HiFi.Fan — Terms and Conditions

Effective Date: [23 April 2025]

Plain-English note: We keep the language straightforward so everyone—whether a seasoned engineer or a newcomer to Hi-Fi—can understand their rights and obligations.

1. Definitions

2. Editorial Independence

HiFi.Fan publishes reviews and articles without accepting payment, gifts, or influence from manufacturers, advertisers, or affiliates. Opinions belong to the individual authors.

3. Ownership of Our Content

1. IP Rights — HiFi.Fan (or its licensors) owns all rights in and to the Content that we create or commission.
2. Permitted Personal Use — You may display the Website and download or print its pages for transient, incidental caching or your own non-commercial reference, provided you do not:
   • remove copyright or trademark notices;
   • modify the Content in a way that misrepresents its source or implies our endorsement;
   • redistribute, sell, rent, or exploit the Content for commercial purposes without written permission.

4. User-Generated Content

4.1 Licence You Grant

By posting UGC you grant HiFi.Fan a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable, transferable, and irrevocable licence to use, reproduce, adapt, translate, publicly perform, display, distribute, and create derivative works from your UGC solely to operate, improve, and promote the Website and related services. You retain all moral rights to the extent permitted by law.

4.2 Your Promises

You confirm that:

• you own—or have secured—the rights necessary to grant the licence above;
• your UGC does not infringe any patent, trademark, copyright, privacy, or other right of any third party;
• your UGC is lawful and not offensive, defamatory, or harmful; and
• you are at least 16 years old (or the minimum age applicable in your jurisdiction) and, if under 18, have parental consent.

5. Open-Source & Third-Party Content

Where Content on the Website is provided under an open-source or Creative Commons licence, that Content remains subject to its original licence terms. Nothing in these Terms restricts rights granted by such licences.

6. Acceptable Use & Prohibited Actions

You agree not to:

• republish, mirror, or scrape the Website or its Content;
• sell, rent, or commercially exploit the Content without permission;
• create derivative works except as explicitly allowed under an open licence;
• introduce viruses, attempt to gain unauthorised access, or interfere with the Website's security.

7. Reporting Copyright Infringement

We comply with the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and similar laws.

• Notice of Claimed Infringement — Send a written notice to Copyright Agent, HiFi.Fan, [Postal Address], ©[email protected] that includes all information required by 17 U.S.C. §512(c)(3).
• Counter-Notice — If your material was removed and you believe the takedown was in error, you may submit a counter-notice as permitted by law.
• We will promptly process valid notices and may remove or disable access to infringing material.

8. Suspension & Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account, remove UGC, or block access to the Website at our discretion for breach of these Terms, legal compliance, or to protect the community. You may stop using the Website at any time.

9. Disclaimers

The Website and all Content are provided "as is" and "as available." We make no warranties—express or implied—about accuracy, reliability, or fitness for a particular purpose. Your use is at your own risk.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law:

• HiFi.Fan's total aggregate liability arising out of or relating to the Website shall not exceed €100 or the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim arose, whichever is greater.
• HiFi.Fan shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or loss of data, profits, or goodwill.

11. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of Germany without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Exclusive jurisdiction and venue lie with the courts of Berlin, Germany.

12. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time:

1. We will post the revised Terms at least 30 days before they take effect and email registered users, noting the effective date.
2. Your continued use after that date constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree, you must stop using the Website before the new Terms take effect.