Terms of Use for the tea Testnet

Welcome to the tea Testnet (the “Testnet”). This Testnet grants access to the Testnet of tea protocol, an ecosystem for open-source software (“OSS”) developers and a decentralized registry designed for OSS projects (the “Protocol“). The Protocol aspires to enhance the sustainability and integrity of the software supply chain by allowing open-source developers to capture the value they create in a trustless manner. The Testnet's purpose is to enhance the functionality, safety, and architecture of the tea Protocol. It aims to identify and rectify any potential problems, as well as to refine the user experience before the official release of the Protocol mainnet. The Testnet is available via the following link. By using this Testnet, you agree to comply with and be bound by these Terms of Use (“Terms”). Please read these Terms carefully before accessing the Testnet.

1. Definitions

In these Terms, the following terms have the following meanings:

• tea Association: A Swiss association, registered at Baarerstrasse 10, 6300 Zug, Switzerland that provides the Testnet (also, “we”, “our”, or “us”).

• User(s): Any individual or entity using the Testnet (also, “you” or “your”).

• TEA Token: A cryptographic token which serves as the access key to certain parts and designated features of the Protocol, e.g. register an open-source project on the Protocol.

• Testnet TEA Token: A cryptographic token which serves as the access key to certain parts and designated features of the Testnet.

• Rewards Points: Non-transferrable points that Users may earn by conducting certain activities within the Testnet according to these Terms.

2. Eligibility

By using the Testnet, you represent and declare that:

• You are of legal age in the jurisdiction in which you reside to use the Testnet and have the legal capacity to consent and agree to be bound by these Terms.

• You have all technical knowledge necessary or advisable to understand and evaluate the risks of using the Testnet.

• You comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations in your relevant jurisdiction, and your use of the Testnet is not prohibited by and does not otherwise violate or facilitate the violation of any applicable laws or regulations, or contribute to or facilitate any illegal activity. You understand and acknowledge that it is your sole responsibility to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction.

• You are participating in the Testnet from the jurisdiction of your residence.

• In order to redeem Rewards Points: You are not located in, or a citizen, resident, national, or agent of the United States and any country or territory that is the subject of comprehensive country-wide, territory-wide, or regional economic sanctions imposed by the United States, United Nations or Switzerland.

• You are not, and do not directly or indirectly own or control, and have not received any assets from any blockchain address that is listed on any sanctions list or equivalent maintained by the United States, United Nations or Switzerland.

• You do not intend to transact in or with any countries, territories, or individuals subject to sanctions imposed by the United States, United Nations or Switzerland.

• You agree that you will not under any circumstances violate our policies or community guidelines which may be adopted and implemented at our sole discretion.

• You are not an employee, consultant or affiliate of the tea Association.

We reserve the right to choose which markets and jurisdictions to conduct our business and may restrict or refuse, at our sole discretion, access to the Testnet in certain countries or regions.

We encourage you to consult with your own legal advisors or tax professionals to understand your eligibility for the Rewards Points and any potential legal or tax implications that may arise from participating in the Rewards Points.

3. The tea Testnet: How Does It Work?

3.1 Duration of the testnet

Testnet will commence on the date prescribed by the tea Association and continue until terminated by the tea Association in its sole discretion (“Testnet Period”). Notwithstanding any other information provided by the tea Association regarding the Testnet (including on its website, blog posts or through other communications (such as forums, Telegram, or other channels), the tea Association may change, discontinue, or terminate, temporarily or permanently, all or any part of Testnet, change or modify the number of participants eligible to participate in the Testnet or the requirements of the Testnet and terminate any participant’s participation at any time and without notice, at its sole discretion (including prior to providing any incentives or rewards).

The Testnet may operate in certain phases. Your selection or participation in any one phase of the Testnet does not imply that you will be selected for any other phases of the Testnet.

3.2 Access and Registration

Users can access the Testnet to register, publish and review OSS releases and to stake Testnet TEA Tokens to a registered OSS project. To use certain features, Users may need to create an account. Account creation requires accurate and complete information. Users are responsible for all activities occurring under their account. Accounts registered by "bots" or other automated methods are not permitted. You are responsible for keeping your account secure. The content of your account and its security are up to you. You are responsible for all content posted and activity that occurs under your account (even when content is posted by others who have accounts under your account). You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and password and you must promptly notify us upon becoming aware of any unauthorized use of, or access to your account.

