Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account, accessing, or using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service.

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and Serona regarding your use of the Service. They supersede all prior agreements, communications, and proposals, whether oral or written, between you and Serona relating to the Service.

By using the Service, you consent to receive communications from us electronically, including emails and notices posted within the Service. You agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures, and other communications we provide to you electronically satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years of ageto create an account and use the Service. If you are under 13, you may not use Serona under any circumstances. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

If you are between the ages of 13 and 18, you represent that your parent or legal guardian has reviewed and agreed to these Terms on your behalf. Your parent or guardian is responsible for supervising your use of the Service and is bound by these Terms with respect to your use. We may request verification of parental consent at any time.

We ask you to confirm that permission when you create your account, by typing your name as an electronic signature. Typing your name in that field has the same effect as signing it, and we keep a dated record of the confirmation. Confirming permission you were not actually given is a misrepresentation and a breach of these Terms, and we may close the account.

Withdrawing permission: A parent or legal guardian may withdraw permission at any time by emailing hello@serona.io. We will close the account and delete its content. A parent or guardian may also use that address to ask what information we hold about their child.

School and institutional use: If you are using Serona through a school, district, or other educational institution, your institution may have its own policies regarding the use of tools like Serona. These Terms govern your relationship with Serona directly and do not override any obligations you may have to your school or institution. If your school requires a separate data processing agreement for institutional use, please contact us at hello@serona.io.

3. Account Responsibilities

When you create an account with Serona, you agree to the following:

• Accurate information: You will provide truthful, current, and complete information during registration and keep your account information up to date.
• Account security: You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to notify us immediately at privacy@serona.io if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.
• One account per person: Each individual may maintain only one Serona account. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent usage limits, evade a ban, or abuse the free trial is prohibited and may result in termination of all associated accounts.
• No account sharing: Your account is personal to you. You may not share your login credentials with others or allow anyone else to access the Service through your account.

We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to protect your account credentials.

4. Acceptable Use Policy

You agree to use the Service only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You may not use the Service to:

• Violate any applicable local, state, national, or international law or regulation.
• Record conversations, lectures, or other audio without the consent of all parties where required by law.
• Upload, share, or transmit any content that is illegal, defamatory, obscene, threatening, harassing, or that infringes on any third party's intellectual property or privacy rights.
• Upload content that contains malware, viruses, or other harmful code.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Service, other users' accounts, or any systems or networks connected to the Service.
• Use automated scripts, bots, or other means to access or interact with the Service without our express written permission.
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, or disassemble any aspect of the Service.
• Use the Service to generate content for commercial sale or redistribution.
• Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity.
• Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the Service.
• Circumvent or attempt to circumvent any usage limits, access controls, or security measures.
• Use the Service to facilitate academic dishonesty, including submitting AI-generated content as your own original work in violation of your school's honor code or policies.

Content Standards

All content you upload, record, or submit to the Service must comply with applicable law and these Terms. You represent and warrant that you have all necessary rights to upload and process any content you submit, including but not limited to recordings, documents, images, and text. We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these Terms, without prior notice.

5. Recording Consent

Serona provides recording functionality as a passive tool. We do not initiate, control, or monitor your recordings. The decision to record, what to record, and whether proper consent has been obtained rests entirely with you.

Recording Laws by State

Recording laws in the United States vary by state. The following states require the consent of all partiesto a conversation before recording (commonly referred to as "two-party consent" or "all-party consent" states):

• California
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Illinois
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Washington

In these states, you must obtain the consent of every person whose voice may be captured in your recording before you begin recording. In "one-party consent" states, only one party (which may be you, the person making the recording) needs to consent. However, even in one-party consent states, school or institutional policies may impose additional restrictions.

If you are outside the United States, you are responsible for understanding and complying with the recording and wiretapping laws of your jurisdiction.

Your Obligations

Before recording, you should:

• Determine the recording consent requirements in your jurisdiction.
• Obtain all legally required consents from individuals whose voices may be captured.
• Check and comply with your school's or institution's recording policies.
• Obtain instructor permission where required by institutional policy.

Indemnification for Recording Violations

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Serona and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to any recording you make through the Service, including but not limited to claims that a recording was made without proper consent or in violation of any applicable law, regulation, or institutional policy. This indemnification obligation survives termination of your account and these Terms.

