Acceptable Use Policy

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") sets out the rules that apply to all users of the PrintYard marketplace ("Platform"), including Clients, Printing Partners, and any other visitors. This AUP is part of our Terms and Conditions and violation may result in suspension or termination of your account.

1. General Conduct

When using the Platform, you agree to:

• Act honestly, in good faith, and with respect toward other users.
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including EU consumer protection, product safety, intellectual property, and data protection laws.
• Provide accurate information in your profile, orders, bids, and reviews.
• Use the Platform only for its intended purpose: buying and selling 3D printing services.

2. Prohibited Content & Models

You must not upload, share, order, or print the following types of 3D models or content:

• Weapons and weapon components — firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, knives designed as weapons, or any item classified as a weapon under EU or national law.
• Counterfeit goods — replicas of branded products, logos, or trademarks intended to deceive or infringe intellectual property rights.
• Intellectual property violations — models that infringe copyrights, patents, trademarks, or trade secrets of third parties, or that violate the licence terms under which a model was shared (e.g., using a CC-BY model without attribution).
• Illegal or regulated items — drug paraphernalia, lock-picking tools (where restricted), items that circumvent security measures, or any product whose manufacture or sale is prohibited in the EU or the user's jurisdiction.
• Harmful or dangerous items — models designed to cause physical harm, items that pose safety risks when 3D-printed (e.g., pressure vessels not rated for use), or items that violate EU product-safety regulations.
• Hateful or offensive content — models or descriptions that promote hatred, discrimination, violence, or harassment based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic.
• Obscene material — pornographic or sexually explicit models, unless clearly marked and permitted under applicable law.
• Medical devices — models intended for medical use (implants, prosthetics, surgical tools) unless the Partner holds the appropriate CE marking and regulatory approvals.

3. Prohibited Activities

You must not:

• Manipulate the bidding process — submit fake orders to inflate bid counts, collude with other users to manipulate prices, or use multiple accounts to bid on your own orders.
• Circumvent the Platform — arrange off-platform transactions to avoid Platform Fees after being connected through PrintYard, or share personal contact details in bids or messages for the purpose of circumventing fees.
• Submit fraudulent reviews — post fake, misleading, or purchased reviews, or review-bomb a competitor.
• Abuse the dispute system — file false or frivolous disputes to obtain undeserved refunds.
• Engage in automated abuse — use bots, scrapers, or automated scripts to access the Platform beyond what is permitted by our API, overload our servers, or harvest user data.
• Attempt unauthorised access — probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of our systems, bypass authentication or security controls, or access accounts belonging to other users.
• Distribute malware — upload files that contain viruses, trojans, ransomware, or any other malicious code.
• Spam or unsolicited communication — send bulk messages, advertisements, or promotional content to other users through the Platform.
• Impersonate others — create accounts or profiles that misrepresent your identity, business, or affiliation.

4. Partner-Specific Obligations

In addition to the general rules above, Printing Partners must:

• Only submit bids they intend and are able to fulfil within the stated delivery timeline.
• Maintain the print quality and material specifications promised in their bid.
• Ship orders using trackable delivery methods and provide tracking information promptly.
• Comply with all applicable regulations regarding the sale and shipment of physical goods, including customs, VAT, and product-safety requirements.
• Refuse to print models they know or reasonably suspect to be prohibited under this AUP, even if an order has been placed.
• Maintain accurate business information (company name, address, VAT number) in their partner profile at all times.

5. Client-Specific Obligations

Clients must:

• Only upload 3D models they own or have the right to print.
• Respect the licence terms attached to models they download or order from the marketplace (CC0, CC-BY, Commercial, etc.).
• Provide accurate order specifications (material, quantity, quality) to avoid unnecessary disputes.
• Complete payment promptly after accepting a bid.
• Submit honest and fair reviews based on their actual experience with the Partner.

6. Intellectual Property & Take-Down Requests

PrintYard respects the intellectual property rights of third parties. If you believe that a model or content on the Platform infringes your intellectual property, you may submit a take-down request to info@printyard.io with the following information:

• Your name and contact details.
• A description of the copyrighted work or intellectual property you claim is infringed.
• The URL or location of the infringing content on PrintYard.
• A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorised by the rights holder.
• A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the rights holder or authorised to act on their behalf.

We will review take-down requests promptly in accordance with the EU Digital Services Act and applicable copyright law.

7. Reporting Violations

If you become aware of content or behaviour that violates this AUP, please report it to info@printyard.io. Include as much detail as possible (URLs, screenshots, order IDs) to help us investigate.

8. Enforcement & Consequences

Violations of this AUP may result in one or more of the following actions, at PrintYard's sole discretion:

• A warning issued to your account.
• Removal of the offending content or model.
• Temporary suspension of your account.
• Permanent termination of your account.
• Withholding of pending payouts (for Partners) until the violation is resolved.
• Reporting the violation to law enforcement where required or appropriate.

We will provide notice and an opportunity to respond before taking enforcement action, except where immediate action is necessary to protect the Platform, its users, or to comply with a legal obligation.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this AUP from time to time. Material changes will be communicated to registered users by email at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use of the Platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised AUP.

10. Contact

If you have questions about this Acceptable Use Policy, contact us at: info@printyard.io