Effective Date: 01.06.2026
Last Updated: 28.06.2026

Welcome to Source? These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) form a legally binding agreement between you and Source? Manga Academy (together with our affiliates, successors, and assigns, “Source? Manga Academy”, “Source?”, “SMA”, “we”, “us”, “our”).

IMPORTANT NOTICE: These Terms include provisions that affect your legal rights, including how disputes between you and Source? may be resolved (see the Dispute Resolution section). Please read carefully.

These Terms govern your access to and use of: (i) the Source? Manga Academy mobile application, (ii) our websites and web pages, and (iii) any related features, tools, content, and services we provide (collectively, the “Services”).

1. 1. Acceptance of the Terms

A) Acceptance

By accessing or using the Source? Manga Academy mobile application, website, or any related products and services (collectively, the “Services”), you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service (“Terms”). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Services.

You also agree that your access or use of the Services (including creating an account, purchasing a subscription, uploading content, or submitting any materials) constitutes your electronic acceptance of these Terms.

B) Other Policies and Supplemental Terms

Your use of the Services is also subject to our Privacy Policy and any additional guidelines, rules, or supplemental terms we may publish from time to time, including (where applicable) community rules, uploading guidelines, creator program terms, event/competition rules, and payment-related policies (collectively, “Supplemental Terms”).

These Supplemental Terms are incorporated into these Terms by reference. If there is a conflict between these Terms and any Supplemental Terms, the Supplemental Terms will control only for the specific Service or feature they apply to, and these Terms will control for everything else.

C) Using the Services for a Company / Organization

If you access or use the Services on behalf of a company, organization, school, or any other entity (an “Entity”), you represent and warrant that:

• • you have the authority to bind that Entity to these Terms, and

• • your acceptance of these Terms is on behalf of both you and that Entity.

In that case, “you” and “your” in these Terms refer to both you and the Entity. If you do not have authority, you must not use the Services on behalf of the Entity.

2. 2. Updates to The Terms of Service

We may update or modify these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in the Services, legal requirements, security needs, or our business practices.

A) When updates take effect

Unless we state otherwise, updated Terms become effective as of the “Last Updated” date shown at the top of the Terms.

B) How we notify you

When changes are significant, we may notify you in reasonable ways such as:

• • posting a notice in the app or on our website,

• • showing an in-app message, or

• • sending an email to the address linked to your account (if available).

However, we may not be able to notify every user individually for every change, so you should review these Terms periodically.

C) Your continued use means acceptance

By continuing to access or use the Services after updated Terms become effective, you agree to the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the Services and (if applicable) cancel any subscriptions through your app store settings.

D) Previous versions

For clarity, the updated Terms replace and supersede any prior versions of the Terms for all use going forward. In some cases, certain changes may apply only prospectively (for example, new features or new payment options), and we may describe that in the update notice.

E) Emergency / immediate changes

In limited cases (such as security issues, fraud prevention, legal compliance, or urgent operational needs), we may implement changes immediately. When we do, we will still make the updated Terms available and, when appropriate, provide notice through the Services.

3. 3. Eligibility

A) Minimum Age 

You must be at least 13 years old, or the minimum age required in your country/region to legally use online services (if higher). If you do not meet this requirement, you may not create an account or use the Services.

B) Minors

If you are under the age of legal adulthood where you live, you confirm that a parent or legal guardian has reviewed and agreed to these Terms and will supervise your use of the Services.

C) Verification

We may request age verification or guardian confirmation where required. If we believe you are under the permitted age or have provided inaccurate information, we may restrict, suspend, or terminate access.

4. 4. Platform Rules & Fair Use

A) Acceptable Use

You may use the Services only for lawful, personal, and authorized purposes. You agree not to use the Services in any way that harms Source? Manga Academy, our users, our partners, or our systems, or that interferes with the normal operation, security, integrity, or reputation of the Services. We may limit, restrict, or refuse access to any feature or function to protect the Services, enforce these Terms, comply with law, or prevent harm.

B) Prohibited Conduct

You may not access or use (or attempt to access or use) the Services to engage in any illegal, abusive, harmful, deceptive, infringing, or disruptive activity. Without limiting the foregoing, you may not:

• • impersonate any person or entity, misrepresent your identity or affiliation, or provide false, misleading, or incomplete information;

• • harass, threaten, intimidate, defame, stalk, or exploit others, or encourage violence, self-harm, or wrongdoing;

• • distribute spam, scams, misleading promotions, phishing, chain messages, or unauthorized advertising/solicitation;

• • upload, submit, or share content that you do not have the necessary rights and permissions to use, or that violates law or third-party rights (including copyright, trademark, privacy, or publicity rights);

• • attempt to disrupt community participation, block others from using the Services, or otherwise degrade the user experience for others.

C) Platform Integrity (Rankings, Exams, Publishing, Rewards)

You may not manipulate, attempt to manipulate, or assist others in manipulating any part of the Services, including rankings, exams (Rank Up Mission), publishing eligibility, awards, points, rewards, visibility, or other performance/engagement systems. This prohibition includes any attempt to artificially inflate, distort, suppress, or engineer outcomes by any means, including bots, scripts, automation, coordinated manipulation, fraudulent reporting, repeated spam submissions, or any other method we determine undermines fairness, quality, or trust.

We may investigate suspicious activity and may take action at any time, including removing content, reversing outcomes, adjusting rankings, removing benefits, limiting visibility, restricting features, or suspending/terminating accounts.

D) Technical Misuse, Automated Access, and Security

You may not interfere with, damage, disable, overburden, or impair the Services or any network, device, or system connected to the Services. You may not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Services, user accounts, or our systems.

Without limitation, you may not:
(i) scrape, crawl, harvest, or collect data or content from the Services using automated means (including bots, spiders, scrapers, scripts, browser automation, or similar tools) without our express written permission;
(ii) probe, scan, test, or attempt to bypass security, rate limits, access controls, or authentication measures;
(iii) reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or attempt to derive source code, underlying ideas, algorithms, models, or system logic, except to the extent such restriction is prohibited by applicable law;
(iv) introduce malware, harmful code, denial-of-service behavior, or any mechanism intended to interrupt, degrade, or compromise security or performance;
(v) attempt to access or use the Services in a way intended to cause economic harm, reputational harm, operational disruption, or unauthorized disclosure of information.

(vi) use bots, agents, scripts, or AI-driven tools to access, scrape, index, or extract data or content from the Services, or to bypass technical restrictions, without our express written permission; or

(vii) use AI or other tools to impersonate any person or entity, or to generate deceptive identities, messages, or content intended to mislead others.

E) Compliance With Law; Reservation of Rights

You must use the Services in compliance with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. All rights not expressly granted to you are reserved by Source? Manga Academy. We may set or change rules, limits, eligibility requirements, and feature access to protect users, maintain quality, prevent abuse, comply with law, or protect the business and the Services.

