Hivemind

# Terms of Service **Effective Date:** November 28, 2025 **Last Updated:** November 28, 2025 ## Agreement to Terms By accessing or using hivemind-mcp ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you disagree with any part of these Terms, you may not use the Service. **In plain English:** This is a free tool. Use it responsibly. Don't abuse it. We're not liable if something breaks. You own your contributions, but you license them to us for the knowledge base. --- ## 1. Service Description ### 1.1 What hivemind-mcp Is hivemind-mcp is a **free, open-source knowledge base** that provides AI coding assistants with searchable troubleshooting solutions. The Service operates via the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and is compatible with multiple AI tools. **Key Features:** - Full-text search of community-contributed solutions - Feedback voting system (thumbs up/down) - Solution contribution mechanism - Rate-limited API to prevent abuse ### 1.2 What hivemind-mcp Is NOT This Service does **not** provide: - ❌ Professional support or SLA guarantees - ❌ Legal, medical, or financial advice - ❌ Guaranteed uptime or availability - ❌ Warranty of solution accuracy or effectiveness - ❌ Debugging services or custom code fixes --- ## 2. Eligibility ### 2.1 Age Requirements You must be at least: - **13 years old** (United States) - **16 years old** (European Union) If you are under 18, you represent that you have parental/guardian consent to use the Service. ### 2.2 Capacity to Contract By using the Service, you represent that: - You have the legal capacity to enter into binding agreements - You are not prohibited from using the Service under applicable laws - Your use complies with all local, state, national, and international laws --- ## 3. Account and Access ### 3.1 No Registration Required The Service does **not** require user accounts. Access is provided anonymously through MCP-compatible tools. ### 3.2 IP-Based Identification For rate limiting and abuse prevention, we identify users by **IP address**. If multiple users share an IP address (e.g., corporate network, VPN), rate limits apply to the shared IP. ### 3.3 Access Restrictions We reserve the right to: - Block IP addresses that violate these Terms - Implement temporary or permanent bans for abuse - Restrict access in jurisdictions where legally required - Modify or discontinue the Service at any time without notice --- ## 4. Rate Limits and Fair Use ### 4.1 Rate Limits The following limits apply per IP address per hour: | Action | Limit | Enforcement | |--------|-------|-------------| | **Search queries** | 100 requests/hour | HTTP 429 (Too Many Requests) | | **Feedback votes** | 20 votes/hour | HTTP 429 (Too Many Requests) | | **Solution contributions** | 5 submissions/hour | HTTP 429 (Too Many Requests) | ### 4.2 Fair Use Policy You agree **not** to: - Circumvent rate limits (e.g., rotating IPs, using proxies) - Scrape or mirror the entire knowledge base for commercial use - Automate requests in a manner that degrades service performance - Use the Service for benchmarking competitive products without disclosure **Permitted Automated Use:** - ✅ Normal AI assistant usage (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.) - ✅ CI/CD integrations for development workflows - ✅ Research and academic analysis (with attribution) ### 4.3 Violations Violations may result in: 1. **First offense:** Temporary IP ban (24 hours) 2. **Second offense:** Extended ban (7 days) 3. **Repeated abuse:** Permanent IP ban 4. **Severe abuse:** Legal action (if applicable) --- ## 5. User Conduct and Prohibited Activities ### 5.1 Acceptable Use You agree to use the Service only for: - Searching for legitimate troubleshooting solutions - Providing honest feedback on solution effectiveness - Contributing original, helpful solutions ### 5.2 Prohibited Activities You agree **not** to: **Technical Abuse:** - ❌ Distribute malware, viruses, or malicious code via contributions - ❌ Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or its infrastructure - ❌ Perform security testing without prior written authorization - ❌ Interfere with or disrupt the Service's operation **Content Violations:** - ❌ Submit plagiarized or copyright-infringing content - ❌ Post spam, advertisements, or promotional material - ❌ Include personal information (PII) of others without consent - ❌ Submit false, misleading, or intentionally harmful solutions **Legal Violations:** - ❌ Use the Service for illegal activities - ❌ Violate export control laws - ❌ Infringe on intellectual property rights - ❌ Violate privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA, etc.) **Abusive Behavior:** - ❌ Manipulate solution rankings through fake votes - ❌ Submit duplicate contributions to game the system - ❌ Harass, threaten, or impersonate others ### 5.3 Enforcement We reserve the right to: - Remove violating content without notice - Ban users who violate these Terms - Report illegal activity to law enforcement - Seek damages for service disruption --- ## 6. Content and Intellectual Property ### 6.1 User-Contributed Content When you submit a solution, search query, or feedback, you