Terms of Service

Last updated: January 2026

1. Acceptance

By using DeerDawn, you agree to these terms. If you represent an entity, you confirm you have authority to bind them.

2. Service Description

DeerDawn provides a policy-based decision engine accessible through a REST API and web-based dashboard. The Service evaluates actions against customer-defined policies and returns decisions (allow, deny, or escalate) with associated reasoning. Features, plan limits, and pricing are detailed at https://deerdawn.com/pricing.

3. Account Registration and Eligibility

To use the Service, you must create an account with accurate and complete information. You must be at least 18 years old and have the legal capacity to enter into contracts. If you are registering on behalf of an organization, you represent and warrant that you have authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials, API keys, and authentication tokens. You must notify us immediately at security@deerdawn.com if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.

4. Usage Rights and License

Subject to your compliance with these Terms and payment of applicable fees, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable right to access and use the Service for your internal business purposes during the subscription term.

You retain all rights to your data, policies, and decision logs. We do not claim ownership of any content you submit to the Service.

5. Acceptable Use and Restrictions

You agree NOT to:

• Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the Service or attempt to derive source code
• Use the Service to violate any laws, regulations, or third-party rights
• Resell, sublicense, or provide access to the Service to third parties without written authorization
• Use the Service for safety-critical applications (medical devices, aviation, nuclear facilities) without explicit written approval
• Attempt to circumvent rate limits, usage caps, or security measures
• Send excessive requests that degrade service performance for other customers
• Use the Service to transmit malware, viruses, or malicious code
• Impersonate DeerDawn or falsely claim endorsement by DeerDawn

6. Plan Limits and Overage

Each subscription plan includes usage limits (decision requests per month, retention period, API rate limits) as specified on the pricing page. If you exceed plan limits, we may throttle requests, charge overage fees, or require you to upgrade to a higher tier. Enterprise plans with custom limits are available upon request.

7. Payment and Billing

Subscription fees are billed monthly or annually in advance. All fees are non-refundable except as required by law. You authorize us to charge your payment method on file for all amounts owed. If payment fails, we may suspend your account after providing 7 days notice.

You may cancel your subscription at any time through the dashboard. Cancellations take effect at the end of the current billing period. We do not provide pro-rated refunds for mid-cycle cancellations.

We may change pricing with 30 days advance notice. Price changes apply to renewals and do not affect your current billing period.

8. Service Availability and Support

We strive for high availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted access to the Service. We provide a status page at https://deerdawn.com/status for transparency on incidents and maintenance windows.

Support is provided via email (support@deerdawn.com) with response time targets based on your plan tier: Standard (48 business hours), Growth (24 business hours), Pro (8 business hours), Enterprise (4 business hours with dedicated support).

9. Intellectual Property Rights

DeerDawn and its licensors retain all rights, title, and interest in the Service, including all software, trademarks, and documentation. These Terms do not grant you any intellectual property rights except the limited usage rights specified in Section 4.

You grant DeerDawn a limited license to process, store, and transmit your data solely to provide the Service. We may use aggregated, anonymized usage statistics for product improvement and marketing, but will never share customer-specific data without consent.

10. Warranties and Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, DEERDAWN DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

We do not warrant that the Service will be error-free, secure, or uninterrupted. You acknowledge that the Service provides decision recommendations based on policies you define, and you remain solely responsible for all actions taken or not taken based on those decisions.

11. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, DEERDAWN SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE.

Our total liability for any claims arising from these Terms or the Service shall not exceed the amount you paid to DeerDawn in the 12 months preceding the claim, or $100 if you have not paid any fees.

Some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on implied warranties or liability for incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations may not apply to you.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless DeerDawn and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from: (a) your use of the Service, (b) your violation of these Terms, (c) your violation of any laws or third-party rights, or (d) your data or policies submitted to the Service.

13. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account immediately if you violate these Terms, fail to pay fees, or engage in fraudulent or harmful conduct. You may terminate your account at any time through the dashboard settings.

Upon termination, your right to access the Service ceases immediately. We will delete your data within 30 days of termination unless you request earlier deletion or we are legally required to retain it. Sections 9-16 survive termination.

14. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time by posting updated Terms on our website and notifying you via email or dashboard notification. Material changes take effect 30 days after notice. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance. If you disagree with changes, you may terminate your account before they take effect.

15. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Delaware, and you consent to personal jurisdiction in those courts.

Before filing a lawsuit, you agree to first contact us at legal@deerdawn.com to attempt informal resolution. If unresolved within 30 days, either party may pursue formal legal action.

16. General Provisions

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and DeerDawn regarding the Service and supersede all prior agreements. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force. Our failure to enforce any right does not waive that right.

You may not assign these Terms without our written consent. We may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets. Notices must be sent to legal@deerdawn.com or the email address on your account.