F) Moderation and Enforcement

You acknowledge that we may review, monitor, moderate, restrict, remove, or disable access to content or activity on the Services using automated tools and/or human review. We are not obligated to review all content, and we do not guarantee that prohibited content will be identified or removed immediately.

IF WE REASONABLY BELIEVE A USER HAS VIOLATED THIS SECTION, ATTEMPTED TO CAUSE HARM, OR CREATED RISK TO THE SERVICES OR OTHERS, WE MAY TAKE ANY ENFORCEMENT ACTION WE CONSIDER APPROPRIATE, INCLUDING WARNINGS, CONTENT REMOVAL, REDUCED VISIBILITY, FEATURE RESTRICTIONS, TEMPORARY SUSPENSION, OR TERMINATION, AND WE MAY PRESERVE RECORDS AND COOPERATE WITH LAWFUL REQUESTS WHERE REQUIRED. REPEATED OR SERIOUS VIOLATIONS MAY ALSO RESULT IN FURTHER ACTION CONSISTENT WITH APPLICABLE LAW.

SECURITY OR INTEGRITY VIOLATIONS MAY EXPOSE YOU TO CIVIL LIABILITY AND, WHERE APPLICABLE, CRIMINAL PENALTIES. WE MAY INVESTIGATE SUSPECTED VIOLATIONS AND MAY COOPERATE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT OR REGULATORY AUTHORITIES AS PERMITTED OR REQUIRED BY LAW.

5. 5. Account Registration & Security

A) Account Registration

To access certain features of the Services, you may need to create an account. When you create an account, you agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information and to keep it updated. We may refuse, restrict, or disable accounts that we believe are inaccurate, misleading, or created for abusive purposes.

B) Account Credentials and Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree not to share your password or allow others to access your account. If you believe your account has been compromised, accessed without authorization, or is otherwise at risk, you must notify us promptly and take reasonable steps to secure your account.

C) Responsibility for Account Activity

You are responsible for all actions taken through your account, including any content uploaded, submissions made, purchases completed, or messages sent, whether or not you personally authorized that activity. If you use the Services on a shared device, it is your responsibility to log out and protect your account from unintended access.

D) Account Misuse and Enforcement

We may suspend, restrict, or terminate your account (and access to the Services) if we reasonably believe you have:

• • violated these Terms or any Supplemental Terms,

• • attempted to compromise the security or integrity of the Services,

• • engaged in fraud, abuse, or manipulation (including rankings, exams, coins/tickets, or rewards),

• • infringed the rights of others, or

• • created risk or harm to Source?, users, or third parties.

We may take enforcement actions without notice where necessary for safety, security, fraud prevention, legal compliance, or platform integrity.

6. 6. User Content (UGC): Ownership, License, and Permissions

A) Ownership of User Content

“User Content” means any content you upload, submit, publish, or otherwise make available through the Services, including manga pages/chapters, covers, titles, descriptions, comments, messages, and other creative works or materials.

As between you and Source? Manga Academy, you retain ownership of your User Content, subject to the licenses granted in these Terms and any applicable feature-specific rules (including Rank Up Mission auto-publication rules where applicable).

B) License You Grant to Source? Manga Academy

By uploading, submitting, publishing, or otherwise making User Content available through the Services, you grant Source? Manga Academy, to the maximum extent permitted under applicable law, a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide, fully paid, transferable, and sublicensable (through multiple tiers of sublicensees) license to access, use, host, cache, store, reproduce, distribute, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, publish, modify, adapt, translate (including metadata), create derivative works from, and otherwise exploit your User Content in any media formats and channels now known or later developed, for the purposes of operating, maintaining, improving, securing, and promoting the Services and your User Content within the Services.

This license includes the right to:

• • make your User Content available to other users according to your publishing settings and the features you use (including Rank Up Mission submission flows, where applicable);

• • format, resize, compress, encode, and create compatibility versions for different devices and networks;

• • create previews, thumbnails, excerpts, and promotional displays;

• • monetize or otherwise make User Content available through platform features, including access controls, tickets/coins, subscriptions, advertising placements, recommendations, or promotional placements, as applicable.

C) License You Grant to Other Users

By publishing User Content for public viewing in the Services, you grant other users a limited, non-exclusive license to access and view your User Content through the Services for personal, non-commercial use, subject to these Terms and the feature functions we make available. Unless you expressly permit otherwise, this does not grant other users the right to copy, redistribute, re-upload, sell, or exploit your User Content outside the Services.

D) Your Representations and Warranties

You represent and warrant that:

• • you own your User Content or have obtained all rights, licenses, consents, and permissions necessary, and authority necessary to upload it and grant the license described in these Terms;

• • your User Content does not violate any law or infringe any third-party rights (including copyright, trademark, privacy, or publicity rights);

• • your User Content complies with these Terms, any Supplemental Terms, and any applicable guidelines or rules we publish.

E) Moral Rights

To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree not to assert any moral rights (including rights of attribution or integrity) in a manner that would interfere with our exercise of the rights granted in this section, including formatting, technical modifications, or promotional use of User Content as described above.

F) Removal, Retention, and Effect of Termination

You may be able to delete or remove some User Content through the Services. However:

• • Copies may remain in backups or logs for a limited period for operational, legal, security, or compliance purposes;

• • The licenses granted in this section remain perpetual and irrevocable for any User Content that has already been distributed, displayed, shared, promoted, monetized, or made available to other users through the Services prior to deletion, to the extent necessary to support those uses and the normal operation of the Services.

G) Feedback

If you submit feedback, suggestions, or ideas about the Services (collectively, “Feedback”), you agree that Source? Manga Academy may use, implement, and share such Feedback for any purpose without restriction and without compensation to you. Feedback is provided voluntarily and does not create any confidentiality or compensation obligation.

H) Promotion and Marketing

For clarity, the license granted in this section includes the right for Source? Manga Academy to use your User Content (in whole or in part), together with your username, profile name, title name, cover image, and excerpts, to market, promote, and publicize the Services and content available on the Services (for example, in-app placements, on our website, on social media, in emails, and in promotional materials).

Source? Manga Academy may also promote and publicize the Services using Platform Content and User Content (including excerpts) in any media, formats, or channels, now known or later developed, worldwide, subject to any applicable visibility settings, publishing controls, or rules of the relevant feature. This may include featuring your work in curated sections, recommendations, advertisements, or other promotional placements within or outside the Services.

I) External Promotion Through Creator Advancement Program

The general User Content license in this Section allows Source? Manga Academy to operate, display, promote, and market the Services and User Content as described above.

External industry promotion, representation, pitching, licensing discussions, adaptation discussions, publication discussions, or other commercial opportunity development through the Creator Advancement Program may require additional eligibility, creator approval, program acceptance, and/or Supplemental Terms.

By participating in the Creator Advancement Program, you grant Source? Manga Academy the additional limited rights necessary to present, pitch, promote, summarize, excerpt, translate, package, and share your eligible works and related materials with potential industry partners, subject to the Creator Advancement Program terms.

