Terms and Conditions
These Terms govern your access to and use of IPnite's website, platform, software, AI-assisted patent workflows, patent draft outputs, credit-based services, and optional human support.
Welcome to IPnite. By accessing or using the Site or Services, creating an account, purchasing credits, starting a patent writing workflow, uploading invention materials, or using any AI-generated output, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Services.
1. Acceptance of Terms
These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of ipnite.com, app.ipnite.com, and all related products, software, AI-assisted workflows, patent draft outputs, documents, communications, credit-based tools, and related services (collectively, the "Services") provided by ik-holcan LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("IPnite," "we," "us," or "our"). By accessing or using the Services in any way, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Services.
2. Eligibility and Authority
You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, to use the Services. If you use the Services on behalf of a company or other entity, you represent and warrant that you have full authority to bind that entity to these Terms, and that the entity agrees to be bound.
3. IPnite Is a Technology Tool — Not a Law Firm
IPnite is a software technology platform, not a law firm, legal services provider, patent firm, or professional services firm of any kind. IPnite is not regulated or licensed as a legal services provider in any jurisdiction. IPnite does not employ patent attorneys, registered patent agents, or other licensed professionals for your benefit. No person at IPnite is acting as your attorney, agent, representative, or fiduciary in any capacity. The Services are workflow and drafting assistance tools only.
4. No Legal Advice and No Attorney-Client Relationship
Nothing in the Services, these Terms, any AI-generated output, any communication from IPnite, or any use of the platform constitutes legal advice, patent advice, tax advice, regulatory advice, business advice, financial advice, investment advice, or any other form of professional advice. No use of the Services, however extensive, creates an attorney-client relationship, a professional-client relationship, or any duty of care between IPnite and you. You must consult a registered patent attorney, registered patent agent, or other qualified licensed professional for legal advice, filing decisions, prosecution strategy, or any legally significant action.
5. Registered Practitioners and Third-Party Services
IPnite is a technology tool and may not be used to misrepresent professional qualifications. Any person offering patent drafting, prosecution, filing, legal review, strategy, or representation services to third parties using IPnite is solely and exclusively responsible for ensuring proper licensure, authorization, and compliance with all applicable professional responsibility rules. IPnite bears no responsibility for the actions, representations, or errors of any such person.
6. User Content and Invention Disclosures
"User Content" includes all invention disclosures, technical descriptions, drawings, documents, notes, prior-art references, business information, personal information, trade secrets, confidential information, files, prompts, and related materials you submit through the Services. You represent and warrant that you have all necessary rights to submit User Content and that doing so does not violate any third-party rights, confidentiality obligations, or applicable laws. IPnite does not verify the accuracy, ownership, or legal status of User Content.
7. Your Responsibility to Review All Outputs — Professional Review or Pro Se
AI-generated outputs are drafts and starting points only. Before filing, submitting, or acting upon any output, you must choose one of the following paths and accept the corresponding responsibility: (a) PROFESSIONAL REVIEW PATH: have all outputs independently reviewed, corrected, and approved by a qualified registered patent attorney or registered patent agent. In this case, the professional assumes responsibility for the outputs under their applicable professional obligations. IPnite bears no responsibility for the professional's review, advice, or actions. (b) PRO SE / SELF-FILING PATH: file, submit, or act upon outputs yourself without professional review. In this case, you assume sole, complete, and exclusive responsibility for all filings, prosecutions, office actions, rejections, outcomes, losses of patent rights, and all legal and commercial consequences, without any recourse against IPnite. In either case, you are responsible for reviewing all generated content and correcting all errors, omissions, inaccuracies, and AI hallucinations before any use.
8. AI Output Limitations — Errors, Hallucinations, and Inaccuracies
AI-assisted outputs generated by the Services may contain errors, omissions, inaccuracies, outdated information, legal inaccuracies, technical inaccuracies, fabricated references, or hallucinations inherent to AI language model technology. IPnite does not warrant the accuracy, completeness, legal sufficiency, technical correctness, or fitness for any purpose of any AI-generated output. No AI-generated output should be filed, submitted, relied upon, or acted upon without full independent review and verification by a qualified licensed professional.
9. Browser Extensions, AI Readers, and Third-Party Tools
You are solely responsible for securing your device, browser, extensions, plug-ins, AI readers, screen capture tools, translation tools, and any other third-party software that may access, copy, or transmit confidential invention information. IPnite is not responsible for data exposure or confidentiality breaches caused by software you install or authorize on your own device.
