Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By using BLAQclouds Image Authentication ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Service. The Service is provided by BLAQclouds and operates on the Apollo blockchain.

2. DTCWT Watermarking — Evidence, Not Legal Proof

The DTCWT (Dual-Tree Complex Wavelet Transform) watermarking technology used by this Service provides evidence of authenticity, not legal proof. The watermark embedded in product tags serves as a technological indicator that an item was registered by a merchant on the platform. DTCWT watermarks are designed to survive printing and re-photographing, but no watermarking technology is infallible. The Service does not guarantee that a watermarked item is genuine, only that the watermark matches the on-chain hash recorded at the time of minting.

3. All Sales Final

All sales of authenticated items are final. BLAQclouds does not facilitate, guarantee, or mediate transactions between merchants and consumers. The Service provides authentication verification only and is not a party to any sale of physical goods.

4. No Returns or Refunds

There are no returns or refunds for subscription payments made to BLAQclouds. Subscription fees are billed in advance and are non-refundable. If a subscription is cancelled, access to the Service continues until the end of the current billing period.

5. Physical Tag Placement

Merchants are solely responsible for the placement, application, and physical integrity of product tags. BLAQclouds is not liable for tags that are damaged, removed, copied, or improperly applied. Proper tag placement is critical to the verification process — tags must be clearly visible and unobstructed for camera-based verification to function correctly.

6. Merchant Responsibilities

• Merchants must provide accurate product information when creating batches.
• Merchants are responsible for the quality and accuracy of product images uploaded.
• Merchants must maintain an active subscription to use the Service.
• Merchants are responsible for all on-chain transactions initiated through the Service.
• Merchants must not use the Service to authenticate counterfeit or fraudulent products.

7. Blockchain Transactions

The Service interacts with the Apollo blockchain. All on-chain transactions (minting, committing hashes, verification) are permanent and immutable. Gas fees for on-chain transactions are the responsibility of the merchant. BLAQclouds is not responsible for failed transactions, network congestion, or incorrect data committed to the blockchain.

8. Limitation of Liability

BLAQclouds is not liable for any damages arising from the use of the Service, including but not limited to: counterfeit products that pass verification, authentic products that fail verification, lost or damaged tags, network failures, or service outages. The Service is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind.

9. Account Termination

BLAQclouds reserves the right to terminate or suspend access to the Service for merchants who violate these Terms, use the Service for fraudulent purposes, or fail to maintain an active subscription. On-chain data is permanent and cannot be erased.

10. Changes to Terms

BLAQclouds may update these Terms of Service at any time. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.