Terms of Service & End User License Agreement (EULA)

Last updated: January 29, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By downloading, installing, accessing, or using Sideline Captions (the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service & End User License Agreement ("Terms"). These Terms apply to all users, including those using a free trial and those with a paid license.

If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you may not download, install, or use the Service.

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Sideline Captions regarding the Service and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

2. Service Description

Sideline Captions provides multiple services:

  • Desktop Application: Downloadable software that runs locally on your device and provides AI-powered captioning through third-party APIs such as Google's Gemini API and OpenAI. The application requires an internet connection to access AI captioning features.
  • Sideline Live: A web-based real-time photo gallery service that allows you to upload images via FTP and share password-protected galleries with clients. Images update automatically as you upload them.
  • Sideline for Teams: A subscription plan that allows multiple users (seats) to share Sideline Live access under one billing account, billed per seat (minimum 2 seats).
  • Roster Database: A web-based service that provides access to roster data, allowing you to browse teams and generate code replacement files for Photo Mechanic and other photo editing software.

The Service combines locally-installed software with cloud-based services and external APIs that we do not control.

3. License Grant

Sideline Captions grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to install and use the Service, subject to the terms below:

3.1 Free Trial License

If you are using the Service under a free trial or evaluation version:

  • You may process up to 500 images in total with no time limit
  • You may use the Service for personal, commercial, or professional evaluation purposes
  • You will receive software updates during your trial period
  • Your trial license may be terminated or limited at any time at our discretion
  • Once you reach the 500-image limit, the Service's processing features will be disabled until you purchase a paid license
  • You may install the trial on multiple devices, but the 500-image limit applies cumulatively across all installations
  • You may not circumvent, bypass, or attempt to reset the trial limitations through any means, including reinstallation, file deletion, or technical manipulation

3.2 Subscription License

If you purchase a subscription (monthly or yearly):

  • You are granted access to the Service for the duration of your active subscription period
  • You may install and use the Service on unlimited devices, provided you are the sole user
  • Monthly subscriptions include up to 5,000 images per month and 1,000 images per day
  • Yearly subscriptions include up to 5,000 images per month and 1,000 images per day
  • Usage limits reset at the beginning of each billing cycle (monthly or yearly, depending on your subscription)
  • You will receive all software updates and improvements while your subscription remains active
  • Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of each billing period unless cancelled
  • If your subscription expires or is cancelled, your access to the Service will be suspended until you renew or purchase a new subscription

3.3 Lifetime License

If you purchase a lifetime license (one-time payment):

  • You are granted lifetime access to the Service for personal or professional use by a single user
  • You may install and use the Service on unlimited devices, provided you are the sole user
  • You may process unlimited images (requires your own API key for AI services)
  • You will receive all software updates and improvements while the Service remains operational
  • "Lifetime" means access to updates and the Service for as long as we continue to operate and maintain it, and does not obligate us to support the Service indefinitely

3.4 Team Subscription License

If you purchase a Sideline Live Team plan (monthly or annual):

  • Access is granted per seat; the team administrator manages members and seat count
  • Usage limits and renewal follow your plan; your subscription automatically renews at the end of each billing period unless cancelled
  • Adding seats to your plan is charged prorated for the remainder of the current billing period
  • Reducing seats from your plan does not generate a refund or credit—your next bill will be for the new seat count

3.5 General License Terms

  • This license does not grant you ownership of the Service or its components
  • All rights not expressly granted are reserved by Sideline Captions
  • The Service is licensed, not sold

4. License Restrictions

You agree not to:

  • Share, sell, rent, lease, sublicense, or otherwise transfer your license key or trial access to others
  • Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, modify, or attempt to derive the source code of the Service
  • Remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or proprietary notices
  • Use the Service in violation of any applicable laws or third-party rights
  • Upload or process content that infringes intellectual property or privacy rights
  • Use the Service for automated scraping, data mining, or competitive analysis
  • Interfere with or disrupt the Service or its servers
  • Circumvent or attempt to bypass trial limitations, including through reinstallation, file manipulation, or technical workarounds

Violation of these prohibitions may result in immediate license termination without refund and potential legal action.

5. System Requirements & Internet Connectivity

The Service requires an internet connection to access AI captioning features. If your internet connection is interrupted during use, captioning functionality will cease until connectivity is restored.

While we strive to maintain compatibility with current operating systems, we do not guarantee that the Service will remain compatible with future OS updates or system changes. We are not obligated to update the Service to maintain compatibility with all future system configurations.

6. User Content, AI Processing & Ownership

6.1 Your Ownership

You retain all rights to any captions, metadata, images, galleries, and other materials ("User Content") you create, submit, or process through the Service. You own all AI-generated captions and output produced by the Service.

6.2 Limited License to Use

By submitting User Content, you grant Sideline Captions a limited, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, store, process, and display such content solely to operate and provide the Service to you, including:

  • Processing images for AI caption generation
  • Storing and serving images uploaded to Sideline Live galleries
  • Generating thumbnails and optimized versions of gallery images
  • Displaying galleries to recipients with whom you share gallery links

We will not use your User Content to train AI models, for advertising purposes, or sublicense it to third parties except as necessary to provide the Service.

6.3 AI Processing

The Service uses Google's Gemini API, OpenAI API, and other third-party services to generate captions. By using the Service, you acknowledge and consent to your data being transmitted to these third-party services for processing in accordance with their respective privacy policies.

To ensure service reliability and quality, we may temporarily store user-submitted data (including captions, metadata, and image previews) for up to 30 days for debugging, quality assurance, and service improvement purposes, as described in our Privacy Policy. This data is never used for advertising, resale, or AI model training.

6.4 Gallery Content and Sharing

When you use Sideline Live:

  • Images you upload to galleries are stored on our servers and made accessible via gallery links
  • You control who can view your galleries through password protection and link sharing
  • Anyone with a gallery link and password can view and download images in that gallery
  • You are responsible for the security of your gallery passwords and FTP credentials
  • You agree not to upload any content that is illegal, infringes third-party rights, or violates our policies

6.5 Your Responsibilities

You represent and warrant that:

  • You own or have the necessary rights to all User Content
  • Your submission and use of User Content does not violate any third-party rights
  • You have all necessary permissions to process any images containing identifiable individuals
  • You will not upload malicious files, viruses, or content intended to harm the Service or other users
  • You will not use the Service to store or distribute illegal, defamatory, or obscene content

Sideline Captions assumes no responsibility or liability for any User Content uploaded or processed through the Service.

7. Sideline Live Gallery Service Terms

7.1 FTP Access and Credentials

When you create a Sideline Live gallery, you receive FTP credentials to upload images. You agree to:

  • Keep your FTP credentials secure and confidential
  • Not share your FTP credentials with unauthorized parties
  • Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access
  • Accept responsibility for all activity under your FTP account

7.2 Storage Limits and Fair Use

Sideline Live includes reasonable storage for sports photography workflows. We reserve the right to:

  • Impose storage limits per gallery or per account
  • Remove galleries or images not used for their intended purpose
  • Throttle or suspend accounts engaged in excessive or abusive usage

7.3 Gallery Retention and Deletion

Gallery images are retained as long as your subscription is active and you choose to keep them. When you:

  • Delete a gallery: Images are immediately removed from public access and permanently deleted from our servers. This action cannot be undone.
  • Cancel your subscription or trial: Your galleries will remain accessible for a 30-day grace period from the date of cancellation. During this grace period, you can view and download your images, but you will not be able to create new galleries or upload new images. After 30 days, all galleries and their images will be permanently deleted from our servers. We strongly recommend backing up any important content during the grace period.
  • Let your subscription lapse due to payment failure: Galleries are immediately suspended (not accessible) and will be permanently deleted after 30 days if your subscription is not reactivated. If you reactivate your subscription within the 30-day period, your galleries will be restored.

