Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

Boughly is a product operated by Babu & Booshik LLC, a California limited liability company ("Babu & Booshik," "we," "us," or "our"). By accessing or using Boughly ("the Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use the Platform. We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time, and continued use constitutes acceptance of any changes.

2. Account & Eligibility

• You must be at least 13 years old to create an account.
• Users under 18 must have parental/guardian consent.
• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials.
• You may not create accounts for the purpose of violating these Terms or circumventing enforcement actions.
• By accessing Mature content, you represent that you are at least 18 years old and legally permitted to access such material in your jurisdiction.

3. Content Ownership & License

You retain ownership of all stories, text, images, and other content you create on Boughly ("Your Content"). By publishing content on the Platform, you grant Boughly a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display, distribute, and promote Your Content within the Platform and its marketing materials.

You may remove Your Content at any time by unpublishing or deleting it. This terminates the license, except where copies have already been made by readers in accordance with normal Platform use, and except as set out in Section 8 (Creator Obligations for Paid Stories), where existing buyers retain access to purchased copies.

4. Content Guidelines

All published content must comply with our Community Guidelines. The following content is prohibited:

• Hate speech or harassment — content targeting individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or religion.
• Sexually explicit content involving minors — any sexual content depicting or suggesting minors, in any context, is strictly prohibited and may be reported to NCMEC.
• On-page graphic sexual content — explicit on-page sexual content is not permitted at any rating tier, regardless of consent or context. See the Mature Tier definition for the line between “fade to black” (allowed) and explicit description (not allowed).
• Glorification of violence or self-harm — content that promotes, encourages, or instructs real-world violence, suicide, or self-harm.
• Copyright infringement — reproducing copyrighted material without authorization. Authors are responsible for ensuring their content does not infringe third-party intellectual property rights.
• Spam or misleading content — deceptive stories designed to mislead, phish, or distribute malware.
• Impersonation — falsely representing yourself as another person, organization, or brand.
• Illegal activity — content that promotes illegal activities or provides instructions for committing crimes.

5. Content Rating & Disclosures

Authors are required to accurately rate their content:

• General — suitable for all audiences. No graphic violence, no strong language, no sexual content.
• Teen (13+) — mild violence, infrequent strong language, romantic and sexual tension without explicit description.
• Mature (18+) — strong language without limit, graphic violence, dark adult themes, sexual situations handled non-graphically (“fade to black”). On-page graphic sexual content is not permitted; see Section 4 and the Mature Tier definition.

Deliberately misrating content to bypass filters is a violation of these Terms.

Platform Availability

Certain Mature (18+) content may only be available through the Boughly web platform and may not be accessible through iOS or Android applications due to platform policies, regional restrictions, or compliance requirements.

AI Content Disclosure

Stories created with the assistance of AI tools (text generation, image generation, AI-assisted plotting) must be disclosed during the publish flow at the appropriate level (None / AI-edited / AI-generated). Undisclosed AI content that is later identified may be flagged or removed.

Paid Promotion Disclosure

If your story contains paid product placements, sponsorships, or endorsements, you must disclose this. Failure to disclose paid promotion violates both these Terms and applicable advertising regulations.

6. Coins, Purchases & Payments

Boughly uses an in-platform currency called “coins.” You purchase coins in bundles, then spend coins to unlock stories that the author has set a coin price on (“Paid Stories”). For payout and accounting purposes, the reference rate is approximately 100 coins = $1.00 USD; regional pricing and mobile pricing may vary. Payments are made to Babu & Booshik LLC, the operator of Boughly.

• Coin bundles. Web purchases of coin bundles are processed securely by Stripe, Inc. Boughly does not directly store full payment card details; Stripe handles payment processing.
• Currency. Coin bundle prices are listed and charged in U.S. Dollars. Your card issuer may apply foreign-transaction fees if your card is denominated in another currency.
• Sales tax. Where required, applicable sales tax may be calculated and added to your coin bundle purchase at checkout. Any tax collected is included in the total shown at checkout.
• Coin spends. When you spend coins to unlock a Paid Story, you receive a non-transferable, continuing license to access that story through the Platform subject to these Terms. Where available, you may also download an EPUB copy of the version you unlocked; availability of downloadable copies may vary by platform. Spending coins is the act of purchase for the underlying story; the coin bundle purchase itself is a prepaid balance transaction.
• Coin expiry. Coins do not expire.
• Tips. You may optionally tip a creator by spending coins beyond any story unlock. Tips are voluntary, confer no additional goods, services, or access, and—like other coin spends—are non-refundable except under the reversal rules in Section 7. Creator tips earn creators the same fixed 70% of face value as Paid Story unlocks (see Creator Payouts).
• Non-cashable. Coins have no cash value, cannot be transferred to other users, and cannot be cashed out. They are usable only on the Boughly Platform.
• Future channels. When iOS and Android apps launch, coin bundle purchases in-app will be processed by Apple In-App Purchase or Google Play Billing respectively. Those purchases are also governed by the relevant store's terms in addition to these Terms.
• Continued availability. Subject to Section 7 (Refunds) and Section 8 (Creator Obligations), Boughly aims to maintain access to unlocked stories via the snapshot-based access system described in those sections. Boughly does not warrant uninterrupted or indefinite availability, including in the event of platform discontinuation, legal takedown, or operational changes; where available, you are encouraged to download the EPUB copy provided at unlock.

