Terms of Service

Last Updated: 23 April 2025

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Lightcone News website and related services (collectively, the "Service"), operated by PRIORB ("we," "us," or "our"), located at Gewerkenstr 8, 44805 Bochum, Germany. By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Service.

We reserve the right to update or modify these Terms at any time without prior notice. Your continued use of the Service after any such changes constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms. We encourage you to review these Terms periodically.

2. Description of Service

Lightcone News is an online platform that aggregates news content from various sources and utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to provide additional context, including historical timelines, related information, and potential future scenarios based on probabilistic forecasts or AI generation. The Service is intended to provide informational tools to help users better understand complex global developments.

3. Eligibility and User Accounts

You must be at least 16 years of age to use the Service. By agreeing to these Terms, you represent and warrant that you are of legal age to form a binding contract.

Certain features of the Service may require you to register for an account. When you register, you agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials (username and password) and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account or any other breach of security. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to protect your account information.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time, for any reason, including but not limited to violation of these Terms, without notice or liability.

4. Use of the Service and User Conduct

You agree to use the Service only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree not to use the Service:

  • In any way that violates any applicable federal, state, local, or international law or regulation (including, without limitation, any laws regarding the export of data or software to and from Germany, the EU, the US or other countries).
  • For the purpose of exploiting, harming, or attempting to exploit or harm minors in any way by exposing them to inappropriate content, asking for personally identifiable information, or otherwise.
  • To transmit, or procure the sending of, any advertising or promotional material, including any "junk mail," "chain letter," "spam," or any other similar solicitation.
  • To impersonate or attempt to impersonate PRIORB, a PRIORB employee, another user, or any other person or entity (including, without limitation, by using email addresses associated with any of the foregoing).
  • To engage in any other conduct that restricts or inhibits anyone's use or enjoyment of the Service, or which, as determined by us, may harm PRIORB or users of the Service, or expose them to liability.

Additionally, you agree not to:

  • Use the Service in any manner that could disable, overburden, damage, or impair the site or interfere with any other party's use of the Service, including their ability to engage in real-time activities through the Service.
  • Use any robot, spider, or other automatic device, process, or means to access the Service for any purpose, including monitoring or copying any of the material on the Service.
  • Use any manual process to monitor or copy any of the material on the Service, or for any other purpose not expressly authorized in these Terms, without our prior written consent.
  • Use any device, software, or routine that interferes with the proper working of the Service.
  • Introduce any viruses, Trojan horses, worms, logic bombs, or other material that is malicious or technologically harmful.
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to, interfere with, damage, or disrupt any parts of the Service, the server on which the Service is stored, or any server, computer, or database connected to the Service.
  • Attack the Service via a denial-of-service attack or a distributed denial-of-service attack.
  • Otherwise attempt to interfere with the proper working of the Service.

5. Intellectual Property Rights

The Service and its entire contents, features, and functionality (including but not limited to all information, software, text, displays, images, video, and audio, and the design, selection, and arrangement thereof), are owned by PRIORB, its licensors, or other providers of such material and are protected by German and international copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property or proprietary rights laws.

These Terms permit you to use the Service for your personal, non-commercial use only. You must not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, republish, download, store, or transmit any of the material on our Service, except as follows:

  • Your computer may temporarily store copies of such materials in RAM incidental to your accessing and viewing those materials.
  • You may store files that are automatically cached by your Web browser for display enhancement purposes.
  • You may print or download one copy of a reasonable number of pages of the Service for your own personal, non-commercial use and not for further reproduction, publication, or distribution.

You must not:

  • Modify copies of any materials from this site.
  • Use any illustrations, photographs, video or audio sequences, or any graphics separately from the accompanying text.
  • Delete or alter any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary rights notices from copies of materials from this site.

If you print, copy, modify, download, or otherwise use or provide any other person with access to any part of the Service in breach of the Terms, your right to use the Service will stop immediately and you must, at our option, return or destroy any copies of the materials you have made. No right, title, or interest in or to the Service or any content on the Service is transferred to you, and all rights not expressly granted are reserved by PRIORB.

The Lightcone News name, the PRIORB name, and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs, and slogans are trademarks of PRIORB or its affiliates or licensors. You must not use such marks without the prior written permission of PRIORB.

6. Content Disclaimers

The content provided by the Service, including news articles aggregated from third parties, AI-generated summaries, timelines, analyses, and future scenarios, is provided for general informational purposes only. We do not warrant the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or reliability of any content available through the Service.

The AI-generated content is based on algorithms and data available at the time of generation and may contain inaccuracies, errors, or biases. Future scenarios and probabilistic forecasts are inherently speculative and based on available data and modeling assumptions; they are not predictions or guarantees of future events.

