1. Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to Games With Words. By accessing or using our website and services, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use our service.

2. Description of Service

Games With Words provides a free online platform for playing word search puzzles. Our service includes:

• Playing curated word search puzzles
• Tracking your progress and statistics
• Customizing your gameplay preferences
• Participating in the community through puzzle play and feedback

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to create an account and use our service. By using our service, you represent and warrant that:

• You are at least 13 years of age
• You have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms
• You will provide accurate and truthful information
• You will comply with all applicable laws

If you are under 18, you must have permission from a parent or guardian to use our service.

4. User Accounts

4.1 Account Creation

• You may create an account by providing a valid email address and password
• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
• You are responsible for all activities that occur under your account
• You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account

4.2 Account Security

• Choose a strong, unique password
• Do not share your password with anyone
• We will never ask for your password via email or phone
• You may be held liable for losses incurred by us or others due to unauthorized use of your account

4.3 Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time for:

• Violation of these Terms
• Fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity
• Creating multiple accounts to evade restrictions
• Impersonating another person or entity
• Any other reason at our sole discretion

You may delete your account at any time through your account settings.

5. User Content

5.1 Your Responsibility

You are solely responsible for all content you create, upload, or share on our service, including word submissions, feedback, and reports. You represent and warrant that:

• You own or have the necessary rights to use and share the content
• Your content does not infringe on any intellectual property rights
• Your content complies with all applicable laws
• Your content does not violate these Terms or our Content Guidelines

5.2 Prohibited Content

You may NOT create or share content that:

• Is illegal, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, or hateful
• Infringes on intellectual property rights (copyrighted words, trademarked phrases, etc.)
• Contains personal information of others without consent
• Contains viruses, malware, or other harmful code
• Impersonates any person or entity
• Promotes violence, discrimination, or illegal activities
• Contains spam, advertising, or solicitations
• Is sexually explicit or pornographic
• Targets or exploits children

5.3 Content Moderation

• We reserve the right to review, moderate, or remove any user-generated content
• Users can flag inappropriate content for review
• We do not pre-screen content but will respond to reports
• Repeated violations may result in account termination

5.4 License to Your Content

By submitting content to our service, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable license to:

• Use, reproduce, modify, and display your content
• Distribute your content through our service
• Create derivative works (e.g., difficulty ratings, analytics)
• Sublicense your content to other users for personal use

This license exists to operate the service (e.g., display your puzzle to other players). You retain ownership of your content.

6. Intellectual Property

6.1 Our Property

All content and materials on our service (excluding user-generated content) are owned by or licensed to us and are protected by:

• Copyright laws
• Trademark laws
• Other intellectual property rights

This includes our logo, design, text, graphics, code, and other materials. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works without our permission.

6.2 Trademarks

"Games With Words" and our logo are trademarks. You may not use these marks without our prior written permission.

6.3 DMCA Compliance

We respect intellectual property rights. If you believe your copyrighted work has been infringed, please contact us with:

• A description of the copyrighted work
• The URL where the alleged infringement is located
• Your contact information
• A statement of good faith belief that the use is not authorized
• A statement that the information is accurate and you are authorized to act
• Your physical or electronic signature

Send DMCA notices to: dmca@gameswithwords.com

7. Prohibited Activities

You agree NOT to:

• Use the service for any illegal purpose
• Harass, abuse, or harm other users
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems
• Interfere with the proper functioning of the service
• Use automated tools (bots, scrapers) without permission
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble our software
• Collect or harvest personal information of other users
• Create multiple accounts to manipulate ratings or evade restrictions
• Circumvent any security features or access controls
• Upload viruses, malware, or other malicious code

8. Third-Party Links and Services

Our service may contain links to third-party websites or services (e.g., Google AdSense). We are not responsible for:

• The content or privacy practices of third-party sites
• Any damages or losses caused by third-party services
• The availability or accuracy of third-party content

Your use of third-party services is at your own risk and subject to their terms and policies.

9. Disclaimers

9.1 "As Is" Service

Our service is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose
• Warranties that the service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
• Warranties that user-generated content is accurate or reliable

9.2 No Professional Advice

Our service is for entertainment purposes only. We do not provide professional, medical, legal, or financial advice.

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

• Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• Loss of profits, revenue, data, or use
• Damages arising from user-generated content
• Damages from unauthorized access to your account
• Damages from third-party services or links

OUR TOTAL LIABILITY SHALL NOT EXCEED $100 OR THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (WHICHEVER IS GREATER).

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Games With Words, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of the service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of another party
• Your content or conduct on the service

12. Dispute Resolution

12.1 Informal Resolution

Before filing a legal claim, you agree to try to resolve disputes informally by contacting us at support@gameswithwords.com.

12.2 Arbitration

If informal resolution fails, disputes will be resolved through binding arbitration rather than in court, except:

• You may bring claims in small claims court if they qualify
• We may seek injunctive relief in court for intellectual property violations

12.3 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of [Your State/Country], without regard to conflict of law principles.

13. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting a notice on our website
• Sending an email to registered users
• Updating the "Effective Date" at the top

Your continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

14. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

15. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Games With Words regarding our service.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us:

• Email: support@gameswithwords.com
• Legal: legal@gameswithwords.com

17. Your Acceptance

By using Games With Words, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy.