Terms of Service | NovelShaft

1. Scope and service

These Terms of Service govern use of NovelShaft, a novel-writing support service provided by the NovelShaft operator (the “Operator”).

Based on ideas, manuscripts, reference material, and other data entered or stored by the user, the service supports conversation with AI, text generation, analysis, search, speech transcription, publication, and export.

Responses, suggestions, and processing results identified as AI, assistant, or equivalent are generated or assisted by AI systems. They may contain inaccurate information, material similar to existing expression, or material unsuitable for the user’s purpose. Review output before using or publishing it.

2. Account

The service is intended for people aged 18 or older and may not be used by anyone under 18.
Register with accurate and current information.
You are responsible for protecting login credentials, authentication methods, and multi-factor authentication information.
An account may not be transferred, lent, or shared with another person.
Contact the Operator promptly if misuse or credential exposure is suspected.

3. User data and AI output

Rights the user holds in manuscripts, writing, settings, reference material, and other data entered, created, or uploaded remain with the user.

The user permits the Operator to process user data only as needed to provide, store, search, transform, back up, secure, and troubleshoot the service and to perform requested AI processing.

The Operator does not guarantee accuracy, completeness, originality, non-infringement, or fitness for a particular purpose of AI-generated writing, suggestions, analysis, or other output. The same or similar content may be generated for other users.

The user must have the rights or permission necessary for data they submit and must review AI output before adopting, editing, publishing, or selling it.

Published works and community safety

A user making a work link-only or public must explicitly accept the current publication terms shown immediately before publication and confirm they have the rights needed for the title, manuscript, and other published material. Published material can be seen, quoted, or shared by third parties, including people who are not logged in.

Published works must not contain child sexual exploitation or abuse, non-consensual sexual content, imminent threats of harm, encouragement of self-harm, discrimination or persistent harassment, improper disclosure of personal information, fraud, malware, facilitation of unlawful conduct, or other content that violates law or these Terms.

Viewers may report a work or author. The Operator may temporarily hide content while reviewing a report and may remove a work or restrict publication according to the nature and severity of a violation. Permanent measures are decided after human review. Request reconsideration through support.

4. Creative assists

A creative assist is a focused AI conversation that can generate a review document and, after the user reviews it, save that document to a chosen project.

Some assists are free and others are acquired by one-time payment. The right to use an acquired assist belongs to the acquiring account and cannot be transferred, exchanged for cash, or moved to another account. A paid creative assist is not a monthly subscription.

An acquired assist may continue to be used even if it is no longer available for new acquisition while the account and service remain available. Availability may change for service closure, legal compliance, serious defects, security, or another reasonable need.

When an assist uses a project, the current feature may use the manuscript and reference material in that one project as AI context; individual items cannot currently be excluded. Choose a project that contains only material suitable for that processing.

The purchase price does not include AI credits. Subsequent AI processing uses the same AI-credit balance as other AI features. A report is saved only after the user reviews its content and destination.

5. AI credits and paid plans

NovelShaft uses the term “AI credits” for a balance consumed by operations such as AI generation, search-index generation, speech transcription, and long-form analysis. Consumption varies by operation, model, input and output volume, and audio duration.

AI credits cannot be transferred, exchanged for cash, or moved to another account. Credits included in a monthly plan expire at the end of the corresponding paid billing period. Additional purchased credits do not expire unless the purchase screen says otherwise.

Stripe is used for paid plans and additional credits begun on Web, Apple in-app purchase for purchases begun in the iOS or iPadOS app, and Google Play Billing for purchases begun in the Android app. Confirm current price, currency, tax, billing cycle, credits, and features on the payment provider’s final purchase screen.

Paid plans renew monthly unless the purchase screen states otherwise. Manage payment methods, invoices, plan changes, and cancellation through the provider where the subscription began and the guidance shown in NovelShaft billing settings.

A Stripe upgrade charges a full month of the new plan, begins a new one-month period after successful payment, and grants that plan’s monthly credits. Remaining days in the former period are not prorated, but unused credits already granted remain usable until their original expiry. A Stripe downgrade takes effect at the end of the current paid period. Apple plan-change billing and timing follow the result Apple confirms. Google Play plan changes are not currently offered.

Cancellation timing is determined by the payment provider. The plan remains available through the paid period confirmed by that provider. Store refunds follow the store’s process and confirmed results are reflected in the subscription and credit balance.

After a refund, reversal, or payment dispute, unused credits granted by that payment may be removed. If the credits have already been used, the shortfall may be recorded as unsettled use and new AI processing may be paused until resolved.

Amounts, prices, effective dates, renewal dates, and refund conditions are shown on pricing, billing settings, the final purchase screen, and the commercial transaction disclosure.

6. Prohibited conduct

Users must not:

Violate law or public order
Infringe copyright, privacy, reputation, or other rights
Attempt unauthorized access, bypass authentication, probe vulnerabilities, or disrupt the service
Create excessive load through automated mass access or similar behavior
Abuse AI credits, payment, campaigns, or refund processes
Send malware, unlawful information, or information intended to harm another person
Repeatedly submit false or abusive reports to obstruct another person’s publication or operational review
Impersonate the Operator or another person

Use may be restricted or suspended when there is a violation, misuse, security risk, or unconfirmed payment.

7. Account deletion

A user may request account deletion through the prescribed method. Manuscripts, projects, chats, reference material, creative-assist conversations and reports, and search data generated from them are generally deleted.

Minimum records needed for billing, accounting, refunds, disputes, fraud prevention, security, and evidence of completed deletion may be kept for a limited purpose and period. Deleted creative data cannot be restored after final deletion.

Before requesting deletion, check the paid-plan state and future charges with the payment provider. Apple and Google Play subscriptions are not automatically cancelled by deletion of a NovelShaft account.

8. Service changes and responsibility

The Operator may change, interrupt, or end all or part of the service for quality improvement, legal compliance, external-service changes, maintenance, incidents, or security. Material effects will be communicated by a reasonable method except in an emergency.

The Operator does not guarantee uninterrupted availability, absence of errors, fitness for every purpose, or permanent data retention. Export or independently back up important manuscripts and reference material.

These Terms are governed by Japanese law. This does not limit mandatory consumer protection, data protection, withdrawal, cancellation, refund, or remedy rights applicable in the user’s habitual residence. Limitations of liability and jurisdiction remain subject to such mandatory law.

9. Changes to these Terms

The Operator may change these Terms when reasonably necessary because of a change in law or the service. A change with a material effect will be announced in advance with its effective date.