Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By downloading, installing, accessing, or using the Elicit mobile application ("App") or our website at elicit.ourapps.website ("Website"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User," "you," or "your") and Elicit ("we," "our," or "us").

If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not download, install, or use the App or Website. Your continued use of the service constitutes ongoing acceptance of these Terms and any future modifications.

2. Service Description

Elicit is an AI-powered academic research assistant that provides the following features:

• Paper Search: Search across academic databases (OpenAlex and PubMed) containing over 200 million scholarly works
• AI Analysis: AI-powered paper summaries, abstract simplification, key findings extraction, and methodology breakdowns using GPT-4o
• Paper Comparison: Side-by-side comparison of multiple papers to identify themes, contradictions, and research gaps
• Citation Generation: Generate citations in multiple formats (APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago, Harvard, Vancouver, BibTeX)
• Paper Management: Save, bookmark, and organize papers into custom collections
• Export: Export papers and analyses for use in your research workflow
• Student Mode: Simplified explanations and key term highlighting for students

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the service at any time, with or without notice.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old (or the minimum age of digital consent in your jurisdiction) to use the App. If you are between 13 and 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction), you may use the App only with the consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian who agrees to be bound by these Terms.

By using the App, you represent and warrant that you meet these eligibility requirements.

4. Accounts & Device Identification

Elicit does not require account creation. Instead, the App generates a random, anonymous device identifier (UUID) on first launch for the purpose of:

• Managing your subscription status
• Applying rate limits to ensure fair usage
• Detecting and preventing abuse
• Providing anonymous analytics

This identifier is not linked to your personal identity. Reinstalling the app generates a new identifier.

5. Subscriptions & Payments

5.1 Subscription Plans

Elicit offers subscription plans that unlock premium features. Available plans and pricing are displayed within the App. All features are gated behind an active subscription (the "Pro" plan).

5.2 Billing & Payment

• All subscriptions are billed through the Apple App Store using your Apple ID
• Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase
• We do not process payments directly and have no access to your payment information

5.3 Auto-Renewal

• Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period
• Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period at the same rate
• You can manage and cancel subscriptions in your Apple ID Account Settings

5.4 Free Trial

If a free trial is offered, the unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Free trial eligibility is determined by Apple and may be limited to one trial per Apple ID.

5.5 Refunds

All purchases are processed by Apple. Refund requests must be directed to Apple through their standard refund process at reportaproblem.apple.com. We cannot process refunds directly.

5.6 Price Changes

We reserve the right to change subscription prices. Any price changes will apply to subsequent billing cycles after notice. Apple will notify you of price changes and require consent before continuing the subscription at the new price, as per Apple's policies.

6. Acceptable Use Policy

You agree to use Elicit only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree NOT to:

6.1 Prohibited Activities

• Abuse or Overload: Send an excessive number of API requests, use automated scripts, bots, or scraping tools to access the service, or engage in any activity that places an unreasonable burden on our infrastructure
• Circumvent Restrictions: Attempt to bypass rate limits, subscription requirements, device blocking, or any other security or access control measures
• Reverse Engineer: Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or attempt to derive the source code of the App or any part of our service
• Redistribute: Copy, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of the App or service, or create derivative works based on the App
• Impersonate: Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity
• Misrepresent AI Content: Submit AI-generated summaries or analyses as your own original academic work without proper attribution or in violation of your institution's academic integrity policies
• Illegal Use: Use the service for any illegal purpose or in violation of any local, state, national, or international law
• Interfere: Interfere with, disrupt, or create an undue burden on the service or the networks connected to the service
• Share Access: Share, transfer, or sublicense your subscription access to other devices or users beyond what is permitted by your subscription plan

6.2 Rate Limits

The service implements rate limiting to ensure fair access for all users. Current limits include:

• General API: 100 requests per 15-minute window per device
• Search API: 20 search requests per 15-minute window per device

These limits may be adjusted at our discretion. Consistently exceeding rate limits or attempting to circumvent them may result in temporary or permanent restriction of your access.

6.3 Enforcement

We reserve the right to monitor usage patterns and take action against users who violate this Acceptable Use Policy, including but not limited to: issuing warnings, temporarily restricting access, permanently blocking device identifiers, or terminating subscriptions.

7. Intellectual Property

7.1 Our Intellectual Property

The App, Website, and all content, features, and functionality (including but not limited to design, user interface, code, algorithms, graphics, logos, and trademarks) are owned by Elicit and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the App solely for personal, non-commercial research purposes.

7.2 Academic Content

The academic papers, abstracts, metadata, and other scholarly content accessible through the App are the intellectual property of their respective authors, publishers, and rights holders. Elicit does not claim ownership of any academic content. The metadata is sourced from public databases (OpenAlex, PubMed) and is subject to their respective terms of use and licensing.

7.3 Your Content

You retain ownership of any content you create using the App (such as collections and notes). We do not claim any ownership rights over your user-generated content.

