Terms of Service

Effective date: 2026-03-14 Last updated: 2026-03-14

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Marketplace — a digital platform for discovering, purchasing, and installing Skill Bundles. By creating an account, making a purchase, publishing a Listing, or using the Marketplace beyond informational browsing, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Marketplace.

1. Acceptance of the Terms

1.1 How you accept

You accept these Terms by performing any of the following actions:

• Creating an account or linking your Telegram account to the Marketplace;
• Making a purchase (paid or free) through the Website, Mini App, or Telegram Bot;
• Submitting a Listing or onboarding as a Seller;
• Downloading or installing a Skill Bundle distributed through the Marketplace.

Informational browsing of the Website without any of the above actions does not constitute acceptance of these Terms, but is subject to our Privacy Policy and Acceptable Use Policy.

1.2 Explicit acceptance required

We require explicit acceptance — not passive browse-wrap — at the following points:

• Web / Mini App: An acceptance prompt before your first purchase or account creation.
• Telegram Bot: An acceptance prompt (inline button) before your first paid transaction or Seller onboarding action.
• Seller onboarding: Explicit acceptance before your first Listing submission.

1.3 Capacity

By accepting these Terms, you represent that you are legally capable of entering into binding agreements in your jurisdiction. If you act on behalf of a legal entity, you represent that you have authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

2. About the Marketplace and Operator

2.1 The Operator

For full contact and business details, see the Legal & Contact Information page.

2.2 What the Marketplace is

The Marketplace is a digital platform for listing, discovering, purchasing, and delivering Skill Bundles. It is accessible through the Website, Telegram Bot, and Mini App. The Marketplace is not a general software hosting service and does not promise to host any content indefinitely.

3. Definitions

Capitalized terms used in these Terms have the meanings set out in this section. For the full glossary of shared terminology, see the Shared Definitions.

• "Operator," "we," "us," "our" — the legal entity identified in Section 2.1 that operates the Marketplace.
• "You," "your" — any person or entity accessing or using the Marketplace, whether as a Buyer, Seller, or visitor.
• "Marketplace" — the digital platform operated by the Operator for listing, discovering, purchasing, and delivering Skill Bundles, accessible through the Website, Telegram Bot, and Mini App.
• "Website" — the Operator's public web application at forgedemy.org.
• "Telegram Bot" — the Operator's Telegram bot at @forgedemy_bot, used for purchases, delivery, support, and account linking.
• "Mini App" — the Telegram Mini App interface embedded within the Telegram Bot.
• "Seller" (also "Publisher") — a person or entity that uploads, publishes, and distributes Listings through the Marketplace under the Seller Terms.
• "Buyer" — a person or entity that browses, purchases, downloads, or uses Skill Bundles through the Marketplace.
• "User" — any person who accesses or uses the Marketplace, including Buyers, Sellers, and visitors.
• "Listing" — a published entry on the Marketplace describing a Skill Bundle, including its title, description, screenshots, metadata, pricing, compatibility claims, and license type.
• "Skill Bundle" (also "Skill") — a digital package distributed through the Marketplace, which may include code, prompts, manifests, configuration files, installation instructions, documentation, and related operational materials.
• "Entitlement" — a record in the Marketplace system confirming that a Buyer has acquired lawful access to a specific Listing and its associated Skill Bundle.
• "Delivery" — the process by which a Buyer receives access to a purchased Skill Bundle. Delivery is considered complete when the Entitlement is created and the Buyer has been provided with a working download link, archive, or installation instructions (see Section 9.2).
• "Telegram Stars" (also "Stars" or "XTR") — the virtual currency used within Telegram for digital goods purchases, governed by Telegram's own terms.
• "Refund" — the return of Telegram Stars to a Buyer's account through the Telegram refundStarPayment API, subject to the Refund Policy and Telegram's technical constraints.
• "Third-Party Materials" — any code, libraries, assets, prompts, documentation, or other materials included in a Skill Bundle that are owned by parties other than the Seller, including Open-Source Components.
• "Open-Source Components" — Third-Party Materials distributed under recognized open-source licenses (e.g., MIT, Apache 2.0, GPL, AGPL, MPL).
• "Internal Use" — use by the Buyer (or the Buyer's single employing/owning legal entity) for its own internal personal or business workflows, excluding public redistribution, resale, or sublicensing.

