LifeScribe

LifeScribe

Terms of Service

Effective date: August 10, 2026

These Terms apply to your use of lifescribe.us, its download links for our desktop apps, and LifeScribe Biography, our hosted web service (collectively, the “Service”). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service. They are organized into two parts — read the one that applies to how you use LifeScribe, or both if you use more than one of our products.

Part 1 — Website & Desktop Apps

This part covers lifescribe.us itself and our desktop apps (LifeScribe Vault, and — as they become available — LifeScribe Photos and LifeScribe Archive).

Open-source software

LifeScribe apps are offered as free, open-source software. The license included with each app's source code or release controls your use of that app. If these Terms and an app's license differ, the app's license controls for that app.

Not professional advice

LifeScribe Vault and our other desktop apps provide organizational tools only. They do not provide legal, estate-planning, financial, tax, security, or other professional advice. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your circumstances.

Your information and backups

LifeScribe desktop apps are intended to keep your information on your own device. You are responsible for choosing what to store, protecting your device and passwords, and making backups appropriate for your situation. We do not have access to, store, or recover your desktop-app data through this website.

Website use

You may use this site to learn about LifeScribe and download available releases. Do not interfere with the site, misuse its contact form, attempt unauthorized access, or use the site in a way that violates applicable law or others' rights.

Availability and links

We may change, pause, or discontinue the website, links, or releases at any time. Links to third-party services, including GitHub, are provided for convenience and are governed by those services' own terms and policies.

Part 2 — LifeScribe Biography (Account & Hosted Service)

This part covers LifeScribe Biography, our hosted service for creating, preserving, and sharing personal autobiographies. It applies once you create a LifeScribe Biography account.

Who may use LifeScribe Biography

You may use LifeScribe Biography only if you:

  • Are at least 13 years of age (or 16 in the European Economic Area);
  • Have not been previously banned or suspended for a violation of these Terms;
  • Are not prohibited from using the Service under applicable law in your jurisdiction.

Your account

To use LifeScribe Biography, you must create an account. You are responsible for:

  • Providing accurate and complete registration information;
  • Keeping your password secure and not sharing it with anyone. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account;
  • Notifying us immediately at privacy@lifescribe.us if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.

You may not create accounts for others without their permission, or create more than one account per person unless we expressly permit it.

Your content

Ownership. You retain full ownership of all content you create, upload, or submit through LifeScribe Biography (“Your Content”), including stories, photos, videos, timeline entries, family tree data, and any other material. LifeScribe does not claim ownership of Your Content.

License to LifeScribe. By uploading or submitting Your Content, you grant LifeScribe a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, store, display, reproduce, and transmit Your Content solely as necessary to provide and improve the Service. This license ends when you delete Your Content or your account, subject to the Memorial Mode section below and reasonable backup retention periods. We will never use Your Content in advertising, sell it to third parties, or use it to train AI models.

Your responsibility for content. You are solely responsible for Your Content. You represent and warrant that you own or have the necessary rights and permissions to submit Your Content and to grant the license above; that Your Content does not infringe the intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or other rights of any third party; and that Your Content complies with these Terms and all applicable laws.

Content involving others. LifeScribe Biography is often used to document family histories and include content about other people (family members, friends, historical figures). When adding content about living individuals, you are responsible for ensuring you have their consent where required by applicable law, particularly for private personal information or photos.

Acceptable use

You agree not to use LifeScribe Biography to:

  • Post content that is unlawful, defamatory, obscene, harassing, threatening, or invasive of another's privacy;
  • Infringe any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, or other intellectual property right;
  • Upload or transmit malware, viruses, or any code designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to any system;
  • Scrape, crawl, or systematically extract data from the Service without our prior written permission;
  • Circumvent, disable, or interfere with security or access control features of the Service;
  • Impersonate another person or entity, or falsely represent your affiliation with any person or entity;
  • Use the Service to send unsolicited communications (spam) to individuals who have not consented to receive them;
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any account, system, or network associated with the Service;
  • Use the Service in any way that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair our infrastructure.

Collaborative access and roles

LifeScribe Biography allows you to invite others to collaborate on your site. When you grant someone a role (Co-Admin, Editor, or Viewer), you are responsible for the access you have granted. You may revoke access at any time through your site settings.