7. 7. Ownership and License of Platform Content

A) Ownership of Source? Manga Academy Platform Content

You acknowledge and agree that the Services and all content made available by Source? Manga Academy through the Services, excluding User Content, are owned by Source? Manga Academy or its licensors and are protected by intellectual property and proprietary rights laws.

This includes, without limitation: the app and website; software and code; course structures and lesson materials; manuals and templates; UI/UX and visual design; graphics, text, audio, music, animations, and sound effects; feature logic (including rankings, exams, quests, and currency systems); databases; brand names, logos, and trademarks; and any other platform content (collectively, “Platform Content”).

Nothing in these Terms grants you any ownership right, title, or interest in or to the Services or Platform Content.

B) Limited License of Platform Content to You

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, Source? Manga Academy grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable license to access and use the Services and view Platform Content solely for your personal, non-commercial use within the Services.

Platform Content is licensed to you, not sold. Source? Manga Academy retains all rights not expressly granted to you. We may restrict access to Platform Content by region, subscription level, time, or feature availability, and Platform Content availability may change at any time.

C) Restrictions on Your Use of Platform Content

Except as expressly permitted by Source? Manga Academy in writing, you may not copy, reproduce, download (other than temporary caching necessary for normal use), distribute, transmit, publish, display, perform, sell, rent, lease, lend, sublicense, or otherwise exploit any Platform Content (or any portion of it). You may not modify, translate, adapt, create derivative works from, or otherwise alter Platform Content, including any course materials, lesson reels, manuals, templates, or other learning assets. You may not remove or alter any copyright, trademark, watermark, attribution, proprietary notice, or label.

You may not circumvent, disable, bypass, or interfere with any access controls, subscription gates, DRM, encryption, security features, or other protective measures used to restrict or protect Platform Content. In addition, the technical and security restrictions in Section 4 (Platform Rules & Fair Use) apply equally to Platform Content, including restrictions on scraping, automated access (including AI tools), and reverse engineering.

Any unauthorized use of Platform Content may result in enforcement action (including suspension or termination) and may expose you to civil liability and, where applicable, criminal penalties.

8. 8. Description of the Services

A) The Services

The “Services” include the Source? Manga Academy mobile application, website, and any related features, programs, content, tools, and functionality we make available (collectively, the “Services”).

B) Key Service Features and Program Rules (Overview)

The Services may include, without limitation, the features and programs described below. These descriptions are provided for clarity and may be governed by additional rules, eligibility requirements, and visibility settings within the Services.

I) Manga Maker; DIY Manga Kits
The Services may include learning content and “Kits” designed to teach manga creation techniques through short, structured lessons and project-based steps. Some Kits may be free and others may require a subscription or other payment. Kits, lesson formats, manuals, and related learning assets may be updated, replaced, or retired over time.

II) Rank Up Mission; Exams; Certifications; Eligibility
Rank Up Mission may include skill-based exams and progression steps (for example: Character, One Shot, Series). You may need to pass earlier levels to apply for later levels. Your eligibility to apply, submit, publish, price, or access certain creator tools may depend on your Rank Up status and other requirements we set.
Any certifications we issue (including by email) are platform acknowledgements and are not government licenses or accredited academic credentials. Passing an exam or receiving a rank does not guarantee readership, visibility, income, awards selection, or external publication opportunities.

III) Auto-Publication of Rank Up Submissions
By submitting content as part of Rank Up Mission, you acknowledge and agree that your submissions may be automatically published within the Services (including being visible to other users) according to our publishing flows and your available settings (if any). Auto-publication may occur upon submission, after automated checks, after review, or at another time determined by Source? Manga Academy.

We may limit visibility, hide, remove, or restrict access to Rank Up submissions (or any content) at any time for safety, quality, legal compliance, rights issues, operational needs, or policy enforcement.

IV) Leaderboards and Ranking Systems
The Services may include leaderboards and rankings, including systems that rank creators (not only titles). Rankings may be regional, category-based, or otherwise segmented. Ranking signals, weighting, and eligibility rules may change at any time, and we may reset, adjust, or remove rankings for integrity, safety, fairness, or operational reasons.
You agree not to manipulate rankings or engagement (including through bots, coordinated fake activity, scraping, automation, incentive abuse, or any deceptive practice). We may disqualify, downrank, suspend, or terminate accounts or content involved in manipulation or suspected abuse. We do not guarantee placement, visibility, or outcomes through any ranking system.

V) Editor’s Room (Feedback Submissions)
The Services may include optional feedback submissions (“Editor’s Room”). Feedback is provided as creative guidance/education and may be subjective, may differ between editors, and may not produce any specific result. We do not guarantee improvement, rankings, acceptance, publication, or outcomes. Editor availability, response time, delivery method, and pricing may vary and may change over time. (Paid access and ticket/currency rules are addressed in Sections 7 and 8.)

VI) Gallery; Reading; Upload
The Services may include a reading/browsing area (“Gallery”) and creator upload/publishing features. Availability of titles, chapters, features, regions, formats, and access methods may change. We may remove, restrict, geo-limit, or suspend content or access for legal, safety, rights, quality, policy, or operational reasons.

VII) Events, Competitions, and Awards
The Services may include events and competitions (including Source? Grand Awards, which may occur more than once per year). These are opportunities, not guarantees. Eligibility (including Top 100 thresholds, submission requirements, deadlines, and selection criteria) may change and may be governed by separate Official Rules incorporated by reference.
We may disqualify entries, modify schedules, adjust criteria, or cancel or pause events where necessary for fairness, safety, legal compliance, or operational reasons. 

VIII) Quests and Reward Features
The Services may include quests, missions, and reward systems that grant in-app benefits subject to rules, limits, anti-abuse controls, and changes over time. (Detailed in-app currency rules are addressed in Section 8.)

C) Services May Change

Source? Manga Academy may add, remove, rename, suspend, or modify any part of the Services at any time, including how features operate, how eligibility is determined, how rankings and events work, and what features are called. Continued use of the Services means you accept such changes.

9. 9. Subscriptions, Purchases, and Billing

A) Paid Features; Plans

Some parts of the Services require payment, including subscriptions (monthly/yearly) and other purchases (for example, in-app items or paid submissions). Available plans, pricing, and included benefits may vary by country, platform, device, and time, and may change.

B) Auto-Renewal

If you purchase a subscription, it may automatically renew unless you cancel through your Apple App Store / Google Play account settings (or other platform used for purchase). Your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period after cancellation.

C) Switching Plans; No Pro-Rata Refunds

You may switch between monthly and yearly plans where available. Payments are non-refundable and non-creditable, and we do not provide pro-rated refunds or partial credits for unused time (except where required by law).
If you switch plans, your current paid subscription term continues until the end of its billing period, and any new plan takes effect according to the platform’s billing rules.

D) App Store / Platform Billing

Purchases made through Apple, Google, or another platform are processed by that platform and are subject to their terms, billing rules, and refund policies. To the extent permitted by law, refunds (if any) are handled by the platform, not Source? Manga Academy.

