Terms and Conditions

§ 1 Scope and Contracting Parties

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern the use of the Symban platform (hereinafter "Service"), operated by Michailidou Digital Services I.E., Zakaria Paliashvili Street 41, 0179 Tbilisi, Georgia (hereinafter "Provider").

By registering for and using the Service, the user accepts these Terms. Deviating terms of the user are not recognised unless the Provider expressly agrees to them in writing.

The Service is offered to both consumers (within the meaning of § 13 of the German Civil Code – natural persons concluding a transaction for purposes that are predominantly outside their trade, business or profession) and business customers (within the meaning of § 14 of the German Civil Code). Individual provisions of these Terms – in particular the right of withdrawal under § 6 – apply exclusively to consumers and are marked accordingly.

§ 2 Description of Service

Symban is an AI-powered platform designed to assist with the creation of book manuscripts. The Service includes, but is not limited to:

• AI-assisted concept generation (characters, plot, world-building)
• Automated text production through a multi-stage pipeline
• Project management and chapter structuring
• Book-level editing and targeted micro-edits
• Export of generated content (including Markdown)

Individual features may be in a test or beta phase. Such features are marked accordingly within the platform and may be changed or discontinued without notice; no service level is agreed for beta features.

The Provider reserves the right to expand, restrict or modify the scope of the Service at any time. Material changes to the Service that affect the contractual relationship will be notified in accordance with § 9.

§ 3 Pricing, Plans and Billing

3.1 Plans

The following plans are available:

• Draft – free, 2 chapters one-time (lifetime), 1 book
• Starter – €29/month, 2 chapters/month, standalone books
• Hobby – €79/month, 5 chapters/month, series possible
• Selfpublisher – €169/month, 12 chapters/month, series possible
• Pro – €349/month, 25 chapters/month, series possible, BYOK included

All paid plans can be cancelled on a monthly basis; there is no minimum term. Monthly billing takes place on the contract anniversary date via our payment provider Stripe.

3.2 What is a chapter?

A chapter on Symban is a self-contained narrative arc – a coherent narrative unit that completes a plot beat or story phase – and not a fixed amount of words or characters. The terms "chapter" and "narrative arc" refer to the same unit throughout these Terms and within the platform; "chapter" is the user-facing term, "narrative arc" describes the dramaturgical function.

A chapter consists of several scenes; each scene is on average around 750 words long. How many scenes a chapter comprises depends on the dramaturgy of the respective narrative arc: some chapters comprise only 2 or 3 scenes, others 8 or 10. There is no fixed maximum length – the chapter becomes as long as the narrative requires.

A chapter counts as consumed once its narrative arc is complete. Until the current chapter is completed, the user may produce any number of scenes within that narrative arc without consuming additional quota.

3.3 No credits, tokens or word-based billing

Symban bills exclusively per chapter – not per credit, token, word or character. A booked plan includes a fixed monthly chapter allowance (see 3.1); additional chapters can be purchased individually at any time (see 3.5). There is no balance system that is consumed based on word count or API calls. Any labels such as "credits" that may appear in the database or account are historical artefacts and have no contractual effect.

3.4 Monthly allowance and expiry

The monthly chapter allowance of a paid plan is available for the current billing period (one month from the contract anniversary date). Unused chapters of the monthly allowance expire at the end of the billing period and are not carried over into the next period.

The one-time allowance of the free Draft plan (2 chapters) is limited to the entire duration of use (lifetime) and is not renewed once consumed – not even after a paid subscription is booked and later cancelled.

3.5 Additional chapters (top-up)

In all paid plans, additional chapters can be purchased at any time as a one-time purchase at €5/chapter. Purchased chapters do not expire but remain permanently available to the user as long as the account exists. They are drawn upon automatically once the monthly allowance has been used.

3.6 Re-generation of individual scenes ("Retry")

If a generated scene does not meet the user's expectations, it may be re-generated under the following conditions:

• Draft (free): Re-generations are not included. Consumed chapters cannot be re-produced.
• Paid plans (Starter, Hobby, Selfpublisher, Pro): Up to two re-generations are available per scene.

For reasons of narrative consistency, a re-generation will cause all subsequent scenes of the current chapter (i.e. the current narrative arc) as well as all chapters that follow it to be deleted and – if desired – produced again. The chapter allowance already consumed is not refunded; re-produced chapters will be counted against the current monthly allowance. The platform informs the user of these consequences before each re-generation.

3.7 Plan changes (upgrade and downgrade)

An upgrade to a higher plan takes effect immediately. Quota already consumed in the current period is counted against the new plan; the user receives the remainder of the new allowance. The prorated difference of the plan price is charged via Stripe.

A downgrade to a lower plan takes effect at the end of the current billing period. Until then, the user retains access to the full scope of the previous plan.

3.8 Micro-edits

Micro-edits (targeted, short text changes to an existing scene) are included exclusively in the paid plans (Starter, Hobby, Selfpublisher, Pro) and are part of those plans in unlimited number. Micro-edits are not available in the free Draft plan.