Co-Admins have elevated permissions, including the ability to activate Memorial Mode. Only designate trusted individuals as Co-Admins.

Content contributed by collaborators remains their property. By contributing to another user's site, a collaborator grants the site owner a non-exclusive license to display and preserve that contribution as part of the site.

Memorial Mode

LifeScribe Biography offers a Memorial Mode feature designed to preserve a user's site after their passing. By using this feature:

  • The site owner (or their designated Co-Admin) acknowledges that activating Memorial Mode is an irreversible action that locks the original content and transitions the site to a memorial format;
  • Guestbook entries submitted by visitors to a memorial site are subject to these Terms, and the account's Co-Admin bears responsibility for moderating that content;
  • LifeScribe will use reasonable efforts to preserve memorial sites indefinitely, but cannot guarantee permanent availability. We will provide at least 90 days' notice before discontinuing hosting for any memorial site;
  • Family members seeking access to or deletion of a deceased user's data must submit a verified request per our Privacy Policy.

AI-assisted features

LifeScribe Biography may offer AI-powered writing prompts, auto-tagging, and story suggestions. These features are designed to assist you — all AI suggestions require your explicit approval before being applied to your content. We will never automatically modify your biography without your review and confirmation. You are solely responsible for the accuracy, legality, and appropriateness of any content you publish, including content you've edited from an AI suggestion.

Intellectual property — LifeScribe

LifeScribe Biography, including its design, code, trademarks, logos, and all platform-generated content (excluding Your Content), is owned by LifeScribe and protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of the Service without our prior written consent.

Storage and usage limits

Free accounts are subject to storage limits that we will communicate clearly in your account dashboard. We reserve the right to adjust storage limits with at least 30 days' notice. If your account exceeds its storage limit, we may restrict new uploads until you reduce your usage or upgrade to a paid plan (when available).

Termination

By you. You may delete your account at any time through your account settings. Upon deletion, we will remove your personal data and Your Content within 30 days, except as described in our Privacy Policy.

By LifeScribe. We may suspend or terminate your account if you materially violate these Terms, engage in fraud or illegal activity, or if we discontinue the Service. We will generally provide notice and an opportunity to remedy a violation before termination, except in cases of severe or repeated violations. If we terminate your account for reasons other than your violation of these Terms, we will provide you with a reasonable opportunity to export Your Content before deletion.

Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. LIFESCRIBE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS.

DURING ITS BETA PERIOD, LIFESCRIBE BIOGRAPHY MAY EXPERIENCE INSTABILITY, DATA LOSS, OR DOWNTIME. YOU USE THE BETA SERVICE AT YOUR OWN RISK AND ARE ENCOURAGED TO MAINTAIN YOUR OWN BACKUPS OF IMPORTANT CONTENT.

Limitation of liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL LIFESCRIBE, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF PROFITS, OR LOSS OF GOODWILL, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICE, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED US DOLLARS ($100). SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY; IN SUCH JURISDICTIONS, OUR LIABILITY IS LIMITED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless LifeScribe and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from: (a) your use of the Service; (b) Your Content; (c) your violation of these Terms; or (d) your violation of any third-party rights.

Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the United States and the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict-of-law provisions. Any dispute arising from or relating to these Terms or the Service that cannot be resolved informally shall be submitted to binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, conducted in English. You waive any right to participate in a class-action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration. Notwithstanding the above, either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent irreparable harm.

Changes to these Terms

We may revise these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes affecting LifeScribe Biography accounts, we will provide at least 14 days' notice by email and by posting the updated Terms with a new effective date. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the changes, you must stop using the Service and may delete your account. For the website and desktop apps, the effective date above shows when these Terms were last revised.

Miscellaneous

  • Entire agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and LifeScribe regarding the Service and supersede all prior agreements.
  • Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.
  • No waiver: Our failure to enforce any provision of these Terms is not a waiver of our right to do so in the future.
  • Assignment: You may not assign your rights under these Terms without our written consent. We may assign our rights to any successor in interest.

Contact

For questions about these Terms, please contact us at:

LifeScribe
privacy@lifescribe.us