3.3 Rewards Points

In the course of your engagement with Testnet, we reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to grant Rewards Points to participants who meet certain criteria. This includes the completion of designated activities, such as registering your OSS project, staking Testnet TEA Tokens to a registered project, introducing the Protocol to others or fulfilling any other conditions as stipulated by us. Detailed information regarding this can be found here. Notwithstanding any other information provided by the tea Association regarding the Testnet (including on its website, blog posts or through other communications (such as forums, Telegram, or other channels), the tea Association may in its discretion change or modify the amounts or types of rewards or incentives and/or discontinue, or terminate, temporarily or permanently, all or any part of the incentives or rewards program at any time and without notice and the tea Association may remove or re-allocate any rewards or incentives earned by any participant or elect not to provide any rewards to any participant.

Rewards points may be redeemable for TEA Tokens at a later point in time, at tea Association's sole discretion, subject to eligibility and applicable laws.

You agree that any rewards or incentives received will be for your services in testing the Testnet.

3.4 Testnet TEA Tokens

Within the scope of your use of the Testnet, you may accrue Testnet TEA Tokens. It is imperative to understand that Testnet TEA Tokens do not hold any monetary value, nor will they ever be convertible into or accumulate into TEA Tokens, other tokens, or any form of virtual assets. Testnet TEA Tokens are to be regarded purely as virtual items with no monetary worth. They do not represent any form of currency or property and are neither redeemable nor refundable, nor can they be exchanged for fiat currency, virtual currency, or any other items of value. Testnet TEA Tokens are not transferable, except between Users within the Testnet and only when strictly necessary for engaging in activities on the Testnet. Any efforts to sell, trade, or transfer Testnet TEA Tokens outside the Testnet boundaries, or to acquire any credit using Testnet TEA Tokens, are strictly prohibited and will be deemed null and void.

tea Association retains the sole discretion to delete, erase, or otherwise eliminate the Testnet at any given time without prior notification. This includes, but is not limited to, altering the existence, quantities, or any other aspects pertaining to the Testnet TEA Tokens, without incurring any liability towards you or other persons. tea Association does not commit to a specific duration for the availability of Testnet TEA Tokens, and reliance on their continued presence is not advised. Should the Testnet cease to exist or reach its termination, you acknowledge and consent to the removal of your access to and usage of your Testnet TEA Tokens, along with the deletion of all accrued Testnet TEA Tokens from the Testnet system. Furthermore, Testnet TEA Tokens shall not be eligible for conversion into any future rewards that tea Association may offer.

4. Role of tea Association

tea Association provides the Testnet to improve user experiences prior to the mainnet launch of the Protocol. tea Association is neither a financial institution, a creditor, a custodian, nor a charity. Its primary role is the administration and facilitation of access to the Testnet.

tea Association does not monitor the content or lifecycle of package releases or any other information uploaded by Users on the Testnet (the “User Content”). The accuracy, correctness, and completeness of User Content are not warranted by the tea Association, and we take no responsibility for such content. tea Association has no control over User conduct or the User Content and disclaims all liability to the fullest extent permitted by law.

tea Association cannot remove underlying smart contracts or interfere with transactions on the Testnet itself.

The Testnet is a purely non-custodial application, meaning you are solely responsible for the custody of the cryptographic private keys to the crypto asset wallets you hold. These Terms are not intended to, and do not, create or impose any fiduciary duties on us. To the fullest extent permitted by law, you acknowledge and agree that we owe no fiduciary duties or liabilities to you or any other party, and that to the extent any such duties or liabilities may exist in law or in equity, those duties and liabilities are hereby irrevocably disclaimed, waived, and eliminated. You further agree that the only duties and obligations that we owe you are those set out expressly in these terms.

5. User Content

5.1 User Content Responsibility

When using our Testnet, any User Content you create or upload is your responsibility. You are accountable for your content and any harm that may result from it. We are not responsible for any public display or misuse of your User Content.

5.2. Content Moderation Rights

We reserve the right to refuse or remove any User Content that violates applicable laws or our terms and policies.

5.3 Content Ownership and Licensing

You retain ownership and responsibility for your User Content. Ensure you have the right to post anything you didn't create or don't own the rights to. By posting any content on the Testnet, you grant us and other Users certain legal permissions, as detailed under this Section. These licenses end when you remove your User Content from the Testnet, except in cases where it has been shared with other Users.

To provide the Testnet, we retain legal rights to host, publish, and share your User Content. You grant us the right to store, display, and use your User Content, including making incidental copies and transfers as part of providing and improving the Testnet. This license does not permit us to sell or distribute your User Content outside the Testnet, except as part of archival or backup processes.

