Terms of Use

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using ReadingVox ("we," "us," or "our"), including our website at readingvox.com, Chrome extension, embeddable widget, APIs, and related services (collectively, the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use ("Terms"). If you are entering into these Terms on behalf of a school, school district, or organization, you represent that you have the authority to bind that entity.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use the Service. These Terms apply in addition to any separate written agreement (such as a site license agreement or purchase order) between you and ReadingVox. In the event of a conflict, the separate written agreement controls.

2. Description of Service

ReadingVox provides a text-to-speech accessibility platform with two primary products:

• Chrome Extension (School Licenses) — A browser extension that reads web page content aloud using high-quality neural text-to-speech, with word-level highlighting. Designed for K-12 students and licensed to schools and districts.
• Developer Widget — An embeddable JavaScript widget that adds text-to-speech functionality to any website, authenticated via domain-locked API keys.

The Service includes accessibility tools such as text simplification, font customization, screen masking, text magnification, and translation. Features may vary by plan.

3. Accounts & Registration

Certain features of the Service require registration. When you create an account, you agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete information
• Maintain the security of your account credentials, API keys, and license keys
• Promptly notify us of any unauthorized use of your account
• Accept responsibility for all activity that occurs under your account

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account. Students under 18 access the Service through their school's license and do not need individual accounts.

4. School & District Licenses

4.1 License Grant

When a school or district purchases a site license, we grant a non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Service for the number of students specified in the license agreement, for the duration of the license term.

4.2 Student Access

Students access the Service using the school's license key and their school-issued credentials (e.g., Google Workspace for Education). Students are automatically registered under the school's license on first use, up to the purchased seat limit.

4.3 School Responsibilities

Schools and districts are responsible for:

• Distributing license keys only to authorized staff and students
• Ensuring the extension is used for legitimate educational purposes
• Providing appropriate consent for student data collection as described in our Privacy Policy
• Notifying parents/guardians that the Service is in use
• Reporting any security concerns to us promptly

4.4 License Key Security

License keys should be treated as confidential. Schools should not post license keys publicly. If a license key is compromised, contact us immediately and we will issue a replacement at no charge.

5. Acceptable Use

You may use the Service only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. Acceptable uses include:

• Reading web page content aloud for accessibility, literacy support, or learning
• Using accessibility tools (simplification, font adjustment, screen masking, translation) to support reading comprehension
• Embedding the widget on your website to provide text-to-speech for your visitors
• Administering and monitoring usage through the dashboard

6. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the Service to generate audio of content that is illegal, harmful, threatening, abusive, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable
• Attempt to reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Service
• Circumvent usage limits, authentication mechanisms, or rate limits
• Share, resell, or sublicense your account, API keys, or license keys to third parties without authorization
• Use the Service to collect, harvest, or store personal information of others without consent
• Introduce viruses, malware, or other harmful code
• Interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers
• Use automated tools (bots, scrapers) to access the Service beyond the provided APIs
• Use the Service for commercial audio content production (e.g., audiobooks, podcasts) unless separately agreed

7. Student Data & Privacy

Protecting student data is central to our service. Our data practices are governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

7.1 Compliance

ReadingVox complies with:

• FERPA — We act as a "school official" with a legitimate educational interest
• COPPA — We rely on school consent for students under 13
• SOPIPA — We do not use student data for advertising, profiling, or sale
• State laws — Including NY Ed Law 2-d, IL SOPPA, CO Student Data Transparency Act, and others

7.2 Data Ownership

Schools retain ownership of all Student Data at all times. ReadingVox does not claim ownership of any content submitted to the Service for text-to-speech conversion.

7.3 Data Processing Agreements

We are happy to sign your state or district's Data Processing Agreement (DPA) or National Data Privacy Agreement (NDPA). Contact privacy@readingvox.com with your DPA template.

8. Intellectual Property

8.1 Our IP

The Service, including its software, design, branding, documentation, and all related intellectual property, is owned by ReadingVox LLC and protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. These Terms do not grant you any right to use our trademarks, logos, or brand names except as needed to use the Service.