4. What the Service Does

The Marketplace provides the following:

• Discovery: Browsing, searching, and filtering Listings for Skill Bundles.
• Publication: A system for Sellers to upload, describe, price, and publish Skill Bundles, subject to moderation.
• Purchase: A checkout flow for Buyers to acquire access to Skill Bundles using Telegram Stars.
• Delivery: Distribution of Skill Bundles through archives, download links, installation instructions, or Telegram Bot messages.
• Entitlement management: Records of Buyer purchases and access rights.

Listings may include code, prompts, manifests, screenshots, metadata, and compatibility claims. Some Listings are free and some are paid. Some interactions happen through the Website, some through the Telegram Bot or Mini App.

The Marketplace does not guarantee that every Skill Bundle will be compatible with your environment, free of defects, or perpetually available. See Sections 16 and 17 for service availability and disclaimer details.

5. Eligibility and Account Conditions

5.1 Requirements

To use the Marketplace, you must:

• Be legally capable of entering into binding agreements under applicable law;
• Comply with these Terms, applicable law, and Telegram's terms of service;
• Not be located in a jurisdiction where your use of the Marketplace would violate applicable sanctions or export controls.

If you use the Marketplace on behalf of a legal entity, you represent and warrant that you have authority to bind that entity.

5.2 Account responsibility

You are responsible for all activity under your account. You must not share account credentials or allow others to access your account in ways that circumvent these Terms.

5.3 Right to refuse access

We reserve the right to refuse, suspend, or terminate access for any User or in any region where continued service creates sanctions, fraud, regulatory, or trust-and-safety risk.

6. Marketplace Roles and Who Contracts with Whom

6.1 Intermediary marketplace model

The Operator acts as the platform, moderation, and distribution layer. The Operator is not the seller-of-record for Buyer-facing transactions involving third-party Seller content.

This means:

• Your relationship with the Operator covers platform access, delivery infrastructure, payment processing, moderation, and policy enforcement.
• Your relationship with the Seller covers the content, accuracy, functionality, and support commitments of their specific Listing, subject to Marketplace rules.

6.2 What the Operator controls

Even as an intermediary, the Operator:

• Controls platform access, moderation, checkout, delivery rails, and policy enforcement;
• May make Buyer-facing decisions on takedowns, Refunds, trust and safety, and abuse;
• Sets and enforces Marketplace-wide rules through these Terms and related policies.

6.3 What the Seller is responsible for

Sellers are independent providers responsible for:

• The legality, accuracy, and completeness of their Listing descriptions, screenshots, and compatibility claims;
• Ensuring they have the rights to distribute the content in their Skill Bundles;
• Complying with the Seller Terms and Acceptable Use Policy;
• Support commitments described in their Listings.

6.4 Not an agency or endorsement

Publication of a Listing does not mean the Operator endorses, guarantees, or has independently verified the Listing's content, quality, or legality. The relationship between the Operator and Sellers is not one of employment, agency, partnership, or joint venture.

7. Listings, Seller Content, and Marketplace Moderation

7.1 Listing standards

Listing descriptions, screenshots, and compatibility claims must be truthful and not misleading. Sellers must disclose material prerequisites, limitations, and dependencies.

7.2 Moderation rights

The Operator may:

• Review, scan, approve, reject, edit presentation metadata of, suspend, or remove Listings at its discretion for quality, policy, legal, or security reasons;
• Run validation, malware screening, packaging, or trust-and-safety checks on Skill Bundles;
• Remove or disable content for IP infringement, policy violations, fraud, security threats, or compliance reasons.

7.3 No guarantee of defect-free content

Publication of a Listing does not mean the Operator guarantees that the Skill Bundle is defect-free, secure, compatible with your environment, or fit for any particular purpose. Moderation and screening reduce risk but do not eliminate it.

8. Purchases, Pricing, and Telegram Stars

8.1 Pricing

Paid Listings are priced in Telegram Stars. The displayed price is the total price in Stars for the Listing at the time of purchase. Price changes by Sellers apply to future purchases only and do not affect existing Entitlements.

8.2 Purchase flow

The purchase flow may start on the Website or Mini App and complete through the Telegram Bot. By completing a purchase, you authorize the payment in Telegram Stars as displayed at checkout.

8.3 Telegram Stars

Telegram Stars are a virtual currency operated by Telegram, not by the Operator. The purchase, holding, and use of Stars is governed by Telegram's own terms and policies. The Operator does not control Stars pricing, conversion rates, availability, or the rules Telegram applies to Stars transactions.

8.4 Availability

A Listing may be unavailable in some flows, regions, or account states. The Operator does not guarantee that all Listings will be available to all Users at all times.

9. Delivery, Entitlements, and Access to Digital Content

9.1 What you receive

When you complete a purchase (or acquire a free Listing), you receive:

• An Entitlement — a record confirming your right to access the Skill Bundle;
• Delivery of the Skill Bundle through one or more of: a download link, an archive file, installation instructions, or a Telegram Bot message with access details.

You receive a limited license to use the Skill Bundle, not ownership of the underlying content. Your use rights are governed by the Buyer License.

9.2 When Delivery is complete

Delivery is considered complete when both of the following have occurred:

1. The Entitlement has been created in the Marketplace system; and
2. The Buyer has been provided with a working download link, archive, or installation instructions through which the Skill Bundle can be accessed.

Delivery does not require that the Buyer has actually downloaded, installed, or used the Skill Bundle — only that the Buyer has been given practical access to do so.

9.3 Delivery dependencies

Delivery may depend on:

• Your Telegram account being active and accessible;
• Telegram Bot and API availability;
• Compatibility between the Skill Bundle and your runtime environment;
• Listing-specific prerequisites disclosed by the Seller.

The Operator will use reasonable efforts to ensure Delivery succeeds promptly, but cannot guarantee Delivery when it depends on third-party systems outside the Operator's control.

9.4 Free Listings

Free Listings create an Entitlement but involve no payment. The Operator may remove free Listings at any time without obligation. Free Listings are subject to the Buyer License unless otherwise stated. Free-Listing Users have no support entitlement from the Operator unless separately offered.

9.5 Version updates

Unless a Listing explicitly promises that future updates are included:

• A Buyer who purchased or obtained version N is not automatically entitled to version N+1;
• A Seller may publish updates that change functionality, and Buyers with existing Entitlements may choose whether to update;
• The Buyer retains the right to use any version lawfully obtained before a Listing is updated or removed, subject to the delisting rules in the Buyer License.

Where a Listing does promise updates, that promise is governed by the Listing's terms and the Seller's obligations, not by these Terms.

9.6 Post-purchase access

Entitlements remain accessible as long as the Listing is live and the Marketplace is operational. For what happens when a Listing is removed, see the delisting matrix in the Buyer License.

10. Buyer License and Permitted Use

Purchased and free Skill Bundles are licensed, not sold. Your use of any Skill Bundle is governed by the Buyer License, which sets out:

• The scope of the license (single Telegram account, Internal Use within one legal entity);
• Allowed and restricted uses, including modification and derivative work boundaries;
• Output ownership rules;
• Third-party and open-source component handling;
• What happens when a Listing is delisted.

Third-party Open-Source Components included in a Skill Bundle remain governed by their own licenses. See the Buyer License for details.

