Terms of Service

Welcome to CharaStudio (hereinafter "CharaStudio," "we," or "the Company"). CharaStudio is a brand operated by an individual developer under the laws of the People's Republic of China.

These Terms of Service (hereinafter "these Terms") govern your access to and use of the CharaStudio software service (hereinafter "the Service"). CharaStudio is an AI-powered desktop creative tool that helps users create and manage story plots, characters, comics, and other content.

Important Notice: If you do not agree to these Terms, please stop using the Service. Continued use after Terms updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

CharaStudio provides an AI technology-centric platform enabling users to create story plots, manage character settings, and generate comic content. This Service is a desktop software-as-a-service (SaaS) product delivered over the Internet.

2.1 Services We Provide

This Service is a digital intangible product. Service access is granted immediately upon payment confirmation. Due to the instant delivery nature of digital services, specific refund limitations apply, as detailed in Article 7.

2.2 Nature of Service

This Service uses third-party AI model providers, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others. The Service's performance and availability may be affected by these providers' operational status. Major disruptions will be promptly communicated to users.

2.3 AI Model Dependencies

As a desktop application, content you create (such as story plots, character settings, image materials, etc.) is stored on your local device by default. We only sync necessary account information to enable multi-device access functionality.

2.4 Local Data Storage

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time without prior notice.

3.1 Account Creation

Using this Service requires creating an account with accurate and complete information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activities under your account.

3.2 Account Security

• Immediately contact charastudio@163.com upon discovering unauthorized use.
• Do not share login credentials with any third party.
• Ensure your registered email address remains valid.

3.3 Enterprise Accounts

If registering on behalf of a company or organization, you represent that you are authorized to sign this agreement for that entity.

We offer both subscription membership plans and credit packages.

4.1 Subscription Membership Plans

Subscription membership plans provide premium features and additional benefits. For current membership tiers and pricing, please visit the in-app pricing page.

4.2 Credit Packages

You may purchase credit packages at any time to redeem for specific AI generation features (such as image generation, story continuation, etc.). For current available credit packages and pricing, please visit the in-app pricing page. We reserve the right to modify plan features or introduce new plans at any time. Price changes are subject to Article 5.

5.1 Subscription Auto-Renewal Authorization

Subscribing to a paid plan authorizes CharaStudio to charge your payment method for the corresponding subscription fee on a recurring basis until you cancel per Article 6. Your subscription auto-renews at the end of each billing cycle unless you cancel. For annual subscriptions, we will send a renewal reminder to your registered email 7 days before renewal.

5.2 Credit Purchase Authorization

Each credit purchase is a one-time transaction authorized at checkout. Completing a purchase authorizes CharaStudio to charge your payment method the amount displayed at checkout.

5.3 Taxes

Unless otherwise stated, listed prices do not include applicable taxes (including VAT, sales tax, etc.). Where required by applicable law, we will collect and remit such taxes on your behalf.

5.4 Payment Processing

Payment card data is processed exclusively by our PCI-DSS compliant payment processors (Waffo / 虎皮椒) and is not stored on our servers.

6.1 How to Cancel Your Subscription

You may cancel your subscription at any time through:

• In-app cancellation (recommended): Account Settings → Subscription Management → Cancel Subscription
• Email cancellation: Send a cancellation request from your registered email to charastudio@163.com

6.2 Effects of Cancellation

• Your subscription remains active until the current billing cycle expires.
• No further charges will be made in subsequent billing cycles.
• Purchased credits are not affected by subscription status and retain their original validity period.
• Account data will be retained for 90 days after cancellation, then deleted per the Privacy Policy.

7.1 Subscription Refunds

• First-time subscriber 7-day guarantee: First-time subscribers may request a full refund within 7 days of first charge, provided usage does not exceed 10% of plan benefits.
• Duplicate charges: Full refund for duplicate charges caused by billing errors.
• Verified service interruptions: Proportional refund or compensation for prolonged service interruptions (over 72 hours) caused by us.
• Statutory rights: Withdrawal or refund rights granted by applicable law (such as the EU's 14-day cooling-off period) are preserved.

7.2 Credit Refunds

• Unused credits within 7 days of purchase: Full refund if credits have not been used within 7 days of purchase.
• Consumed credits are non-refundable.
• Duplicate charges: Full refund for duplicate charges caused by billing errors.

7.3 How to Request a Refund

Please send refund requests to charastudio@163.com, including your account email, transaction ID, and reason for refund. We will confirm within 2 business days and process eligible refunds within 5-10 business days.

7.4 Non-Refundable Items

• Fees for used subscription periods (except for Article 7.1 circumstances).
• Annual subscription refund requests made more than 30 days after initial purchase.
• Accounts closed for violating these Terms or the Acceptable Use Policy.
• Consumed credits.
• Other circumstances where refund is not permitted under applicable law.

If you believe a charge is erroneous, please contact charastudio@163.com first before initiating a transaction dispute with your bank. We commit to responding within 2 business days and resolving confirmed billing errors within 5 business days.

9.1 Output Content Ownership

Subject to these Terms, AI content ("Output Content") generated from your inputs belongs to you. You may use Output Content for any lawful purpose within the scope permitted under Article 10.

9.2 Input Content License

By submitting content to this Service ("Input Content"), you grant CharaStudio a limited, non-exclusive license solely for providing the Service to you. We will not use your Input Content for training AI models without your explicit consent.

9.3 Third-Party AI Model Dependencies

This Service uses third-party AI model providers, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others. Output Content may be influenced by these providers' models. We do not guarantee specific output quality and assume no responsibility for content generated by third-party models.

9.4 AI Output Accuracy

AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies. You are responsible for reviewing and verifying Output Content before relying on it.

10.1 Permitted Uses

You may only use this Service for lawful purposes consistent with these Terms, including personal creation, educational learning, research, and other lawful entertainment purposes.

10.2 Prohibited Uses

You agree not to use this Service to:

• Generate illegal, defamatory, harassing, or fraudulent content.
• Generate, disseminate, or assist in creating deepfake content, including AI-synthesized audio, video, or images impersonating real individuals or intended to mislead viewers about their source or authenticity.
• Generate content involving sexualization of minors or violating child protection laws.
• Create malware, phishing content, or cyberattack tools.
• Infringe on any third party's intellectual property rights, portrait rights, or privacy rights.
• Bypass or interfere with this Service's security features.
• Resell or sublicense access rights without prior written approval.
• Violate any applicable laws, regulations, or card rules.

10.3 AI Merchant-Specific Prohibitions

In addition to the above general prohibitions, given this Service's AI technology nature, you explicitly agree not to:

• Use this Service's inputs, outputs, model responses, or any derivative data to train, fine-tune, benchmark, knowledge-distill, or otherwise develop any AI or machine learning model that directly or indirectly competes with this Service or CharaStudio products.
• Large-scale, systematic scraping, extraction, or collection of model outputs for purposes other than your personal authorized use.
• In potentially harmful scenarios, present AI-generated content as the work of human professionals (such as licensed doctors, lawyers, or financial advisors).

Your use of this Service is governed by our Privacy Policy, published at the relevant link. Payment card data is processed exclusively by our PCI-DSS compliant payment processors (Waffo / 虎皮椒) and is not stored on our servers. Account data is retained for 90 days after cancellation, then deleted.

Your local creative content is stored on your local device. We do not proactively access or collect content you create locally.

12.1 Disclaimer

This Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without any express or implied warranties, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or AI output accuracy.

12.2 AI-Generated Content Disclaimer

Important Notice: AI-Generated Content Disclaimer. This Service's AI output may be inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated. Do not use it for legal, medical, financial, or other professional advice. Always verify with qualified professionals before taking action based on AI content.

12.3 Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, CharaStudio shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages. Our total liability is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim event.

12.4 Local Data Liability

Creative content you store locally is your responsibility to back up and protect. We are not liable for losses caused by local data loss, corruption, or failure to back up.

These Terms remain effective during your use of the Service. We may suspend or terminate your account if you materially breach these Terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or as required by law. If we terminate the Service for reasons not attributable to your breach, we will refund unused prepaid amounts proportionally. You may delete your account at any time by contacting charastudio@163.com. After account deletion, your local data remains on your device.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the People's Republic of China. Any dispute arising from these Terms shall first be resolved through friendly negotiation. If negotiation fails, either party may file a lawsuit with a competent people's court.

We may update these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email at least 15 days before the effective date. Continued use constitutes acceptance. If any provision is found invalid, the remaining provisions remain fully effective. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the complete agreement between you and CharaStudio.

For questions about these Terms or billing, please contact:

• Official Website: www.charastudio.net
• General Customer Support: charastudio@163.com
• Billing Inquiries: charastudio@163.com
• Refund Requests: charastudio@163.com
• Cancel Subscription: charastudio@163.com or in-app Account Settings
• Legal and Privacy: charastudio@163.com
• Security Issues: charastudio@163.com