If you post User Content publicly, you allow other Users to view and interact with it, including forking in repositories they control. Public content grants every User a non-exclusive, worldwide license to use, display, and perform your User Content within the Testnet, following the Testnet’s functionality. You may grant further rights if you adopt a license. If you are uploading User Content you did not create or own, you are responsible for ensuring that the User Content you upload is licensed under terms that grant these permissions to other Users.

5.4 User Content Contributions

Adding User Content to the Testnet with a license notice means you agree to license that Content under the same terms (inbound=outbound principle).

5.5 Moral Rights

You retain moral rights to your User Content, but you waive these rights against us to the extent necessary for us to exercise the rights granted in this Section 5. This waiver allows us to adapt your User Content.

6. Prohibited Use

In connection with your use of the Testnet, you agree not to:

• Infringe on copyrights, trademarks, patents, or any other intellectual property rights under applicable law.

• Promote or facilitate illegal activity.

• Compromise the security or functioning of computers, servers, or networks through malicious software or denial of service attacks.

• Uploading or transmitting viruses, worms, trojan horses, time bombs, cancel bots, spiders, malware or any other type of malicious code that will or may be used in any way that will affect the functionality or operation of the Testnet.

• Engaging in any attack, hack, denial-of-service attack, interference, or exploit of any smart contract or Testnet except when conducted solely for the purpose of identifying and reporting vulnerabilities, weaknesses, or potential threats within the Testnet, in accordance with the Vulnerability Disclosure Policy, and only within the predefined boundaries and limitations of the Testnet.

• Provide false or misleading information to defraud us or others, or engage in any deceptive practices.

• Use data mining, scraping, or similar methods to extract information from the Testnet.

• Post harmful, threatening, abusive, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable content, or solicit information from minors.

• Attempt to bypass sanctions or export controls imposed on you or your location.

• Rely on the Testnet for unauthorized financial or legal decisions, engage in fraudulent activities, or violate any applicable laws or regulations.

You agree to ensure your use of the Testnet complies with all applicable laws. Violating these prohibitions may lead to termination of access and legal action.

The tea Association reserves the right to request information about, review and investigate all Testnet activities, and to disqualify participants if it believes a participant has engaged in any activity that is abusive, fraudulent, in bad faith or otherwise fails to meet the Testnet standards and requirements.

7. Intellectual Property

All content on the Testnet, including the tea Association logo, designs, text, graphics, pictures, information, data, software, and files (the “tea Content”), except User Content, is the proprietary property of tea Association or our affiliates, licensors, or Users, as applicable, unless indicated otherwise.

The use of the tea Association logo and any Testnet or service names, logos, or slogans without our prior written permission is strictly prohibited. The tea Content, unless specifically stated otherwise, may not be used without the express written consent of the tea Association.

8. Data Privacy

8.1 Data Storage

The records of the tea Association are securely stored on our systems following industry-standard safety measures and in compliance with relevant legal regulations.

8.2 External Links on the Testnet

The Testnet may include links to external websites operated by third parties. When accessing these external sites, you do so at your own risk. It is your responsibility to safeguard against potential hazards such as viruses or other harmful elements. tea Association assumes no responsibility for your interaction with these external sites, and does not endorse, monitor, control, or assume liability for any content or practices of such sites, regardless of the form of linking (including hotlinks, hypertext links, IMG links).

8.3 Commitment to Privacy

tea Association is deeply committed to respecting and protecting your privacy and the security of your personal data, which may be collected and processed in connection with your use of the Testnet. For detailed information regarding the collection, use, and processing of your personal data, please refer to our Privacy Policy, accessible at any time on the tea Association website.

9. Fees

9.1 Gas Fees

For each transaction within the Testnet, such as registering or staking a project, you may incur "Gas" fees. These fees, paid to network miners, are compensation for processing your transactions on the blockchain. The amount of Gas fees is determined by you through your independent wallet application, influenced by prevailing market conditions. Note that Gas fees are independent of the Testnet and are part of the underlying blockchain infrastructure.

9.2 Testnet TEA Rewards

During the Testnet, open-source projects may receive rewards in the form of Testnet TEA Tokens from a designated rewards pool by engaging in certain activities on the Protocol. The allocation of these rewards, denominated in Testnet TEA Tokens, is determined by a set of predefined rules and depends on the ongoing maintenance and updating of the open-source project, including bug reporting and resolutions and providing support. The Testnet TEA Tokens are automatically distributed to the User's wallet as per the tea protocol's ranking algorithm. For more details on the Testnet TEA Tokens, please see Section 3.4.