8.2 Your Content

You retain all rights to content you submit to the Service (e.g., web page text sent for TTS conversion). By using the Service, you grant us a limited, non-exclusive license to process your content solely to provide the Service (e.g., generate audio, create timestamps, cache for performance). We do not use your content for any other purpose.

8.3 Feedback

If you provide suggestions, ideas, or feedback about the Service, we may use them without obligation to you. Feedback does not include Student Data, which is always governed by the Privacy Policy and any applicable DPA.

9. Subscriptions & Payment

9.1 Pricing

Pricing for the Service is published on our schools page and pricing page. School site licenses are priced per student per year. Developer widget plans are priced per month based on usage.

9.2 Payment Methods

We accept the following payment methods:

• Credit card — Processed securely via Stripe
• Purchase order (PO) — For schools and districts, NET-30 terms
• Check — Made payable to SchoolBolts LLC

9.3 Refund Policy

If you are not satisfied with the Service within the first 30 days of a paid license, contact us for a full refund. After 30 days, refunds are prorated based on the remaining term. Free trials are not subject to refund.

9.4 Renewal

Site licenses do not auto-renew. We will contact you before your license expires with renewal options. Credit card subscriptions (developer widget) renew automatically unless cancelled.

10. Free Trials

We offer free 30-day trials for schools with up to 5 student seats. Trials are subject to these Terms. At the end of the trial:

• Access to the Service will be suspended unless a license is purchased
• Any Student Data collected during the trial will be deleted within 60 days unless a license is purchased
• No payment information is required to start a trial

11. Termination

11.1 By You

You may stop using the Service at any time. For site licenses, contact us to cancel. For developer subscriptions, cancel through your dashboard. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period.

11.2 By Us

We may suspend or terminate your access if you violate these Terms, fail to pay amounts due, or if required by law. We will provide reasonable notice before termination except in cases of serious violations or legal requirements.

11.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your right to use the Service ends immediately (or at the end of the paid term, whichever is later)
• Student Data will be deleted within 60 days in accordance with our Privacy Policy
• We will provide data export upon request before deletion
• Sections that by their nature should survive termination (e.g., Limitation of Liability, Governing Law) will survive

12. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, 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, error-free, or completely secure. Text-to-speech output is generated by AI models and may occasionally contain pronunciation errors or inaccuracies.

ReadingVox is an assistive technology tool. It is not a substitute for professional assessment, special education services, or qualified instruction. Schools should use the Service as one component of a comprehensive literacy and accessibility program.

13. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, READINGVOX LLC SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM:

• Your use of or inability to use the Service
• Any unauthorized access to or use of our servers or your data
• Any interruption or cessation of the Service
• Any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions in the text-to-speech output

IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY EXCEED THE GREATER OF: (A) THE AMOUNTS PAID BY YOU TO READINGVOX IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100).

NOTHING IN THESE TERMS LIMITS OUR LIABILITY FOR: (A) OUR BREACH OF OBLIGATIONS REGARDING STUDENT DATA UNDER FERPA, COPPA, OR APPLICABLE STATE STUDENT PRIVACY LAWS; (B) OUR GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT; OR (C) ANY LIABILITY THAT CANNOT BE EXCLUDED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.

14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless ReadingVox LLC, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of:

• Your use of the Service in violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any third-party rights
• Content you submit to the Service (excluding Student Data processed as part of the Service)

This indemnification does not apply to public school districts to the extent prohibited by state law.

15. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of laws provisions. Any dispute arising from these Terms shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in San Francisco County, California.

For school and district customers: if your state law requires that disputes be governed by your state's laws or resolved in your state's courts, those requirements will apply to the extent mandated by law.

16. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes:

• We will provide 30 days' advance notice to active license holders before material changes take effect
• Notice will be sent via email and posted on our website
• Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms
• If you do not agree to the changes, you may terminate your use of the Service

17. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms: