Terms of Service

Welcome to OpenStand. These Terms are the agreement between you and OpenStand, Inc. ("OpenStand," "we," "us") for using openstand.co and everything you do there (the "service"). Please read them. By creating an account or using the service, you agree to these Terms. If you don't agree, don't use the service.

We wrote this in plain English on purpose. It's still a real contract.

The short version

• OpenStand lets you unlock individual pieces of writing and keep them in a permanent personal library.
• You add funds to a balance and spend from it to unlock pieces. That balance is your money — you can ask for the unspent part back.
• Once you unlock a piece, it's yours to keep and it isn't refundable.
• Writers keep the copyright to their work and earn a share of what readers spend on it.
• Be decent. Don't post things you don't have the rights to, and don't break the rules in our Content Policy.

The rest of this page is the detail.

1. Who can use OpenStand

You must be at least 13 years old to use OpenStand (or older, if your country sets a higher minimum age for online consent). By using the service, you confirm you meet that requirement and that you can enter into this agreement.

2. Your account

You sign in with your email or with Google. You're responsible for keeping your account secure and for what happens under it. Tell us at support@openstand.co if you think someone else is using your account. You can close your account at any time.

3. How OpenStand works

OpenStand is a reading platform. Writers publish individual pieces. Readers unlock the pieces they want and keep them in a personal library. There's no subscription — you pay per piece, only for what you choose to read.

4. Your balance

• Adding funds. You add money to your OpenStand balance through our payment provider, Stripe. We'll show you a confirmation for each top-up.
• Your balance is your money. We hold it for you to spend on unlocks. We don't earn anything on money sitting in your balance — we earn only when you unlock a piece.
• Refunds. You can ask us to refund your unspent balance to your original payment method. Money you've already spent on an unlock is not refundable, because the piece has been delivered to your permanent library. Full details are in our Refund Policy.

5. Unlocking and your library

When you unlock a piece, you get a personal, non-transferable right to read it and keep it in your library for as long as OpenStand operates the service. You do not buy the copyright, and you may not redistribute, resell, or republish the piece elsewhere.

Unlocks are final. Once a piece is in your library, it's delivered and non-refundable — that permanence is the point of OpenStand, not a technicality.

The one exception: if we're legally required to remove a piece — for example, a valid copyright takedown, or content that's illegal — we may have to disable access even for readers who already own it. In that rare case, we return what those readers paid for that piece. See our Content Policy.

6. Pricing

Each piece shows its price before you unlock it, so you always know what you're spending. Some pieces are free. We may run promotions where a piece is unlocked at no cost to you; in those cases the writer is still paid their normal share.

7. Content you publish (writers)

If you publish on OpenStand, this section applies to you.

• You keep your copyright. You own your work. Publishing on OpenStand doesn't change that.
• The license you give us. You grant OpenStand a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, store, display, reproduce, distribute, and promote your content on and through the service. This license lasts while your content is on the platform — and, for any piece a reader has already unlocked, it continues for as long as we need it to honor that reader's permanent access (see Section 8).
• You're responsible for your content. You confirm that you own or have the rights to everything you publish, that it doesn't break the law, and that it doesn't infringe anyone else's rights. You're responsible for what you post.

8. Unpublishing, and readers' permanent access

You can unpublish a piece so it's no longer available for new unlocks. But readers who already unlocked it keep their copy in their library. Permanent means permanent — we honor the access readers have already unlocked, even after a piece is unpublished.

9. Earnings and payouts (writers)

• Your share. When a reader unlocks your piece, you earn a share of what they spent. The current standard revenue share is published in our Creator Guide, as updated from time to time — unless a separate written agreement between you and OpenStand provides otherwise (for example, founding-writer terms). We don't fix a rate in these Terms, so the terms you agreed to always govern.
• Payouts. We pay out earnings on a monthly cycle through our payment provider. To receive payouts, you'll need to complete the payout setup we ask for.
• Leaving. If you close your account, we pay out any earnings you've already made.

10. Acceptable use

Don't use OpenStand to do anything illegal, harmful, or abusive. That includes posting content that's prohibited under our Content Policy, which is part of these Terms. We may remove content or suspend accounts that break these rules.

11. Copyright complaints

We respect copyright. If you believe content on OpenStand infringes your copyright, contact us at support@openstand.co with the details, and we'll respond, including removing infringing content where appropriate. Our full process is described in our Content Policy.

12. OpenStand's own rights

The OpenStand name, logo, website, and software are ours. These Terms don't give you any rights to use them except as needed to use the service normally.

13. Ending your access

You can stop using OpenStand and close your account at any time. We may suspend or close your account if you break these Terms or the Content Policy, or if we need to for legal or security reasons. If we close your account, we'll still refund your unspent balance and pay out any earnings you've made, as described above.

14. The service is provided "as is"

We work hard to keep OpenStand running well, but we provide the service "as is." We don't promise it will always be available, error-free, or that it will meet every expectation. To the extent the law allows, we disclaim warranties that aren't expressly stated here.

15. Limits on our liability

To the extent the law allows, OpenStand won't be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages. Our total liability to you for any claim relating to the service is limited to the greater of the amount you spent on the service in the twelve months before the claim, or one hundred U.S. dollars. Some places don't allow these limits, so parts of this may not apply to you.

16. Your responsibility to us

If your use of the service, or content you publish, causes a claim against OpenStand by someone else, you agree to cover the reasonable costs and damages that result, to the extent the law allows.

17. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. If you have a problem, email us first at support@openstand.co — most issues can be sorted out quickly and directly.

18. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms as the service changes. When we do, we'll update the "Last updated" date, and for significant changes we'll give you notice. If you keep using OpenStand after a change takes effect, that means you accept the updated Terms.

19. Contact

OpenStand, Inc.
Email: support@openstand.co
Mailing address: 131 Continental Drive, Suite 305, Newark, DE 19713, United States