Terms & Conditions

1. About 9talks

9talks is an independent, unincorporated publishing platform that allows writers to publish content and readers to access that content. 9talks is not a legally registered company, corporation, LLC, partnership, or any other type of incorporated business entity. It is operated as an independent project by its creator(s) without any corporate or legal entity structure. This platform exists to give independent writers a space to publish, share, and earn from their work.

2. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing, browsing, subscribing, registering an account, or publishing content on 9talks, you agree to these Terms & Conditions. If you do not agree, please do not use the platform. Continued use of the platform after any updates to these Terms constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

3. User Accounts & Authentication

9talks offers optional user accounts for readers and writers. Accounts are created using passwordless email authentication — you enter your email, receive a one-time code (OTP), and verify it. No passwords are stored.

• Account creation is voluntary. You can read all content without an account.
• Accounts are needed to post comments, like comments, and manage a public writer profile.
• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your email inbox and verifying that your email address is correct.
• We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

4. For Writers

4.1 Content Ownership

• You retain all ownership rights and copyright to the content you publish on 9talks.
• By publishing on 9talks, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display, distribute, and promote your content on the platform.
• You are free to republish or remove your content at any time, subject to applicable agreements.

4.2 Revenue & Profit Share

9talks operates on a creator-first model. Writers who publish content on 9talks may be eligible to receive a share of revenue or profit generated from their content, including but not limited to ad revenue, sponsorship revenue, and platform-generated income attributable to the writer's articles.

• Revenue share is determined on a per-writer basis and may vary depending on content performance, engagement, and platform agreements.
• Revenue share calculations, payment schedules, and payout methods are communicated to writers directly and may be updated from time to time.
• Writers are responsible for providing accurate payout details when requested. Payouts may require identity verification via email before processing.
• Withdrawals and payments are processed manually. Writers may be asked to verify details via email. Withdrawals typically take 1-2 days after email verification.
• 9talks does not guarantee any specific revenue amount, audience size, reach, or monetization outcome.
• Any disputes regarding revenue share should be raised within 30 days of the relevant payout period.

4.3 Content Standards

Writers agree not to publish content that:

• Is illegal, fraudulent, or deceptive
• Infringes on intellectual property rights of others
• Contains malware, viruses, or harmful code
• Harasses, threatens, or discriminates against individuals or groups
• Is sexually explicit or violent in a gratuitous manner
• Spreads knowingly false or fabricated information presented as factual news

4.4 Content Moderation

• We reserve the right to remove, unpublish, archive, or restrict any content that violates these Terms or that we deem inappropriate for the platform.
• We reserve the right to revoke revenue share eligibility for content that violates these Terms.
• Writers may report content they believe violates these Terms via the report button on articles or by contacting us directly.

5. For Readers

• Content on 9talks is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.
• We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.
• Views expressed by writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of 9talks.
• Readers can post comments on articles if they have a registered account. Comments must comply with content standards — no harassment, spam, hate speech, or illegal content.
• We reserve the right to delete comments that violate these Terms.

5A. Content Authorship

All articles published on 9talks are written by independent writers, direct contributors, or staff members. Each piece reflects the personal views, research, and opinions of its author alone.

• 9talks does not editorially direct, commission, or endorse the specific views expressed in any article.
• Authors are identified on each article. Their affiliation with 9talks is limited to the publishing relationship described in these Terms.
• The presence of an article on 9talks does not imply that 9talks endorses, verifies, or vouches for its accuracy or conclusions.

5B. Not Financial, Legal, or Professional Advice

• Articles discussing markets, investments, cryptocurrencies, stocks, or economic topics are opinion and commentary — not recommendations to buy, sell, or hold any asset.
• Articles discussing legal matters are not a substitute for qualified legal counsel.
• Articles discussing health or medical topics are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
• Always consult a qualified professional before making financial, legal, medical, or other significant decisions.
• 9talks, its operator(s), and its writers accept no liability for decisions made based on content published on this platform.

6. Email Subscriptions

• Subscribing to 9talks emails is voluntary and free.
• When you subscribe, we collect your email address, IP address, and user-agent string for security and abuse prevention.
• You may unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us directly.
• We will not use your email address for any purpose other than delivering the subscribed content and platform notifications.

7. Intellectual Property

• Writers retain copyright to their original work.
• The 9talks name, logo, and platform design are the property of the 9talks operator.
• Unauthorized scraping, copying, or redistribution of the platform's content or design is prohibited.
• Article images uploaded to the platform remain the responsibility of the uploading writer. Writers must ensure they have the right to use any images they upload.

8. Disclaimer of Warranties

9talks is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not warrant that:

• The platform will be uninterrupted or error-free
• Content is accurate, reliable, or complete
• The platform is free of viruses or harmful components
• Revenue share calculations will be uninterrupted or error-free

9. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law:

• 9talks, its operator(s), and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages.
• Our total liability for any claims arising from your use of 9talks shall not exceed the amount you paid to use 9talks (which is $0, as the platform is free to use).
• We are not liable for any loss of revenue, profit, or data resulting from platform downtime, changes to revenue share terms, or content removal.

10. No Legal Entity Status

Important: 9talks is not a registered company, corporation, LLC, partnership, or any other type of incorporated entity. It is operated as an independent, unincorporated project by its creator(s). This means:

• There is no corporate entity to bring legal action against. The operator(s) act in a personal capacity.
• Legal protections typically associated with incorporated entities (e.g., limited liability) do not apply.
• Your legal recourse in disputes may be limited to claims against the individual operator(s) under applicable personal liability laws.
• Revenue share agreements are informal, good-faith arrangements between the platform operator and independent writers — not corporate contracts.

11. Data Storage & Analytics

9talks stores data in a PostgreSQL database hosted by Supabase. The following data may be collected and stored:

• User profiles — display name, username, bio, avatar, social links, and custom fields you choose to add.
• Email addresses — for authentication (OTP login) and newsletter subscriptions.
• Article content — titles, body text, images, tags, and metadata you publish.
• Comments — text content tied to your user account.
• Article view data — anonymous/pseudonymous visitor IDs and view duration for analytics.
• Subscriber data — email address, IP address, and user-agent for security and abuse prevention.
• IP addresses and technical data — processed by our hosting and database providers for security and uptime.

For analytics, we use Vercel Analytics (privacy-respecting, aggregated traffic metrics) and our own internal first-party tracker for article view counts and trending topics. We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any third-party advertising or profiling trackers. See our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy for details.

12. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with applicable laws, without regard to conflict of law principles. Disputes shall be resolved informally wherever possible. Formal legal action, if any, shall be brought in the jurisdiction of the platform operator.

13. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Continued use of 9talks after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. Writers affected by changes to revenue share terms will be notified via email where possible.

14. Contact

For questions about these Terms, revenue share, or anything else, reach out at team@9talks.com