Terms of Service

1. The service

Tellmark is a developer tool. It adds a machine-readable mark to files that a customer's own software generates, and keeps a log that it did. Tellmark does not review, moderate or take responsibility for what a customer marks. The customer stays the provider of their own product and stays responsible for how they use it, including any duty a law places on them. Using Tellmark does not by itself satisfy any such duty; the customer decides how Tellmark fits into meeting their own responsibilities.

The service also includes the free checker and the verify pages, which anyone can use without an account. Tellmark is provided by Digital Elevation ("we", "us", "our").

2. Accounts and API keys

An account holder is responsible for the API keys issued to their account, and for revoking a key that may have been exposed. Tellmark may suspend an account it reasonably believes is being used to abuse the service or another party.

3. What a mark states, and what it does not

Tellmark only ever signs the statement that a file was made or changed by AI. It never signs a statement that a file is authentic, unaltered or human-made.

A mark can be removed. A determined attacker can strip a C2PA manifest from a file, or process an image enough to weaken or destroy its watermark. Tellmark does not promise that a mark survives every transformation a file might go through; see "What marking cannot do" for the limits behind that statement.

4. Plans and monthly marks

Each plan includes a number of marks per calendar month, counted in UTC. One mark is one image the API signs or one text output it logs. The count starts again on the first day of each month, and unused marks do not carry over. When an account reaches its number for the month, the API refuses new marks until the next month starts. There are no charges for usage above a plan. The plans and their prices are on the pricing page.

5. Fees and billing

Paddle.com ("Paddle") is our online reseller and the Merchant of Record for every Tellmark order, and handles order enquiries and returns. Paddle sells and invoices the purchase, sets and collects any tax due, and Paddle's own Buyer Terms (https://www.paddle.com/legal/buyer-terms) govern the purchase itself, alongside these Terms. Tellmark never invoices a customer directly.

A paid plan renews automatically at the end of each monthly or annual period until it is cancelled. You can cancel at any time from the Billing page of your dashboard. The plan then runs to the end of the period you have paid for, no further payment is taken, and the account moves to the Free plan. The unused part of a period is not refunded, except as the Refund policy says.

When you move to a larger plan, or from monthly to yearly billing, the change applies at once: Paddle credits the unused part of your current plan and charges the difference for the rest of the current period. When you move to a smaller monthly plan, nothing is charged or credited, and the move takes effect at your next renewal. Until a few hours before then, your current plan stays in place with Paddle, so you can keep it at no charge, or move to a larger plan with the unused part of your current plan credited. Other plan changes are made by email. The Billing page shows the amounts before you confirm. A larger monthly number of marks applies at once. A smaller one starts with the next calendar month.

We may change our prices. A new price applies to a paid plan only from its first renewal at least 30 days after we tell you about the change by email.

6. Refunds

See the Refund policy.

7. Limit of liability

To the extent the law allows it, our total liability arising out of or relating to the service is limited to the amount you paid for the account the claim relates to, in the 12 months before the event that led to the claim. That amount counts every payment for that account in those 12 months, whatever plan or billing period it was for, including the difference charged when a plan changes. It does not count tax or any amount refunded. Where nothing was paid, as on the Free plan, the free checker or a verify page, the limit is zero. This limit applies however a claim is framed. If there is more than one claim, one limit covers them all, counted back from the earliest event that led to any of them.

Tellmark gives the service as described in these Terms and in the docs, including the plain statement in section 3 that a determined attacker can remove a mark.

8. Termination

You can stop using the service at any time. Cancelling a paid plan works as section 5 says. We can stop providing the service by telling you by email at least 30 days in advance; if we do, we refund the unused part of any period you have paid for. We can suspend an account at once under section 2. An account holder can export their marking log before closing an account. Sections 3, 5, 7 and 9 survive termination.

9. Governing law and courts

These Terms are governed by the law of South Africa. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the service is decided by the courts of South Africa, which have exclusive jurisdiction over it. If you use the service as a consumer, this section does not take away any protection that the law where you live gives you.

10. Contact

Digital Elevation. Mailing address: 221 W 9th St PMB 403, Wilmington DE 19801, USA. Email: hello@tellmark.si.