6. Content Ownership & Licenses

Your Content

You retain all ownership rights in the content you upload, record, or submit to the Service, including your audio recordings, documents, images, notes, and other materials ("Your Content"). Serona does not claim ownership of Your Content.

License You Grant to Serona

By submitting Your Content to the Service, you grant Serona a limited, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, process, store, transmit, and display Your Content solely for the purpose of providing, maintaining, and improving the Service. This includes sending your recordings to OpenAI for transcription and sending transcripts and document text to Anthropic for generating study materials. This license terminates when you delete Your Content or your account, except as needed for backup, archival, or legal compliance purposes.

AI-Generated Content

Notes, flashcards, quizzes, study guides, and other materials generated by the Service using artificial intelligence ("AI-Generated Content") are provided to you for your personal, educational use only. You may not commercially redistribute, sell, license, or publish AI-Generated Content.

Important notice regarding copyright: The legal status of copyright protection for AI-generated content is unsettled and evolving. AI-Generated Content may not be eligible for copyright protection in some jurisdictions. Serona makes no representations or warranties about your ability to claim exclusive intellectual property rights in AI-Generated Content. You use AI-Generated Content at your own risk.

7. Intellectual Property

The Service, including its design, features, code, logos, trademarks, trade dress, and all related intellectual property, is owned by Serona and protected by United States and international intellectual property laws. All rights not expressly granted to you in these Terms are reserved by Serona.

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, Serona grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Service for your personal, non-commercial educational purposes. This license does not include the right to:

• Modify, copy, or create derivative works based on the Service.
• Sublicense, sell, resell, or commercially exploit any aspect of the Service.
• Use Serona's name, logos, or trademarks without our prior written consent.
• Frame or mirror any portion of the Service on any other website or application.

8. Subscription Terms

Plans and Pricing

Serona offers the following subscription plans:

• Free Tier: Limited access to basic features at no cost.
• Pro Plan: $14.99 per month, with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers.
• Max Plan: $24.99 per month. No free trial is offered for this plan.

Pricing is subject to change. We will notify you of any pricing changes at least 30 days before they take effect. Changes will apply at the start of your next billing cycle after the notice period.

Auto-Renewal

Payment Processing

All payment processing is handled by Stripe. Serona does not collect, store, or have access to your payment card details. By subscribing, you authorize Stripe to charge your payment method for the subscription fees. You agree to provide a valid payment method and to keep your billing information current.

Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings. Upon cancellation, your subscription will remain active until the end of your current billing period. You will not be charged for subsequent billing periods after cancellation.

Refund Policy

Subscription fees are generally non-refundable. Because you can cancel at any time and continue using the Service through the end of your paid period, we do not offer prorated refunds for partial billing periods. In exceptional circumstances, refund requests may be considered on a case-by-case basis at our sole discretion. To request a refund, contact us at hello@serona.io.

9. Free Trial Terms

Serona offers a 7-day free trial for the Pro Plan only. The trial begins when you activate your Pro subscription and provide a valid payment method through Stripe.

• During the trial: You have full access to all Pro Plan features at no charge.
• At the end of the trial: Your payment method will be automatically charged the Pro Plan subscription fee ($14.99/month) unless you cancel before the trial period ends.
• One trial per person: Free trials are limited to one per individual. If you have previously used a free trial, you are not eligible for another one, even if you create a new account.

Post-Trial Data Retention

If your free trial expires and you do not subscribe, your account will be downgraded to the Free Tier. Your data (recordings, transcripts, notes, flashcards, quizzes, study guides, and other materials) will be retained for 30 days following trial expiration. During this 30-day retention period, you may use the Download My Data feature to export your data or subscribe to regain full access. Note that audio recordings are not included in the self-service export due to file size; to request a copy of your audio recordings, contact us at privacy@serona.io.

After the 30-day retention period, all data associated with your trial will be permanently deleted (purged) and cannot be recovered. We strongly recommend using the Download My Data feature to export any materials you wish to keep before this deadline.

10. Account Termination

Termination by You

You may delete your account at any time through your account settings. Account deletion is permanent and irreversible. We delete your Serona account and associated study data, cancel active billing, and sign you out. Limited records may be retained as described in our Privacy Policy where required by law or necessary for security or legal claims. We cannot recover deleted accounts or study data.