11. Seller-Specific Terms and Listing-Specific Disclosures

11.1 Additional terms

Some Listings may include additional license, support, compatibility, or dependency disclosures. Seller-specific terms supplement these Terms and the Buyer License only if:

• They are shown to the Buyer before purchase;
• They have been approved by the Marketplace; and
• They do not conflict with these Terms or reduce mandatory Buyer rights.

11.2 Conflicts

If Listing-specific terms conflict with these Terms, the Buyer License, or the Refund Policy, the document higher in the hierarchy prevails. See Section 12 for the document hierarchy.

11.3 Pre-purchase disclosures

Sellers must disclose the following before purchase, either in the Listing description or through the checkout flow:

• Compatibility requirements and prerequisites;
• Known limitations or dependencies on third-party services;
• Whether the Seller is acting as a trader/business or as an individual, if relevant to the Buyer's jurisdiction;
• Any support commitments or their absence.

12. Document Hierarchy

When the documents governing your use of the Marketplace conflict, the following priority order applies (highest first):

1. Terms of Service (this document) — marketplace-wide rules
2. Refund Policy — purchase disputes and refund eligibility
3. Buyer License — how purchased Skills may be used
4. Seller Terms — Seller obligations to the Operator
5. Listing-specific terms — may supplement only if approved by the Marketplace and shown before purchase (cannot override Terms or Buyer License)

The Privacy Policy, Acceptable Use Policy, and IP/Takedown Policy apply alongside the hierarchy above and are incorporated by reference into these Terms.

13. Reviews, Ratings, and User Feedback

13.1 Review standards

Reviews and ratings must reflect genuine use or purchase experience. You may not post fraudulent, manipulative, defamatory, or abusive reviews. You may not offer or accept compensation for reviews.

13.2 Moderation

The Operator may remove reviews that violate these Terms, the Acceptable Use Policy, or that arise from abuse or fraud.

13.3 Use of feedback

The Operator may use ratings, reviews, and feedback for platform quality, moderation, merchandising, and ranking purposes.

14. Refunds, Cancellations, and Payment Support

14.1 General position

Digital-content purchases may have limited refund rights after Delivery. Specific refund eligibility, processes, and timelines are set out in the Refund Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms.

14.2 When Refunds may be available

Refunds may be available when:

• The Marketplace fails to deliver the purchased Skill Bundle;
• You are charged more than once for the same Listing unintentionally;
• The delivered Skill Bundle is materially different from the Listing description;
• A Listing is removed for legal, IP, malware, or policy reasons shortly after purchase.

14.3 How to request

Refund requests must be submitted through the Marketplace support channels. See the Refund Policy for required information and timelines.

14.4 Technical constraints

Refund processing depends on the Telegram Stars refundStarPayment API, which the Operator does not fully control. Refunds may be subject to time-window limitations, technical failures, or changes to Telegram's refund mechanics. See Section 16a for third-party dependency details.

14.5 EU/UK consumer withdrawal rights

If you are a consumer in the EU or UK, you may have a right to withdraw from a distance purchase within 14 days. However, for digital content delivered immediately:

• If you have explicitly consented to immediate Delivery before the withdrawal period expires, and
• If you have acknowledged that you lose your right of withdrawal once Delivery begins,

then your right of withdrawal does not apply after Delivery is complete.

Both acknowledgements must be collected through the checkout flow before Delivery begins.

15. Intellectual Property, Takedowns, and Repeat-Infringer Handling

15.1 Ownership

Sellers retain ownership of their content. Buyers receive only the licensed rights described in the Buyer License. The Operator retains ownership of the Marketplace platform, its design, branding, and proprietary tools.

15.2 Operator license

By publishing a Listing, Sellers grant the Operator a limited license to host, display, promote, deliver, moderate, validate, and provide support for the Listing and its Skill Bundle through the Marketplace. This license does not include the right to train machine-learning models on Seller content or build competing products from it.

15.3 Takedowns

The Operator enforces an IP/Takedown Policy and may remove allegedly infringing content upon receiving valid notices. The Operator may also handle counter-notices and restore removed content where appropriate.

