Terms of Service

Welcome to Universe Solver. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Universe Solver website, platform, and services at universesolver.com (the "Platform"), operated by Universe Solver ("we," "us," or "our"). By creating an account or using the Platform, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

1. Eligibility

• You must be at least 13 years of age to use the Platform (COPPA compliance). By creating an account, you confirm you meet this age requirement.
• If you are between 13 and 18 (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction), you represent that your parent or legal guardian has reviewed and agreed to these Terms on your behalf.
• You must provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and keep your account information updated.

2. Account Responsibilities

• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and for all activities that occur under your account.
• You must use a strong password (minimum 12 characters with uppercase, lowercase, digits, and special characters).
• You must notify us immediately if you suspect any unauthorized use of your account.
• One person, one account. Duplicate or sockpuppet accounts may be suspended.

3. Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Platform for lawful purposes only. You shall not:

• Post content that is defamatory, obscene, threatening, harassing, or violates the rights of others.
• Impersonate any person or entity, or falsely state or misrepresent your affiliation.
• Upload malware, viruses, or any other malicious code.
• Engage in data mining, scraping, or automated collection of Platform data without prior written consent.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to Platform systems, other user accounts, or any networks connected to the Platform.
• Use the Platform to distribute unsolicited commercial communications (spam).
• Intentionally submit fabricated scientific data or knowingly fraudulent research claims.
• Circumvent, disable, or interfere with security features of the Platform, including rate limits and content security policies.
• Violate any applicable local, state, national, or international law or regulation.

4. User-Generated Content

4.1 Ownership

You retain ownership of all content you create on the Platform, including publications, peer reviews, and sealed predictions. By submitting content, you grant Universe Solver a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to display, distribute, and reproduce your content solely for the purpose of operating and improving the Platform.

4.2 Publications & DOI Records

Publications uploaded to the Universe Solver Archive receive a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). DOI records are permanent by design. If you delete your account, publication records will be marked as "retracted" and the abstract replaced, but the DOI and minimal metadata will persist to maintain citation integrity, in accordance with DOI Foundation policies.

4.3 License Selection

When uploading publications, you select a license (e.g., Creative Commons, MIT, GPL). You are solely responsible for ensuring you have the right to distribute the content under the chosen license. Once published with a DOI, the license selection is permanent for that version.

4.4 Content Moderation

We reserve the right to remove content that violates these Terms or applicable law, without prior notice. We may also suspend or terminate accounts that repeatedly violate our policies. Moderation actions are logged in our admin audit system for accountability.

5. Citations and Integrity

The Platform records citations between archived publications. It does not compute popularity rankings, h-indices, or reputation scores, and no citation, vote, or endorsement can change a claim's status — only evidence does. You agree not to engage in citation manipulation, including self-citation rings, coordinated citation schemes, or any form of artificial citation inflation. Abuse may result in account suspension.

6. Sealed Predictions (Evidence Vault)

The Evidence Vault allows you to seal predictions by storing their SHA-256 cryptographic hash. The Platform does not guarantee the legal admissibility of sealed predictions as evidence of priority. Sealed predictions are a scientific tool, not a legal instrument.

7. Intellectual Property

• The Platform's design, code, logos, and branding are the intellectual property of Universe Solver and are protected by copyright and trademark law.
• The Universe Solver name, logo, and associated graphics may not be used without prior written permission.
• Open-source components used in the Platform retain their respective licenses.

8. DMCA & Copyright Claims

If you believe your copyrighted work has been posted on the Platform without authorization, please see our DMCA Policy for instructions on filing a takedown notice. We comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512).

9. Disclaimers

9.1 Scientific Content

The Platform is a community research tool. Content posted by users (including discoveries, theories, and publications) represents the views and findings of individual users, not of Universe Solver. No content on this Platform constitutes peer-reviewed scientific fact unless explicitly indicated. The σ-confidence levels (1σ–5σ) are user-assigned and do not represent official scientific consensus.

9.2 Platform Availability

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE PLATFORM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE. WE MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF ANY CONTENT ON THE PLATFORM.

9.3 DOI Disclaimer

DOIs assigned by the Universe Solver Archive are internal identifiers. While we strive to maintain DOI permanence and resolution, we do not guarantee that DOIs will be registered with an official DOI Registration Agency unless explicitly stated.

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ABACUS NEXUS AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO US (IF ANY) IN THE 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE CLAIM.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Universe Solver, its affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your use of the Platform, your content, or your violation of these Terms.

12. Termination

• You may delete your account at any time via Settings. Account deletion is permanent and irreversible.
• We may suspend or terminate your account for violations of these Terms, with or without prior notice.
• Upon termination, your right to use the Platform ceases. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination (including ownership, disclaimers, indemnification, and limitations of liability) shall survive.

13. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising under these Terms shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except that either party may seek injunctive relief in any court of competent jurisdiction for the protection of intellectual property rights.

14. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated with at least 30 days' notice via a prominent notice on the Platform. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of updated Terms constitutes acceptance. If you disagree with the changes, you must discontinue use and delete your account.

15. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect. The unenforceable provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable while preserving its intent.

16. Contact