E) Taxes; Currency; Pricing Changes

Prices may be shown in local currency and may include or exclude taxes depending on location and platform. Taxes, exchange rates, platform fees, and other charges may change, and pricing may be adjusted accordingly. Any price changes will apply prospectively to future purchases or renewal periods (unless a platform requires a different approach).

F) Promotions / Promo Codes

Promo codes may be limited, time-bound, single-use, and subject to eligibility rules. We may revoke or disable promo codes used fraudulently, transferred improperly, or used contrary to their intended purpose.

10. 10. In-App Currency, Tickets, and Rewards

A) No Cash Value; No Transfer

In-app currency, points, coins, or tickets (including “Gold” and “Silver” variants) are digital items for use within the Services only. They have no cash value, are not legal tender, and are not your property. You receive a limited, revocable, non-exclusive license to use them for features within the Services. They may not be sold, transferred, gifted, traded, exchanged, or redeemed for money except where required by law.

B) Earning and Use Rules

You may obtain coins/tickets through purchases, quests, promotions, or other methods we offer. Coins/tickets may be required for certain features (for example, unlocking chapters or submitting paid requests). Coins/tickets are generally usable only by the account that earned or purchased them, and we may restrict use by region, platform, device, or other technical constraints.

C) Changes; Expiration; Removal

We may change conversion rates, prices, reward amounts, earning methods, redemption rules, eligibility, and availability at any time. Promotional or free rewards may expire, and we may set expiry dates for any coins/tickets to prevent abuse or for operational reasons (subject to applicable law). We may also discontinue coins/tickets (or any portion of them) with reasonable notice; unused balances may expire on the discontinuation date where permitted by law.

D) Fraud, Abuse, and Chargebacks

We may refuse, cancel, suspend, or reverse coin/ticket grants or transactions if we reasonably suspect fraud, abuse, unauthorized payments, chargebacks, automated manipulation, or attempts to exploit quests/rewards systems. We may also set or change limits on purchases, balances, and redemption. Violations may result in account restrictions or termination.

11. 11. Publishing Rules and Creator Monetization

A) Publishing Eligibility and Formats

Publishing access may depend on your account status, Rank Up Mission level, eligibility requirements, and compliance with our policies. Different creator levels may be permitted to publish different formats (for example: character works, one-shots, series). We may modify eligibility rules, required steps, or available formats at any time.

B) Content Standards; Moderation; Removal

All published content must comply with these Terms and our policies (including content guidelines and IP rules). We may review, limit visibility, age-gate, geo-restrict, demonetize, remove, or disable access to any content at any time for safety, quality, legal compliance, rights issues, policy enforcement, or operational reasons.

C) Pricing and Monetization Controls

If the Services allow creators to price content, pricing features may be limited to eligible creator levels and may be subject to additional requirements (including identity verification, minimum standards, or region restrictions). We may set rules on pricing ranges, discounting, promotions, and prohibited monetization behavior (including manipulation, deceptive practices, or coercive tactics).

D) No Guarantee of Earnings or Exposure

We do not guarantee sales, readership, visibility, ranking position, revenue, or any financial outcome. Performance depends on many factors, including reader interest and platform dynamics.

E) Revenue Share / Payouts (Planned Feature)

Source? Manga Academy may introduce creator payout, revenue share, or similar monetization programs in the future. If and when such programs become available, participation may require meeting eligibility criteria (such as account standing, creator level, identity/age verification, and tax documentation) and agreeing to additional terms (“Payout Terms”), which will be incorporated into these Terms by reference.

Until the Payout Terms are published and you are accepted into the applicable program (if required), no payouts are owed, and no revenue share rights are granted. When introduced, we may set or change thresholds, fees, payment schedules, regional availability, and anti-fraud/chargeback rules, and we may delay, withhold, or reverse payouts where required by law or where we reasonably suspect fraud, manipulation, or policy or rights violations.

F) Creator Advancement Program

Source? Manga Academy may offer a Creator Advancement Program for selected creators, including creators selected from the Mangaka Leaderboard or other eligibility systems determined by Source? Manga Academy.

1. Purpose of the Program

The Creator Advancement Program is designed to support selected creators by helping their eligible works reach professional, commercial, and co-development opportunities.

Source? Manga Academy may work with creators and industry partners to discover, develop, refine, promote, and commercialize early-stage manga IP. Eligible Works may include completed works, one-shots, pilot chapters, character concepts, story concepts, world-building, artwork, pitch materials, or other creative materials with commercial potential.

The purpose of the program is not only to promote completed works, but also to help promising creators and early-stage IP develop into commercially viable properties together with suitable industry partners.

These opportunities may include, but are not limited to:

• manga publication or serialization;

• digital publication or webtoon publication;

• animation, film, series, or video production;

• game adaptation or game-related use;

• licensing, merchandising, brand use, or commercial IP use;

• platform distribution, international release, or other industry opportunities;

• co-development with publishers, studios, platforms, brands, or other commercial partners.

Participation in the Creator Advancement Program does not guarantee publication, adaptation, licensing, income, professional deals, investment, production, distribution, or commercial success.

2. Selection and Participation

Creators may be selected based on leaderboard ranking, platform performance, quality of work, originality, audience engagement, editorial review, account standing, commercial potential, rights clearance, and any other criteria determined by Source? Manga Academy.

Ranking within the Top 100 of the Mangaka Leaderboard may make a creator eligible for consideration, but it does not automatically guarantee acceptance into the Creator Advancement Program.

Participation may require additional review, identity verification, age or guardian verification, rights confirmation, acceptance of additional terms, or signing of a separate creator agreement, commission agreement, opportunity agreement, or other written agreement.

Source? Manga Academy may accept, reject, pause, remove, or stop promoting any creator or work if we believe there are quality, legal, rights, commercial, operational, reputational, or platform-integrity concerns.

3. Ownership of Creator Works

As between you and Source? Manga Academy, you retain ownership of your original works and intellectual property.

Participation in the Creator Advancement Program does not transfer ownership of your intellectual property to Source? Manga Academy unless you separately agree to such transfer in a signed written agreement.

However, by accepting participation in the Creator Advancement Program, you grant Source? Manga Academy the limited rights needed to promote, present, pitch, and support commercial opportunities for the eligible works accepted into the program.

4. Eligible Works

For this section, “Eligible Works” means the specific manga, stories, characters, concepts, artwork, submissions, series, one-shots, pitch materials, or related intellectual property accepted into the Creator Advancement Program.

Unless separately agreed in writing, Source? Manga Academy’s Creator Advancement Program rights apply only to Eligible Works and materials connected to those works.

If a sequel, spin-off, remake, redesign, adaptation, continuation, title change, character expansion, or substantially similar version is based on or commercially connected to an Eligible Work, it may also be treated as part of the Eligible Work for commission and opportunity purposes where the opportunity is connected to Source? Manga Academy’s involvement.