10. Patent Writing Session, 48-Hour Countdown, and Deletion
When you start a patent writing session inside IPnite, a security countdown of approximately 48 hours may begin for that project. You are solely responsible for downloading, saving, and preserving all project materials, outputs, and data before the countdown expires. At the end of the countdown, IPnite may permanently delete, purge, anonymize, or make inaccessible all project information without further notice. IPnite has no obligation to recover, restore, or retain any project information after deletion and is not liable for any loss resulting from the expiration of the countdown.
11. Payments, Credit Packs, and Non-Refundable Used Credits
IPnite may operate through prepaid credit packs, subscriptions, usage-based fees, one-time purchases, free access, promotional credits, or custom arrangements. Credits spent on initiated or completed actions are non-refundable except where required by applicable mandatory law. IPnite reserves the right to adjust pricing, credit value, and credit requirements at any time with reasonable notice.
12. Ownership and Use of AI-Generated Outputs
Subject to these Terms and your compliance with them, you may use AI-generated draft patent documents, claim suggestions, summaries, prior-art notes, invention descriptions, embodiments, technical descriptions, and similar outputs created from your User Content for your internal business purposes, documentation, and professional review. IPnite does not warrant that any output is original, non-infringing of third-party intellectual property rights, or free from prior-art conflicts. You are responsible for conducting independent clearance and freedom-to-operate analysis before relying on any output.
13. Confidentiality, Security, and Data Use
IPnite treats the confidentiality of invention-related materials seriously. Unless you expressly opt in or provide written consent, IPnite does not use your invention disclosures or patent draft materials to train general-purpose AI models. IPnite implements commercially reasonable security measures but does not guarantee absolute confidentiality or security. You acknowledge that no electronic system is completely secure. For applicable data protection rights, see our Privacy Policy.
14. No Guaranteed Outcome — Your Choice, Your Responsibility
Using IPnite does not guarantee any result, regardless of how much effort you invest, which path you choose, or whether you engage a licensed professional. IPnite expressly provides no assurance, representation, or warranty that: (a) any output is ready to file as-is; (b) any patent application will be accepted, examined, allowed, granted, or maintained in any jurisdiction; (c) any claim will survive examination, reexamination, inter partes review, or legal challenge; (d) any output is free from prior art, anticipation, or obviousness issues; (e) any filing will result in patent protection of any scope; (f) any output has commercial, licensing, or enforcement value; (g) any prior-art search is complete, accurate, or exhaustive; (h) any output constitutes freedom-to-operate clearance or avoidance of third-party patent rights; or (i) use of the Services will benefit your business, product, or invention in any way. WHETHER YOU ENGAGE A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL OR PROCEED PRO SE, IPNITE BEARS ABSOLUTELY NO LIABILITY FOR ANY OUTCOME, RESULT, REJECTION, LOSS OF RIGHTS, COMMERCIAL FAILURE, OR ADVERSE CONSEQUENCE OF ANY KIND ARISING FROM ANY ACTION TAKEN BASED ON OR DERIVED FROM OUTPUTS GENERATED THROUGH THE SERVICES.
15. Optional Human Support
IPnite may offer optional human support services, including legal review coordination, filing support, strategy consulting, technical review, or introductions to external professionals. Any such support is governed by separate professional agreements. IPnite is not responsible for the acts, omissions, advice, errors, or professional conduct of any third-party professional introduced or coordinated through the platform.
16. Acceptable Use
You agree not to: misuse or abuse the Services; submit materials you do not have the right to submit; infringe or misappropriate third-party intellectual property, privacy, or contractual rights; misrepresent inventorship, ownership, professional credentials, or identity; provide unauthorized legal, patent, or professional services to others; extract, copy, scrape, download, publish, disclose, sell, license, train models on, or create datasets from the platform or any non-public IPnite information; reverse-engineer or attempt to obtain proprietary platform logic; use the Services to compete with IPnite; or use the Services for any unlawful, deceptive, or harmful purpose. IPnite reserves the right to investigate and take appropriate action for any violation.
17. IPnite Intellectual Property
The Site, platform, user interface, workflows, templates, code, software, branding, trademarks, service marks, trade dress, designs, visual appearance, documentation, graphics, prompts, system instructions, operational logic, business model, technical materials, architecture, know-how, trade secrets, and all underlying and non-public technology are owned by ik-holcan LLC or its licensors and are protected by intellectual property, trade secret, unfair competition, and other applicable laws. You receive no ownership interest in any of those elements. Any feedback, suggestions, or ideas you provide regarding the Services may be used by IPnite without restriction or compensation and do not grant you any rights in IPnite's intellectual property.