3.9 BYOK (Bring Your Own Key)

Using your own OpenAI API key is included exclusively in the Pro plan (€349/month). BYOK is not available in Starter, Hobby and Selfpublisher. When using BYOK, text generation costs are charged directly to the user's OpenAI account; the Provider assumes no liability for these costs. The monthly chapter limit of the Pro plan does not apply when using BYOK; limits arise solely from the user's OpenAI balance and OpenAI rate limits.

In the event of OpenAI downtime, interruptions, or depletion of the OpenAI balance, the pipeline cannot be executed. The Provider assumes no liability for such third-party outages (see also § 5.3).

3.10 VAT and currencies

All prices include any applicable VAT. Billing takes place in euros (EUR) or – where detected by the system based on browser and location data – in US dollars (USD). The prices shown at checkout are binding.

§ 4 Rights to Content and Acceptable Use

4.1 Rights to User Input

The user retains all rights to the content they enter (e.g. concepts, character descriptions, plotlines, style bibles, blueprints, prompts). The Provider acquires no rights to this content beyond what is technically necessary to operate the platform.

The user grants the Provider a simple, non-transferable right, limited to the duration of use, to process the entered content exclusively for the purpose of fulfilling the contract (i.e. for generating and quality-assuring the requested texts).

4.2 Rights to AI-Generated Content

Symban claims no rights whatsoever to texts and content generated through the platform. All texts generated through the platform are available to the user for free use, including commercial use, publication and further editing.

The user acknowledges that under current German and European law, purely AI-generated texts generally do not enjoy copyright protection, as copyright requires a personal intellectual creation by a human being. Copyright protection may arise if the user substantially revises, supplements or shapes the texts independently. The Symban pipeline is designed to serve as a tool within the meaning of copyright law – creative control lies with the user.

4.3 No Exclusivity

As content is produced by AI models, the Provider cannot guarantee that identical or similar texts will not be generated for other users. No claim to exclusivity exists.

4.4 No Use of Content by Symban

The Provider does not use user input or generated content for training its own or third-party AI models. Content is not used for advertising purposes, not shared with third parties and not used beyond the technical operation of the platform, unless the user expressly consents to such use.

4.5 Acceptable Use

The user undertakes not to use the Service to generate or distribute the following content:

• content of a criminal nature, in particular depictions of sexualised violence against minors, incitement to hatred (§ 130 German Criminal Code), incitement to violence, Holocaust denial
• content that violates the personality rights of real, identifiable persons (e.g. false statements of fact, sexualised depictions without consent)
• content that infringes applicable trademark, patent or copyright law
• content intended to deceive third parties (e.g. phishing, identity fraud)

In addition, the current usage policies of the underlying AI model provider apply (in particular the OpenAI Usage Policies), which the Provider must enforce against the user due to its processor relationship. In the event of breaches of these rules, the Provider reserves the right to suspend the account in accordance with § 8.

4.6 Labelling of AI-generated content

The user is solely responsible for complying with the applicable labelling obligations for AI-generated works when publishing content produced with the Service – in particular the obligations arising from EU Regulation 2024/1689 (EU AI Act), which take effect in stages from 2025/2026, as well as any national requirements. The Provider does not automatically label the content itself.

§ 5 Liability

5.1 AI-Generated Content

Texts generated through the Service are created automatically by AI models. The Provider assumes no liability for the accuracy, completeness, quality, originality or publication readiness of the generated content. AI systems can produce inaccurate, incomplete or rights-infringing content ("hallucinations", false claims, unintended reproduction of protected wording). The user is obliged to carefully review the generated content before any publication, correct it where necessary and check it for potential infringements.

5.2 Availability

The Provider endeavours to ensure uninterrupted availability of the Service but does not owe an agreed service level. Maintenance, technical issues or force majeure may result in temporary restrictions. Planned maintenance windows are, where possible, announced in advance within the platform.

5.3 Third-party outages

The Service technically relies on services provided by third parties (in particular OpenAI for text generation, Stripe for payment processing, Supabase for database and hosting, Resend for transactional emails). In the event of disruptions, outages or pricing changes by these third parties, the Service may be temporarily unavailable or only partially available. Liability of the Provider for third-party outages is excluded – with the exception of cases that cannot be excluded under mandatory law.

5.4 Limitation of Liability

The Provider's liability is limited to wilful misconduct and gross negligence. Liability for indirect damages, lost profits or data loss is excluded to the extent permitted by law. Liability under the German Product Liability Act and in cases of injury to life, body or health, as well as in cases of culpable breach of essential contractual obligations (cardinal obligations), remains unaffected; in the latter case, however, liability is limited to the typical foreseeable damage.

