Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of Cognita, an AI-powered assistant service ("Cognita," "we," "us," or "our"), including our website, applications, features, and related services (collectively, the "Service").

By creating an account, subscribing to a paid plan, or otherwise using the Service, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy, which explains how we collect, use, and protect personal information.

You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of legal majority in your jurisdiction if that age is higher, to use the Service. By using Cognita, you represent that you meet this requirement.

2. The Service

Cognita provides AI-assisted tools that may help with writing, research, document preparation, analysis, brainstorming, summarisation, and related tasks. Features available through the Service may change over time as we improve, maintain, or update Cognita.

Cognita uses third-party AI infrastructure and other technology providers to operate certain parts of the Service. We may change the providers, models, technologies, or features we use from time to time.

We aim to keep the Service useful and reliable, but we do not guarantee that every feature or model will always be available, or that a particular underlying AI model or provider will be used for a particular request.

3. Accounts

Some features of Cognita require an account. You are responsible for providing accurate information and for keeping your account credentials secure.

You are responsible for activity that occurs through your account unless that activity results from a security incident that was not caused by your failure to take reasonable steps to protect your account.

Cognita may allow you to sign in using third-party authentication services, such as Google, or through an email and password. When using a third-party sign-in service, your use of that service may also be subject to the provider's own terms and privacy policy.

If you believe that someone has accessed your account without permission, please contact us as soon as reasonably possible.

4. Subscriptions, Billing, and Payments

Cognita may offer both free and paid subscription plans. The features, usage allowances, and prices applicable to each plan are described on our pricing page.

Paid subscriptions are billed in advance on a recurring basis through our payment processor, Paystack. By subscribing to a paid plan, you authorise the applicable payment processor to charge your selected payment method for the subscription and any applicable taxes or other charges disclosed at the time of purchase.

Unless otherwise stated at the time of purchase, subscriptions continue automatically until cancelled. You may cancel your subscription through your account settings or through another cancellation method we make available.

When you cancel, your paid subscription will normally remain active until the end of the current billing period. You will not normally be charged for another billing period after cancellation.

Except where required by applicable law or expressly stated otherwise, payments for a billing period are non-refundable and we do not provide prorated refunds for unused time or unused usage allowances.

If a payment fails, we may temporarily restrict paid features while the payment issue is being resolved. If payment remains unsuccessful, we may downgrade or suspend the applicable paid subscription.

We may change subscription prices from time to time. If a price change affects an existing recurring subscription, we will provide reasonable notice before the new price applies, where required by applicable law.

5. Acceptable Use

You may use Cognita only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You must not use the Service to:

• violate any applicable law, regulation, court order, or other legal requirement;
• infringe, misappropriate, or otherwise violate another person's intellectual property, privacy, or other rights;
• harass, threaten, defraud, impersonate, or intentionally deceive other people;
• attempt to gain unauthorised access to Cognita, another user's account, or any systems connected to the Service;
• interfere with, disrupt, damage, or place an unreasonable burden on the Service or its underlying infrastructure;
• circumvent or attempt to bypass usage limits, security measures, subscription restrictions, or other technical safeguards;
• use automated methods to systematically scrape, extract, or collect Service data or outputs in a way that is not authorised by us;
• use the Service to develop, train, or operate a competing service through systematic extraction of Cognita's proprietary features, systems, or non-public information; or
• use the Service in a way that could reasonably be expected to cause significant harm to Cognita, its users, or third parties.

We may investigate suspected violations and may suspend or terminate access where reasonably necessary to protect the Service, our users, or others.

6. Usage Limits and Availability

Cognita plans may include daily, monthly, or other usage limits. The applicable limits are described on our pricing page or within the Service.

Usage limits may reset periodically and may be adjusted from time to time as we change plans, manage system capacity, respond to changes in third-party provider limits, or otherwise improve the Service. We will make reasonable efforts to keep published plan information up to date.

We do not guarantee that the Service will always be available without interruption. Maintenance, updates, technical problems, third-party outages, security incidents, or circumstances beyond our reasonable control may temporarily affect availability.

7. Your Content and AI Output

You may provide text, documents, files, prompts, questions, or other material to Cognita ("Input"). Cognita may generate text, analysis, summaries, suggestions, or other material in response to your Input ("Output").