6. SMA-Sourced Opportunities

An “SMA-Sourced Opportunity” means any opportunity, discussion, transaction, deal, agreement, license, option, publication, serialization, adaptation, production, distribution, collaboration, brand use, platform placement, or other commercial use of an Eligible Work that is introduced, sourced, promoted, pitched, submitted, negotiated, arranged, facilitated, developed, or materially supported by Source? Manga Academy or its authorized representatives, affiliates, partners, or contacts.

An opportunity may still be considered an SMA-Sourced Opportunity even if:

• the final agreement is signed directly between you and the business partner;

• Source? Manga Academy is not named as a party in the final creator agreement;

• the opportunity is completed after your participation in the Creator Advancement Program ends;

• the opportunity is completed through an affiliate, parent company, subsidiary, related company, representative, agent, successor, or business partner of a party introduced by Source? Manga Academy;

• the opportunity relates to a sequel, spin-off, remake, adaptation, derivative work, merchandise, game, animation, brand use, or other commercial use connected to the Eligible Work;

• the opportunity results from a meeting, email, pitch, submission, introduction, discussion, presentation, or partner contact made or supported by Source? Manga Academy.

7. Business-Side Commission / Success Fee

If an SMA-Sourced Opportunity generates revenue, payment, royalties, fees, licensing value, option value, production value, adaptation value, brand value, commercial use, or any other monetary or commercial benefit, Source? Manga Academy may receive a commission, success fee, referral fee, facilitation fee, agency fee, service fee, or similar compensation from the relevant business partner.

For this section, “business partner” may include publishers, animation studios, gaming studios, production companies, platforms, licensing partners, brands, distributors, merchandise partners, investors, agencies, or any other party interested in publication, licensing, adaptation, production, distribution, brand use, or other commercial use of your Eligible Work.

Unless separately agreed in writing, Source? Manga Academy will not charge this commission directly to you and will not deduct this commission from your creator revenue, royalties, payout, licensing fee, publication income, adaptation income, or other creator-side compensation.

Source? Manga Academy’s business-side commission or success fee may be arranged separately with the relevant business partner through partner terms, commercial terms, invoices, deal memos, service agreements, licensing agreements, or other written agreements.

You acknowledge that Source? Manga Academy may receive compensation from a business partner in connection with an SMA-Sourced Opportunity. This compensation may be calculated based on the size, value, revenue, payment, licensing fee, production fee, usage fee, project value, deal value, or commercial structure of the opportunity.

8. Business Partner Fee Basis

Source? Manga Academy’s business-side commission or success fee may apply to commercial opportunities involving an Eligible Work, including but not limited to:

• manga publication or serialization;

• digital publication or webtoon publication;

• licensing, option, or adaptation rights;

• animation, film, series, or video production;

• game adaptation or game-related use;

• merchandise, product, or brand use;

• platform distribution, localization, or international release;

• renewals, extensions, sublicenses, sequels, spin-offs, remakes, derivative works, reprints, translations, or related commercial exploitation connected to the original opportunity.

The business-side commission or success fee may be calculated based on amounts paid, payable, committed, generated, or commercially attributed to the SMA-Sourced Opportunity, depending on the separate agreement between Source? Manga Academy and the business partner.

For clarity, Source? Manga Academy does not claim commission on opportunities that are completely independent of Source? Manga Academy and were not introduced, sourced, promoted, pitched, submitted, negotiated, arranged, facilitated, developed, or materially supported by Source? Manga Academy or its authorized representatives, affiliates, partners, or contacts.

9. No Direct Creator Commission Unless Separately Agreed

Source? Manga Academy’s standard Creator Advancement Program model is to receive commission or success-based compensation from the business partner, not directly from the creator.

Unless you separately agree in a signed written agreement, Source? Manga Academy will not require you to pay commission out of your personal funds, creator payout, royalties, licensing fees, publication income, adaptation income, or other creator-side earnings.

However, some opportunities may involve a total commercial budget, revenue share, licensing structure, service structure, or payment structure where Source? Manga Academy’s fee is part of the overall deal economics between Source? Manga Academy and the business partner. You are responsible for reviewing the final opportunity terms before accepting any deal.

Source? Manga Academy’s right to receive business-side compensation does not transfer ownership of your intellectual property to Source? Manga Academy and does not remove your right to review and approve final deal terms before you are legally bound to a third-party agreement.

10. Business Partner Payment Terms

Any commission, success fee, referral fee, facilitation fee, agency fee, service fee, or similar compensation payable to Source? Manga Academy by a business partner may be governed by separate partner terms, commercial terms, invoices, deal memos, service agreements, licensing agreements, or other written agreements between Source? Manga Academy and the relevant business partner.

Source? Manga Academy may negotiate its business-side fee directly with the business partner. You are not responsible for paying that fee unless you separately agree in writing.

If the final opportunity requires a separate agreement involving you, Source? Manga Academy, and/or the business partner, the specific payment structure will be handled under that agreement.

11. Opportunity Notice and Records

If a business partner introduced, contacted, pitched to, or materially supported by Source? Manga Academy later contacts you directly about an Eligible Work, you agree to inform Source? Manga Academy within a reasonable time.

This allows Source? Manga Academy to confirm whether the opportunity is connected to the Creator Advancement Program and whether separate business-side payment terms with the business partner may apply.

You agree not to conceal, misrepresent, redirect, or delay disclosure of an SMA-Sourced Opportunity for the purpose of avoiding Source? Manga Academy’s involvement or business-side compensation.

This section does not require you to disclose unrelated independent opportunities that are not connected to Source? Manga Academy’s introduction, pitch, submission, promotion, negotiation, facilitation, partner contact, or material support.

12. Non-Circumvention

If Source? Manga Academy introduces, pitches, submits, promotes, connects, or materially supports communication between you and any business partner or commercial contact, you agree not to knowingly bypass, exclude, or circumvent Source? Manga Academy for the purpose of avoiding Source? Manga Academy’s business-side commission or removing Source? Manga Academy from that opportunity.

This applies to you and to any person or entity acting on your behalf, including representatives, agents, managers, companies, collaborators, assignees, or related parties.

You also agree not to encourage or assist a business partner to structure, redirect, delay, rename, or complete an SMA-Sourced Opportunity in a way intended to avoid Source? Manga Academy’s involvement or business-side compensation.

This does not prevent you from pursuing opportunities that are genuinely independent of Source? Manga Academy and not connected to Source? Manga Academy’s introduction, pitch, submission, promotion, negotiation, facilitation, partner contact, or material support.

13. Tail Period

Source? Manga Academy’s right to receive business-side commission may continue after your participation in the Creator Advancement Program ends for SMA-Sourced Opportunities.

If, within twenty-four (24) months after your participation ends, you enter into or receive an opportunity involving an Eligible Work with any business partner, affiliate, related company, representative, or contact introduced, pitched to, submitted to, negotiated with, facilitated by, or materially supported by Source? Manga Academy during your participation, that opportunity may be treated as an SMA-Sourced Opportunity.

