Terms of Service

1. What BENED Is

BENED is a sovereignty technology ecosystem operated by BENED LLC, an Arizona limited liability company. Our platforms include:

• bened.works — Main site, community hub, and transparency portal
• TradeCraft (tradecraft.bened.works) — Algorithmic trading research platform
• Trailers (trailers.bened.works) — Equipment rental marketplace
• Research Archive (research.bened.works) — Public document research portal
• Civic Platform (civic.bened.works) — Community education tools

BENED is a take-off stage project. We currently accept voluntary donations to fund development — we do not sell products or services on bened.works. Some sub-platforms may have their own subscription or payment models governed by additional terms.

2. Accounts & Authentication

BENED uses a single sign-on (SSO) system powered by Keycloak (auth.bened.works). When you create an account:

• One account gives you access to all BENED platforms
• Your username/handle is unique across the ecosystem and publicly visible
• You are responsible for keeping your credentials secure
• You must provide accurate information — do not impersonate others
• We may require identity verification (via Stripe Identity) for certain features

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, engage in abuse, or compromise the safety of our community.

3. Donations & Payments

Financial contributions to BENED through the "Support the Build" page are voluntary donations. By donating, you acknowledge:

• Donations are not purchases — you are not buying a product or service
• Founding member recognition is granted at our discretion as a thank-you, not a product feature
• Recurring donations can be managed or canceled at any time via the supporter portal
• All payments are processed by Stripe. Your payment information is handled directly by Stripe and never stored on our servers
• Refunds are handled on a case-by-case basis — contact us if you have concerns

BENED LLC is not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations are not tax-deductible.

4. User Conduct

When using any BENED platform, you agree not to:

• Post content that is illegal, threatening, abusive, or harassing
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to systems or other users' accounts
• Scrape, crawl, or automate access to our platforms without permission
• Interfere with the operation of our services or infrastructure
• Use BENED platforms for spam, phishing, or fraud
• Upload malware or malicious content
• Impersonate BENED staff or other users

We enforce a community-first standard. Behavior that degrades the experience for others will result in moderation action.

5. Content & Intellectual Property

Your Content

When you post comments, participate in discussions, or contribute content to BENED platforms:

• You retain ownership of your content
• You grant BENED a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display your content within our platforms
• You are responsible for the content you post
• We may remove content that violates these Terms or community standards

Our Content

BENED's software, design, branding, and documentation are the property of BENED LLC. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works without permission.

Research Archive

Documents in the Research Archive are public records obtained through legal channels. Our AI analysis, commentary, and organizational structure are BENED's original work.

6. Data Ownership & Privacy

Your data belongs to you. Our approach:

• We collect only what's necessary to provide our services
• We do not sell your data to third parties
• You can request deletion of your account and associated data
• Full details are in our Privacy Policy

By using BENED, you consent to the data practices described in our Privacy Policy.

7. Disclaimers

• BENED platforms are provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied
• We do not guarantee uptime, availability, or error-free operation
• TradeCraft provides research tools only — nothing on our platform constitutes financial advice, and we are not responsible for trading losses
• Research Archive analysis is AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies — verify independently
• We are not responsible for third-party services (Stripe, Keycloak, Cloudflare) beyond our reasonable control

8. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, BENED LLC and its founders, employees, and affiliates shall not be liable for:

• Indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• Loss of profits, data, or business opportunities
• Any damages exceeding the amount you have paid to BENED in the past 12 months

This limitation applies regardless of the legal theory (contract, tort, or otherwise).

9. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make significant changes:

• We'll update the "Effective Date" at the top of this page
• For material changes, we'll notify users via email or platform announcement
• Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance

10. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Arizona, United States. Any disputes will be resolved in the courts located in Maricopa County, Arizona.

11. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms:

• Email: [email protected]
• Web: bened.works/contact