Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By downloading, installing, compiling, or accessing Sphene ("the Software") or utilizing the website at https://sphene.app ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, do not install or use the Software.

2. Software License & Self-Hosted Nature

Sphene is sovereign, distributed software designed to run on local hardware, homelabs, containers, and personal workstations. You are granted a non-exclusive, worldwide license to use, inspect, build, and deploy the Software for personal or commercial productivity.

3. Data Ownership & User Responsibility

You retain sole and exclusive ownership of all content, notes, documents, drawings, code snippets, and data created or imported into Sphene. Because Sphene operates without centralized custody:

• Backup Responsibility: You are solely responsible for backing up your Markdown vault directory and cryptographic keys. Sphene maintainers have no ability to recover lost notes or forgotten encryption passphrases.
• Encryption Passphrases: Master passphrases used for vault and partition encryption are non-recoverable. If you lose your passphrase, encrypted partitions cannot be decrypted.
• Lawful Content: You represent and warrant that the content you create and store within your vault conforms with all applicable laws.

4. Third-Party Cloud Services & Disclaimers

Sphene provides connectors enabling optional synchronization with third-party cloud providers, including Google Drive and Dropbox.

• Sphene is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Google LLC or Dropbox, Inc.
• Your use of Google Drive and Dropbox is subject to their respective terms and conditions.
• Sphene maintainers assume zero liability for changes, rate limits, quota exhaustion, service disruptions, or file actions performed by third-party cloud APIs.

5. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SOFTWARE AND THE SPHENE.APP SERVICE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS, MAINTAINERS, OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES, OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF, OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

6. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall Sphene, its creators, or contributors be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of data, loss of profits, system downtime, hardware failure, or business interruption.

7. Contact & Governance

For questions concerning these Terms of Service, please contact:

Sphene Sovereign Knowledge Project
Email: team@sphene.app
Website: https://sphene.app