Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Tamil Sangam ("the Platform," "we," "us," or "our") located at tamilsangam.org, you ("User," "you," or "your") agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use our Platform.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Tamil Sangam. We may modify these Terms at any time, and such modifications will be effective immediately upon posting.

2. Platform Description

Tamil Sangam is a digital platform dedicated to promoting Tamil literature, poetry, and creative writing through:

• Literary competitions and contests
• Community engagement and networking
• Publishing and sharing of Tamil creative works
• Educational resources and workshops
• Recognition and awards for outstanding contributions

3. User Eligibility and Account Registration

3.1 Age Requirements

• You must be at least 13 years old to use this Platform
• Users under 18 must have parental or guardian consent
• Users under 13 are prohibited from creating accounts

3.2 Account Responsibility

• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account
• You must provide accurate and current information
• You are liable for all activities under your account
• You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized access

3.3 Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time for violation of these Terms, without prior notice.

4. User Content and Intellectual Property

4.1 Your Content Rights

You retain full ownership of all intellectual property rights in the content you submit to Tamil Sangam, including:

• Poems, stories, articles, and other literary works
• Comments, reviews, and feedback
• Profile information and biographical content
• Images, audio, and multimedia submissions

4.2 License to Tamil Sangam

By submitting content to our Platform, you grant Tamil Sangam a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to:

• Display, reproduce, and distribute your content on the Platform
• Use your content for competition judging and evaluation
• Include your content in promotional materials (with attribution)
• Create derivative works for platform functionality (e.g., formatting, excerpts)

4.3 Content Standards

All user content must comply with the following standards:

• Original Work: Content must be your original creation
• Appropriate Content: No offensive, discriminatory, or harmful material
• Legal Compliance: Content must comply with applicable laws
• Respectful Language: Maintain respectful and constructive communication
• No Plagiarism: All submitted works must be original and not copied

5. Competition Terms and Rules

5.2 Submission Requirements

• Works must be primarily in Tamil language (unless otherwise specified)
• Submissions must meet specified word count or format requirements
• Multiple submissions allowed only where explicitly permitted
• Anonymous judging may be employed; personal details may be hidden from judges

5.3 Prizes and Awards

• Prize details will be clearly specified for each competition
• Winners will be notified via email and announced on the Platform
• Prizes may include monetary awards, certificates, publication opportunities, or recognition
• Tax obligations for prizes are the responsibility of winners

5.4 Competition-Specific Rules

Each competition may have additional specific rules that will be clearly stated in the competition description. These specific rules take precedence over general guidelines for that particular competition.

6. Payment Terms

6.1 Entry Fees

• Some competitions may require entry fees to participate
• All fees will be clearly disclosed before registration
• Payment must be completed to finalize competition registration
• We use secure payment processors (Stripe, Razorpay) for all transactions

6.2 Refund Policy

• Before Competition Deadline: Full refund available up to 48 hours before submission deadline
• After Deadline: No refunds for completed competitions
• Cancelled Competitions: Full refund if competition is cancelled by Tamil Sangam
• Technical Issues: Refunds considered on a case-by-case basis

6.3 Subscription Services (Future)

Future premium features may be offered on a subscription basis. Terms for such services will be clearly specified when launched.

7. Prohibited Uses

You may not use Tamil Sangam for any of the following prohibited activities:

7.1 Content Violations

• Submitting plagiarized or non-original content
• Posting offensive, discriminatory, or hate speech
• Sharing inappropriate or adult content
• Violating intellectual property rights of others

7.2 Platform Abuse

• Creating multiple accounts to circumvent competition rules
• Manipulating voting or judging processes
• Spamming or excessive promotional content
• Attempting to hack, disrupt, or compromise platform security

7.3 Commercial Misuse

• Using the platform for unauthorized commercial purposes
• Selling or transferring accounts
• Harvesting user data for marketing purposes
• Posting unsolicited advertisements or promotional content

8. Privacy and Data Protection

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection, use, and protection of your personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

8.1 Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information and literary works.

8.2 Content Backup

While we maintain regular backups, you are responsible for keeping copies of your submitted works.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

Tamil Sangam is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose
• Non-infringement of intellectual property rights
• Uninterrupted or error-free operation
• Accuracy or completeness of content

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Tamil Sangam shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to:

• Loss of profits, data, or business opportunities
• Costs of procurement of substitute services
• Interruption of business operations
• Personal injury or property damage

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Tamil Sangam, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses arising out of or in any way connected with:

• Your use of the Platform
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of a third party
• Your content or submissions

12. Intellectual Property Protection

12.1 Tamil Sangam's Rights

Tamil Sangam, our logo, design, and all proprietary content are protected by intellectual property laws. You may not use our trademarks or copyrighted material without express written permission.

12.2 Copyright Infringement

We respect intellectual property rights and expect users to do the same. If you believe your copyright has been infringed, please contact us at copyright@tamilsangam.org with:

• Description of the copyrighted work
• Location of the infringing material
• Your contact information
• Statement of good faith belief
• Statement of accuracy and authorization

13. Termination

13.1 Termination by You

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us or using account deletion features. Upon termination:

• Your account will be deactivated
• Your personal data will be handled according to our Privacy Policy
• Your submitted content may remain for historical/archival purposes
• Outstanding obligations (payments, competition commitments) remain valid

13.2 Termination by Tamil Sangam

We may terminate or suspend your account immediately for:

• Violation of these Terms
• Fraudulent or illegal activity
• Abuse of the platform or other users
• Extended inactivity (after appropriate notice)

14. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction where Tamil Sangam is incorporated, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Platform shall be resolved through:

1. Direct Communication: Good faith effort to resolve disputes directly
2. Mediation: Non-binding mediation if direct resolution fails
3. Arbitration: Binding arbitration for unresolved disputes

15. Force Majeure

Tamil Sangam shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance due to events beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, strikes, or government actions.

16. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these Terms shall otherwise remain in full force and effect.

17. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any additional terms for specific services, constitute the entire agreement between you and Tamil Sangam regarding the use of the Platform.

18. Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us: