Terms of Service

Quick Summary (Plain Language)

This is a friendly summary to help you understand the Terms. The full Terms below control if anything here is unclear or incomplete.

• emulator.ca is a hobbyist retro BBS emulator provided "as-is".
• Use the Service responsibly and legally; don't harass others or abuse the system.
• You own what you create, and you give us permission to host it so the Service works.
• Some content (like message boards) is visible to other users.
• We may suspend accounts for abuse; you can stop using the Service anytime.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using emulator.ca (the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use the Service.

The Service is operated from Canada and is subject to Canadian law.

If you are under the age of majority in your province or territory, you should use the Service only with the consent of a parent or guardian.

2. Description of Service

emulator.ca is a web-based retro computing experience that simulates vintage BBS (Bulletin Board System) terminals, including:

• Simulated Bell 103 modem connections at 300 baud
• CPU emulators (Intel 8008, Intel 8088, MOS 6502, Zilog Z80)
• Language interpreters (BASIC, Forth, Logo, Scheme, Prolog, REXX, VisiCalc, ZIL)
• Text-based games and interactive fiction
• Communication services (chat, email, message boards)
• User accounts and progress tracking

3. Licence to Use the Service

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Service for personal, non-commercial use, in accordance with these Terms.

4. User Accounts

4.1 Guest Access

You may use the Service as a guest without creating an account. Guest sessions are assigned a temporary handle (e.g., GUEST_XXXX) and data is stored locally in your browser.

4.2 Registered Accounts

You may create a registered account to:

• Choose a custom handle (3-16 characters, alphanumeric and underscore only)
• Sync progress across devices
• Access cloud storage features
• Participate in multiplayer features

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorised use of your account.

4.3 OAuth Authentication

You may authenticate using third-party OAuth providers (Google, GitHub, Discord, Reddit, Apple, Microsoft). By doing so, you authorise us to access certain information from your third-party account as permitted by that provider's terms.

5. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use the Service to:

• Violate any applicable laws or regulations
• Infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others
• Transmit harmful, offensive, or unlawful content
• Harass, abuse, or harm other users
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Service or its systems
• Interfere with or disrupt the Service
• Upload viruses or malicious code
• Collect or harvest user information without consent

6. User Content Rights and Representations

You retain ownership of any content you create using the Service (programs, messages, files). By uploading content to our servers, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to store, transmit, display, and process that content as necessary to provide the Service.

You represent and warrant that you own or have the rights and permissions needed to upload your content, and that your content does not violate any law or the rights of others.

You are solely responsible for your content and its legality. We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these Terms.

7. Public Areas

Some features (such as message boards, shared content, or multiplayer areas) are public or visible to other users. Do not post sensitive personal information. We do not guarantee confidentiality for content shared in public areas.

8. Cloud Storage

If you use cloud storage features:

• Your data is stored on servers located in Canada
• Data is associated with your user account
• We implement reasonable security measures to protect your data
• We do not guarantee the availability or permanence of stored data
• You are responsible for maintaining backups of important data

9. Copyright Notices (Canada Notice-and-Notice)

We respect intellectual property rights. If you believe your copyright has been infringed, you may send a written notice to legal@emulator.ca with sufficient detail to identify the work and the allegedly infringing content.

We comply with Canada's notice-and-notice regime and will forward valid notices to the relevant user where legally required.

10. Service Changes and Availability

The Service is provided on an "as-is" and "as-available" basis. We may change, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time, with or without notice.

11. Handle Policy (Impersonation and Name Squatting)

You may not impersonate others or claim handles for the purpose of resale or abuse. We reserve the right to reclaim or reassign handles in cases of impersonation, confusion, or inactivity.

12. Intellectual Property

The Service, including its design, code, graphics, and content (excluding user-generated content), is the property of Stephen Olesen and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws.

Classic games and software emulated by the Service (such as Zork, Oregon Trail, and Colossal Cave Adventure) remain the property of their respective owners and are included for educational and entertainment purposes.

13. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

We do not warrant that:

• The Service will be uninterrupted or error-free
• Defects will be corrected
• The Service is free of viruses or harmful components
• Your data will be preserved indefinitely

14. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Stephen Olesen shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of data, loss of profits, or business interruption, arising from your use of or inability to use the Service.

Our total liability for any claims arising from your use of the Service shall not exceed the amount you paid to use the Service (if any).

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Stephen Olesen from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of another party
• Your user-generated content

16. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your access to the Service at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately.

You may terminate your account at any time by ceasing use of the Service. To request deletion of your account data, please contact us.

17. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes by updating the "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after such changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

18. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Alberta, Canada, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. You agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Alberta, Canada.

19. Severability

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

20. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Stephen Olesen regarding the Service.

21. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms, please contact:

Stephen Olesen
Email: legal@emulator.ca
Website: slepp.ca