Terms of Service

Welcome to Cookster ("Cookster", "we", "our", "us"). These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Cookster website, services, and applications (the "Service").

By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to these Terms.

If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use Cookster.

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use Cookster. By using the Service, you represent that you meet this requirement.

2. Accounts & Authentication

To use Cookster, you must sign in using Firebase Authentication, including:

• Google Sign-In
• Email + password

You agree to:

• Provide accurate information
• Maintain the security of your account
• Not share your account with others
• Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access

We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

3. What Cookster Does

Cookster allows users to:

• Submit video URLs (such as TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram)
• Convert extracted frames + audio transcripts into AI-generated recipes
• Upload images to associate with recipes
• Save generated recipes to your account

Cookster does NOT store the actual video files themselves. Only:

• The URL you provided
• Extracted frames (optional, temporary)
• Generated metadata (recipes, ingredients, steps, etc.)

Processing is performed using third-party AI providers (such as OpenAI), to which video captions, transcripts, audio, and selected frames are sent in order to generate recipes. See our Privacy Policy for details on data handling.

You understand Cookster uses automated AI models, which may generate incomplete, inaccurate, or unsafe outputs.

4. User Content

You retain rights to all content you upload or submit, including:

• TikTok URLs
• Images
• Notes, edits, custom recipes

By using the Service, you grant Cookster a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to:

• Store your content
• Process it with machine-learning models
• Display it back to you
• Improve service quality (e.g., caching, error handling)

We may remove any content that violates these Terms or applicable laws.

5. Acceptable Use

You agree NOT to:

• Use Cookster for illegal, harmful, or abusive purposes
• Upload copyrighted material you do not have rights to
• Attempt to reverse engineer or misuse our AI or backend pipelines
• Flood, spam, or overload the Service, including our WebSocket endpoints
• Scrape Cookster without prior written permission
• Upload malware or harmful content
• Interfere with platform security

Violation of these rules may result in account termination.

7. Data Storage

Cookster stores:

• Your recipes
• Uploaded photos
• TikTok URLs
• Generated outputs
• Basic account information from Firebase Auth

Cookster does not store:

• Full video files
• Sensitive personal data beyond what you provide

Raw processing data (the downloaded video, extracted audio, and raw frames) is deleted after processing.

To improve performance and avoid re-processing the same video, we may retain generated recipe data and non-personal processing outputs (such as transcripts and frame descriptions) in a shared cache associated with the source video, not with your account. This cached data contains no personal information and may persist independently of your account. See our Privacy Policy for details.

8. Payments & Future Billing

Cookster is currently free. However, as operational costs increase, we may introduce:

• Subscription plans
• Credits
• Paid tiers
• Usage limits

If we introduce paid features:

• We will notify you in advance
• You will have the opportunity to review new pricing
• Terms specific to paid plans will apply
• You may cancel at any time

No charges will ever be made without your explicit consent.

9. Intellectual Property

Cookster owns:

• The software
• The UI/UX design
• The AI processing pipeline
• The backend infrastructure
• Branding, logos, and trademarks

You may not:

• Copy or redistribute any part of Cookster
• Use our name, branding, or models without permission
• Create derivative works based on Cookster's proprietary systems

10. WebSocket & API Usage

Cookster uses WebSockets to:

• Deliver real-time processing updates
• Notify users of recipe generation progress

You agree not to:

• Open excessive concurrent sockets
• Attempt to bypass rate limits
• Interfere with network traffic
• Abuse or automate requests without permission

We may impose rate limits or restrictions if necessary.

11. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if:

• You violate these Terms
• You misuse the Service
• You attempt to harm or overload the system
• You engage in illegal activities

You may delete your account at any time. Some data may remain in backups for a reasonable period.

12. "As Is" Disclaimer

Your use of Cookster is at your own risk. Cookster is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE," without warranties of any kind.

We do not guarantee:

• Perfect accuracy of AI-generated recipes
• Uninterrupted availability
• Bug-free operation
• Complete security
• Lossless data storage

13. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Cookster shall NOT be liable for:

• Any damages arising from cooking accidents or food issues
• Loss of data
• Service outages
• AI errors
• Third-party content (TikTok, user uploads)

Our total liability is limited to the greater of: the amount you paid us in the past 12 months, or $50 USD.

14. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the United States, specifically the State of Rhode Island.

15. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms periodically. If changes are significant, we will provide notice via:

• Email
• In-app alert
• Website banner

By continuing to use Cookster, you agree to the updated Terms.

16. Contact

For questions or concerns: