Terms of Service

1. Service Description

The Helix Brief is a professional research intelligence service that provides:

• Daily Research Summaries: AI-generated summaries of scientific papers from Europe PMC
• Content Curation: Intelligent filtering and categorization of research by field and relevance
• Multiple Subscription Tiers: Free, Pro, and Research plans with varying content volumes
• Preference Management: Customizable research categories and delivery preferences

2. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using The Helix Brief, you confirm that:

• You have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service
• You are at least 16 years of age and have the capacity to enter into this agreement
• You will use the service primarily for professional research and educational purposes
• Your use of the service complies with all applicable laws and regulations

3. Account Registration and Management

Account Creation

• Email Required: A valid email address is required for account creation and service delivery
• Accurate Information: You must provide truthful and current information during registration
• Account Security: You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account access
• Single Account: One account per email address; multiple accounts may be suspended

Account Responsibilities

• Keep your email address current to ensure uninterrupted service delivery
• Report any unauthorized use of your account immediately
• Use the preference management system responsibly to optimize content delivery
• Notify us promptly of any changes that might affect your subscription

4. Subscription Tiers and Services

Free Tier

• Up to 5 research summaries per day
• Basic categorization and filtering
• Standard email delivery
• No payment required; supported by upgrade notifications

Premium Tiers (Pro and Research)

• Higher volume content delivery (10+ summaries per day)
• Advanced categorization and personalization
• Priority content access and delivery
• Enhanced support and feature access

5. Acceptable Use Policy

Permitted Uses

• Research and Education: Professional research, academic study, and educational purposes
• Content Sharing: Reasonable sharing of insights with colleagues and research teams
• Personal Knowledge: Building and maintaining your professional knowledge base
• Citation and Attribution: Using summaries as starting points for further research

Prohibited Uses

• Commercial Redistribution: Selling, licensing, or commercially distributing our summaries
• Automated Access: Using bots, scrapers, or automated tools to access content
• System Abuse: Attempting to overwhelm or disrupt our service infrastructure
• Misrepresentation: Claiming our summaries as your original work or research
• Competitor Intelligence: Using our service to develop competing research intelligence platforms

6. Intellectual Property

Our Content

• AI Summaries: Our AI-generated summaries are original works protected by intellectual property rights
• Curation Algorithms: Our content discovery and filtering systems are proprietary
• Platform Design: The Helix Brief website, branding, and user interface are our intellectual property

Source Material

• Original Papers: All summarized research papers remain the intellectual property of their original authors
• Attribution Required: When using insights from our summaries, appropriate attribution to original sources is required
• Europe PMC: We acknowledge Europe PMC as our primary source for research paper discovery

7. Service Availability and Modifications

Service Uptime

We strive to maintain high service availability but cannot guarantee uninterrupted access. Scheduled maintenance will be announced in advance when possible.

Content Changes

• Algorithm Updates: We may modify our content discovery and summarization algorithms to improve quality
• Source Changes: Available research papers may change based on Europe PMC updates and access policies
• Feature Evolution: New features may be added, and existing features may be modified or retired

8. Privacy and Data Protection

Your privacy is important to us. Our data collection, use, and protection practices are detailed in our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these terms by reference.

9. Disclaimers and Limitations

Content Disclaimers

• Accuracy: While we strive for accuracy, our summaries may contain errors or omissions
• Completeness: Summaries are condensed representations and may not capture all important details
• Currency: Research fields evolve rapidly; summaries reflect understanding at time of creation
• Professional Advice: Our content does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice

Service Limitations

• No Warranty: The service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind
• Availability: We do not guarantee continuous or error-free service operation
• Third-Party Content: We are not responsible for the accuracy of original research papers

10. Termination

Your Rights

• Unsubscribe: You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings
• Data Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Service Changes: Discontinue use if you disagree with service modifications

Our Rights

• Violation Suspension: We may suspend accounts that violate these terms
• Service Discontinuation: We reserve the right to discontinue the service with appropriate notice
• Content Removal: We may remove or modify content that violates our policies

11. Governing Law and Disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the European Union and the jurisdiction where The Helix Brief operates. Any disputes will be resolved through good faith negotiation, and if necessary, through appropriate legal channels.

12. Contact and Support

For questions about these Terms of Service, technical support, or account issues:

13. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms of Service to reflect changes in our service, legal requirements, or business practices. We will notify users of significant changes via email or prominent website notices. Continued use of the service after notification constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.