Terms of Service

Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account, accessing our website, or using any of our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy.

Capacity to Accept

You must be at least 18 years old to use our services. If you are under 18, you may only use our services with the involvement and consent of a parent or guardian.

Modifications to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes via email or through our service. Continued use after notification constitutes acceptance of the modified terms.

Our Services

• • Comprehensive firearm database with specifications and information
• • User accounts with personalized dashboards and preferences
• • Search and filtering capabilities for firearm data
• • User-generated content including reviews and feature requests
• • Administrative tools for data management and user support

Educational Purpose

Our platform is designed for educational, research, and informational purposes. We provide factual information about firearms for collectors, researchers, historians, and enthusiasts.

No Sales or Transactions

The Gun Database does not facilitate the sale, purchase, or transfer of firearms or ammunition. We are strictly an informational platform.

Account Creation

• • You must provide accurate and complete information when creating an account
• • You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials
• • You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized access to your account
• • One person may only create one account unless explicitly authorized

User Conduct

• • Use the service only for lawful purposes and in compliance with applicable laws
• • Respect the rights and privacy of other users
• • Do not attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems or other users' accounts
• • Do not use the service to distribute malware, spam, or other harmful content
• • Do not engage in any activity that could harm or disrupt our services

Content Standards

• • All user-generated content must be factual and relevant to firearms information
• • Do not post content that promotes illegal activities or violence
• • Respect intellectual property rights when sharing content
• • Maintain professional and respectful communication with other users

Hosting Infrastructure

• • All services are hosted on Hetzner servers located in Germany
• • Database servers, application servers, and file storage are all within Germany
• • No data processing occurs outside of Germany without explicit user consent
• • All data backups and disaster recovery systems are also located in Germany

Consent to German Processing

By using our service, you explicitly consent to:

• • All your personal data being processed and stored in Germany
• • German data protection laws applying to your data
• • Hetzner's data processing practices as our hosting provider
• • Potential access by German authorities as required by German law

Data Protection Benefits

• • Germany has some of the world's strictest data protection laws
• • Full GDPR compliance for all EU users
• • Strong encryption and security measures implemented by Hetzner
• • Regular security audits and compliance assessments

Cross-Border Data Transfer

If you are located outside the EU, your data will be transferred to and processed in Germany. This transfer is based on your explicit consent and is necessary for the provision of our services.

Our Content

The Gun Database, including its design, functionality, and content, is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works without our explicit written permission.

User-Generated Content

• • You retain ownership of content you create and submit to our platform
• • By submitting content, you grant us a license to use, display, and distribute it
• • You warrant that your content does not infringe on third-party rights
• • We reserve the right to remove content that violates these terms

Third-Party Content

Some content on our platform may be sourced from third parties. We respect intellectual property rights and will respond to valid takedown requests in accordance with applicable law.

Illegal Activities

• • Using our platform to facilitate illegal firearm sales or transfers
• • Promoting or facilitating violence or illegal activities
• • Violating any local, state, national, or international laws
• • Circumventing or attempting to circumvent legal restrictions

Technical Violations

• • Attempting to hack, crack, or compromise our systems
• • Using automated tools to scrape or harvest data without permission
• • Overloading our servers or disrupting service availability
• • Reverse engineering or attempting to extract source code

Content Violations

• • Posting false, misleading, or defamatory information
• • Sharing content that infringes on intellectual property rights
• • Distributing spam, malware, or other harmful content
• • Harassing, threatening, or intimidating other users

Service Availability

While we strive to maintain high availability, we cannot guarantee uninterrupted service. Our services may be temporarily unavailable due to maintenance, updates, or technical issues.

Modifications to Services

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of our services at any time. We will provide reasonable notice for significant changes that affect user experience.

Maintenance and Updates

Regular maintenance and updates are necessary to ensure security and functionality. We will attempt to schedule maintenance during low-usage periods when possible.

Information Accuracy

While we strive to provide accurate information, we cannot guarantee the completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of all data on our platform. Users should verify information independently before making decisions based on our content.

Service Limitations

Our services are provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of our services.

Legal Compliance

Users are solely responsible for ensuring their use of our services complies with applicable laws in their jurisdiction. We are not responsible for users' compliance with local laws.

Termination by User

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us or using the account deletion feature in your dashboard. Upon termination, your access to our services will cease.

Termination by Us

We reserve the right to terminate or suspend accounts that violate these terms, engage in prohibited activities, or pose a risk to our platform or other users.

Effects of Termination

• • Immediate loss of access to your account and our services
• • Deletion of your personal data according to our Privacy Policy
• • Survival of provisions that by their nature should survive termination
• • No refund of any fees paid (if applicable in the future)

Applicable Law

These Terms of Service are governed by the laws of Germany. Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of our services will be resolved under German law.

Jurisdiction

Any legal proceedings related to these terms or our services shall be brought exclusively in the competent courts of Germany. By using our services, you consent to the jurisdiction of German courts.

Dispute Resolution

We encourage users to contact us directly to resolve any disputes. If direct resolution is not possible, disputes will be resolved through the German court system.

EU Consumer Rights

EU consumers retain all rights under applicable EU consumer protection laws, including the right to bring disputes in their country of residence where permitted by law.

General Contact

Response Times

• • General inquiries: Within 5 business days
• • Legal notices: Within 10 business days
• • Terms violations: Within 24-48 hours