You acknowledge that any reliance on any content provided by the Service is solely at your own risk. The content is not intended to constitute financial, investment, legal, professional, or any other type of advice. You should consult with a qualified professional before making any decisions based on the information obtained through the Service.

We do not endorse, support, represent or guarantee the completeness, truthfulness, accuracy, or reliability of any third-party content displayed or linked to through the Service.

7. Disclaimer of Warranties

YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, ITS CONTENT, AND ANY SERVICES OR ITEMS OBTAINED THROUGH THE SERVICE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE SERVICE, ITS CONTENT, AND ANY SERVICES OR ITEMS OBTAINED THROUGH THE SERVICE ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS, WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. NEITHER PRIORB NOR ANY PERSON ASSOCIATED WITH PRIORB MAKES ANY WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION WITH RESPECT TO THE COMPLETENESS, SECURITY, RELIABILITY, QUALITY, ACCURACY, OR AVAILABILITY OF THE SERVICE.

WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, NEITHER PRIORB NOR ANYONE ASSOCIATED WITH PRIORB REPRESENTS OR WARRANTS THAT THE SERVICE, ITS CONTENT, OR ANY SERVICES OR ITEMS OBTAINED THROUGH THE SERVICE WILL BE ACCURATE, RELIABLE, ERROR-FREE, OR UNINTERRUPTED, THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED, THAT OUR SITE OR THE SERVER THAT MAKES IT AVAILABLE ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS, OR THAT THE SERVICE OR ANY SERVICES OR ITEMS OBTAINED THROUGH THE SERVICE WILL OTHERWISE MEET YOUR NEEDS OR EXPECTATIONS.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PROVIDED BY LAW, PRIORB HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND FITNESS FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

THE FOREGOING DOES NOT AFFECT ANY WARRANTIES THAT CANNOT BE EXCLUDED OR LIMITED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.

8. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PROVIDED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL PRIORB, ITS AFFILIATES, OR THEIR LICENSORS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OFFICERS, OR DIRECTORS BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, UNDER ANY LEGAL THEORY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE, OR INABILITY TO USE, THE SERVICE, ANY WEBSITES LINKED TO IT, ANY CONTENT ON THE SERVICE OR SUCH OTHER WEBSITES, INCLUDING ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PERSONAL INJURY, PAIN AND SUFFERING, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, LOSS OF REVENUE, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS OR ANTICIPATED SAVINGS, LOSS OF USE, LOSS OF GOODWILL, LOSS OF DATA, AND WHETHER CAUSED BY TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), BREACH OF CONTRACT, OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF FORESEEABLE.

THE FOREGOING DOES NOT AFFECT ANY LIABILITY THAT CANNOT BE EXCLUDED OR LIMITED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW. LIABILITY FOR INTENTIONAL MISCONDUCT OR GROSS NEGLIGENCE UNDER GERMAN LAW REMAINS UNAFFECTED.

9. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless PRIORB, its affiliates, licensors, and service providers, and its and their respective officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, licensors, suppliers, successors, and assigns from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to your violation of these Terms or your use of the Service, including, but not limited to, any use of the Service's content, services, and products other than as expressly authorized in these Terms or your use of any information obtained from the Service.

10. Third-Party Links and Services

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by PRIORB. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites or services. You further acknowledge and agree that PRIORB shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such content, goods, or services available on or through any such websites or services.

11. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your access to all or part of the Service immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason whatsoever, including without limitation if you breach these Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease. All provisions of the Terms which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including, without limitation, ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity, and limitations of liability.

12. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and any dispute or claim arising out of, or related to, them, their subject matter, or their formation (in each case, including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods does not apply to these Terms.

Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of, or related to, these Terms or the Service shall be instituted exclusively in the competent courts of Bochum, Germany, although we retain the right to bring any suit, action, or proceeding against you for breach of these Terms in your country of residence or any other relevant country. You waive any and all objections to the exercise of jurisdiction over you by such courts and to venue in such courts.

13. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held by a court or other tribunal of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable for any reason, such provision shall be eliminated or limited to the minimum extent such that the remaining provisions of the Terms will continue in full force and effect.

14. Entire Agreement

These Terms and our Privacy Policy constitute the sole and entire agreement between you and PRIORB regarding the Service and supersede all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations, and warranties, both written and oral, regarding the Service.

15. Contact Information

Questions about the Terms of Service should be sent to us at contact@priorb.com or by mail to PRIORB, Gewerkenstr 8, 44805 Bochum, Germany.