18. Privacy Policy
Your use of the Services is governed by our Privacy Policy, incorporated herein by reference, which explains how IPnite collects, uses, stores, protects, and discloses personal information and user-submitted materials. By using the Services, you acknowledge and agree to the Privacy Policy.
19. Account Security
You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials, two-factor authentication methods, devices, browsers, networks, and access tokens, and for all activity that occurs under your account, whether authorized or not. You agree to notify IPnite immediately at info@ipnite.com of any unauthorized access or suspected security breach.
20. Third-Party Services and Integrations
The Services may integrate with or depend on third-party services including payment processors, hosting providers, AI infrastructure providers, analytics tools, authentication providers, cloud storage services, patent databases, and external professionals. IPnite does not control third-party services and is not responsible for their availability, functionality, security, accuracy, data handling practices, or any failures, outages, data breaches, or errors caused by third-party services. Your use of any third-party service is subject to that service's own terms and policies.
21. Disclaimer of Warranties
THE SERVICES, ALL AI-GENERATED OUTPUTS, ALL CONTENT, AND ALL RELATED MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. IPNITE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, QUIET ENJOYMENT, AND ANY WARRANTIES ARISING FROM COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE. IPNITE DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, SECURE, OR FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS.
22. Limitation of Liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IPNITE, IK-HOLCAN LLC, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AND LICENSORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE, OR ENHANCED DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF PATENT RIGHTS, LOSS OF TRADE SECRETS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, OR COST OF SUBSTITUTE SERVICES, ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL IPNITE'S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICES EXCEED THE GREATER OF (i) THE TOTAL FEES ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU TO IPNITE IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (ii) ONE HUNDRED UNITED STATES DOLLARS ($100 USD). THE FOREGOING LIMITATIONS APPLY REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY.
23. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless ik-holcan LLC and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, and licensors from and against any and all third-party claims, demands, damages, liabilities, losses, penalties, fines, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or related to: (a) your use of the Services; (b) your User Content; (c) your violation of these Terms; (d) your violation of any applicable law or regulation; (e) your infringement of any third-party rights; or (f) any professional services you provide to others using IPnite outputs.
24. Suspension and Termination
IPnite may suspend, restrict, limit, or terminate your access to the Services at any time, with or without prior notice, if IPnite reasonably believes you have violated these Terms, created a legal or reputational risk for IPnite, failed to pay fees, misused credits, engaged in fraudulent activity, or used the Services in a harmful or unlawful manner. Upon termination, all licenses granted to you terminate immediately. Sections that by their nature should survive termination will survive, including Sections 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 14, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, and 28.
25. Changes to the Services or Terms
IPnite may modify, update, suspend, or discontinue the Services or these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated by posting the updated Terms on the website, with the updated effective date. Continued use of the Services after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to revised Terms, you must stop using the Services.
26. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms are governed exclusively by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Subject to Section 27, any dispute not subject to arbitration will be resolved exclusively in state or federal courts located in the State of Delaware, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts. Nothing in these Terms prevents IPnite from seeking injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction.
27. Arbitration and Waiver of Class Action
PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS. Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services that cannot be resolved informally will be resolved by binding individual arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) conducted in Delaware. YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND YOUR RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN CLASS ACTIONS, CLASS ARBITRATIONS, REPRESENTATIVE ACTIONS, OR COLLECTIVE PROCEEDINGS OF ANY KIND. All claims must be brought in the party's individual capacity, not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class or representative proceeding. The arbitrator may not consolidate claims or preside over any form of representative or class proceeding. This waiver does not apply where prohibited by applicable mandatory law.
28. Force Majeure
IPnite is not liable for any delay, failure, or interruption of the Services resulting from causes beyond IPnite's reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, pandemics, war, terrorism, civil unrest, government actions, changes in law or regulation, internet or telecommunications failures, third-party infrastructure outages, cyberattacks, denial-of-service attacks, power failures, or any other force majeure event.
29. Miscellaneous
These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any other policies referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between you and IPnite regarding the Services and supersede all prior agreements. If any provision is found invalid or unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and the remaining provisions remain in full force. IPnite's failure to enforce any right or provision is not a waiver of that right or provision. You may not assign or transfer any rights under these Terms without IPnite's prior written consent. IPnite may assign these Terms freely. Section headings are for convenience only and do not affect interpretation. Your electronic acceptance of these Terms is legally binding to the same extent as a handwritten signature.
For questions about these Terms, contact us at info@ipnite.com.