Terms of Service

By accessing or using Sparker Verify ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you are using the Service on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have the authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Service. Your continued use of the Service after any changes to these Terms constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

Sparker Verify is a media verification platform that provides cryptographic proof of authenticity for images, videos, and audio. The Service includes:

• Hardware-backed device registration and key management
• Nonce-challenge verification protocol for live media capture
• C2PA manifest generation and signature registry
• Public verification API for relying parties
• Anonymous verification tokens for sharing capture capabilities
• JavaScript SDK and platform-specific integration guides

The Service is provided "as-is" and may be updated, modified, or discontinued at our discretion. We will provide reasonable notice of material changes.

To access authenticated features of the Service, you must create an account using Google OAuth. By creating an account, you agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete information
• Maintain the security of your account credentials and access tokens
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account
• Accept responsibility for all activity under your account, including verifications created via your anonymous tokens

You must be at least 16 years of age to create an account. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

4.1 Permitted uses

The Service is intended for:

• Verifying the authenticity of media content
• Creating cryptographic provenance records for original media
• Integrating verification capabilities into third-party applications
• Sharing verification capabilities via anonymous tokens for legitimate purposes

4.2 Prohibited uses

You may not use the Service to:

• Submit media that is illegal, harmful, threatening, abusive, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable
• Attempt to verify manipulated, AI-generated, or synthetically altered media as authentic
• Circumvent or attempt to circumvent rate limits, quotas, or security measures
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Service
• Use automated tools to scrape, crawl, or extract data from the Service beyond normal API usage
• Impersonate another user or entity
• Share or distribute anonymous tokens for the purpose of circumventing quotas or facilitating abuse
• Use the Service to facilitate fraud, deception, or misinformation

4.3 Content restrictions

You are solely responsible for the media you submit to the Service. You must have the legal right to capture, possess, and submit any media content. We reserve the right to remove content that violates these Terms or applicable law.

The Service enforces usage quotas and rate limits based on your account tier:

Exceeding your quota will result in API requests being rejected with a 429 status code until your quota resets. Rate limits apply per-endpoint and are documented in the API documentation. Verifications created via anonymous tokens count against the token creator's quota.

We reserve the right to modify quota limits with reasonable notice. Abuse of the quota system, including creating multiple accounts to circumvent limits, may result in account suspension.

6.1 Ownership

You retain all ownership rights to the media content you submit to the Service. Sparker does not claim ownership of your content.

6.2 License granted to Sparker

By submitting content to the Service, you grant Sparker a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to store, process, and display your content solely for the purpose of providing the verification service. This includes:

• Storing the media file and associated metadata
• Generating and storing C2PA manifests and signature hashes
• Making verification status and C2PA manifests available through the public verification API

This license terminates when you delete your content or account, except for anonymized verification records necessary to maintain registry integrity.

6.3 Public verification data

You understand and agree that certain verification data (signature hash, verification status, C2PA manifest) is made publicly available through the verification API. This is a core feature of the Service that enables third-party authenticity checks.

The Service, including its software, design, documentation, and branding, is owned by Sparker and protected by intellectual property laws. The SDK is provided under the MIT License for integration purposes.

You may not use our trademarks, logos, or branding without prior written permission, except to identify your integration with the Service (e.g., "Verified by Sparker").

The Service integrates with third-party services including:

• Google OAuth: Used for account authentication. Subject to Google's Terms of Service
• WebAuthn/FIDO2: Browser-level API for hardware key access, governed by your browser and operating system

We are not responsible for the availability, security, or terms of third-party services. Your use of third-party services is governed by their respective terms and policies.

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

We do not warrant that:

• The Service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free
• Verification results will be 100% accurate in all circumstances
• The Service will meet all of your specific requirements
• Hardware attestation will be available on all devices

Verification results represent a cryptographic assessment based on available data and should not be treated as a legal guarantee of media authenticity.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Sparker shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising from or related to your use of the Service.

Our total aggregate liability for all claims arising from or related to the Service shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amounts you paid to Sparker in the twelve months preceding the claim, or (b) one hundred US dollars ($100).

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Sparker, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Content you submit through the Service
• Your violation of any third-party rights

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us or through the account settings. We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice, including for:

• Violation of these Terms or the Acceptable Use Policy
• Suspected fraudulent or abusive activity
• Extended period of inactivity
• Legal or regulatory requirements

Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. Sections related to intellectual property, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, and governing law survive termination.

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will provide notice of material changes by updating the "Last updated" date and, for significant changes, through email or a prominent notice on the Service.

Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. If you disagree with the changes, you should discontinue use and delete your account.

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from these Terms or the Service shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in San Francisco County, California.

For users in the European Union, nothing in these Terms affects your rights under applicable EU consumer protection legislation.

For questions about these Terms of Service, contact us at: