Terms of Service

Last Updated: 11/8/2025

Welcome to Panel Haus. By using our service, you agree to these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you don't agree, don't use Panel Haus.

1. What Panel Haus Is

Panel Haus is a web-based comic creation platform that provides:

• Drag-and-drop panel layouts and templates
• Speech balloon tools
• AI-powered image enhancement (background removal, cleanup, remixing)
• Export presets for publishing platforms
• Access to workshops and creator resources

We provide tools. You create the content.

2. Your Account

Creating an Account:

• You must be 18+ or have parental consent
• Provide accurate information
• Keep your password secure
• You're responsible for all activity on your account

Account Security:

• Don't share your login credentials
• Notify us immediately if your account is compromised
• We're not liable for unauthorized access if you fail to secure your account

Account Termination:

• You can close your account anytime
• We can suspend or terminate your account for violating these Terms
• Paid subscriptions are subject to refund policies in Section 5

3. What You Own (This Is Important)

You own your content. Period.

When you create comics, stories, or other content using Panel Haus:

• You retain all intellectual property rights
• Panel Haus does not claim ownership of your work
• You can publish, sell, or distribute your content however you want

What We Need From You:

• Permission to host, display, and process your content to provide the service
• Permission to use anonymized/aggregated data to improve Panel Haus
• If you share content publicly within Panel Haus (community features, templates), you grant us a license to display it

User-Generated Templates:

If you contribute templates to the Panel Haus library:

• You grant Panel Haus a non-exclusive license to distribute those templates to other users
• You retain ownership
• You confirm you have the right to share them

4. AI Features and Limitations

What Our AI Does:

• Background removal on imported images
• Image cleanup and enhancement
• Style remixing and composition adjustments

What You're Responsible For:

• Ensuring you have rights to use the images you upload
• Understanding that AI outputs may not be perfect
• Reviewing and editing AI-enhanced content before publishing

AI Limitations:

• AI features require credits (see Section 5)
• We don't guarantee specific results
• AI processing times may vary
• We may limit AI usage to prevent abuse

Important: You are responsible for ensuring your final published content doesn't infringe on others' intellectual property, even if AI tools were used in creation.

5. Payment, Subscriptions, and Refunds

Free Tier:

• Limited access to basic features
• No payment required
• We can change or remove free tier features at any time

Paid Subscriptions:

• Billed monthly or every 28 days (depending on plan)
• Auto-renews unless you cancel
• Prices may change with 30 days notice to existing subscribers
• Cancel anytime; access continues until end of billing period

AI Credit Packs:

• Prepaid credits for AI features
• Non-refundable once purchased
• Credits don't expire but are tied to your account
• Not transferable

"Founding Creator" or Limited-Time Rates:

• Early adopters may receive locked-in pricing
• These rates are honored as long as subscription remains active
• Canceling and re-subscribing forfeits locked rates

Refunds:

• Subscriptions: No refunds for partial months, but you can cancel to prevent future charges
• AI Credit Packs: Non-refundable once purchased
• Workshops: Refunds only if we cancel the workshop
• Exceptions: We may offer refunds at our discretion for technical issues or service failures

Payment Processing:

• Payments processed through third-party providers (Stripe, etc.)
• You agree to their terms of service
• We don't store your payment information

6. Workshops and Live Events

Workshop Registration:

• Workshops may have limited seats
• Registration does not guarantee attendance (technical issues, etc.)
• Recordings may be provided but are not guaranteed

Workshop Conduct:

• Be respectful to instructors and other participants
• Don't spam, promote competing services, or behave inappropriately
• We can remove you from workshops for violations

Workshop Content:

• We may record workshops for replay/promotional use
• By attending, you consent to being recorded
• Recordings are Panel Haus property

7. Acceptable Use Policy

You agree NOT to:

• Upload illegal content (child exploitation, terrorism, etc.)
• Infringe on others' intellectual property
• Use Panel Haus to create spam, phishing, or malicious content
• Attempt to hack, reverse engineer, or exploit our systems
• Resell or redistribute Panel Haus access without authorization
• Use bots or automated tools to abuse the service
• Harass other users or staff

Content Restrictions:

• No sexually explicit content involving minors (zero tolerance)
• No hate speech, harassment, or content promoting violence
• No impersonation or misleading content
• We reserve the right to remove content that violates these rules

Enforcement:

• First violation: Warning
• Repeated violations: Account suspension or termination
• Severe violations (illegal content, abuse): Immediate termination + reporting to authorities
• No refunds for terminated accounts

8. Intellectual Property (What's Ours)

Panel Haus Owns:

• The platform, code, design, and infrastructure
• Panel Haus branding, logos, and trademarks
• Templates we create (you can use them, but we own them)
• Our AI models and processing systems

You Can't:

• Copy, modify, or redistribute our code
• Use our branding without permission
• Claim Panel Haus features as your own

9. Third-Party Services

Panel Haus integrates with:

• Payment processors (Stripe, etc.)
• Cloud hosting providers
• AI service providers
• Export platforms (KDP, Instagram, TikTok indirectly)

We're not responsible for:

• Third-party service outages
• Changes to third-party APIs or terms
• Data breaches at third-party providers (though we choose reputable partners)

10. Service Availability and Changes

Uptime:

• We aim for 99%+ uptime but don't guarantee it
• Scheduled maintenance will be announced when possible
• We're not liable for lost work due to outages (save your work!)

Feature Changes:

• We can add, modify, or remove features at any time
• Major changes affecting paid users will be announced
• Free tier features can change without notice

Service Termination:

• We can shut down Panel Haus (we don't plan to, but legally we need to say this)
• If we do, we'll give 90 days notice and offer data export

11. Liability and Disclaimers

Panel Haus is provided "AS IS":

• We don't guarantee it's bug-free
• We don't guarantee AI outputs
• We don't guarantee your content will be publishable/profitable

We're NOT liable for:

• Lost work or data (back up your files!)
• Copyright infringement in your final content
• Damages from service outages or bugs
• Third-party actions (platform bans, DMCA takedowns, etc.)

Maximum Liability: If we somehow screw up and you have a valid claim, our liability is limited to the amount you paid us in the last 3 months (or $100, whichever is greater).

Exceptions:

Nothing in these Terms limits our liability for:

• Death or personal injury caused by our negligence
• Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
• Other things we legally can't disclaim (varies by jurisdiction)

12. Indemnification (You Protect Us)

You agree to defend and indemnify Panel Haus if someone sues us because of:

• Content you created and published
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your infringement of someone else's rights

Translation: If you publish something illegal/infringing and we get sued, you cover it.

13. Termination

You can leave anytime:

• Cancel your subscription (no partial refunds)
• Request account deletion (we'll delete your data per our Privacy Policy)

We can terminate you if:

• You violate these Terms
• You abuse the service
• Legal requirements demand it

What happens on termination:

• Access ends immediately
• Paid subscriptions/credits are forfeited (no refunds for violations)
• We may retain data for legal/accounting purposes

14. Changes to These Terms

We can update these Terms anytime. Changes will be posted with a new "Last Updated" date.

Material changes:

• We'll email you 30 days before major changes
• Continuing to use Panel Haus means you accept the new Terms
• If you don't agree, cancel your account before changes take effect

15. Privacy

Your privacy matters. See our separate Privacy Policy for details on data collection, use, and protection.

Quick version:

• We collect what we need to run the service
• We don't sell your data
• We use industry-standard security
• You can request your data or deletion

16. Copyright and DMCA

If you believe someone on Panel Haus is infringing your copyright:

Send a DMCA notice to: legal@panelhaus.app

Include:

• Your contact information
• Description of copyrighted work
• Location of infringing content on Panel Haus
• Statement of good faith belief
• Statement of accuracy under penalty of perjury
• Your signature

Counter-Notices: If your content was removed and you believe it was a mistake, you can file a counter-notice.

Repeat Infringers: We terminate accounts of repeat copyright infringers.

17. Dispute Resolution

Informal Resolution First: If you have a problem, contact us at help@panelhaus.app. We'll try to resolve it.

Arbitration Rules:

• Individual basis only (no class actions)
• Ontario Arbitration Association rules
• Arbitrator's decision is final
• You can opt out within 30 days of accepting these Terms by emailing us

Small Claims Court: You can still file in small claims court if the dispute qualifies.

18. Miscellaneous Legal Stuff

• Entire Agreement: These Terms (+ Privacy Policy) are the complete agreement between us. Supersedes any prior agreements.
• Severability: If any part of these Terms is unenforceable, the rest still applies.
• No Waiver: If we don't enforce a provision, that doesn't mean we waive the right to enforce it later.
• Assignment: You can't transfer your account. We can transfer our rights/obligations (e.g., if acquired).
• Force Majeure: We're not liable for delays/failures due to events beyond our control (natural disasters, wars, pandemics, AWS going down, etc.).
• Contact: Questions about these Terms? Email help@panelhaus.app

19. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Ontario, Canada, without regard to conflict of law principles.

By using Panel Haus, you acknowledge you've read, understood, and agree to these Terms of Service.