15.4 Repeat infringers

The Operator reserves the right to terminate the accounts of Users who are repeat infringers or who submit repeated abusive or bad-faith takedown notices.

16. Service Availability, Changes, and Delisting

16.1 Changes to the service

The Marketplace may change features, listing visibility, delivery mechanisms, Seller tools, or any part of the service. We will use reasonable efforts to provide notice of material changes.

16.2 Suspension and discontinuation

The Operator may suspend or discontinue Listings, features, or parts of the service for operational, legal, security, or business reasons. We are not a permanent archive and do not guarantee indefinite availability of any Listing.

16.3 Delisting

A Listing may be removed from the Marketplace for legal, policy, security, or commercial reasons, or by the Seller's choice. The consequences for existing Buyers depend on the reason for removal and are governed by the delisting matrix in the Buyer License.

16.4 Updates

Updates to a Listing are not guaranteed unless the Listing specifically promises them. Previously purchased Entitlements may be subject to security, policy, or legal removal in exceptional cases.

16a. Third-Party Dependencies and Force Majeure

16a.1 Telegram dependency

The Marketplace relies on Telegram for account authentication, messaging, payment processing (Stars), and delivery channels. The Operator does not control Telegram's infrastructure, terms, or availability. Service disruptions, API changes, Stars rule changes, or bot suspension by Telegram may affect Marketplace operations, including purchase processing, delivery, refund timing, and account access. The Operator will use reasonable efforts to maintain service continuity but cannot guarantee uninterrupted operation of features that depend on Telegram.

Specific Telegram-related risks include:

• Telegram outages or API unavailability: Entitlements, Delivery, and Refund processing may be delayed or unavailable during such periods.
• Telegram API changes: If Telegram changes the Stars API, Bot API, payment flow, or commission structure, the Operator may need to modify pricing, delivery mechanics, or temporarily suspend features. We will provide reasonable notice where possible.
• Telegram Stars rule changes: If Telegram changes the rules for Stars (conversion rates, refund windows, payout mechanics), the Operator is not responsible for downstream effects on pricing or refund timing.
• Bot suspension or removal: If the Operator's Telegram Bot is suspended or removed by Telegram, Entitlements and Delivery access may be interrupted. The Operator will use reasonable efforts to restore access or provide alternative delivery, but cannot guarantee uninterrupted service through a platform it does not control.

16a.2 General force majeure

Neither party is liable for failure or delay in performance caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to: third-party platform actions, regulatory or legal changes, infrastructure failures, natural disasters, pandemics, armed conflict, or government actions. This clause does not excuse payment obligations that have already accrued.

17. Disclaimers

17.1 "As is" and "as available"

The Marketplace and all Skill Bundles are provided "as is" and "as available," to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law. The Operator does not warrant that:

• The Marketplace will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure;
• Any Skill Bundle will be defect-free, compatible with your environment, or fit for your intended purpose;
• Listings will be accurate, complete, or current;
• Moderation or screening will catch all issues.

17.2 Third-party dependencies

Skill Bundles may depend on third-party tools, APIs, models, or operating environments. Compatibility claims are based on the scope disclosed in the Listing, not every possible user environment. Changes to third-party services may affect the functionality of a Skill Bundle after purchase.

17.3 Consistency with other commitments

These disclaimers do not override express promises made in specific Listings or in the Refund Policy. Where a Listing makes a specific, factual compatibility or functionality claim, that claim is subject to the Seller's obligations, not disclaimed by this section.

18. Limitation of Liability

18.1 Exclusion of indirect damages

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Operator is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to: lost profits, lost data, business interruption, cost of substitute goods or services, or damages arising from the use of or inability to use a Skill Bundle, even if advised of the possibility.

18.2 Cap on direct liability

The Operator's total aggregate liability for all claims arising out of or related to these Terms or the Marketplace will not exceed the greater of:

• The total amount of Telegram Stars (converted to their fiat equivalent at Telegram's published rate at the time of the relevant transaction) you paid to the Operator in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim; or
• USD $50 (or local equivalent).

