Terms & Conditions

Welcome to The Merlin Project. By accessing or using this website and platform, you agree to the following Terms & Conditions. If you do not agree, please do not use this website.

1. About The Merlin Project

The Merlin Project is operated by TMP4Cats LLC, an Ohio limited liability company. The platform is accessible at themerlinproject.io and through any associated mobile application. It is a community platform designed to help people share information about cats, connect with neighbors, and support animal rescue organizations.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to register for an account. By registering, you confirm that you meet this age requirement and that all information you provide is accurate and complete.

3. Accounts

You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials. If you believe your account has been compromised, notify us immediately at hello@themerlinproject.io.

We reserve the right to suspend or remove accounts that violate these Terms.

4. Permitted Use

By using this platform, you agree to:

• Use the platform only for its intended purpose
• Provide accurate and truthful information
• Interact respectfully with other users
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations

You agree not to:

• Post false or misleading information
• Harass or abuse other users
• Upload inappropriate, illegal, or harmful content
• Scrape, disrupt, or misuse the platform or its infrastructure
• Impersonate any person or entity
• Use the platform for commercial solicitation without prior written permission

5. User-Generated Content

You retain ownership of the content you submit. By submitting content, you grant TMP4Cats LLC a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to display, store, and use that content as necessary to operate the platform.

We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these Terms or that we determine to be harmful to the platform or its users.

6. Rescue Partners

Organizations registered as rescue partners agree to provide accurate and complete information about their organization and operations.

• Rescue accounts must be used for legitimate rescue purposes only
• Partners must comply with all applicable animal welfare laws and regulations
• Rescue accounts are subject to review and may be removed if found to be in violation of these Terms or applicable law

7. Subscriptions and Payments

Certain features of the platform are available through optional paid subscription tiers. Payments are processed securely through Stripe.

• By completing a purchase, you authorize recurring charges at the rate presented at checkout
• You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings
• We do not issue refunds for partial billing periods except where required by applicable law

8. Privacy and Communications

Merlin provides a private messaging system that allows users to contact one another without publicly sharing personal contact details.

• Email addresses and phone numbers are not publicly displayed
• Phone numbers, where provided, are only visible to authenticated users in contexts where this has been enabled
• Please review our Privacy Policy for full details on how we collect and handle your information

9. Location Data

Location information is used to surface relevant content and improve your experience on the platform.

• Your registered address is used for proximity-based sorting of community content
• Precise location data is not shared with other users
• Any GPS-based location access is used in the moment and is not stored

10. No Guarantees

Merlin is a community-based platform and does not guarantee:

• That lost or missing animals will be found
• The accuracy of any user-submitted content
• The availability, reliability, or conduct of other users or rescue organizations
• Uninterrupted or error-free access to the platform

Use of the platform is at your own risk.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, TMP4Cats LLC is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the platform.

Our total liability to you for any claim arising from your use of the platform is capped at the amount you paid to us in the twelve months prior to the claim, or $100, whichever is greater.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless TMP4Cats LLC and its officers, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, and expenses — including reasonable attorney fees — arising from your use of the platform, any content you submit, or your violation of these Terms.

13. Intellectual Property

All platform content created by TMP4Cats LLC — including the name, logos, design, and code — is the property of TMP4Cats LLC.

You may not copy, reproduce, or distribute any part of the platform without prior written permission from TMP4Cats LLC.

14. DMCA / Copyright

If you believe that content on the platform infringes your copyright, please send a written notice to hello@themerlinproject.io that includes:

• Identification of the copyrighted work you believe has been infringed
• The location of the allegedly infringing material on the platform
• Your contact information
• A good-faith statement that you believe the use is not authorized
• Your electronic or physical signature

We will respond to valid notices in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

15. Disclaimer of Affiliation

The Merlin Project is an independent community platform. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any local, state, or federal government entity.

16. Modifications to the Platform

We may update, modify, or discontinue any features of the platform at any time without notice. TMP4Cats LLC is not liable for any changes to or removal of platform features.

17. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email or through an in-platform notification. Continued use of the platform after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.

18. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Ohio. Any disputes arising from your use of the platform shall be resolved in the courts of Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

19. Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms & Conditions, please contact us:

TMP4Cats LLC
hello@themerlinproject.io