8. AI-Generated Content

8.1 Nature of AI Output

The AI-powered features of Elicit (summaries, analyses, comparisons, simplified abstracts) are generated by large language models (currently GPT-4o). While we strive for accuracy, AI-generated content may:

• Contain inaccuracies, omissions, or misinterpretations of source material
• Produce different results for the same input at different times
• Reflect biases present in the training data or source material
• Not capture the full nuance or context of complex academic research

8.2 Your Responsibility

You are solely responsible for:

• Verifying the accuracy of any AI-generated content before relying on it
• Properly citing and attributing any information used in your academic work
• Complying with your institution's academic integrity policies regarding the use of AI tools
• Any decisions or actions you take based on information provided by the App

8.3 No Guarantee of Accuracy

We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or suitability of any AI-generated content. AI outputs should be verified against original source materials.

9. Third-Party Services & Data Sources

Elicit integrates with and relies on third-party services. Your use of these integrated services is subject to their respective terms:

• OpenAI: AI analysis is powered by OpenAI's GPT-4o model, subject to OpenAI's Terms of Use
• OpenAlex: Academic paper metadata sourced from OpenAlex, an open-source scholarly database
• PubMed / NCBI: Biomedical paper metadata sourced from PubMed, maintained by the National Library of Medicine
• RevenueCat: Subscription management handled by RevenueCat, subject to RevenueCat's Terms of Service
• Apple App Store: The App is distributed through Apple's App Store, subject to Apple's Terms and Conditions

We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or content provided by third-party services. Service disruptions from third-party providers may temporarily affect the App's functionality.

10. Disclaimers

THE APP AND ALL CONTENT, FEATURES, AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT
• WARRANTIES THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE
• WARRANTIES REGARDING THE ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR COMPLETENESS OF ANY CONTENT, INCLUDING AI-GENERATED CONTENT
• WARRANTIES THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED OR THAT THE APP IS FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS

Elicit is a research assistance tool, not a source of authoritative academic information. The App does not provide medical, legal, financial, or professional advice. Always verify information from original sources and consult qualified professionals as appropriate.

11. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL ELICIT, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OR AFFILIATES BE LIABLE FOR ANY:

• INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES
• LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES
• DAMAGES RESULTING FROM YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF (OR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE) THE SERVICE
• DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY CONTENT OBTAINED FROM THE SERVICE, INCLUDING AI-GENERATED CONTENT
• UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, USE, OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR CONTENT

WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STATUTE, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR TOTAL LIABILITY EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM, OR FIFTY DOLLARS ($50), WHICHEVER IS GREATER.

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Elicit and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including attorney's fees) arising from:

• Your use of the App or service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property rights
• Your misuse of AI-generated content, including academic dishonesty
• Any content you submit, post, or transmit through the service

13. Termination & Suspension

13.1 Termination by You

You may stop using the App at any time by uninstalling it from your device. To cancel your subscription, manage it through your Apple ID Account Settings. Uninstalling the app does not automatically cancel your subscription.

13.2 Termination by Us

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the service at any time, without prior notice or liability, for any reason, including but not limited to:

• Violation of these Terms or the Acceptable Use Policy
• Suspected fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity
• Excessive usage that threatens service stability
• Requests from law enforcement or government agencies
• Extended periods of inactivity
• Discontinuation or material modification of the service

13.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your right to use the App ceases immediately
• All locally stored data remains on your device until you delete the app
• Your device identifier may be blocked from accessing our API
• Active subscriptions may be cancelled (refund eligibility determined by Apple's policies)
• Sections of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination will survive (including Disclaimers, Limitation of Liability, and Indemnification)

14. Dispute Resolution

14.1 Informal Resolution

Before initiating any formal dispute resolution, you agree to first contact us at support@elicit.app and attempt to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days.

14.2 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which Elicit operates, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

14.3 Arbitration

Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the service that cannot be resolved informally shall be resolved through binding arbitration, except that either party may bring claims in small claims court if eligible. The arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with applicable arbitration rules.

14.4 Class Action Waiver

YOU AGREE THAT ANY DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEEDINGS WILL BE CONDUCTED ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT IN A CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. If this class action waiver is found to be unenforceable, then the entirety of this arbitration provision shall be null and void.

15. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Notify users through an in-app notification or app update description for significant changes
• Post the updated Terms on our Website

Your continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the modified Terms, you must stop using the App and cancel any active subscription.

16. General Provisions

16.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Elicit regarding the use of the App and supersede any prior agreements.

16.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

16.3 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. Any waiver of any provision shall be effective only if in writing and signed by us.

16.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights hereunder without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms without restriction.

16.5 Force Majeure

We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, acts of government, internet or infrastructure failures, pandemics, or third-party service outages.

16.6 Notices

We may provide notices to you through the App, our Website, or by other reasonable means. You may contact us at the email address provided in the Contact section.

17. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us:

• Email: support@elicit.app

We will respond to your inquiry within 30 days.