7. Refunds

See our Refund Policy for full details. In summary:

• Coin bundle refunds. Coin bundle purchases are generally eligible for refund within 7 days of purchase, subject to review. Refunds typically apply only to the unspent portion of the bundle.
• Spent coins. Coins that have been spent to unlock a story are not returned to you as cash, and you keep access to what you unlocked. If the coin bundle that funded a spend is later refunded or charged back, the corresponding creator earnings are reversed so creators are not paid on returned purchases.
• After the 7-day window. Refund requests outside the standard window are reviewed case-by-case at Boughly's discretion, including for technical issues or material discrepancies between previewed and delivered content.
• Mature content. The standard refund window applies to Mature content purchases.
• EU consumers. Where EU sales are enabled, additional statutory rights (including the right of withdrawal) may apply or may be waived in exchange for immediate delivery, as disclosed at checkout.
• How to request. Email support@boughly.com from the account email associated with the purchase. Operational details (timing, eligibility, processing) are described in the Refund Policy.

8. Creator Obligations for Paid Stories

If you publish a Paid Story (one with a coin price > 0), you accept the following additional obligations:

• Reader permanence. Authors agree to keep stories available to readers who have unlocked them, to the extent reasonably practicable. While unlocks exist, hard-unpublishing is replaced by an "Archive" action that hides the story from Explore and blocks new unlocks while existing readers retain access through their library. Each unlock is linked to a snapshot of the version the reader paid for, so subsequent creator updates do not affect what previously-unlocked readers can access.
• Stripe Connect onboarding. Before submitting a Paid Story, you must complete Stripe Connect Express onboarding, including identity verification (KYC), tax-form submission (W-9 / W-8BEN), and bank-account linking.
• Tax responsibility. You are responsible for income tax on creator earnings. Applicable tax forms (such as Form 1099-K for U.S. creators) may be issued based on current law and Stripe's tax-reporting configuration; reporting thresholds are set by tax authorities and may change.
• Mobile rules. When iOS and Android apps launch, coin bundle sales through those apps are subject to Apple App Store and Google Play policies, including their respective revenue shares and content rules.
• No material mismatch. The story content delivered to readers who spend coins should substantively match what was previewed in the free portion. Where delivered story content materially differs from the preview or description, Boughly may, at its discretion, reverse the specific coin spend and apply a corresponding adjustment to the author's earnings balance.
• Account holds. If your account is suspended for Terms violations, payouts are paused but existing readers retain access to previously unlocked stories.

9. Boughly Revenue Share

See our Creator Payouts page for full details. In summary:

• Split: 70% of eligible paid-coin face value to the creator; Boughly retains a 30% gross platform share. Every 100 eligible paid coins spent on a creator's story unlock or tip (referenced at approximately 100 coins = $1.00) creates 70¢ of creator earnings. Boughly retains 30¢ gross and pays ordinary web payment-processing and creator-payout costs from that share. The creator share is computed on face value—never on a post-fee remainder—and no processing fee is deducted from the creator's 70%. Buyer-paid sales tax is outside this basis. This launch rate applies to web-funded paid coins; coins purchased through Apple or Google may be governed by a separately-modeled rate. The rate is versioned: a future change applies only to earnings accrued after it takes effect and never restates earnings already accrued. Tips use the same calculation. Full worked examples are on the Creator Payouts page.
• Payout schedule. Earnings accrue as readers spend coins on the author's stories and are typically aggregated and transferred via Stripe Connect on a regular cycle. Minimum payout thresholds, first-payout caps, and other operational parameters are described on the Creator Payouts page and may be adjusted from time to time.
• Payout currency. USD. International creators receive USD via Stripe Connect; conversion is handled by your bank.
• Refunds and chargebacks. If a coin bundle is refunded or charged back, we claw back the unspent portion from the buyer's balance and proportionally reverse only the creator earnings attributable to the returned funds. Readers keep access to anything they already unlocked.
• Mobile (when launched). Coin bundles purchased through Apple or Google are subject to those stores' commissions and policies. Mobile-funded coin economics will be disclosed separately before mobile monetization launches.