In such cases, Source? Manga Academy may seek its commission, success fee, referral fee, facilitation fee, agency fee, service fee, or similar compensation from the relevant business partner, subject to applicable partner terms or separate written agreement.

A separate written agreement may provide a different tail period for a specific opportunity.

14. Creator Approval of Deals

You are not required to accept every opportunity presented through the Creator Advancement Program.

Unless separately agreed in writing, you have the right to review and approve final third-party deal terms before becoming legally bound to a commercial agreement.

You are responsible for reviewing any proposed agreement carefully, including rights granted, exclusivity, territory, duration, payment terms, revenue share, creative control, approval rights, warranties, indemnities, termination rights, and long-term impact on your Eligible Work.

Source? Manga Academy may support opportunity discussions, but it does not act as your lawyer, tax advisor, financial advisor, or investment advisor.

15. Co-Development and Industry Partner Decisions

Some opportunities under the Creator Advancement Program may involve co-development rather than simple publication, licensing, or sale of a completed work.

In a co-development opportunity, an industry partner may request changes, refinements, edits, expansions, redesigns, format adjustments, story development, character development, setting development, or other creative and commercial improvements to help prepare an Eligible Work for professional use.

You are not required to accept every co-development request or opportunity. Any binding creative, editorial, production, commercial, ownership, revenue, licensing, or approval terms must be handled through the relevant written agreement between you, the industry partner, and/or Source? Manga Academy where applicable.

Source? Manga Academy may support the co-development process, but does not guarantee that any requested changes, partner feedback, development process, or commercial discussion will result in publication, licensing, adaptation, production, revenue, or final release.

16. Rights Clearance and Co-Creators

You confirm that you own or control all rights needed to submit your Eligible Works to the Creator Advancement Program and to allow Source? Manga Academy to promote, pitch, share, and support commercial opportunities for those works.

If your work includes co-creators, writers, artists, editors, assistants, designers, translators, studios, third-party characters, third-party brands, reference materials, AI-generated elements, fonts, stock assets, or other third-party materials, you are responsible for obtaining all required permissions, licenses, releases, approvals, and consents.

Source? Manga Academy may require proof of ownership, contributor approval, co-creator consent, rights documentation, or other clearance materials before promoting an Eligible Work externally.

Source? Manga Academy may reject, pause, remove, or stop promoting any work if we believe there may be ownership issues, authorship disputes, unclear permissions, infringement risks, plagiarism risks, AI-use concerns, reputational concerns, or other legal or commercial risks.

17. Confidentiality

You may receive confidential information through the Creator Advancement Program, including partner names, pitch lists, strategy, feedback, deal discussions, proposed terms, pricing, commission rates, documents, contacts, and business plans.

You agree not to disclose such confidential information unless Source? Manga Academy gives written permission, the relevant third party gives permission, the information becomes public through no fault of your own, or disclosure is required by law.

You also agree not to publicly announce, promote, or imply any partnership, deal, studio discussion, publisher interest, licensing opportunity, adaptation opportunity, or commercial negotiation unless Source? Manga Academy and the relevant third party approve the announcement.

18. Minors and Guardian Consent

If you are under the age of legal adulthood in your country or region, participation in the Creator Advancement Program and any related commercial opportunity may require consent from a parent or legal guardian.

Source? Manga Academy may require guardian approval, identity verification, legal documentation, payment documentation, or other materials before promoting your work externally, discussing commercial opportunities, processing payments, or allowing you to enter into any commercial arrangement.

19. Additional Terms

The Creator Advancement Program may be governed by additional rules, eligibility requirements, business-side commission terms, partner payment terms, payout terms, creator agreements, opportunity-specific agreements, partner-specific terms, or other Supplemental Terms.

If there is a conflict between this section and a separate written agreement signed or accepted by you for a specific opportunity, the separate written agreement will control for that specific opportunity.

If you do not agree to the applicable Creator Advancement Program terms, you should not participate in the Creator Advancement Program.

G) Reserved Rights

We may pause, modify, or discontinue publishing or monetization features (including pricing tools) at any time, and may adjust rules to protect platform integrity, safety, and legal compliance.

12. 12. Third-Party Services and App Store Terms

A) Third-Party Services and Links

The Services may integrate with or contain links to third-party websites, platforms, tools, services, or content that are not owned or controlled by Source? Manga Academy (“Third-Party Services”). These may include, for example, payment processors, analytics providers, social platforms, external links, or embedded content.

SMA does not control Third-Party Services and is not responsible for their content, policies, availability, security, or practices. Your use of Third-Party Services is at your own risk and is subject to the third party’s terms and policies. Links to Third-Party Services do not imply endorsement.

B) App Store / Platform Terms (Apple / Google)

If you download or access the Services through Apple’s App Store or Google Play (or any other platform), you acknowledge that your use of the Services may also be subject to that platform’s terms, rules, and policies, including payment, refund, and subscription rules.

• • Payments and refunds: Purchases and subscriptions processed through Apple/Google are handled under their billing systems, and refunds (if any) are governed by the platform’s refund policies unless local law requires otherwise.

• • Platform fees and pricing: Platform fees, taxes, exchange rates, and pricing presentation may vary by country and may change from time to time based on the platform’s rules.

13. 13. Promotions, Sponsored Content, and Advertising

Source? Manga Academy may display advertisements, sponsored content, promotional messages, or branded placements within the Services. These may be provided by SMA or by third parties and may appear in different formats, including text, images, audio, video, interactive elements, or a combination of these. Some promotions may direct you to external websites, landing pages, or third-party services.

SMA does not endorse or guarantee any third-party products, services, claims, or offers shown in ads. Any interactions, transactions, or disputes you have with advertisers are solely between you and the advertiser.

Source? Manga Academy does not control third-party links and destinations. We are not responsible for their content, availability, security, or practices, and your use of them is at your own risk.

14. 14. Copyright and IP Enforcement

A) Respect for Intellectual Property

Source? Manga Academy respects intellectual property rights and expects users to do the same. You may not upload, publish, or otherwise make available any content that infringes another party’s copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights.

B) Reporting Copyright Infringement (Copyright Notice)

If you believe content on the Services infringes your copyright, you may submit a written notice to us. Your notice should include, at minimum:

1. 1. Your name and contact information (email address and, if available, phone number).

1. 1. A description of the copyrighted work you believe has been infringed.

1. 1. A description of where the allegedly infringing content is located in the Services (for example: title name, creator name, URL, screenshot, or other identifying info).

1. 1. A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use of the content is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.

1. 1. A statement that the information in your notice is accurate.

1. 1. A statement that you are the copyright owner or are authorized to act on the copyright owner’s behalf.

1. 1. Your physical or electronic signature (typing your full legal name is generally acceptable as an electronic signature).

C) Counter-Notice (If Your Content Was Removed)

If your content was removed or restricted due to a copyright complaint and you believe it was removed in error, you may submit a counter-notice. Your counter-notice should include:

1. 1. Your name and contact information.

