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Terms of Service

Effective Date: April 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using GermanLetters ("the Service"), operated by ITEBV GmbH ("we," "us," or "our"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use the Service. We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time, and your continued use of the Service after such changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

2. Description of Service

GermanLetters is an AI-powered transcription service that helps users read and digitize historical German handwriting, including Kurrent, Sütterlin, Fraktur, and post-war German script. Users can upload images or PDF files of handwritten documents and receive AI-generated transcriptions.

The Service also offers an expert transcription option where human specialists provide manual transcriptions for documents that require higher accuracy.

3. Account Registration

To use certain features of the Service, you must create an account using Firebase Authentication. You may register with your email address or through your Google account. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to provide accurate and complete information during registration and to keep your account information up to date.

4. Credits and Payment

The Service operates on a credit-based system. Credits can be purchased in various packages through Stripe, our payment processor. All prices are displayed in US dollars (USD).

Purchased credits do not expire and are tied to your account. Credits are non-refundable digital goods — once purchased, they cannot be exchanged for cash or refunded except as described in our Refund Policy.

We reserve the right to change credit pricing at any time. Any price changes will not affect credits you have already purchased.

5. Free Trial

New users receive 3 free page credits upon creating an account — no credit card required. This allows you to try the transcription service and evaluate the quality before purchasing additional credits.

6. AI Transcription Disclaimer

All AI-generated transcriptions are produced using artificial intelligence models (Anthropic Claude and Google Gemini). While we strive for high accuracy, you acknowledge and agree that:

  • AI transcriptions are not guaranteed to be 100% accurate
  • Results may contain errors, omissions, or misinterpretations, particularly with difficult handwriting, damaged documents, or unusual scripts
  • Transcription results are not suitable for use as certified or legal documents
  • The free preview feature allows you to assess quality before purchasing
  • AI-generated content should be reviewed and verified by the user

We provide a free preview so you can evaluate the transcription quality before committing credits. Using credits to generate a full transcription indicates your acceptance of the AI-generated output.

7. Expert Transcription Service

In addition to AI transcription, we offer an expert transcription service where human specialists manually transcribe your documents. Expert transcriptions are quoted individually based on document complexity, length, and condition. By requesting an expert quote, you are not obligated to proceed. Separate terms and pricing apply to expert transcription orders.

8. Intellectual Property

Your Content: You retain all rights to the documents you upload and the transcription results generated from them. You grant us a limited, non-exclusive license to process your uploaded documents solely for the purpose of providing the transcription service.

Our Service: The GermanLetters platform, including its software, design, logos, and content, is owned by ITEBV GmbH and protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or reverse engineer any part of the Service without our prior written consent.

9. User Responsibilities

By using the Service, you agree to:

  • Provide accurate and truthful information
  • Only upload documents you have the legal right to use
  • Not upload illegal, obscene, or harmful content
  • Not attempt to abuse, disrupt, or reverse engineer the Service
  • Not use automated tools for mass requests or to circumvent security measures
  • Comply with all applicable laws and regulations

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ITEBV GMBH 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 PROFITS, DATA, USE, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE.

OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNT YOU PAID TO US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.

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

11. Dispute Resolution

Binding Arbitration: Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules. The arbitration shall take place in Wilmington, Delaware, unless we mutually agree to a different location or virtual proceedings.

Class Action Waiver: YOU AGREE THAT ANY DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEEDINGS WILL BE CONDUCTED ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT IN A CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION.

Opt-Out: You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by sending written notice to st@mes-beratung.de within 30 days of first using the Service. If you opt out, disputes will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Delaware.

12. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

13. DMCA Notice

If you believe that any content on our Service infringes your copyright, you may submit a notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to our designated agent:

ITEBV GmbH
Attn: DMCA Agent
Email: st@mes-beratung.de

Please include: (1) a description of the copyrighted work, (2) the URL of the infringing material, (3) your contact information, (4) a statement of good faith belief that the use is unauthorized, (5) a statement under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate, and (6) your physical or electronic signature.

14. Modifications to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes by email or by posting a notice on the Service. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of the revised Terms constitutes your acceptance of the changes.

15. Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us:

ITEBV GmbH
Email: st@mes-beratung.de