MelanatedKindred Terms of Service

By creating an account or otherwise using MelanatedKindred (the "Platform," "we," "our app"), you agree to these Terms of Service ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform.

• You must be at least 18 years old to create an account or use MelanatedKindred. By registering, you represent and confirm that you meet this requirement.
• We may suspend or terminate any account we believe belongs to someone under 18.

• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and password.
• You agree to provide accurate information when creating your account.
• You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
• You may not create an account on behalf of someone else without their permission, or impersonate any person or entity.
• We reserve the right to suspend or remove accounts that violate these Terms or our Community Guidelines.

• You own what you post. MelanatedKindred does not claim ownership of your posts, photos, comments, or messages ("User Content").
• By posting User Content, you grant MelanatedKindred a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, store, display, and distribute that content solely for the purpose of operating and providing the Platform (for example, showing your post in a feed, or preserving your name as the original author when content is reshared). This license ends when you delete the content or your account, except where it has already been shared by another user in a way the Platform is designed to preserve (attribution on reshares).
• You are solely responsible for the content you post. You represent that you have the right to post it, and that it does not infringe on anyone else's rights.

Attribution and Resharing

When content is reshared within the Platform, the original author's name and profile link remain attached and cannot be removed or altered by the person resharing it. This is a core feature of MelanatedKindred, not just a policy — see our Community Guidelines for more detail.

If you create a Business account, you represent that:

• You are authorized to represent the business you are creating an account for.
• Any "Black-owned" self-attestation you make is true to the best of your knowledge. MelanatedKindred does not independently verify this claim. Knowingly misrepresenting business ownership may result in suspension or permanent removal of the account.
• Promotional content you post is accurate and not deceptive.

You agree not to:

• Harass, threaten, or abuse other users.
• Post illegal content, or content that is sexually explicit, exploitative, or graphic.
• Post spam, scams, or deceptive links.
• Knowingly spread misinformation.
• Post content that infringes someone else's intellectual property or other rights.
• Attempt to bypass another user's privacy settings, a block, or our moderation systems.
• Use the Platform for any purpose that violates applicable law.

A full description of expected behavior is in our Community Guidelines, which are incorporated into these Terms by reference.

• We reserve the right, but do not assume the obligation, to review, remove, or restrict access to any content or account that we believe violates these Terms or our Community Guidelines. This includes issuing warnings, removing content, suspending accounts, or permanently removing accounts, at our discretion.
• Reports are reviewed by our moderation team. Decisions may be appealed by contacting us as described in our Community Guidelines.

MelanatedKindred respects intellectual property rights. If you believe content on the Platform infringes your copyright, please send a notice to [INSERT DESIGNATED DMCA CONTACT EMAIL] including:

• A description of the copyrighted work you believe is infringed;
• The location (link) of the allegedly infringing material on the Platform;
• Your contact information;
• A statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is not authorized;
• A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information is accurate and that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner;
• Your physical or electronic signature.

Note for legal review: to receive full protection under the DMCA safe harbor, the Company should register a designated agent with the U.S. Copyright Office and include that agent's information here.

This formal DMCA process is separate from the in-app "Report Stolen Content" feature, which addresses attribution disputes between users within the community, described in our Community Guidelines.

The MelanatedKindred name, logo, and branding are the property of Waldington Industries, LLC. Nothing in these Terms grants you rights to use our trademarks or branding without our written permission.

Business accounts and users may post links to external websites, booking pages, or other services. We do not control and are not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of any third-party site linked from the Platform.

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. We do not guarantee the accuracy of any Black-owned business self-attestation, and we do not guarantee the Platform will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free.

[This section requires attorney review before launch.]

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Waldington Industries, LLC shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Platform.

[This section requires attorney review before launch.]

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Waldington Industries, LLC from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the Platform, your User Content, or your violation of these Terms.

You may delete your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate your account for violating these Terms, our Community Guidelines, or applicable law, as described in Section 7.

[This section requires attorney review before launch — including whether to include an arbitration clause.]

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any disputes arising from these Terms or use of the Platform shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Illinois, unless otherwise required by law.

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will provide notice (such as an in-app notification or updated "Effective Date"). Continued use of the Platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

Questions about these Terms can be sent to [INSERT CONTACT EMAIL], or through the in-app contact method described in our Community Guidelines.

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full effect. Our failure to enforce any right or provision is not a waiver of that right. You may not assign these Terms without our consent; we may assign them freely in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and Community Guidelines, make up the entire agreement between you and Waldington Industries, LLC regarding your use of MelanatedKindred.