10. Moderation & Enforcement

Boughly reserves the right to moderate all published content. Moderation actions include:

• Flag — content is flagged for review. The author is notified and given an opportunity to make corrections.
• Unpublish — content is removed from public listings. The author retains access and can edit the content to address the issue before requesting republication. For Paid Stories, existing buyers retain access via snapshots.
• Remove — content is permanently removed from the Platform for severe or repeated violations. For Paid Stories, removal within 30 days of purchase entitles the buyer to a full refund.
• Account suspension or ban — for severe or repeated violations, accounts may be temporarily suspended or permanently banned. Existing buyers of any Paid Stories from a banned creator retain library access.

Authors are notified of moderation actions and the specific violation. Appeals can be submitted by emailing support@boughly.com.

11. Reader Conduct

• Readers must not use the reporting system to harass authors or submit false reports.
• Readers must not attempt to circumvent content ratings or age gates.
• Readers must not scrape, copy, or redistribute authors' content without authorization. EPUB copies provided through the Platform are licensed for personal, non-commercial use only and may not be redistributed, reposted, resold, or publicly shared.
• Readers must not file fraudulent chargebacks against coin bundle purchases. Disputes should be raised through Boughly's refund process first.

12. Intellectual Property & DMCA

Boughly respects intellectual property rights. If you believe content on the Platform infringes your copyright, please review our DMCA Policy for the full takedown and counter-notification process, including the contact information for our Designated Copyright Agent registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.

Repeat-infringer policy. Consistent with 17 U.S.C. § 512(i), accounts that accumulate three substantiated DMCA strikes (as defined in our DMCA Policy) within any rolling 12-month period may be terminated. Strikes that are successfully counter-noticed do not count toward this threshold. Egregious or willful infringement may result in immediate termination regardless of strike count.

13. Limitation of Liability

Boughly is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We are not liable for any damages arising from your use of the Platform, including but not limited to loss of data, content, or revenue. Authors are solely responsible for the content they publish. Buyers are responsible for downloading the EPUB copy of any Paid Story they wish to retain offline.

14. Arbitration & Class-Action Waiver

Binding Individual Arbitration. Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Platform (each, a “Dispute”) shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules then in effect, except that either party may instead bring an individual action in small-claims court in the claimant's county of residence if the Dispute qualifies. The arbitration shall be conducted in English by a single arbitrator, seated in Los Angeles County, California or held remotely as the AAA permits. The arbitrator may award any relief a court of competent jurisdiction could award on an individual basis, subject to these Terms.

Class-Action Waiver. You and Boughly agree that each may bring claims against the other only in an individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, collective, consolidated, mass, or representative proceeding. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims and may not preside over any form of representative or class proceeding.

30-Day Opt-Out. You may opt out of this Arbitration & Class-Action Waiver section by sending written notice to support@boughly.com within 30 days of first accepting these Terms (or within 30 days of any material amendment to this section), including your full name, account email, and a clear statement that you wish to opt out of arbitration. Opting out will not affect any other provisions of these Terms.

Severability. If any portion of this Section is held invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this Section and these Terms shall continue in full force and effect; provided that if the Class-Action Waiver is held unenforceable as to a particular Dispute, that Dispute shall be severed from arbitration and litigated in court, while all other Disputes remain subject to arbitration.

15. Governing Law & Venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. Except as otherwise provided in Section 14 (Arbitration & Class-Action Waiver), you and Boughly agree that the state and federal courts located in Los Angeles County, California shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Platform, and each party consents to the personal jurisdiction of, and venue in, those courts.

16. Sanctions & Export Compliance

You represent that (a) you are not located in any country subject to a U.S. Government embargo or designated by the U.S. Government as a “terrorist-supporting” country, and (b) you are not listed on any U.S. Government list of prohibited or restricted parties (including the U.S. Treasury Department's Specially Designated Nationals list). You agree to comply with all applicable export-control and sanctions laws and regulations in your use of the Platform.

17. Termination

You may delete your account at any time. Boughly may terminate or suspend your account for violations of these Terms. Upon termination, published content is removed from the Platform, though cached copies may persist briefly. Boughly may retain certain records following account deletion or termination as reasonably necessary for legal and regulatory compliance, fraud prevention, tax and accounting requirements, security, dispute resolution, and to preserve access to Paid Stories for readers who unlocked them.

18. Contact

For questions about these Terms, moderation decisions, copyright concerns, refund requests, or creator payouts, contact us at support@boughly.com.