As between you and us, you retain your rights in the Input you provide to Cognita. To the extent that you have rights in Output generated through the Service, we do not claim ownership of those rights solely because the Output was generated using Cognita.

However, AI-generated content may not qualify for copyright or other intellectual-property protection in every jurisdiction. Output may also contain material similar to material generated for other users or material available elsewhere. You are responsible for determining whether your use of Output is lawful and appropriate for your intended purpose.

You are responsible for the Input you provide and must have the necessary rights and permissions to provide it to Cognita and to allow us to process it in connection with the Service.

You should review and verify Output before relying on it, publishing it, submitting it, or using it for professional, academic, legal, medical, financial, or other high-stakes purposes.

8. AI Limitations and Disclaimers

Cognita uses artificial intelligence systems that can produce inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, biased, or misleading information. AI-generated Output should not automatically be treated as fact, professional advice, or a reliable substitute for independent judgment.

Cognita is provided as a tool to assist with your work and decision-making. It is not a substitute for qualified legal, medical, financial, academic, or other professional advice.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, ERROR-FREE, OR ALWAYS AVAILABLE, OR THAT AI-GENERATED OUTPUT WILL BE ACCURATE, COMPLETE, ORIGINAL, RELIABLE, OR SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

9. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, COGNITA AND ITS OPERATOR SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES, DATA, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, THE SERVICE.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICE OR THESE TERMS SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO COGNITA FOR THE SERVICE DURING THE THREE MONTHS IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM, OR (B) THE AMOUNT REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited under applicable law.

10. Suspension and Termination

You may stop using Cognita and cancel your subscription at any time.

We may suspend or terminate your access to all or part of the Service if you materially violate these Terms, fail to pay amounts due, misuse the Service, create a security or legal risk, or if suspension or termination is reasonably necessary to comply with applicable law.

Where reasonably practical and appropriate, we may provide notice before taking action. However, we may act without advance notice where immediate action is reasonably necessary to protect the Service, our users, third parties, or our legal rights.

If your account or subscription is terminated, your right to access the Service will cease. Provisions of these Terms that by their nature should continue after termination, including provisions concerning intellectual property, disclaimers, limitations of liability, and dispute-related matters, will continue to apply.

11. Changes to the Service

We may modify, improve, add, remove, or discontinue features of Cognita from time to time. We may also change the technologies, models, providers, or infrastructure used to operate the Service.

We will not intentionally remove a material part of a paid subscription without reasonable consideration of existing subscribers' rights and applicable law.

12. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will take reasonable steps to notify users, such as by updating the "Last updated" date and, where appropriate, displaying a notice through the Service.

Changes will generally take effect on the date stated in the updated Terms. Your continued use of Cognita after the effective date does not waive any rights you may have under applicable law.

13. Intellectual Property

Cognita and its underlying software, design, branding, interfaces, documentation, and other materials provided by us are owned by or licensed to us and are protected by applicable intellectual-property laws.

Except as expressly permitted by these Terms or applicable law, you may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, lease, reverse engineer, or create derivative works from the Service or its underlying components.

These Terms do not transfer ownership of Cognita's software, trademarks, branding, or other proprietary materials to you.

14. Third-Party Services

Cognita may rely on third-party services for functions such as authentication, payment processing, AI infrastructure, hosting, storage, analytics, security, or other technical operations.

Your use of a third-party service may be subject to that provider's own terms and policies. We are not responsible for third-party services to the extent that matters outside our reasonable control affect their availability or operation.

15. Privacy

Your use of Cognita is also subject to our Privacy Policy. The Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, how it may be shared, and the rights and choices available to you.

16. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, except to the extent that mandatory laws in your jurisdiction require otherwise.

We encourage you to contact us first so that we can try to resolve any dispute or concern informally. Nothing in these Terms prevents you from exercising rights or pursuing remedies that cannot lawfully be waived under applicable law.

17. General Terms

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be interpreted or limited to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will continue in effect.

Our failure to enforce a provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of our right to enforce it later.

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any additional terms expressly incorporated into them, constitute the agreement between you and Cognita concerning your use of the Service, subject to any mandatory rights you may have under applicable law.

18. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms or the Service, you can contact 'Gbemiga Akinde at hellogbemiga@gmail.com.