|
| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +title: Legal terms FAQ |
| 3 | +meta_description: "Frequently asked questions about Ably's legal terms, obligations, and policies." |
| 4 | +--- |
| 5 | + |
| 6 | +Answers to the most commonly asked questions about Ably's legal terms, your obligations, and Ably's policies. |
| 7 | + |
| 8 | +## User obligations <a id="obligations"/> |
| 9 | + |
| 10 | +### What are my key obligations when using Ably? |
| 11 | +You must use Ably's service in compliance with applicable laws and maintain the confidentiality of your account credentials. You cannot transmit malicious code, spam, or illegal content, attempt to breach Ably's security systems, or use Ably's service for competitive benchmarking without permission. You're also responsible for backing up your data and ensuring you have proper rights to transmit any content through Ably's service. [Full terms →](https://ably.com/terms) |
| 12 | + |
| 13 | +### Who is responsible if my users cause problems? |
| 14 | +You are responsible for your end users' conduct and any content they generate through your application. If Ably becomes aware of violations of Ably's Acceptable Use Policy by your end users, you must immediately terminate their access. Ably reserves the right to disable applications or terminate accounts in response to policy violations. [User responsibilities →](https://ably.com/terms#content) |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +## Data ownership and privacy <a id="data"/> |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +### Who owns the data I send through Ably? |
| 19 | +You retain full ownership of your content. Ably only uses your data to provide Ably's service to you - Ably doesn't claim any ownership rights over it. However, you do grant Ably a license to process your content as necessary to deliver Ably's services. You remain responsible for ensuring the accuracy and legality of all content you transmit. [Data processing details →](https://ably.com/privacy) |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +### What about data protection and GDPR? |
| 22 | +You act as the data controller while Ably serves as the data processor for any personal data handled through Ably's service. You must have the legal right to process any personal data you transmit, and Ably has implemented appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect it. Ably's Data Processing Addendum provides full details on GDPR compliance. [Privacy Policy →](https://ably.com/privacy) | [DPA →](https://ably.com/data-processing-addendum) |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | +## Billing and payments <a id="billing"/> |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +### What happens if I don't pay my bill? |
| 27 | +If your payment becomes overdue, Ably may suspend your service access after 10 business days of non-payment. All fees are based on your actual usage as measured by Ably's systems, and payments are generally non-refundable unless specified otherwise in your agreement. You're also responsible for paying any applicable taxes. [Billing terms →](https://ably.com/terms#payment) |
| 28 | + |
| 29 | +## Account termination <a id="termination"/> |
| 30 | + |
| 31 | +### Can Ably terminate my account? |
| 32 | +Yes, Ably may terminate your service for material breach of terms (with a 30-day cure period if the breach can be remedied), immediate security violations, non-payment of fees, or excessive usage beyond normal operational limits. Ably can also terminate if your content becomes subject to intellectual property infringement claims or if you fail to pay your debts generally. [Termination policy →](https://ably.com/terms#termination) |
| 33 | + |
| 34 | +### What happens when my account is terminated? |
| 35 | +Termination results in immediate loss of service access. You won't receive refunds for any prepaid fees and remain obligated to pay any outstanding subscription fees for the remainder of your term. Any data, personalizations, or customizations from free trials will be permanently lost unless you've purchased a subscription. [Termination effects →](https://ably.com/terms#termination) |
| 36 | + |
| 37 | +## Service guarantees <a id="guarantees"/> |
| 38 | + |
| 39 | +### What's covered by your SLA? |
| 40 | +Ably's Service Level Agreement covers availability guarantees for paid subscription accounts, but free trial accounts have no SLA coverage. Ably may modify or discontinue features with appropriate notice, and Ably is not liable for service interruptions caused by third-party services. [View SLA →](https://ably.com/service-level-addendum) |
| 41 | + |
| 42 | +### What warranties does Ably provide? |
| 43 | +Ably's service is provided "AS IS" without warranties of any kind. Ably cannot guarantee uninterrupted or error-free service, and you accept the inherent security risks that come with internet-based services. Ably's liability to you is limited to the amounts you've paid Ably in the six months prior to any incident. [Warranty disclaimers →](https://ably.com/terms#warranties) |
| 44 | + |
| 45 | +## Legal disputes and software <a id="legal"/> |
| 46 | + |
| 47 | +### Where are legal disputes resolved? |
| 48 | +Any disputes are resolved through binding arbitration in London, England, under English law. You must file claims within one year, and all disputes must be brought individually rather than as class actions. However, either party can seek injunctive relief in court when necessary. [Dispute resolution →](https://ably.com/terms#disputes) |
| 49 | + |
| 50 | +### Can I reverse engineer your software? |
| 51 | +Generally no, but there are limited exceptions. You may only reverse engineer Ably's client software to the extent necessary for interoperability with independently created software, and only if Ably hasn't already provided the needed information under reasonable terms. Any information obtained can only be used for interoperability purposes. [Software licensing →](https://ably.com/terms#client-software) |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | +## Terms updates <a id="updates"/> |
| 54 | + |
| 55 | +### How do I get notified of changes to these terms? |
| 56 | +Ably will notify you of any changes via email to your registered address or through other notification mechanisms. Your continued use indicates acceptance of the changes. For paid subscriptions, changes typically take effect at your next renewal period, and you have 30 days to object if you disagree with proposed changes. [Terms updates →](https://ably.com/terms#notifications) |
| 57 | + |
| 58 | +--- |
| 59 | + |
| 60 | +Need more details? View the complete [Terms of Service](https://ably.com/terms). |
| 61 | +Questions? Contact Ably [Support](https://ably.com/support). |
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