represent that you have parental or guardian consent.

2. Your account

You sign in with Apple ID. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and for all activity that occurs under it. You agree to provide accurate information and to notify us immediately of any unauthorised use.

3. Credits and subscriptions

Merl operates on a credit system. Credits are used to run AI agents.

• Free tier: One free cast per agent, no payment required.
• Subscription credits: Purchased via a subscription plan (Day Pass, Weekly, or Pro). These credits reset at the start of each billing cycle and do not roll over.
• Top-up credits: Purchased individually. These credits never expire and carry over indefinitely.

All purchases are processed by Apple and are subject to Apple's payment terms. All purchases are final and non-refundable, except as required by applicable law or Apple's refund policy. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel subscriptions in your iOS Settings.

4. Acceptable use

You agree not to use Merl to:

• Generate, distribute, or promote content that is illegal, harmful, defamatory, threatening, or harassing.
• Create deepfakes or misleading media of real people without their consent.
• Infringe any intellectual property, privacy, or other rights of any person or entity.
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, scrape, or extract data from the App or its APIs.
• Use automated means to access or interact with the App (bots, scrapers, etc.).
• Circumvent any security or authentication features.
• Generate content involving minors in sexual or inappropriate contexts (strictly prohibited).

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these rules without notice or refund.

5. AI-generated content

Merl uses third-party AI models to generate content. AI output can be imperfect, biased, or incorrect. You are solely responsible for reviewing, editing, and using any AI-generated content. Do not rely on AI output for medical, legal, financial, or safety-critical decisions.

Content you generate through the App belongs to you, subject to applicable laws. We do not claim ownership of your outputs. However, you grant us a limited, non-exclusive licence to process your inputs to deliver the service.

6. Intellectual property

The Merl name, logo, UI design, and all associated brand assets are our property. The App's software is licensed, not sold. You may not copy, modify, or redistribute any part of the App without our written permission.

7. Third-party services

Merl connects to third-party AI providers (Anthropic, Google, fal.ai) and services (Supabase, RevenueCat). These providers have their own terms and privacy policies. We are not responsible for their conduct, availability, or changes to their services.

8. Disclaimers

The App is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind — express, implied, or statutory. We do not warrant that the App will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that any defects will be corrected. AI-generated outputs are not guaranteed to be accurate, complete, or suitable for any purpose.

9. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising from your use of (or inability to use) the App. Our total liability to you for any claim shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim.

10. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to Merl at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice. On termination, your right to use the App ceases immediately. Sections 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 11 survive termination.

11. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which we operate, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration or in the competent courts of that jurisdiction.

12. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. We'll notify you of material changes in the App or by email. Your continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.