Important: We recommend backing up important gallery content regularly. Sideline Captions is not responsible for data loss. Once galleries and images are deleted (either by you or after the grace period expires), they cannot be recovered.

7.4 Prohibited Uses

You may not use Sideline Live to:

  • Store or distribute illegal, obscene, defamatory, or infringing content
  • Resell or sublicense gallery access to third parties
  • Use galleries as general cloud storage or file hosting
  • Upload malware, viruses, or malicious code

7.5 Payment Processing for Image Sales

Sideline Live allows photographers to sell images directly to customers if they desire. By enabling payment features, you agree to the following terms:

7.5.1 Stripe Connect Integration

All payment processing is handled through Stripe Connect. To receive payments from image sales, you must:

  • Create and maintain a valid Stripe Connect account
  • Complete Stripe's identity verification and onboarding process
  • Comply with Stripe's Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy
  • Maintain accurate and up-to-date banking information in your Stripe account

Sideline Captions does not store or have access to your bank account details, tax identification numbers, or other sensitive financial information. All such information is securely handled by Stripe.

7.5.2 Platform Fees and Payment Processing

When a customer purchases an image through Sideline Live:

  • Platform Fee: Sideline Captions collects a 10% platform fee on the total sale price before any other deductions
  • Stripe Processing Fees: Stripe's payment processing fees (typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) are deducted from the gross amount of the sale
  • Net Payout: After the platform fee and Stripe fees are deducted, the remaining amount is transferred to your Stripe Connect account

Example: If a customer purchases an image for $10.00:

  • Platform fee: $1.00 (10%)
  • Photographer's gross amount: $9.00
  • Stripe fee: ~$0.59 (2.9% + $0.30 on the gross amount)
  • Net photographer payout: ~$8.41

Fees are deducted at the time of payment processing. Actual Stripe fees may vary based on card type, currency, and other factors determined by Stripe.

7.5.3 Payout Schedule

Payouts are processed according to Stripe's standard payout schedule, which Sideline Captions does not control:

  • Pending Period: After a sale, Stripe holds funds as "Future Payouts" for 2–7 days (timing varies based on your account history, risk assessment, and Stripe's policies)
  • In Transit: Once cleared, funds move to "In Transit to Bank" status and typically arrive in your bank account within 1–2 business days
  • Total Timeline: Total payout time ranges from 3 to 9 business days from the date of sale

Payout timing is determined entirely by Stripe and may be affected by weekends, holidays, bank processing times, and account verification status. We recommend checking your Stripe Dashboard for real-time payout status.

7.5.4 Pricing and Minimums

  • The minimum price you may set for an image is $1.00 USD
  • There is no minimum withdrawal amount or payout threshold
  • The photographer sets the price for each image
  • All prices are set in USD

7.5.5 Photographer Responsibilities

As a photographer selling images through Sideline Live, you are responsible for:

  • Tax Compliance: Reporting all income to appropriate tax authorities and paying applicable taxes. Sideline Captions does not withhold taxes from your payouts unless legally required. You are an independent contractor, not an employee.
  • Accurate Pricing: Setting fair and accurate prices for your images
  • Content Rights: Ensuring you have the legal right to sell all images you offer, including model releases, property releases, and usage rights
  • Customer Service: Responding to customer inquiries about purchases in a timely and professional manner
  • Refunds: Handling customer refund requests according to your own refund policy (see Section 7.5.7 below)
  • Compliance: Complying with all applicable laws, including consumer protection laws, data protection regulations, and intellectual property laws

7.5.6 Customer Payment Information

When customers purchase images through Sideline Live:

  • Payment information (credit card numbers, billing addresses) is collected and processed directly by Stripe
  • Sideline Captions never stores or has access to full credit card numbers
  • Customers' payment data is subject to Stripe's Privacy Policy and PCI-DSS compliance standards
  • We collect and retain transaction metadata (order ID, amount, date, customer email) for record-keeping and support purposes