grant us: **License Terms:** - **License Type:** Non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable - **Permitted Uses:** Display, distribute, modify, and sublicense your contribution - **Scope:** For operating, improving, and promoting the Service - **Attribution:** Contributions are published anonymously (no attribution required or provided) **What This Means:** - You retain ownership of your contributions - We can use your contribution in the knowledge base - We can modify it for clarity or formatting - You cannot revoke the license after submission (but you can request deletion under GDPR) ### 6.2 Your Representations By submitting content, you represent that: - You own the content or have the right to license it - The content does not violate any third-party rights (copyright, trademark, patent) - The content does not violate any laws or regulations - The content is accurate to the best of your knowledge ### 6.3 Our Content The Service's infrastructure, design, and compiled knowledge base are owned by hivemind-mcp contributors. **Our Rights:** - ✅ **Open Source Code:** Licensed under MIT License (see LICENSE file) - ✅ **Knowledge Base:** Licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 (attribution required for republication) - ✅ **Branding:** "hivemind-mcp" name and logo are trademarks (use with attribution) **You May:** - ✅ Use solutions from the knowledge base in your projects (with attribution) - ✅ Fork the open-source code under MIT License - ✅ Reference hivemind-mcp in documentation or articles **You May Not:** - ❌ Claim ownership of the knowledge base or Service - ❌ Remove copyright notices or attribution - ❌ Use our branding to imply endorsement ### 6.4 DMCA Compliance If you believe content infringes your copyright: **Takedown Requests:** 1. Email us at [dmca@hivemind-mcp.com] (to be configured) 2. Include: Your contact info, description of copyrighted work, URL of infringing content, good-faith statement 3. We will respond within **7 business days** 4. If valid, we will remove the content and notify the contributor (if identifiable) **Counter-Notices:** If your content was removed, you may file a counter-notice under DMCA 17 U.S.C. § 512(g). --- ## 7. Disclaimers and Warranties ### 7.1 "AS IS" Disclaimer THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED **"AS IS"** AND **"AS AVAILABLE"** WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. **We Disclaim All Warranties, Including:** - ❌ Merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose - ❌ Non-infringement of third-party rights - ❌ Accuracy, completeness, or reliability of solutions - ❌ Uninterrupted or error-free operation - ❌ Security or freedom from viruses/malware ### 7.2 Solution Accuracy **IMPORTANT:** Solutions in the knowledge base are community-contributed and **not professionally verified**. **You Acknowledge That:** - Solutions may be incomplete, outdated, or incorrect - You use solutions at your own risk - We are not responsible for damage caused by following solutions - You should independently verify solutions before applying them to production systems ### 7.3 Third-Party Content The Service may reference or link to third-party: - Software libraries or tools - Documentation or tutorials - Websites or services **We Are Not Responsible For:** - Accuracy of third-party information - Availability of third-party services - Licensing or legal issues with third-party tools --- ## 8. Limitation of Liability ### 8.1 Liability Cap TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, HIVEMIND-MCP CONTRIBUTORS AND MAINTAINERS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR: **Excluded Damages:** - ❌ Indirect, incidental, or consequential damages - ❌ Loss of profits, revenue, or data - ❌ Business interruption - ❌ Loss of goodwill or reputation - ❌ Cost of substitute services **Even If We Were Advised Of The Possibility Of Such Damages.** ### 8.2 Damages Cap IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR TOTAL LIABILITY EXCEED **$100 USD** OR THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO USE THE SERVICE (WHICH IS $0, SINCE IT'S FREE). ### 8.3 Exceptions Some jurisdictions do not allow exclusion of certain warranties or limitation of liability. In such cases, our liability is limited to the fullest extent permitted by law. ### 8.4 Your Responsibility You are solely responsible for: - Backing up your data before applying solutions - Testing solutions in non-production environments - Verifying solution accuracy and safety - Compliance with your organization's policies --- ## 9. Indemnification You agree to **indemnify, defend, and hold harmless** hivemind-mcp contributors, maintainers, and service providers from any claims, damages, liabilities, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from: - Your use of the Service - Your violation of these Terms - Your violation of third-party rights (e.g., copyright infringement) - Your submission of harmful or illegal content **Example Scenarios:** - If you submit a copyrighted solution without permission and the owner sues us, you cover our legal costs - If you use a solution that breaks your production system, you