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- LEGAL

Terms of Use

Effective: July 2026

1. Eligibility & Platform

Etch is for users 13 and older (or the local equivalent age of digital consent). The app requires iOS 16 or later and a valid Apple ID.

2. Account Registration

We use Apple Sign-In. The email Apple shares with us is used to recover your account and to deliver notifications about your published Etches.

3. User Content & Responsibility

You retain all rights to the content you put into your Etches. You are responsible for the legality of what you publish, including whether you have the right to record people or property shown in your media, and whether what you write or share is lawful in your jurisdiction. Don't use Etch to harass, defame, or violate the privacy of others.

4. Plans & Changes

Etch has a free tier and a paid Pro subscription. Pro adds video, permanent links, password protection, view receipts, and more. We may change features, limits, or pricing over time; we'll communicate any material change in-app and via email at least 30 days in advance.

5. Subscriptions & Billing

Etch Pro is an auto-renewable subscription, offered in two durations:

  • Etch Pro Monthly — a 1-month subscription at $8.99 USD per month (or the equivalent in your local currency).
  • Etch Pro Yearly — a 1-year subscription at $59.99 USD per year (or the equivalent in your local currency).

Prices shown in the App Store for your region are the prices that apply. The following terms govern the subscription:

  • Payment is charged to your Apple ID account when you confirm the purchase.
  • The subscription automatically renews for the same period at the same price unless you cancel it at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your Apple ID is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends.
  • You can manage or cancel your subscription in the App Store: open Settings → your name → Subscriptions on your device (or apps.apple.com/account/subscriptions). Cancelling stops the next renewal; you keep Pro until the end of the period you already paid for.
  • Subscriptions are managed by Apple through your Apple ID. Etch cannot issue refunds directly — refund requests are handled by Apple under the Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions.
  • If you cancel or your subscription lapses, Pro-only features stop: links marked permanent begin a 30-day countdown before they expire, and Pro-only capabilities (video, password locks, view receipts, higher limits) are disabled. Resubscribing restores permanence and Pro features.

6. Device Permissions

Etch requests camera, microphone, and photo-library access. All permissions are optional and used only when you capture or attach media; the app degrades gracefully if denied.

7. The Tamper-Evident Seal

Each published Etch is sealed with a cryptographic hash. If the bundle's contents are modified after publish, the seal breaks and the viewer sees a clear tampered warning. The seal is a strong tool for everyday disputes like landlord/tenant, marketplace, freelance, and insurance, but we do not claim courtroom-grade chain of custody. Formal legal proceedings typically require notarization or a similar third-party process, which Etch does not provide.

8. Public Share Links

Publishing an Etch produces a public URL. Anyone with the URL can view the bundle. You are responsible for who you share your links with.

9. Acceptable Use

You may not use Etch to:

  • Publish illegal content or facilitate illegal activity.
  • Harass, threaten, defame, or impersonate any person.
  • Distribute malware, phishing pages, or other harmful payloads.
  • Scrape, reverse-engineer, or run automated traffic against our services.

We may suspend or terminate accounts that materially breach these rules.

10. Intellectual Property

You retain rights to your content. Etch, the Etch logo and name, the viewer page chrome, and the app itself remain the property of Stalwart Crest, Inc.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Etch service is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied, to the maximum extent allowed by law.

12. Limitation of Liability

Our maximum liability to you for any claim related to the Etch service is limited to USD $100, except where prohibited by law.

13. Privacy

Our handling of your data is described in the Privacy Policy.

14. Changes to These Terms

We will update the effective date at the top of this page when we make changes. For material changes, we will also notify you in-app the next time you open Etch.

15. Termination

You can delete your account anytime from inside the app or by emailing us. We may suspend or terminate accounts that materially breach these terms.

16. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, USA.

17. Apple-Specific Terms

Etch is distributed through the Apple App Store. The following terms apply to your use of the App on Apple devices, in addition to everything above:

  • Acknowledgment. This agreement is between you and Stalwart Crest, Inc. only, not with Apple. Stalwart Crest, Inc., not Apple, is solely responsible for the App and its content.
  • Scope of License. Your license to use the App is non-transferable and limited to use on Apple-branded devices that you own or control, as permitted by the Apple Media Services Terms.
  • Maintenance and Support. Stalwart Crest, Inc. is solely responsible for any maintenance and support services for the App. Apple has no obligation to provide any maintenance or support.
  • Warranty. Stalwart Crest, Inc. is solely responsible for any product warranties, whether express or implied by law, to the extent not effectively disclaimed. If the App fails to conform to any applicable warranty, you may notify Apple, and Apple will refund the purchase price (if any) for the App. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Apple has no other warranty obligation whatsoever with respect to the App.
  • Product Claims. Stalwart Crest, Inc., not Apple, is responsible for addressing any claims you or any third party have relating to the App or your use of it, including product liability, legal-compliance, and intellectual-property claims.
  • Intellectual Property. In the event of any third-party claim that the App or your use of it infringes that third party's intellectual property, Stalwart Crest, Inc. (not Apple) will be solely responsible for the investigation, defense, settlement, and discharge of that claim.
  • Legal Compliance. You represent that you are not in a country subject to a U.S. Government embargo or designated by the U.S. Government as a terrorist-supporting country, and that you are not on any U.S. Government list of prohibited or restricted parties.
  • Third-Party Beneficiary. Apple and Apple's subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these terms. Upon your acceptance of them, Apple has the right (and is deemed to have accepted the right) to enforce these terms against you as a third-party beneficiary.
  • Developer Contact. Direct any questions, complaints, or claims regarding the App to Stalwart Crest, Inc. at [email protected].

18. Contact

Questions or notices: [email protected].