10. Risk Disclaimers

10.1 General Assumption of Risk

By using the Testnet, you acknowledge the inherent risks of cryptographic and blockchain-based systems, including market volatility, the risk of dealing with fake or misrepresented tokens, and the irreversible nature of blockchain transactions. You are expected to have a working knowledge of digital assets and their associated risks.

10.2 Technological and Operational Risks

The Testnet may contain vulnerabilities, including viruses or harmful components. Users are responsible for protecting their systems and assume full responsibility for any losses due to User error, server failure, data loss, corrupted wallet files, or token loss.

10.3 Legal and Regulatory Risks

Blockchain technologies and digital assets are subject to legal and regulatory uncertainties that could impact their use and value. Users shall be aware of and comply with all relevant laws and regulations.

10.4 Testnet Operations and Sustainability

We have no obligation to continue support, which may impact its long-term viability. Users should be prepared for potential discontinuation or changes in the Testnet.

10.5 User Responsibility for Security

Users are solely responsible for their account management, including safeguarding data, private keys, and wallet security. The Testnet does not assume responsibility for losses due to security breaches or User negligence.

10.6 Service and Warranty Disclaimers

Information and content provided by the tea Association regarding the Testnet are for informational purposes only and provided “AS IS” without any representations, warranties, or guarantees of any kind. All implied terms are excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law. There is no guarantee that the Testnet and the Content will meet Users' needs, or operate without interruptions, securely, error-free, or in a completely reliable, accurate, lawful, or safe manner. No party involved in the development and operation of the Testnet and the Services, including but not limited to the tea Association, any stakers on Testnet, and any affiliates, directors, employees, contractors, service providers, or agents thereof (collectively, the “Parties Involved”), accepts any responsibility or liability in relation to materials or information accessed or downloaded via the Testnet. The Parties Involved hereby disclaim all warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise, including but not limited to any warranties of merchantability, non-infringement, and fitness for a particular purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Parties Involved shall not be liable to any person for any direct or indirect loss, liability, cost, claim, expense, or damage of any kind, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise, arising out of or related to the use of all or part of the Testnet, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Users must accept full responsibility for any risks associated with their use of the Testnet.

11. Indemnity

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless the tea Association against all liabilities, damages, losses, and costs (including settlement costs and reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from any claims by third parties or the tea Association's personnel. This indemnification applies to claims resulting from your breach or alleged breach of these terms, any misrepresentations made by you under these terms, non-compliance with these terms, or direct actions or omissions attributable to you that cause damages. This includes, but is not limited to, misuse of the Testnet, unauthorized representations, infringement of these terms or applicable laws, and any other actions leading to third-party claims or damages to the tea Association or its personnel.

12. Miscellaneous

12.1 Entire Agreement

This document represents the entire agreement between you and the tea Association regarding the subject matter herein, superseding all prior agreements, whether oral or written, concerning the same subject.

12.2 Severability

Should any part of these Terms be deemed invalid or unenforceable under the rules, law, or regulation of any governmental agency, the affected provision will be modified to reflect the original intent as closely as possible in accordance with applicable law. The remaining provisions of these Terms will continue to be valid and enforceable.

12.3 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer any part of these Terms without our prior written consent. Any attempt to do so without our consent will be considered null and void. tea Association, however, reserves the right to assign or transfer these Terms at its sole discretion. These Terms are binding upon and shall benefit both parties, their successors, and any permitted assigns.

12.4 Notice

tea Association may deliver notices under these Terms through various methods, including public communication channels. Notices provided via public channels are effective upon posting.

12.5 Non-Waiver

tea Association's failure to enforce any part of these Terms, if any, does not constitute a waiver of its right to enforce the same or other parts at any later time.

13. Amendments

These Terms are subject to periodic updates and amendments. We will publish any updates to these Terms on the Testnet. Such updates will become effective immediately upon posting, unless specified otherwise. We encourage you to frequently review the Testnet for any changes to stay informed. Additionally, we reserve the right to modify, add, or remove features or functionalities of the Testnet at any time without prior notification. Your continued use of the Testnet following any changes signifies your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the updated or amended Terms, you should discontinue using the Testnet promptly.

14. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and any agreements between the tea Association and you are exclusively governed by Swiss law without regard to any choice or conflict of laws rules.

Unless contrary to mandatory law, all disputes and claims arising out of or in connection with these Terms and/or an agreement must be submitted solely to the competent ordinary court in Zug, Switzerland.

15. Contact Information

For any queries, remarks or suggestions, please contact the tea Association using the contact details below or via the contact form on the Testnet and/or website.

tea Association

Baarerstrasse 10, 6300 Zug, Switzerland

Email: [e-mail]