1. 1. Identification of the content that was removed and where it appeared before removal.

1. 1. A statement that you have a good-faith belief the content was removed due to mistake or misidentification.

1. 1. A statement that the information in your counter-notice is accurate.

1. 1. Your physical or electronic signature.

We may forward your counter-notice to the original complainant, and we may restore the content if appropriate and permitted by law.

D) Repeat Infringer Policy

We may suspend or terminate accounts that repeatedly infringe intellectual property rights or that we reasonably believe are engaged in ongoing infringement.

E) Trademark and Other IP Complaints

If you believe content on the Services infringes your trademark, publicity rights, or other intellectual property rights, you may report it using the same process above, with enough detail for us to locate and review the content.

F) Contact for Copyright/IP Complaints

Copyright and IP complaints can be sent to:
legal@sourcemangaacademy.com

We may request additional information to evaluate complaints and may remove or restrict content at our discretion to comply with legal obligations, protect users, and protect the Services.

15. 15. Suspension and Termination

A) Our Right to Suspend or Terminate

We may suspend, restrict, or terminate your access to the Services (in whole or in part), and/or remove or limit visibility of content, at any time if we reasonably believe that:

• • You violated these Terms, any Supplemental Terms, or applicable guidelines;

• • You engaged in fraud, abuse, manipulation, or attempts to compromise platform integrity (including rankings, exams, coins/tickets, rewards, or publishing systems);

• • Your conduct creates risk, harm, legal exposure, or security concerns for Source?, other users, or third parties; or

• • We are required to do so to comply with law, regulation, court order, or requests from authorities.

We may take action with or without notice where necessary for safety, security, fraud prevention, legal compliance, or platform integrity.

B) Your Right to Stop Using the Services

You may stop using the Services at any time. You may also delete your account where that option is available. If you have an active subscription, you must cancel it through your app store or billing platform; deleting the app or deleting your account does not automatically cancel a subscription.

C) Effect of Suspension or Termination

If your account is suspended or terminated:

• • You may lose access to some or all features, including publishing, exams, rankings, Editor’s Room submissions, and other paid or program features;

• • Your User Content may be removed, restricted, or have its visibility limited, depending on the reason for enforcement and the feature rules;

• • You may lose access to coins/tickets, rewards, progress, or other account benefits to the extent permitted by law and store policies, particularly where abuse, fraud, or manipulation is involved.

D) Subscriptions and Purchases After Termination

Unless required by law or mandated by the relevant app store’s refund rules, Source? Manga Academy does not provide refunds for unused subscription time or unused in-app currency due to suspension or termination resulting from violations of these Terms. Your access may remain available until the end of the billing period where required by store policies or applicable law, but access to specific features may still be restricted for enforcement reasons.

16. 16. Disclaimers

THE SERVICES AND ALL CONTENT, FEATURES, AND MATERIALS MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SERVICES (INCLUDING PLATFORM CONTENT, USER CONTENT, COURSES/KITS, EDITOR FEEDBACK, RANKINGS, EXAMS, AND REWARDS) ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS, WITH ALL FAULTS, AND AT YOUR SOLE RISK. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SOURCE? MANGA ACADEMY AND ITS AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND PARTNERS DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, REPRESENTATIONS, AND CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, QUIET ENJOYMENT, ACCURACY, AVAILABILITY, RELIABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND ANY WARRANTIES ARISING OUT OF COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE.

WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, SOURCE? MANGA ACADEMY DOES NOT WARRANT THAT: (A) THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE; (B) DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED; (C) THE SERVICES OR ANY CONTENT WILL BE FREE OF VIRUSES, MALICIOUS CODE, OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS; OR (D) ANY DATA, CONTENT, OR RESULTS WILL BE ACCURATE, COMPLETE, OR RELIABLE.

A) No Professional Advice

Any information, guidance, or feedback provided through the Services (including Editor’s Room feedback) is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, medical, financial, or other professional advice. You are solely responsible for your decisions and actions.

B) No Guarantee of Outcomes

SOURCE? MANGA ACADEMY DOES NOT GUARANTEE ANY PARTICULAR OUTCOME OR RESULT FROM USING THE SERVICES, INCLUDING (WITHOUT LIMITATION) IMPROVEMENT IN SKILLS, EXAM PASSING, CERTIFICATIONS, LEADERBOARD POSITION, VISIBILITY, READERSHIP, INCOME, OR ACCEPTANCE INTO AWARDS. ALL OUTCOMES DEPEND ON MANY FACTORS OUTSIDE SOURCE? MANGA ACADEMY’S CONTROL.

For clarity, participation in the Creator Advancement Program, selection as a Top 100 creator, promotion by Source? Manga Academy, or communication with any industry partner does not guarantee publication, licensing, adaptation, production, distribution, income, representation by a third party, or any commercial deal.

C) User Content and Third-Party Content

Source?  Manga Academy does not endorse, guarantee, or assume responsibility for any User Content, third-party content, or external links. We are not responsible for the accuracy, legality, quality, or safety of content posted by users or made available by third parties, and we are not responsible for any loss or damage resulting from your access to or reliance on such content.

D) Updates

You acknowledge that Source? Manga Academy may be evolving. Features, rules, availability, pricing, rankings, exams, and publishing systems may change, and the Services may experience outages, maintenance, or unexpected issues. Source? does not guarantee continuous availability.

17. 17. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL SOURCE? MANGA ACADEMY, ITS AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, PARTNERS, OR THEIR DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, GOODWILL, DATA, USE, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF (OR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE) THE SERVICES, ANY PLATFORM CONTENT, ANY USER CONTENT, ANY THIRD-PARTY CONTENT OR SERVICES, OR ANY PURCHASES OR TRANSACTIONS MADE THROUGH OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SERVICES, EVEN IF SMA HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SMA IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY CONDUCT, CONTENT, OR ACTIONS OF ANY USER OR THIRD PARTY, INCLUDING ANY DEFAMATORY, OFFENSIVE, ILLEGAL, OR INFRINGING CONDUCT OR CONTENT.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SMA’S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICES WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF: (I) THE TOTAL AMOUNT YOU PAID FOR THE SERVICES (INCLUDING SUBSCRIPTIONS AND IN-APP PURCHASES) IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM; OR (II) USD $100.

18. 18. Indemnification

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Source? Manga Academy, its affiliates, licensors, service providers, partners, and their respective directors, officers, employees, contractors, and agents (collectively, “Source? Manga Academy Parties”) from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, disputes, damages, losses, liabilities, judgments, penalties, fines, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation and litigation) arising out of or related to:

1. 1. Your access to or use of the Services;

1. 1. Your User Content (including any allegation that your User Content infringes, misappropriates, or violates any third-party right, including copyright, trademark, publicity, or privacy rights);

1. 1. Your violation of these Terms, any policies, or any applicable law or regulation;

1. 1. Your dealings with other users, advertisers, or third parties through the Services;

1. 1. Your misuse of the Services, including attempts to interfere with, exploit, or bypass platform rules, security measures, rankings, exams, coins/tickets, rewards, or publishing systems; or

1. 1. Any claim that information you provided is inaccurate, misleading, or incomplete.

