Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using Hudhud (the "Platform"), you accept and agree to be bound by the terms and provisions of this agreement. If you do not agree to these Terms of Service, please do not use this Platform.

2. Description of Service

Hudhud provides a digital platform for exploring pre-Islamic Arabian inscriptions and epigraphic data. The Platform offers search capabilities, data visualisation, and access to historical artifacts and related information sourced from DASI (Digital Archive for the Study of pre‑Islamic Arabian Inscriptions) and publicly available academic research papers.

3. Data Usage and Attribution

The content available on this Platform includes:

• Epigraphic data from DASI (licensed under CC BY 4.0) - Users are free to share and adapt this data with proper attribution to DASI and its contributing institutions
• Publicly available research papers - Metadata and references to academic papers, subject to their respective terms and licenses

Users must:

• Properly cite the original source of any data or research used
• Respect copyright and licensing terms of research papers and their publishers
• Follow DASI's CC BY 4.0 license terms when using epigraphic data
• Not redistribute full-text articles unless they are clearly marked as open access

4. User Responsibilities

Users agree to:

• Use the Platform for lawful purposes only
• Not attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Platform
• Not interfere with or disrupt the Platform's operation
• Respect the academic and research nature of the Platform
• Provide accurate information when submitting queries or feedback

5. Intellectual Property Rights

The Platform's design, features, and functionality are owned by Sheba's Caravan and are protected by international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

Content available through this Platform includes:

• DASI epigraphic data: Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Users may freely share and adapt this data with proper attribution.
• Research paper metadata: Sourced from publicly available databases. Full-text articles remain subject to their publishers' copyright and licensing terms.

For the Platform itself, users may not:

• Copy, modify, or create derivative works from the Platform itself
• Reverse engineer or attempt to extract source code
• Remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or proprietary notices from the Platform

6. AI-Generated Content

Hudhud uses artificial intelligence to generate responses, summaries, and interpretations of epigraphic data. Users acknowledge that:

• AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies
• AI responses should not be considered authoritative scholarly sources
• Users should verify information with primary sources and scholarly literature
• AI interpretations are provided as research aids, not definitive conclusions

7. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT:

• The Platform will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
• The epigraphic data or research paper metadata will be accurate, complete, or up-to-date
• Links to external research papers will remain functional
• Defects will be corrected
• The Platform is free of viruses or other harmful components

Users should verify critical information against primary sources and original publications.

8. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SHEBA'S CARAVAN SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES RESULTING FROM:

• Your use or inability to use the Platform
• Any unauthorised access to or use of our servers and/or any personal information stored therein
• Any errors or omissions in content or data
• Reliance on AI-generated content or interpretations

9. Changes to Service

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Platform or any part thereof at any time without notice. We may also modify these Terms of Service at any time by posting updated terms on this page. Your continued use of the Platform after such changes constitutes acceptance of the new terms.

10. Third-Party Services

The Platform may integrate with or link to third-party services, including but not limited to:

• OpenAI for AI-powered features
• Analytics services for usage statistics
• External databases and repositories
• Publisher websites and digital object identifier (DOI) resolvers
• Academic institutions and research archives

We are not responsible for the content, privacy policies, practices, or availability of any third-party services.

11. Academic Use

This Platform is designed primarily for academic and research purposes. Users are encouraged to:

• Use the Platform to support scholarly research and education
• Share findings and discoveries with the academic community
• Provide feedback to improve the Platform's accuracy and usefulness
• Respect the scholarly standards of citation and attribution

12. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with applicable international laws regarding academic research and data usage. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Platform shall be resolved through appropriate channels.

13. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us through the appropriate channels provided on the Platform.

By using Hudhud, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.