Terms & Conditions

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of Manda ("Manda", the "Service", "we", "us", or "our"), an offline-first Chinese learning application. Manda is available in several forms, including a web application accessible through a browser, downloadable native desktop applications for macOS and Windows, and a mobile application distributed through app stores. Where the context requires, these Terms distinguish between the "Web Service" (the browser-based application) and the "Desktop Application" (the downloadable native applications); otherwise, references to the Service cover all of these forms. By accessing, downloading, installing, creating an account on, or otherwise using Manda, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms in full.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access, download, install, or use Manda. If you are using Manda on behalf of another person or organisation, you confirm that you are authorised to accept these Terms on their behalf.

You must be at least 13 years old (or the minimum age of digital consent in your country, if higher) to create an account or use Manda. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet this requirement and that all information you provide is accurate.

Manda is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without warranties or guarantees of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, reliability, availability, or non-infringement.

Manda is a personal, hobby-scale learning tool. We make no promise that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free from bugs, viruses, or other harmful components, or that any defects will be corrected. The Service may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time without notice and without liability to you.

Learning content, dictionary data, translations, pinyin, segmentation, character information, and all other linguistic material are provided for general educational purposes only and may contain errors or omissions. You should not rely on Manda as a definitive or authoritative source.

The Desktop Application is distributed as installable software that you download and install on your own device. You download and install the Desktop Application entirely at your own risk. In particular, the Desktop Application may not be digitally signed or notarised, as a result of which macOS, Windows, your browser, or your security software may display warnings, block installation, or quarantine the download. You are responsible for deciding whether to proceed with installation notwithstanding any such warning, and we accept no responsibility for any consequences of downloading, installing, or running the Desktop Application.

To help you stay up to date, the Desktop Application may automatically, or upon your request, contact our servers or a third-party hosting provider to check whether a newer version is available. This check may transmit basic technical information such as your current app version and platform. We do not guarantee that any update will be available, compatible, or error-free.

The Web Service is free to use. The Desktop Application is a paid product. Installing and using the Desktop Application is subject to the additional terms in this Section 4. Where any provision in this Section 4 conflicts with another provision of these Terms as it applies to the Desktop Application, this Section 4 prevails.

Subject to your continued compliance with these Terms, purchasing a licence grants you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable right to install and run a single copy of the Desktop Application, for your own personal, non-commercial use, on devices that you own or control.

Each licence is issued as a license key tied to a single operating system platform (for example, a macOS key cannot be used to activate the Windows build, and vice versa). A separate licence must be purchased for each platform on which you wish to use the Desktop Application.

A license key may only be used by you, the purchaser. You may not share, sell, resell, rent, lease, lend, sublicense, assign, transfer, or otherwise distribute a license key, the Desktop Application, or your rights under your licence, in whole or in part. You may not publish, post, or otherwise make a license key available to anyone other than yourself.

We use an honour-system licensing model and do not operate a server that continuously authenticates your use of the Desktop Application. The Desktop Application may, however, check a revocation list (such as a published list of keys that have been blocked) to verify that your license key is still valid. We may revoke, suspend, or disable a license key at any time, without notice, if we reasonably believe that the key, or the Desktop Application, has been used in breach of these Terms (for example, where a key has been shared, published, resold, or otherwise distributed).

We may also release updates, new versions, or new platforms of the Desktop Application from time to time. We are not obligated to provide any updates, and may change or discontinue the Desktop Application, or any feature of it, at any time, without notice and without liability.

Unless otherwise stated at the point of sale, all purchases of the Desktop Application are final, and refunds are handled in accordance with the refund policy of the third-party seller through which you purchased your licence (for example, the relevant marketplace or storefront). You are responsible for reviewing and complying with that seller’s terms and policies at the time of purchase.

THE DESKTOP APPLICATION IS LICENSED, NOT SOLD. You receive only the limited rights expressly set out in these Terms. The owner of Manda retains all right, title, and interest in and to the Desktop Application, including all intellectual property rights. Nothing in these Terms gives you any right to receive or use the underlying source code of the Desktop Application.

Creating an account is optional and is only required for features such as cloud sync. You are solely and entirely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account.

You expressly acknowledge and agree that you bear full responsibility for your own cybersecurity. In particular, as a condition of creating and using a Manda account, you agree that:

(a) You will NOT use any password that you have ever used before on any other website, application, or service when creating your Manda account;

(b) You will NOT use the password you set for Manda on any other website, application, or service, at any time, now or in the future;

(c) You will choose a strong, unique password used exclusively for Manda, and you will keep it confidential;

(d) You will take all reasonable steps to secure your own devices, email account, and network, and to protect against unauthorised access to your account.

You understand that Manda is a small independent project and that no online service can be guaranteed to be secure. By re-using passwords in breach of the above, you accept that a compromise of Manda (or of any other service) could lead to your other accounts being compromised, and you agree that this consequence is entirely your own responsibility.

You must notify us promptly if you become aware of any unauthorised use of your account or any other breach of security. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with this section.

Manda is offline-first: most of your data (including study progress, saved texts, known words, and review schedules) is stored locally on your device, for example in your browser’s storage when you use the Web Service, or in the Desktop Application’s own local storage when you use the Desktop Application. This data can be lost if you clear your browser or app data, use private or incognito mode, switch devices, browsers, or installations, uninstall the Desktop Application, or if your device fails. You are solely responsible for maintaining your own backups, including by using any export/import functionality the Service provides.

Where you choose to use optional account or cloud-sync features, a limited set of data is transmitted to and stored by third-party infrastructure providers. While we take reasonable care, we cannot and do not guarantee the security, integrity, or availability of any data, whether stored locally or in the cloud.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree that we shall not be responsible or liable for any data breach, data leak, unauthorised access, data loss, corruption, deletion, or disclosure of your data, however caused, including where it results from a security vulnerability, a compromise of our systems or those of our service providers, or your own conduct. You use the Service, and store data with it, entirely at your own risk.

You agree to use Manda only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree that you will not:

(a) use the Service in any way that breaches any applicable law or regulation;

(b) attempt to gain unauthorised access to, interfere with, damage, or disrupt any part of the Service, its servers, or any connected systems or networks;

(c) probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of the Service without our express prior written consent;

(d) upload, submit, or transmit any content that is unlawful, harmful, infringing, or otherwise objectionable;

(e) use the Service to build a competing product, or scrape, harvest, or systematically extract data except as expressly permitted;

(f) misuse any reporting, moderation, feedback, or community features.

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without notice, if we reasonably believe you have breached these Terms.

Where the Service allows you to submit content (such as bug reports, feature suggestions, or other feedback), you retain ownership of your content but grant us a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual licence to use, store, reproduce, and act on that content for the purpose of operating and improving Manda. You are responsible for ensuring that any content you submit is lawful and does not infringe the rights of others.

Manda incorporates open-source software, dictionary datasets, and other third-party materials, each of which is provided under its own licence. These are credited on the Acknowledgements page, and your use of that material is subject to the applicable third-party licence terms. We make no warranty regarding, and accept no responsibility for, any third-party content or services.

Except for third-party materials and your own content, Manda and its original content, features, and functionality are and will remain the property of the owner of Manda. Nothing in these Terms grants you any right, title, or interest in the Service other than the limited right to use it in accordance with these Terms.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall the owner of Manda, nor any contributor or service provider, be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, data, goodwill, or other intangible losses, arising out of or in connection with your access to, use of, or inability to use the Service, whether based on warranty, contract, tort (including negligence), or any other legal theory, and whether or not we have been advised of the possibility of such damage.

This expressly includes, without limitation, any loss or damage arising from any data breach, data leak, unauthorised access, loss or corruption of data, downtime, from your re-use of passwords or other failure to maintain your own security, or from your decision to download, install, or run the Desktop Application notwithstanding a security warning.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total aggregate liability to you for all claims arising out of or relating to the Service shall not exceed the total amount you have paid to us for the Service giving rise to the claim (which is zero for free use of the Web Service, and the purchase price of your licence for paid use of the Desktop Application).

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud.

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the owner of Manda from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in any way connected with your use of the Service, your breach of these Terms, your violation of any law or the rights of any third party, or your failure to maintain the security of your account and passwords.

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Service after any change constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. We recommend that you review this page periodically.

You may stop using the Service at any time, and you may delete your account through the account settings where that option is available. We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, for any reason, without notice or liability. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination (including limitation of liability, indemnity, and intellectual property) shall survive.

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales, and you agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, without prejudice to any mandatory consumer-protection rights you may have in your country of residence.

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that the remaining Terms will otherwise remain in full force and effect. These Terms, together with any policies referenced within them, constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Service.