Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Ripple ("the Platform"), operated from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

You must be at least 16 years old (or the minimum age required by applicable law in your jurisdiction, whichever is higher) to use the Platform. If you are using the Platform on behalf of a company or organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

2. Description of Service & Role of Ripple

Ripple is a marketplace connecting video game studios ("Studios") with content creators ("Creators"). Studios publish sponsored content campaigns. Creators apply to campaigns, produce content (videos, streams, social media posts), submit it for review, and receive payment upon approval.

Ripple only provides technology enabling Studios and Creators to interact. Ripple is not a party to any agreement, negotiation, campaign contract, licensing agreement, employment relationship, sponsorship agreement, or commercial relationship between users, except for payment processing facilitation through Stripe Connect.

3. Accounts & Registration

You must provide accurate and complete information when creating your account. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity under your account. You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use.

Each person or entity may maintain only one Studio account and one Creator account. Studio accounts may add team members with role-based access.

We reserve the right, in our reasonable discretion, to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, provide false information, or engage in fraudulent or abusive behavior.

3.1 Fraud & Abuse Mitigation

To maintain platform integrity, Ripple reserves the right, in its reasonable discretion, to freeze payouts, suspend campaigns, require formal identity verification (KYC), request legal documents, report suspicious activities to financial institutions or law enforcement, and cooperate fully with any law enforcement investigations.

4. Studio Obligations

4.1 Campaign Creation

Studios must provide accurate campaign information including content requirements, compensation, deadlines, and deliverables. Campaign briefs must not contain misleading or deceptive claims.

Studios may edit campaign settings and the brief while the campaign remains a draft, except that a funded draft's budget is locked. After launch, campaign settings and the entire brief are locked, including objectives, key message, mandatory rules, hashtags, and deliverables. A launched campaign cannot be returned to draft. These requirements remain the basis for submission reviews, correction requests, and compliance reports.

Studios are responsible for providing accurate and complete sponsorship disclosure instructions appropriate to the campaign's intended audiences, jurisdictions, and publishing platforms. Ripple does not replace the Studio's legal review of its advertising claims, instructions, or campaign configuration.

4.2 Game Keys

Studios may distribute game keys to Creators through the Platform. Studios are responsible for the validity and authorized distribution of these keys. Keys may not be resold by Creators.

4.3 Payment Obligations

Studios must maintain sufficient funds in their Stripe account to cover approved campaign payouts. Upon approving a Creator's submission, the Studio authorizes Ripple to process the agreed payment. Failed or delayed payments may result in campaign suspension and account restrictions.

4.4 Content Review

Studios are responsible for reviewing Creator submissions in a timely manner. Unreasonable delays in reviewing submissions (beyond 14 days without communication) gives Ripple the right, in its reasonable discretion, to automatically approve the submission and release the payment.

Studios must understand and monitor the validation mode selected for each campaign. Automatic approval, including approval after a configured delay, may approve and release payment for submissions that have not been manually reviewed. Ripple does not perform a prior legal or content review of automatically approved submissions.

If a Studio reasonably believes that a submission violates applicable sponsorship disclosure requirements, the campaign brief, or platform rules, it may request that Ripple place a temporary payment hold while the issue is reviewed. Any hold or payment decision remains subject to the Platform's review and dispute procedures.

4.5 Intellectual Property

Studios grant Creators a limited, non-exclusive license to use their game assets, logos, and materials solely for creating campaign content during the active campaign period. All game-related intellectual property remains the exclusive property of the Studio.

5. Creator Obligations

5.1 Content Creation

Creators must produce content that meets the campaign requirements as described in the brief. Content must be original (except for Studio-provided assets used under the campaign license) and must comply with the platform's content policies.

5.2 Sponsored Content Disclosure

Creators must comply with all applicable advertising disclosure laws. Content sponsored through Ripple must be clearly labeled as paid promotion (e.g., #ad, #sponsored, platform built-in paid partnership tags) in accordance with FTC guidelines, ARPP (France), and equivalent regulations in the Creator's jurisdiction.

Creators are responsible for ensuring that disclosures are clear, prominent, and included wherever required by the audience's jurisdiction and the publishing platform. Campaign instructions do not replace the Creator's obligation to comply with applicable law and platform policies.

5.3 Intellectual Property of Content

Creators retain ownership of the content they produce. By submitting content to a campaign, Creators grant the Studio a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license solely for promoting the game, campaign, or Studio, including sharing, reposting, and using the content on official channels.

5.4 Platform Account Accuracy

Creators must accurately represent their audience size, engagement metrics, and connected social media accounts. Knowingly inflating metrics or misrepresenting platform accounts is grounds for immediate termination and forfeiture of pending payments.

5.5 Game Key Usage

Game keys received through the Platform are for the Creator's use in producing campaign content only. Reselling, trading, or gifting campaign keys outside the platform's giveaway feature is prohibited.

6. Payments & Stripe Connect

6.1 Payment Processing

All payments are processed through Stripe Connect. By using the Platform for payments, you agree to Stripe's Connected Account Agreement and Stripe's Terms of Service.

6.2 Creator Payouts & KYC

To receive payouts, Creators must complete Stripe's identity verification process (Know Your Customer / KYC). This may require providing government-issued identification, tax information, and banking details to Stripe. Ripple does not store this verification data; it is processed directly by Stripe.

Payouts are released when the Studio approves the Creator's submission. Payout processing times depend on Stripe and the Creator's banking institution.

6.3 Platform Fees

Ripple charges a service fee on transactions, which is disclosed at the time of campaign creation. The fee is deducted from the total campaign budget. Stripe payment processing fees are separate and are disclosed by Stripe.

6.4 Disputes

If a dispute arises regarding a campaign payment, both parties must first attempt to resolve it through the Platform's messaging system. If unresolved after 14 days, Ripple may propose a non-binding resolution. Ripple's participation does not waive either party's legal rights.

6.5 Refunds & Cancellations

All platform and transaction fees paid to Ripple are non-refundable. If a Studio cancels a campaign or if a transaction is declined or cancelled, Ripple does not refund any processed fees. In the event of chargebacks, payment disputes, fraud, or credit card chargebacks initiated by a Studio, the Studio remains liable to Ripple for the full campaign amount and associated processor fees. Ripple may offset outstanding amounts against future payouts.

6.6 Custody of Funds

Ripple never takes custody of campaign funds. All payments flow directly from Studios to Creators through Stripe Connect's split-payment rails.

7. Taxes

Users are solely responsible for determining and remitting any applicable taxes (including VAT, GST/HST, QST, sales tax, or income tax) on payments received or made through the Platform. Ripple does not provide tax advice. Canadian users should consult the CRA and Revenu Quebec requirements.

8. Uploaded Content, Platform IP & Copyright

8.1 User Content

You retain ownership of content you upload to the Platform (game covers, logos, assets, screenshots, trailers). By uploading content, you grant Ripple a limited, non-exclusive license to store, display, and serve that content solely for the operation of the Platform.

8.2 Prohibited Content

You may not upload content that is illegal, infringes third-party intellectual property, contains malware, or violates applicable laws. We reserve the right to remove content without notice if we believe it violates these Terms.

8.3 DMCA & Copyright Complaints

We respect intellectual property rights. If you believe content on the Platform infringes your copyright, send a copyright infringement notice compliant with the DMCA (or equivalent copyright laws in your jurisdiction) to [email protected] with:

• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed.
• Identification of the infringing material and its location on the Platform.
• Your contact information (name, address, email, phone).
• A statement that you have a good faith belief the use is not authorized.
• A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information is accurate and you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf.
• Your physical or electronic signature.

Upon receipt of a valid notice, we will promptly remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing material and notify the user who posted it. The user may submit a counter-notification. Repeat infringers will have their accounts terminated.

8.4 Platform Intellectual Property

The entire Ripple Platform, including but not limited to the website, domain name (ripple.gg), logos, brand assets, trademarks, user interfaces (UI), source code, APIs, proprietary workflows, software, visual design, and design documents, belongs exclusively to Ripple. You may not copy, scrape, distribute, reproduce, republish, benchmark, or resell any part of the Platform or its technology.

8.5 Temporary Storage Policy

Storage of uploaded content (videos, images, covers, logos, PDFs, NDAs, screenshots) on Ripple's hosting servers is temporary unless explicitly stated otherwise. Ripple reserves the right to delete, archive, or purge files associated with inactive campaigns, closed accounts, or completed collaborations at any time, without prior notice.

9. Third-Party Platform Integrations

The Platform integrates with YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Steam, and Stripe. When you connect these accounts via OAuth, you authorize us to access data as described in our Privacy Policy. Your use of those platforms remains subject to their respective Terms of Service.

Ripple is not responsible for changes to third-party APIs, rate limits, or service interruptions that affect Platform functionality.

10. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the Platform for any illegal purpose or in violation of any applicable laws.
• Submit fraudulent, fake, or artificially generated content as campaign deliverables.
• Use bots, scripts, or automated means to apply to campaigns, generate views, or manipulate metrics.
• Harass, threaten, or abuse other users.
• Engage in phishing, scams, fake giveaways, cryptocurrency scams, or distribute malicious or deceptive links.
• Access the Platform or API through automated scraping, bots, crawlers, or scripts, or engage in API abuse, benchmarking, load testing, or penetration testing without prior written permission.
• Resell or redistribute Ripple API data or services to any third-party.
• Attempt to circumvent payment systems, fees, or campaign processes.
• Reverse engineer, scrape, or extract data from the Platform without authorization.
• Create multiple accounts to bypass restrictions or manipulate the platform.
• Use game keys for any purpose other than producing campaign content or authorized giveaways.
• Upload malicious code, viruses, or harmful content.

11. Limitation of Liability & Warranties

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Ripple, its officers, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, data, use, or goodwill, arising from your use of the Platform.

Our total liability for any claim arising from these Terms or the Platform shall not exceed the total fees paid by you to Ripple in the 12 months preceding the claim, or $100 USD if no fees were paid.

Ripple is not responsible for the quality, delivery, or performance of content produced by Creators, nor for the payment obligations of Studios. The Platform is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind.

11.1 No Guarantee of Outcomes

Ripple does not guarantee any specific outcomes or results from using the Platform. Specifically, Ripple does not guarantee:

• That Studios will receive campaign applications, quality submissions, views, visibility, or engagement.
• That Creators will secure campaigns, sponsorships, or consistent revenue.
• That third-party platforms (such as YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, or Instagram) will accept, display, or monetize any video or content.
• The behavior, suitability, or legality of any user.

11.2 Platform Availability & Downtime

We do not guarantee uninterrupted, secure, or error-free availability of the Platform. Ripple is not liable for service outages, scheduled or unscheduled maintenance, database failures, API rate limits, API deprecations, third-party platform downtime, network failures, or hacking attempts.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Ripple and its affiliates from any claims, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from your use of the Platform, your content, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any third-party rights or applicable laws.

13. Termination

You may terminate your account at any time through your account settings. We may suspend or terminate your account with 30 days' notice for any reason, or immediately for violation of these Terms, fraud, illegal activity, or as required by law.

Upon termination, you will lose access to your account and data. We will process any outstanding payments owed to you. Provisions related to intellectual property, limitations of liability, and indemnification survive termination.

Studios may not terminate their account to avoid paying Creators for approved submissions. All approved-but-unpaid submissions must be settled before account closure.

13.1 Immediate Suspension

Ripple may suspend or terminate your account immediately, without notice or liability, if we detect fraud, security breaches, attempts to hack or reverse engineer the platform, chargebacks, international sanctions violations, failure to complete required identity verification (KYC), or actions that expose Ripple to legal or financial risk.

14. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Quebec, Canada, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising from these Terms shall be resolved through binding arbitration in Montreal, Quebec, in accordance with the applicable arbitration rules of a recognized arbitration institution, or equivalent international arbitration standards, except that either party may seek injunctive relief in courts of competent jurisdiction.

For EEA/UK consumers: nothing in these Terms affects your statutory rights under your local consumer protection laws, and you may bring claims in your local courts.

15. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email or platform notification at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance. If you do not agree, you must stop using the Platform.

16. Miscellaneous

• Entire Agreement: These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and Ripple regarding the Platform.
• Severability: If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect.
• No Waiver: Failure to enforce any right does not constitute a waiver.
• Assignment: You may not assign these Terms without our consent. We may assign them in connection with a merger or acquisition.
• No Employment Relationship: Ripple does not employ Creators. Studios do not become employers of Creators by using Ripple. Nothing in these Terms creates salary, employment, agency, partnership, joint venture, or franchise relationships between users and Ripple, or between Studios and Creators.
• Sanctions & Export Control: Users may not use Ripple if they are located in jurisdictions subject to applicable sanctions. You agree to comply with all applicable export controls and economic sanctions laws and regulations.
• AI & Automated Systems: Ripple may use automated systems and artificial intelligence (AI) tools for moderation, fraud detection, campaign matching, and analytics. While we strive for accuracy, we do not guarantee the correctness, completeness, or suitability of automated or AI-generated outputs.
• Beta Features: We may offer beta features to test new functionalities. These features are provided "as-is" without warranties, may disappear or change at any time, and are used at your own risk.
• Feedback License: If you submit ideas, feedback, suggestions, or proposals to Ripple, you grant Ripple a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, implement, and distribute your feedback for any purpose without obligation or attribution to you.
• Force Majeure: We are not liable for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control.

17. Contact

For questions or notices regarding these Terms, you may reach out to the appropriate department:

• General Legal: [email protected]
• Privacy & Data: [email protected]
• Copyright / DMCA Notices: [email protected]

Address: Montreal, Quebec, Canada