Termination by Serona

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account, without prior notice or liability, if we determine, in our sole discretion, that you have violated these Terms or engaged in conduct that is harmful to the Service, other users, or Serona. Grounds for termination include, but are not limited to:

• Violation of the Acceptable Use Policy (Section 4).
• Recording without required consent (Section 5).
• Intellectual property infringement.
• Creating multiple accounts to abuse the Service.
• Engaging in fraudulent or illegal activity.
• Receiving three or more valid DMCA takedown notices (repeat infringer policy).

Effect of Termination

Upon termination of your account for any reason, your right to use the Service immediately ceases. The following provisions survive termination of these Terms: Section 5 (Recording Consent, including indemnification), Section 6 (Content Ownership & Licenses, to the extent necessary), Section 11 (Disclaimers of Warranty), Section 12 (Limitation of Liability), Section 13 (Indemnification), Section 16 (Governing Law & Dispute Resolution), Section 17 (Class Action Waiver), and Section 20 (General Provisions).

11. Disclaimers of Warranty

AI Accuracy Disclaimer

Serona uses artificial intelligence to generate notes, flashcards, quizzes, study guides, and transcriptions. AI-generated content may contain errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or misrepresentations of the source material. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any AI-generated content. You should always review AI-generated materials against your original sources.

No Guarantee of Academic Outcomes

Serona is a study aid. We make no guarantees or representations regarding academic outcomes, including but not limited to grades, test scores, course completion, or admissions results. Your academic success depends on many factors beyond the use of any study tool.

Transcription Accuracy Disclaimer

Audio transcription is performed by OpenAI's Whisper technology and is subject to errors, particularly with technical vocabulary, accents, background noise, overlapping speakers, or poor audio quality. Transcriptions are approximations and should not be relied upon as verbatim records of recorded content.

12. Limitation of Liability

The limitations of liability set forth above are fundamental elements of the basis of the bargain between Serona and you. The Service would not be provided without such limitations. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages, so some or all of the above limitations may not apply to you. In such cases, our liability will be limited to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Serona and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including but not limited to reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to:

• Violations of these Terms: Any breach by you of any provision of these Terms.
• Recording law violations: Any recordings you make through the Service without obtaining all legally required consents or in violation of any applicable wiretapping, eavesdropping, or recording law.
• Intellectual property infringement: Any claim that Your Content infringes or misappropriates the intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or other rights of any third party.
• Uploaded content: Any claim arising from the content you upload, record, submit, or transmit through the Service.
• Your use of the Service: Any claim arising from your use of the Service in a manner not authorized by these Terms or applicable law.

This indemnification obligation survives the termination of your account and these Terms.

14. DMCA Policy

Serona respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects our users to do the same. We respond to notices of alleged copyright infringement in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA").

Designated Agent

Our designated agent for receiving DMCA takedown notices is reachable at:

• Email: privacy@serona.io
• Subject line: DMCA Takedown Notice

Takedown Procedure

To submit a DMCA takedown notice, you must provide a written notification that includes the following:

1. A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.
2. Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or a representative list if multiple works are covered.
3. Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing and information reasonably sufficient to permit Serona to locate the material on the Service.
4. Your contact information, including your name, address, telephone number, and email address.
5. A statement that you have a good-faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
6. A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.

Counter-Notification

If you believe your content was removed by mistake or misidentification, you may submit a counter-notification to our designated agent with the following:

1. Your physical or electronic signature.
2. Identification of the material that was removed and the location where it appeared before removal.
3. A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification.
4. Your name, address, and telephone number, and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for the judicial district in which your address is located and that you will accept service of process from the person who provided the original DMCA notice.

Upon receipt of a valid counter-notification, we will forward it to the original complainant and restore the removed content within 10 to 14 business days unless the complainant files a court action seeking to restrain the allegedly infringing activity.

Repeat Infringer Policy

Serona maintains a three-strikes policy for repeat copyright infringers. If a user receives three (3) valid DMCA takedown notices, their account will be terminated. We reserve the right to terminate accounts with fewer strikes in cases of egregious or willful infringement.

15. Third-Party Services

The Service relies on several third-party services to operate. By using Serona, you acknowledge and agree that your data may be processed by the following third-party providers in accordance with their respective terms and privacy policies:

• OpenAI:Provides audio transcription through the Whisper API. Your audio recordings are sent to OpenAI's servers for processing and returned as text transcripts. OpenAI does not use API data to train its models.
• Anthropic:Provides AI content generation through the Claude API. Your transcripts and document text are sent to Anthropic's servers to generate notes, flashcards, quizzes, and study guides. Anthropic does not use API data to train its models.
• Stripe: Handles all payment processing for subscriptions. Stripe collects and processes your payment card information directly. Serona never sees or stores your card details. Stripe is PCI DSS Level 1 certified.
• Supabase:Provides database hosting, user authentication, and file storage (Supabase Storage). Your account data, study materials, uploaded files, and recordings are stored on Supabase's infrastructure.
• Resend: Handles transactional email delivery, including trial expiration notices and account-related communications.
• YouTube API: Used to fetch video transcripts when you provide a YouTube video URL. We access only the specific transcript you request and do not access your YouTube account.
• Mixpanel: Provides product analytics. Records which features you use, as counts and identifiers. The content of your study materials is not sent.
• Smartlook: Provides session replay, a reconstruction of how you moved through a page. Page text is masked for everyone. Both this and Mixpanel are disabled if your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, and accounts belonging to minors are excluded from product analytics. See the Privacy Policy for how to opt out.

Serona is not responsible for the practices, policies, or actions of any third-party service provider. Your use of third-party services is subject to their respective terms of service and privacy policies. We encourage you to review those policies.

16. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

Governing Law

These Terms and any disputes arising out of or relating to them or the Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles.

Binding Arbitration

Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service, including the determination of the scope or applicability of this agreement to arbitrate, shall be determined by binding arbitration administered by JAMS pursuant to its Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures. The arbitration shall be conducted by a single arbitrator. Judgment on the arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction.

The arbitrator shall have exclusive authority to resolve all disputes arising out of or relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, or formation of these Terms, including whether a claim is subject to arbitration.

Small Claims Exception

Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may bring an individual action in small claims court for disputes or claims within the scope of that court's jurisdiction, provided the action is not brought on a class or representative basis.

Opt-Out Right

You have the right to opt out of this arbitration provision by sending written notice of your decision to opt out to hello@serona.io within 30 days of first accepting these Terms. If you opt out, disputes will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Delaware.

17. Class Action Waiver

You further agree that no arbitration or proceeding shall be joined, consolidated, or combined with another arbitration or proceeding without the prior written consent of all parties to the affected arbitrations or proceedings.

Note regarding minors: The enforceability of class action waivers and arbitration agreements involving minors may vary by jurisdiction. If any court of competent jurisdiction determines that this class action waiver or arbitration agreement is unenforceable as to a minor, the remaining provisions of these Terms shall remain in full force and effect, and disputes involving that minor shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Delaware.

18. Modification of Terms

We may modify these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will provide you with at least 30 days' notice before the changes take effect. Notice will be provided by email (sent to the address associated with your account) or through a prominent notice within the Service.

The updated Terms will include a revised "Effective Date" and "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

Your right to reject changes: If you do not agree with the modified Terms, you may reject the changes by cancelling your subscription and deleting your account before the new Terms take effect. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of the modified Terms constitutes your acceptance of the changes.

19. Academic Integrity Disclaimer

Serona is designed as a study aid to help you learn and prepare for classes, tests, and exams. It is not a substitute for attending class, doing your own work, or engaging with course material firsthand.

• Do not submit AI-generated content as your own work.Notes, flashcards, study guides, and other materials generated by Serona are intended to help you study and understand material. They are not intended to be submitted as original academic work. Submitting AI-generated content as your own may violate your school's academic integrity or honor code policies.
• Comply with your school's honor code.You are responsible for understanding and complying with your school's or institution's policies regarding the use of AI tools, study aids, and academic integrity. Policies vary widely among institutions, and it is your obligation to know the rules that apply to you.
• Serona is not responsible for academic consequences. If you face academic disciplinary action as a result of how you use materials generated by the Service, Serona is not responsible or liable for those consequences.

20. General Provisions

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable, or if modification is not possible, severed from these Terms. The remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

Force Majeure

Serona shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations under these Terms where such failure or delay results from circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, acts of government, epidemics or pandemics, war or terrorism, power outages, internet disruptions, or failures of third-party service providers.

Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or any rights or obligations hereunder without our prior written consent. Serona may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, without your consent. Subject to the foregoing, these Terms shall bind and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

Waiver

The failure of Serona to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. Any waiver of any provision of these Terms shall be effective only if in writing and signed by Serona.

Contact Information

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

• General inquiries: hello@serona.io
• Privacy and legal: privacy@serona.io
• DMCA notices: privacy@serona.io (subject line: "DMCA Takedown Notice")