7.5.7 Refunds and Disputes

Photographers are responsible for handling refund requests from customers:

  • You must establish and communicate your own refund policy to customers
  • Refunds must be processed through the Stripe Dashboard
  • Sideline Captions' 10% platform fee is not refunded on refunded transactions
  • If you receive a chargeback or payment dispute, you must respond promptly with requested documentation
  • Excessive chargebacks or refund rates may result in suspension or termination of payment processing capabilities

7.5.8 Account Suspension and Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your payment processing capabilities if:

  • You violate Stripe's Terms of Service or Acceptable Use Policy
  • Your Stripe account is suspended or terminated
  • Your Sideline Live account is suspended or terminated for any reason, including but not limited to: license non-renewal or expiration, or other violations of these Terms of Service
  • You engage in fraudulent activity or misrepresent your services
  • You receive excessive chargebacks or customer complaints
  • You violate these Terms of Service
  • We are required to do so by law or court order

Suspension or termination of payment processing does not affect your gallery hosting services unless your account is terminated.

8. Roster Database and Code Replacements

8.1 Roster Data Source and Accuracy

Sideline Captions' Code Replacements service aggregates publicly available roster information from various data sources. While we make every attempt to keep roster data up to date, you acknowledge that:

  • Roster data is provided "as is" without warranty of accuracy or completeness
  • We do not control upstream data sources and cannot guarantee data freshness
  • Roster information may be outdated, incomplete, or contain errors
  • You are responsible for verifying roster accuracy before use in published work

8.2 Acceptable Use

The roster database is intended for sports photographers and journalists to facilitate accurate captioning. You may not:

  • Scrape, download, or systematically export roster data in bulk
  • Use roster data for purposes unrelated to sports photography or journalism
  • Sell, redistribute, or sublicense roster data to third parties
  • Attempt to reverse engineer or circumvent access controls

9. Intellectual Property

All code, designs, text, graphics, logos, algorithms, documentation, and other materials forming part of the Service are owned or licensed by Sideline Captions and are protected by intellectual property laws.

Sideline Captions and its logo are trademarks of Sideline Captions. You may not use them without prior written permission.

No right, title, or interest in the Service is transferred to you except the limited license granted herein. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or create derivative works based on the Service without prior written consent.

10. Subscription Billing and Renewal

10.1 Billing Cycles

Subscriptions are billed in advance on a recurring basis:

  • Monthly Subscriptions: Billed every month on the anniversary of your initial purchase date
  • Yearly Subscriptions: Billed annually on the anniversary of your initial purchase date
  • Your billing cycle begins on the date you first purchase your subscription

10.2 Auto-Renewal

Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of each billing period unless you cancel it before the renewal date. By purchasing a subscription, you authorize us to charge your payment method on file for each renewal period.

10.3 Payment Failure

If payment fails for any reason (expired card, insufficient funds, etc.):

  • We will attempt to charge your payment method again
  • You will receive email notifications about the payment failure
  • If payment cannot be processed after multiple attempts, your subscription will be suspended
  • During suspension, you will lose access to the Service's processing features
  • You may reactivate your subscription by updating your payment method and successfully processing payment
  • If your subscription remains unpaid for an extended period, it may be cancelled and you will need to purchase a new subscription

10.4 Subscription Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings or by contacting us. Cancellation takes effect immediately and you will lose access to the Service immediately.

Cancelling your subscription does not entitle you to a refund for the current billing period.

10.5 Price Changes

We reserve the right to change subscription prices at any time. Price changes will not affect your current billing period but will apply to subsequent renewal periods.

If you do not agree to a price increase, you may cancel your subscription before the price change takes effect.

10.6 Subscription Limits

Subscription plans include usage limits:

  • Monthly and yearly subscriptions include up to 5,000 images per month
  • Daily limit of 1,000 images per day applies to all subscription plans
  • If you exceed your monthly limit, processing will be disabled until the next billing cycle begins
  • If you exceed your daily limit, processing will be disabled until the next day
  • Unused images do not roll over to the next billing period
  • Lifetime licenses have no usage limits

10.7 Team Plan Billing (Seat Changes)

For Sideline Live Team plans:

  • Adding seats: You are charged a prorated amount for the additional seats for the remainder of the current billing period.
  • Reducing seats: The change takes effect for the next billing period. No refund or prorated credit is issued for the unused portion of the reduced seats.

11. Trial-to-Paid Conversion

When you purchase a subscription or lifetime license after using the trial:

  • Your 500-image processing limit is immediately removed
  • All previously created captions and data are preserved
  • For subscriptions, you receive access according to your subscription plan's limits
  • For lifetime licenses, you receive unlimited access (with your own API key)
  • Your license key will be delivered via email to the address provided at purchase

12. Refund Policy

12.1 Lifetime License Refunds

You may request a full refund for a lifetime license within 7 days of purchase by contacting us through the contact form on our website. Refunds will be processed to your original payment method within 5-10 business days. Upon refund, your license key will be deactivated and you will revert to trial access (subject to the 500-image limit if not already exceeded).

12.2 Subscription Refunds

For subscription purchases:

  • You may request a full refund within 7 days of your initial subscription purchase
  • After the initial 7-day period, refunds for subscription renewals are not available
  • If you cancel your subscription, you will retain access until the end of the billing period you have already paid for
  • Refunds for subscription renewals are only available in exceptional circumstances at our sole discretion

12.3 Day Pass Refunds

Day Passes for Sideline Live are one-time purchases that provide 48 hours of access to Sideline Live galleries. Day passes are non-refundable. No refunds will be issued for Day Pass purchases, regardless of usage or circumstances.

12.4 General Refund Restrictions

Refunds are not available if:

  • More than 7 days have passed since your initial purchase (for lifetime licenses or first subscription payment)
  • You have received a refund for a Sideline Captions purchase within the past 12 months
  • Your license has been misused, shared, or violated these Terms
  • You are requesting a refund for a subscription renewal (after the initial purchase period)
  • You are requesting a refund for a day pass purchase (day passes are non-refundable)
  • You are requesting a refund or credit for reducing seats on a Sideline Live Team plan (seat reductions do not generate a refund or credit)

12.5 Team Plan Refunds and Seat Changes

Reducing the number of seats on a Sideline Live Team plan does not entitle you to any refund or credit. For initial Team subscription purchases, the same 7-day refund policy as other subscriptions applies (see 12.2 above).

13. Updates and Maintenance

We may, at our discretion, provide updates, bug fixes, or enhancements to the Service. Active subscription holders and lifetime license holders receive all updates at no additional cost for as long as we maintain the Service.

Updates are provided "as is" and do not guarantee:

  • Perpetual compatibility with all future systems or operating systems
  • Continued functionality with third-party APIs beyond our control
  • Addition of specific features or capabilities

We reserve the right to discontinue the Service at any time, though we will make reasonable efforts to provide advance notice to active subscribers and lifetime license holders.

14. Eligibility

The Service is intended for users aged 13 and older. If you are under 18, you must have parental or guardian consent to use the Service. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet these requirements and are competent to agree to these Terms.

15. Disclaimers

The Service and all related materials are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranty of any kind, express or implied. Sideline Captions does not warrant that the Service will be error-free, uninterrupted, secure, or that defects will be corrected.

To the extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, including but not limited to:

  • Merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement
  • Accuracy or reliability of AI-generated captions
  • Uninterrupted or error-free operation
  • Compatibility with your specific system configuration
  • Continued availability of third-party APIs

You acknowledge that AI-generated content may contain errors, inaccuracies, or inappropriate suggestions. You are solely responsible for reviewing and verifying all AI-generated output before use.

16. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Sideline Captions and its affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, data, or goodwill, arising from your use of or inability to use the Service.

In no event shall Sideline Captions' total liability to you exceed the amount you paid for the license, not to exceed $50.

17. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Sideline Captions, its owners, employees, and affiliates from and against any claims, losses, damages, liabilities, or expenses (including attorney's fees) arising from:

  • Your use or misuse of the Service
  • Your breach of these Terms
  • Your violation of any third-party rights
  • Your User Content or its processing

18. Termination

16.1 By Sideline Captions

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service for violation of these Terms or other misuse. We will provide notice before termination unless your conduct poses an immediate security risk or involves clear Terms violations such as license key sharing or reverse engineering attempts.

16.2 By You

You may terminate your use of the Service at any time by:

  • For Subscriptions: Cancelling your subscription through your account settings or by contacting us. Your access will continue until the end of your current billing period.
  • For Lifetime Licenses: Ceasing to use the software and uninstalling it from your devices.

Termination does not entitle you to a refund unless within the 7-day refund period for initial purchases.

16.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination or cancellation:

  • For subscriptions: Your access will continue until the end of the billing period you have already paid for, after which your license will cease. If you cancel your subscription, access to Sideline Live galleries will continue for a 30-day grace period, during which you can view and download your images. After the grace period, all galleries and images will be permanently deleted.
  • For trials: If you cancel your trial within the trial period, access is revoked immediately. Sideline Live galleries will remain accessible for a 30-day grace period from the cancellation date, during which you can view and download your images. After the grace period, all galleries and images will be permanently deleted.
  • For lifetime licenses: Your license will immediately cease upon termination. Sideline Live galleries will remain accessible for a 30-day grace period from the termination date, during which you can view and download your images. After the grace period, all galleries and images will be permanently deleted.
  • For day passes: Access expires at the end of the 48-hour period. Galleries created during the day pass period will remain accessible for a 30-day grace period from when the day pass expires, during which you can view and download your images. After the grace period, all galleries and images will be permanently deleted.
  • For Team subscriptions: When a Sideline Live Team subscription is cancelled or lapses, the owner and all members lose write access. A 30-day grace period applies; after 30 days, galleries are permanently deleted.
  • You must stop using the Service and destroy all copies in your possession
  • We will delete your User Content in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the grace periods described above
  • All gallery images, metadata, and associated data will be permanently deleted after the applicable grace period expires

Data Backup: We strongly recommend backing up any important gallery content before cancellation or termination, as deleted content cannot be recovered.

19. Dispute Resolution & Arbitration

Any dispute or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Service will be resolved by binding arbitration, rather than in court, except that you may assert claims in small claims court if your claims qualify.

RIGHT TO OPT OUT: You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by sending written notice to us within 30 days of first accepting these Terms. Your notice must include your name, email address, and a clear statement that you wish to opt out of arbitration.

The arbitration will be conducted by a single arbitrator under the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and will take place in Kentucky or remotely at your option. You and Sideline Captions each waive the right to a trial by jury or to participate in a class action or representative proceeding.

If you are a consumer in the EU, UK, or EEA, this arbitration clause does not apply to you, and you retain your right to bring claims in your local courts.

This provision does not preclude either party from seeking injunctive or equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to protect intellectual property or confidential information.

20. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, without regard to its conflict of laws principles. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods does not apply to these Terms.

18.1 European Union Users

If you are a consumer located in the European Union, United Kingdom, or European Economic Area, nothing in these Terms affects your mandatory statutory rights under applicable consumer protection laws. In the event of any conflict between these Terms and your local consumer protection laws, your local laws shall prevail to the extent of the conflict.

21. Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your license without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, provided the assignee agrees to honor these Terms.

22. Changes to Terms

We may revise these Terms at any time. Updates will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

23. Severability

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

24. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Sideline Captions regarding the Service. Any modification to these Terms must be in writing and authorized by Sideline Captions.

25. Contact Information

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