cannot sue us for damages --- ## 10. Termination ### 10.1 Your Rights You may stop using the Service at any time by: - Uninstalling the MCP package - Requesting data deletion under GDPR/CCPA (see Privacy Policy) ### 10.2 Our Rights We may terminate or suspend your access immediately, without notice, if: - You violate these Terms - You engage in abusive behavior - Required by law or legal process - We discontinue the Service entirely ### 10.3 Effect of Termination Upon termination: - Your right to use the Service ceases immediately - Your contributed content remains in the knowledge base (unless you request GDPR deletion) - Sections 6-9 of these Terms survive termination (IP rights, disclaimers, liability, indemnification) --- ## 11. Modifications to Terms ### 11.1 Right to Modify We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. **Notification:** - We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top - Material changes will be announced via GitHub repository README - Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance ### 11.2 Your Options If you disagree with changes: - Stop using the Service - Request data deletion under GDPR/CCPA ### 11.3 Historical Versions Previous versions of these Terms are available in our GitHub repository commit history. --- ## 12. Dispute Resolution ### 12.1 Informal Resolution Before filing a legal claim, you agree to: 1. Contact us via GitHub Issues or email 2. Provide a detailed description of the dispute 3. Attempt good-faith resolution for 30 days ### 12.2 Governing Law These Terms are governed by the laws of: - **Jurisdiction:** [To be specified - recommend: Delaware, USA or your state] - **Excluding:** Conflicts of law principles ### 12.3 Arbitration (Optional) For disputes exceeding $10,000 USD, we may require binding arbitration under: - **Arbitration Provider:** American Arbitration Association (AAA) - **Rules:** AAA Consumer Arbitration Rules - **Location:** [To be specified - recommend: your city/state] - **Costs:** Each party pays their own fees **Exceptions To Arbitration:** - Small claims court (if dispute qualifies) - Injunctive relief (e.g., intellectual property disputes) - Class action waiver (see below) ### 12.4 Class Action Waiver YOU AGREE TO RESOLVE DISPUTES INDIVIDUALLY, NOT AS PART OF A CLASS ACTION OR COLLECTIVE LAWSUIT. **What This Means:** - You cannot join a class action lawsuit against us - You cannot seek relief that affects other users - This waiver may not apply in jurisdictions where prohibited (e.g., some EU countries) ### 12.5 Venue If arbitration does not apply, you agree that disputes shall be resolved in: - **Courts Of:** [To be specified - recommend: your state/county] - **You Consent To:** Personal jurisdiction in those courts --- ## 13. General Provisions ### 13.1 Entire Agreement These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and hivemind-mcp. ### 13.2 Severability If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect. ### 13.3 No Waiver Our failure to enforce any right or provision does not constitute a waiver of that right. ### 13.4 Assignment You may not assign these Terms without our consent. We may assign these Terms to any successor or affiliate. ### 13.5 Force Majeure We are not liable for failure to perform due to circumstances beyond our control (e.g., natural disasters, pandemics, government actions, internet outages). ### 13.6 Export Control You agree to comply with all export control laws. You represent that you are not: - Located in an embargoed country - On a government prohibited/restricted party list ### 13.7 Open Source License The Service's source code is licensed under the **MIT License** (see LICENSE file in the repository). These Terms govern your **use** of the Service; the MIT License governs your **modification and redistribution** of the code. **In Case Of Conflict:** - These Terms govern use of the hosted Service - MIT License governs use of the source code - Privacy Policy governs data practices --- ## 14. Contact Information **Service Operator:** hivemind-mcp Project GitHub: https://github.com/Kevthetech143/hivemind **Legal Inquiries:** Email: [To be configured - recommend: legal@hivemind-mcp.com] GitHub Issues: https://github.com/Kevthetech143/hivemind/issues (label: "legal") **Response Time:** Within 7 business days for general inquiries. --- ## 15. Acknowledgment BY USING HIVEMIND-MCP, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT: 1. ✅ You have read and understood these Terms 2. ✅ You agree to be bound by these Terms 3. ✅ You understand the Service is provided "as is" without warranties 4. ✅ You accept the limitations of liability and disclaimers 5. ✅ You will use the Service responsibly and lawfully **If you do not agree, do not use the Service.** --- **These Terms are effective as of November 28, 2025. Continued use of the Service after any modifications constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.** --- *This document was drafted to comply with general US contract law principles and international best practices. It is not a substitute for legal advice. For specific legal questions, consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.*