Terms of Service

DRAFT — not legal advice. This document is an AI-prepared draft. It must be reviewed and finalised by a qualified lawyer (Czech consumer law + EU digital services) before public use. Placeholders in {{double braces}} must be filled in.

Effective date: 23rd May 2026 Last updated: 23rd May 2026

1. Who we are

Branchwriter ("Branchwriter", "we", "us") is a serial-fiction reading platform operated by:

• Marek Čermák (a self-employed person under Czech law, OSVČ)
• Registered seat: Molákova 4, 628 00, Brno, Czech Republic
• Company ID (IČO): {{ICO}}
• Contact: {{email}}

These Terms govern your use of the website at read.engramia.dev and any related services (together, the "Service").

By creating an account or by accessing paid features, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. The Service

Branchwriter publishes serialised fiction whose drafts might be generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence and edited by a human author. Readers participate by voting on choices that influence subsequent chapters.

We may add, change, or discontinue features at any time. We will give reasonable advance notice for changes that materially reduce the value of a paid subscription.

3. Accounts

You create an account by entering your email address and clicking the magic link we send. You are responsible for keeping access to your inbox secure. We are not responsible for activity carried out by anyone who controls your email account.

You must be at least 16 years old (or the age of digital consent in your country, whichever is higher) to create an account. By signing up, you confirm you meet this requirement.

You may close your account at any time from the Account → Danger zone page. Closing the account deletes your personal data per our Privacy Policy.

4. Plans and pricing

The Service offers three subscription tiers (Free, Premium, Patron) and one-off purchases of alternative ("alt") chapters. Current pricing is shown on the Pricing page and is stated in EUR, inclusive of applicable VAT where required.

We may change prices for new subscription periods. Existing paid periods will not be repriced mid-term.

4.1 Free trial

Paid subscriptions may include a 7-day free trial. A payment method is required at sign-up. If you do not cancel before the trial ends, your subscription will start and your payment method will be charged.

4.2 Subscription billing

Subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each billing period (monthly or yearly) until you cancel. You can cancel at any time from the Account → Manage subscription page, which opens the Stripe Customer Portal. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current paid period; you retain access until then.

4.3 Taxes

Prices are shown inclusive of VAT where Stripe Tax determines we are obliged to charge it. For business customers who provide a valid VAT ID we will issue invoices in accordance with applicable EU and Czech VAT rules.

5. Refunds and the withdrawal right

EU consumers have a statutory right to withdraw from a distance contract within 14 days (Directive 2011/83/EU). This Section explains how that right interacts with our Service. The full policy is at /legal/refund.

Subscriptions. You may request a full refund of your first subscription charge within 14 days of that charge, even if you have used the Service in that period. Renewal charges and subsequent paid periods are not refundable except where required by law.

Alt chapters (one-off digital content). When you purchase an alt chapter, the chapter is delivered immediately. You expressly consent to immediate performance and acknowledge that you lose the 14-day right of withdrawal for that chapter as soon as it is unlocked, in accordance with Art. 16(m) of Directive 2011/83/EU. The checkout flow requires you to confirm this consent before completing the purchase.

How to request a refund. Email {{CONTACT_EMAIL}} from the address on the account. We will process eligible refunds within 14 days via the original payment method.

6. The Vanguard

The Vanguard is a yearly-only recognition programme. Eligibility, draw mechanics, and prize description are set out on the /vanguard page. The Vanguard is a goodwill programme, not a paid product feature, and we may modify or end it at any time. Participation is automatic for eligible yearly subscribers; there is no separate purchase.

7. User content

The Service does not host long-form user-generated content. Where you submit material to us (votes, Discord messages, comments if introduced, support emails), you grant us a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use that material for the purpose of operating the Service. You retain ownership of what you submit.

You must not submit material that is unlawful, infringing, hateful, harassing, sexual involving minors, malware, spam, or otherwise contrary to our Acceptable Use Policy.

8. Our content; AI disclosure

Branchwriter chapters and the world bible might be drafted with the assistance of AI and edited by a human author. The AI-disclosure statement is at /legal/copyright.

All Branchwriter content is © Marek Čermák unless stated otherwise. Your subscription grants you a personal, non-transferable licence to read, listen, and participate in voting. It does not grant you a right to redistribute, repost, train AI models on, or commercially exploit the content.

9. Acceptable use

You agree to comply with our Acceptable Use Policy. We may suspend or terminate accounts that breach it, with or without notice, depending on severity.

10. Beta and pre-launch state

The Service may include pre-release features and the publishing schedule may slip during the pre-launch period. Notice of significant slippage will be posted on the homepage and emailed to active subscribers.

11. Availability and limitation of liability

We aim to keep the Service available but do not guarantee uninterrupted availability. The Service is provided "as is" without warranties beyond those required by mandatory consumer law.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our aggregate liability for any claim arising out of the Service is limited to the greater of (a) €100 or (b) the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim. We do not limit liability for fraud, gross negligence, death, personal injury, or any other liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.

12. Termination

You may close your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate your account if you breach these Terms, fail to pay, or use the Service in a way that creates legal or operational risk for us. If we terminate without cause, we will refund the unused portion of any prepaid subscription period.

13. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms. For changes that materially reduce your rights we will give at least 30 days' notice by email to the address on the account. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

14. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by Czech law. Mandatory consumer-protection rules of your country of residence (if you are an EU consumer) continue to apply.

Disputes must first be raised with us at {{CONTACT_EMAIL}}; we will respond within 14 days. If we cannot resolve the dispute:

• EU consumers may use the European Commission's Online Dispute Resolution platform at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/.
• Czech consumers may turn to the Czech Trade Inspection Authority (Česká obchodní inspekce, https://www.coi.cz/) as the competent out-of-court dispute resolution body.
• Otherwise, the courts of the Czech Republic have exclusive jurisdiction, subject to any non-derogable rules of your home country.

15. Contact

For any question about these Terms: {{CONTACT_EMAIL}}.