§ 6 Right of Withdrawal (consumers only)

6.1 Withdrawal Notice

Consumers have the right to withdraw from the contract for a subscription or chapter top-up within 14 days without giving reasons. The withdrawal period is 14 days from the date of the conclusion of the contract. To exercise this right, the user must inform the Provider by means of a clear statement (e.g. by email to contact@symban.de). To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient to send the notification of withdrawal before the withdrawal period expires.

6.2 Early Expiry of the Right of Withdrawal

The right of withdrawal expires prematurely if the user begins using the Service (in particular by generating chapters) before the end of the withdrawal period and has expressly consented to the Provider commencing performance of the contract, as well as acknowledged that they will lose their right of withdrawal upon complete fulfilment of the contract (§ 356 (5) German Civil Code).

6.3 Consequences of Withdrawal and Compensation for Value

If the user withdraws from the contract, the Provider will refund all payments received without undue delay and no later than 14 days from the day on which the withdrawal notice was received. For the refund, the Provider uses the same means of payment that the user used for the original transaction, unless expressly agreed otherwise.

If the user has already generated chapters or used micro-edits before the end of the withdrawal period, they owe compensation for value for the services already rendered. The compensation for value per consumed chapter is calculated prorata from the booked plan – monthly fee divided by the monthly chapter allowance of that plan:

• Starter (€29 / 2 chapters): €14.50 per consumed chapter
• Hobby (€79 / 5 chapters): €15.80 per consumed chapter
• Selfpublisher (€169 / 12 chapters): €14.08 per consumed chapter
• Pro (€349 / 25 chapters): €13.96 per consumed chapter
• Top-up purchase per § 3.5: €5 per consumed chapter

Example: A user on the Hobby plan (€79/month) consumes 2 chapters within the withdrawal period and withdraws. Refund: €79 − (2 × €15.80) = €47.40.

For micro-edits used, no separate compensation is charged provided that the underlying plan fee is fully refunded. When using BYOK, no additional compensation for value is charged for text generation, as the user has borne the generation costs directly at OpenAI.

§ 7 Data Protection

Information on the collection and processing of personal data – including processing by sub-processors such as OpenAI, Stripe, Supabase and Resend – can be found in our Privacy Policy.

§ 8 Account, Suspension and Data Export

8.1 Account and Suspension

The user is obliged to keep their login credentials confidential. The Provider reserves the right to temporarily or permanently suspend user accounts in the event of violations of these Terms (in particular § 4.5) or misuse of the Service. In the event of permanent suspension, unused chapters are forfeited and any active subscription is terminated; statutory rights of the Provider remain unaffected.

8.2 Cancellation and Data Export

Paid subscriptions can be cancelled by the user at any time, taking effect at the end of the current billing period, in the account settings or by email to contact@symban.de. The user retains the full scope of services until the end of the current billing period; payments already made are – outside the right of withdrawal under § 6 – not refunded on a prorated basis.

The user may, at any time, request an export of their generated content (in particular manuscripts and chapters) in Markdown format by email to contact@symban.de. The Provider will deliver the export within 14 days of the request; in the case of large data volumes, this period may be extended by a further 14 days, of which the user will be informed. It is the user's responsibility to request an export before deleting the account or in case of permanent suspension. Following account deletion, personal data and user content are removed in accordance with the Privacy Policy; statutory retention obligations (e.g. for invoice data) remain unaffected.

§ 9 Amendments to the Terms

The Provider may amend these Terms for objective reasons – in particular due to changes in statutory requirements, supreme court case law, technical framework conditions or third-party services used.

Editorial and non-material amendments (e.g. linguistic clarifications, updates to legal references, listing of new sub-processors) are notified to the user within the platform or by email and are deemed accepted if the user does not object within 30 days from notification. The notification expressly draws attention to the right of objection and the consequences of silence.

Material contractual amendments (in particular changes to the scope of services of the booked plans, to prices, or to the user's main obligations) require the express consent of the user. If the user does not consent to a material amendment within the period stated in the notification (at least 30 days), the contract continues on the existing terms until the effective date of the proposed amendment and is deemed cancelled at that point; payments already made are refunded on a prorated basis. The case law of the German Federal Court of Justice (in particular BGH XI ZR 26/20 of 27 April 2021) is observed.

§ 10 Final Provisions

For contracts with business customers within the meaning of § 14 of the German Civil Code, the laws of Georgia apply to the exclusion of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods; exclusive place of jurisdiction is Tbilisi, Georgia.

For contracts with consumers whose habitual residence is in a Member State of the European Union or the European Economic Area, the mandatory consumer protection provisions of their country of residence apply in addition (Art. 6 Rome I Regulation). Consumers may sue the Provider either at the Provider's place of business or at their own place of residence.

Should any provision of these Terms be or become invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected. The statutory regulation shall replace the invalid provision.

The European Commission provides a platform for online dispute resolution (ODR): https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr. The Provider is neither obliged nor willing to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.

Contact

Michailidou Digital Services I.E.
Alexia Michailidou
Zakaria Paliashvili Street 41
0179 Tbilisi, Georgia
Email: contact@symban.de