18.3 Exceptions

Nothing in this section excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law, including liability for fraud, willful misconduct, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any mandatory consumer-law protections in your jurisdiction.

18.4 Seller liability

The Operator's liability limitations in this section apply to the Operator only. Seller liability for the content, accuracy, and legality of their Listings is governed by the Seller Terms and applicable law.

19. Indemnity

19.1 Buyer indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Operator from losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

• Your breach of these Terms;
• Your misuse of the Marketplace or any Skill Bundle;
• Your violation of applicable law or third-party rights through your use of the Marketplace.

19.2 Seller indemnity

Sellers agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Operator from losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

• Infringement of third-party intellectual property rights in their Listings or Skill Bundles;
• Unlawful, malicious, or deceptive content in their Listings;
• Malware, secret leakage, or security vulnerabilities in their Skill Bundles;
• False compatibility, licensing, or functionality claims;
• Breach of the Seller Terms or these Terms.

The scope of Seller indemnity obligations is further detailed in the Seller Terms.

19.3 Consumer-law limits

Indemnity obligations in this section do not apply to the extent they would override mandatory consumer protections in your jurisdiction.

20. Governing Law, Venue, and Dispute Handling

20.1 Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Ukraine, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

20.2 Venue

Any disputes arising out of these Terms will be resolved in the courts of Ukraine, unless mandatory consumer-law provisions in your jurisdiction require a different forum.

20.3 Consumer-law carve-out

If you are a consumer in a jurisdiction with mandatory consumer-protection laws that cannot be waived by contract, those laws apply to the extent required, regardless of the governing law and venue provisions above.

20.4 Dispute escalation

Before initiating formal legal proceedings, we encourage you to:

1. Contact Support or Payment Support (see Section 22) to resolve the issue;
2. Allow the Marketplace a reasonable period to investigate and respond;
3. Escalate to Legal Contact if unresolved.

21. Changes to the Terms

21.1 Right to update

We may update these Terms from time to time. The updated version will be posted on the Website with a new effective date.

21.2 Notice of material changes

If changes materially affect existing Users, we will provide reasonable notice through the Website, Mini App, Telegram Bot, or email (if available). Your continued use of the Marketplace after the updated Terms take effect constitutes acceptance. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the Marketplace.

21.3 Prospective application

Changes apply prospectively. The version of these Terms in effect at the time of a purchase governs that purchase, unless applicable law requires otherwise.

22. Pre-Contract Disclosures

Before a Buyer commits to a purchase, the following information must be available through the Listing page, checkout flow, or both:

Product dependency: The Listing page and/or checkout flow must surface these disclosures. Burying them only in long-form policy pages is insufficient for legal enforceability and consumer trust.

23. Prohibited Conduct and Enforcement Rights

23.1 Prohibited conduct

You must not use the Marketplace to engage in conduct prohibited by the Acceptable Use Policy, including but not limited to:

• Distributing malware, credential-theft tools, or unauthorized-access exploits;
• Infringing intellectual property, posting deceptive Listings, or leaking third-party secrets;
• Misusing download access, sharing accounts, or engaging in refund abuse;
• Circumventing access controls, payment gating, or delivery restrictions;
• Using the Marketplace in violation of applicable law, sanctions, or third-party terms.

23.2 Enforcement rights

The Operator may, at its discretion:

• Suspend or terminate accounts;
• Remove Listings or Entitlements;
• Cancel access to purchased Skill Bundles;
• Withhold or reverse Marketplace privileges;
• Report violations to rights holders or authorities where required or appropriate.

Enforcement actions are taken at the Operator's discretion and do not require advance notice, though we will provide explanation where practicable.

24. Contact and Support Information

At launch, some of these channels may route to the same inbox. The labels are listed separately for clarity and future routing.

*Last updated: 2026-03-14*