Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of these Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the website at universalcertificationauthority.org (the "Service"), operated by Universal Certification Authority ("we," "us," "the Authority"). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you may not use the Service.

2. The nature of the Service

The Service offers humorous, satirical credentials in fictional disciplines. The credentials, examinations, course materials, official-sounding language, and ceremonial formalities are presented in a deadpan style for comedic effect. The Service is published in the United States and is intended to be read as parody and protected speech under applicable law.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least thirteen years of age to use the Service. For purchases involving payment, you must be at least the age of majority in your jurisdiction or have the consent of a parent or legal guardian.

4. Acceptable use

You agree that you will not:

• Use the Service to harass, defame, threaten, or stalk any individual
• Upload a photograph of another person, in connection with a gifted credential, without that person's permission
• Represent any credential issued by the Service as a genuine qualification, license, or accreditation, including on a résumé, curriculum vitae, professional profile, or in any application for employment, admission, or licensure
• Use the Service in connection with fraud, identity theft, or any other unlawful purpose
• Attempt to circumvent payment, security controls, or rate limits
• Scrape, copy, or extract content from the Service in bulk except as expressly permitted
• Upload content that is illegal, defamatory, hateful, sexually explicit, or that infringes on the rights of others

We may, in our sole discretion, refuse service, decline to issue a credential, or remove a credential from public display if we determine that these Terms have been violated.

5. User-submitted content

When you submit information to the Service — including a recipient name, conferrer name, examination responses, or a photograph of a recipient — you represent and warrant that you have the right to provide that information, that the information does not infringe on the rights of others, and that you have any consents required under applicable law.

You grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, store, reproduce, and display the information you submit solely for the purpose of operating the Service, including displaying it on the public credential and verification pages.

6. Intellectual property

The Service — including its source code, designs, copy, logos, and the format of its credentials — is owned by us and is protected by copyright and other intellectual-property laws. The IBM Plex typeface family is used under the SIL Open Font License. Stock photographs are used under the Unsplash License. Acknowledgments of third-party content are maintained in the repository for the Service.

7. Payments and refunds

Paid features (including the printable PDF and gifted credentials) are processed by Stripe, Inc. By making a purchase, you also agree to Stripe's terms. Refunds are governed by our Refund Policy.

8. Disclaimer of warranties

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, accuracy, or uninterrupted operation. We do not warrant that the Service will be available at any particular time, that it will be free of errors, or that any credential issued through the Service will be of any particular utility.

9. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, in no event shall the Authority, its operators, contractors, or affiliates be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or exemplary damages, including but not limited to damages for lost profits, lost data, embarrassment, reputational injury, or any other intangible loss arising out of or in connection with your use of the Service. Our total cumulative liability for any claim arising out of or relating to the Service shall not exceed the greater of (a) the total amount you have paid us in the twelve months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) ten U.S. dollars.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Authority, its operators, contractors, and affiliates from and against any claims, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.

11. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice. Sections intended by their nature to survive termination — including intellectual-property, disclaimer, limitation of liability, and indemnification provisions — shall survive.

12. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in California, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

13. Changes to these Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the date of the most recent revision. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

14. Contact

Questions regarding these Terms may be directed to support@universalcertificationauthority.org.