SMA reserves the right, at your expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter subject to indemnification (without limiting your indemnification obligations). You agree to cooperate with our defense of such claims and not to settle any matter without our prior written consent (which will not be unreasonably withheld).

19. 19. Governing Law

a) Availability by Country

The Services may not be available or lawful for use in all countries or by all persons. You are responsible for ensuring that your access to and use of the Services complies with applicable laws where you live and where you use the Services.

Except where prohibited by applicable law, these Terms and any Dispute not subject to arbitration will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the [Location], without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

If a Dispute is not subject to arbitration (or you validly opt out of arbitration), you agree that it will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in [Location], and you consent to personal jurisdiction and venue there.

20. 20. Dispute Resolution; Arbitration; Class Action Waiver

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS.
By agreeing to these Terms, you agree that most disputes between you and Source? Manga Academy must be resolved by individual binding arbitration and not in court, and you agree to a class action waiver.

A) Definitions

“Dispute” means any claim, dispute, or controversy between you and Source? Manga Academy arising out of or relating to the Services, these Terms, your use of the Services, your User Content, purchases, subscriptions, or any aspect of your relationship with Source? Manga Academy, whether based in contract, statute, regulation, ordinance, tort (including negligence), fraud, misrepresentation, or any other legal theory.

B) Informal Resolution Required (Notice of Dispute)

Before starting arbitration or any court proceeding, you and Source? Manga Academy agree to attempt to resolve Disputes informally.

You must send Source? Manga Academy a written Notice of Dispute that includes: (i) your name, username (if any), and contact information; (ii) the email associated with your account; (iii) a description of the Dispute and the facts giving rise to it; and (iv) the specific relief you request. Send it to: legal@sourcemangaacademy.com.

SMA will send any Notice of Dispute to you using the email address associated with your account (or other contact method you provided). The parties agree to engage in good-faith efforts to resolve the Dispute for 60 days after receipt of a complete Notice of Dispute (unless a shorter period is required by law). You may not file arbitration unless you have complied with this subsection.

C) Agreement to Binding Arbitration

Except as stated in subsection (f) (Exceptions), you and Source? Manga Academy agree that any Dispute will be resolved by final and binding arbitration, administered by the arbitration provider described below, rather than in court.

D) Arbitration Provider; Rules; Seat

Arbitration will be administered by JAMS under its applicable rules and procedures in effect at the time the arbitration is filed (the “Rules”). If JAMS is unavailable, the parties will select a mutually agreed arbitration provider, and the selected provider’s rules will apply.

Unless the arbitrator determines an in-person hearing is necessary, arbitration may be conducted by video, telephone, or written submissions. The arbitration seat/venue will be [Location], unless applicable law requires otherwise.

E) Class Action Waiver; Representative Proceedings Prohibited

YOU AND SOURCE? MANGA ACADEMY AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY. To the maximum extent permitted by law:

• • no Dispute may be brought as a class action, class arbitration, collective action, private attorney general action, or other representative proceeding;

• • the arbitrator may award relief only in favor of the individual party seeking relief and only to the extent necessary to resolve that party’s individual claim; and

• • the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims or preside over any form of representative proceeding.

F) Exceptions (Small Claims; IP / Security Injunctions)

This arbitration agreement does not prevent either party from:

1. 1. bringing an individual claim in small claims court, if eligible and the claim remains in small claims court; and

1. 1. seeking injunctive or equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent or stop actual or threatened infringement, misappropriation, or violation of intellectual property rights, or unauthorized access, abuse, or security threats to the Services.

G) Arbitration Fees and Costs

Payment of arbitration fees will be governed by the Rules. Each party will bear its own attorneys’ fees and costs unless the arbitrator awards fees and costs as permitted by applicable law or these Terms.

H) Mass Arbitration; Batch Process; Bellwether

To increase efficiency and reduce costs where many similar claims are filed, you and Source? Manga Academy agree to the following Mass Arbitration procedures.

1. 1. Mass Arbitration Definition. If 25 or more arbitration demands are filed or coordinated against Source? Manga Academy that raise similar issues and are represented by the same or coordinated counsel, or are otherwise substantially similar (a “Mass Arbitration”), the parties agree to use the batch process below.

1. 1. Batching. The arbitration provider will administer the claims in batches of up to 10 demands at a time. Only the first batch may proceed initially.

1. 1. Bellwether. The first batch will proceed as bellwether proceedings to help the parties evaluate the claims and potential resolution. After the first batch is decided (or otherwise resolved), the parties will confer in good faith to determine whether the remaining claims can be resolved efficiently, including through settlement.

1. 1. Pause on Remaining Filings. Unless the arbitration provider determines otherwise, no additional batches will proceed while the first batch is pending, except by mutual agreement. This includes holding later filing deadlines and administrative steps as needed.

1. 1. Tolling. Any applicable statute of limitations for the claims included in a Mass Arbitration will be tolled from the date a compliant Notice of Dispute is sent until the claimant’s demand is included in a batch proceeding or otherwise resolved.

I) Time Limit to Bring Claims

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, any Dispute must be filed within one (1) year after the claim first accrues; otherwise it is permanently barred.

J) Opt-Out of Arbitration

You may opt out of arbitration by sending written notice to legal@sourcemangaacademy.com within 30 days of the date you first accept these Terms. Your opt-out notice must include your name, username (if any), and the email associated with your account, and must clearly state that you want to opt out of arbitration. If you opt out, subsection (k) applies.

K) Venue for Court Proceedings (If Arbitration Does Not Apply)

If a Dispute is not subject to arbitration or you validly opt out, the Dispute will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in [Location], and you and Source? Manga Academy consent to personal jurisdiction there, unless applicable law requires otherwise.

L) Severability

If any portion of this Section 20 is found unenforceable, the remaining portions will remain in effect. If the class action waiver is found unenforceable as to a particular claim or request for relief, then that claim/request must be decided by a court, and the remainder of the Dispute will proceed in arbitration to the maximum extent permitted by law.

M) Third-Party Beneficiaries; Survival

This Section 20 applies to and benefits Source? Manga Academy and its affiliates, licensors, service providers, and agents, each of whom may enforce it as a third-party beneficiary. This Section 20 will survive termination of your account and these Terms.

21. 21. Complete Agreement and Severability

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any feature-specific supplemental terms we provide, are the entire agreement between you and Source? Manga Academy regarding the Services and replace any prior agreements or communications. If supplemental terms conflict with these Terms, the supplemental terms control only for that specific feature.

If any provision is found invalid or unenforceable, it will be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by law, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

22. 22. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms or the Services, you may contact us at:

• • Support (general/app): contact@sourcemangaacademy.com

• • Legal notices: legal@sourcemangaacademy.com

• • Copyright/IP complaints: legal@sourcemangaacademy.com