Terms of Services
Effective:
28
/11
/2025
Welcome to [StepFun Open Platform]!
PLEASE READ THESE TERMS OF SERVICES CAREFULLY, INCLUDING OUR PRIVACY POLICY. YOUR PARTICULAR ATTENTION IS DRAWN TO THE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY CONTAINED IN SECTION 8 BELOW. BESIDES, YOU AGREE TO RESOLVE ANY DISPUTE BETWEEN YOU AND STEPFUN THROUGH ARBITRATION ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT IN A CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION, AS
EXPLAINED IN SECTIONS 9 BELOW. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL OF THE TERMS, YOU MAY NOT ACCESS OUR SERVICES IN ANY WAY.
These Terms of Services (“Terms”) apply to your use of the APIs and other services provided on the [StepFun Open Platform] (the “Services”). These Terms form a contract between SPARKLING AI PTE. LTD. (“StepFun” or “we”) and you or the organization, company, or other entity that you represent (“Customer” or “you”), and they include important provisions for resolving disputes through arbitration. By accessing our Services,
you agree to these Terms.
1. Our Services
1.1. StepFun provides artificial intelligence (“AI”) large-model API technology. Eligible users can access and integrate our large-model application
solutions via API calls to implement relevant AI applications. StepFun platform is primarily designed for enterprise clients and individual developers. The Services can be used in various scenarios, such as offering knowledge learning, information retrieval, content
consumption, and human-computer interaction services.
Certain Services may also be available as trial services, and eligibility for such trials will be determined by
StepFun based on the information provided in the Customer’s application.
1.2. Subject to these Terms, we grant the Customer permission to use the Services, including to support the
products and services that the Customer provides to its own customers and end users (“Users”).
Please note that we act solely as a neutral technology service provider, offering services through StepFun platform. The Customer is responsible for the operation of its own websites, applications, software,
platforms, and any related products, services, or content, as well as for fulfilling all corresponding
compliance obligations.
1.3. When using products or services provided by third parties (e.g., through links) within the Services, please
read and comply with the user agreements, terms of use, privacy policies, and other legal documents published
by the third-party. We are not responsible for third-party products, or any content associated with them;
please use them with caution and at your own risk.
2. Account Registration and Eligibility
2.1. Minimum Age
You must be at least 18 years old. If you are 18 years old or older but still considered a minor under the applicable jurisdiction, you must obtain
parental or guardian consent before using the Services.
2.2. Account Registration
You may be required to register with our Services in order to access and use certain features of our
Services. If you choose to register for our Services, you agree to provide and maintain true, accurate,
current, and complete information about yourself as prompted by our registration form. StepFun will have the right in its sole discretion to allow use of the Services.
Your registration data and certain other information about you are governed by our
Privacy Policy . You may also close your account by contacting us.
2.3. Account Security
Please do not share your account login information with anyone else. You understand that your account for our Services is limited solely to you. You are responsible for anything
that occurs when anyone is signed in to your account, as well as the security of the account, and for ensuring
that all uses thereof comply fully with these Terms.
3. Use of Our Services
3.1. Acceptable Use
Customer and its Users may only use the Services in compliance with these Terms. In using our Services, you
must comply with all applicable laws as well as any other documentation, guidelines, or policies we make
available to you (“additional terms”), which we may supplement, update or revise, at any time.
3.2. Prohibited Use
By using our Services, Customer and its Users shall not use our Services for any illegal, harmful, or abusive activity, including the following:
(i) Not to engage in activity that is harmful to the Services, including
Ÿ crawling, scraping, or otherwise harvesting data or information from our Services other than as permitted under these Terms.
Ÿ engaging in technical attacks, “AI poisoning”, excess usage, prompt-based manipulation, “jailbreaking”, and other off-platform abuses;
Ÿ bypassing our safety or privacy filters, controls or mechanisms;
Ÿ unauthorized utilization of prompts and completions to train an AI model (e.g., “model scraping”);
Ÿ attempting to or assisting anyone to reverse engineer, decompile or discover the source code or underlying components of our
Services, including our models, algorithms, or systems (except to the extent this restriction is prohibited by
applicable laws).
(ii) Not to compromise the privacy of others, including
Ÿ collecting, processing, disclosing, inferring or generating personal information without complying with applicable legal requirements;
Ÿ input photographs, video/audio recordings, or any content of others taken without their consent for the processing of an individual’s biometric identifiers, biometric information, or for any other purpose;
Ÿ facilitating spyware, communications surveillance, or unauthorized monitoring of individuals.
(iii) Not to compromise children’s safety, including to create, distribute, or promote child sexual abuse material; to facilitate the trafficking, sextortion, or any other form of exploitation of a minor; to promote or facilitate pedophilic relationships, including via roleplay with the model.
(iv) Not to engage in or incite discriminatory practices or behaviors against individuals or groups on the basis of one or more protected
attributes such as race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, or any other
identifying trait.
(v) Not to generate illegal or inappropriate content, including
Ÿ sexually explicit content, such as content relating to sexual intercourse or sex acts, sexual fetishes or fantasies, incest or bestiality, pornography and content meant to arouse sexual excitement;
Ÿ content promoting suicide or self-harm, bullying, humiliation and/or other emotional harms;
Ÿ content depicting animal cruelty or abuse and/or other psychologically or emotionally harmful content;
Ÿ content relating to violent extremism, terrorism, or hateful behavior.
(vi) Not to create and disseminate deceptive or misleading information, such as
Ÿ engaging in false online engagement (e.g., fake reviews, comments, or media);
Ÿ engaging in or promoting academic dishonesty;
Ÿ impersonating another individual or organization without consent or legal right;
Ÿ representing that the Output was human-generated when it was not.
(vii) Not to perform or facilitate the following activities that may significantly affect the safety, wellbeing, or rights
of others, including
Ÿ infringing, misappropriating, or violating intellectual property or other legal rights (including the rights of publicity);
Ÿ making high-stakes automated decisions in domains that affect an individual’s safety, rights or well-being
(e.g., law enforcement, migration, management of critical infrastructure, safety components of products,
essential services, credit, employment, housing, education, social scoring, or insurance);
Ÿ providing tailored legal, medical/health, or financial advice without review by a qualified professional and disclosure of the use of AI assistance and its potential
limitations;
Ÿ creating political campaigns or interfere in elections, such as generating campaign materials personalized to or targeted at specific demographics;
Ÿ facilitating real money gambling, payday lending, title loans, or other high-interest, short-term lending practices that exploit vulnerable individuals;
Ÿ using the Services to produce, modify, design, market, or distribute weapons, explosives, dangerous materials or other systems
designed to cause harm to or loss of human life;
Ÿ using the Services to injure others or destroy property;
Ÿ engaging in unauthorized activities that violate the security of any service or system.
4. Prompts,
Outputs and Other Content
Our Services allow you to provide materials for processing, which could include text, documents, images or recordings (“Prompts”), and will generate a response (“Output”) based on your Prompts, as well as any feedback that you provide (“Feedback”). Prompts, Outputs and Feedback collectively are, “Content”.
4.1. Customers’ Rights to
Content.
(i) Except as expressly provided in these Terms, Customers retain all right, title and interest – including any intellectual property rights – to Content. You agree that your provision of Prompts will not violate these Terms, including the other additional terms that apply to your use of the Services. You also represent and warrant that you have all rights, licenses, and permissions needed to provide Prompts to
our Services.
(ii) As between you and us, and to the extent permitted by applicable law, you own the Output. When you use the Services in accordance with these Terms, you grant us, to the fullest extent permitted under the applicable law, a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, fully
paid up, transferable, sublicensable, perpetual, irrevocable license to copy, display, upload, perform,
distribute, transmit, make available, store, access, modify, exploit, commercialize and otherwise use all
Output elicited by you for any purpose in any form, medium or technology now known or later developed,
including but not limited to (i) facilitating other users’ ability to elicit Output, and (ii) promoting the
Services.
(iii) While we’re not required to do so, we may access, review, screen, edit, modify and delete your Content at any
time and for any reason, including providing and developing the Services or if we think the Content violates
these Terms or any applicable laws.
(iv) We may also use Content to provide, maintain, develop and improve our Services, comply with applicable laws,
enforce our Terms, and ensure the security of our Services.
4.2. Personal information
Our
Privacy Policy governs your use and our processing of personal information related to our Services, including personal information you submit as Prompts, Feedback or other Content, and we may process
personal information, including any sensitive information, as described in the Privacy Policy.
However, our Privacy Policy does not apply to personal information that we process on behalf of a Customer in
relation to the Customer’s own users or clients. In such cases, the Customer remains responsible for complying
with all applicable data protection and privacy obligations. The processing of such data will be governed by the
Data Processing Agreement , which is incorporated into these Terms.
4.3. Accuracy
Artificial intelligence and AI models are frontier technologies that are still improving in accuracy, reliability and safety. When you
use our Services, you acknowledge and agree:
(i) Output may not always be accurate or reflect correct, current, or complete information. You should not rely on Output from our Services as a sole source of truth or factual information, or as
a substitute for professional advice.
(ii) You must evaluate Output for accuracy and appropriateness for your use case, including using human review as appropriate, before using or sharing Output from the Services.
(iii) Output may not be unique and other users may receive similar output from our Services, due to the nature of our Services and artificial intelligence generally.
(iv) Our Services may provide incomplete, incorrect, or offensive Output that does not represent
our views. If Output references any third-party products or services, it doesn’t mean the third party endorses or is
affiliated with us.
(v) You – not
StepFun – are responsible for your use of, and/or any actions you take in relation to,
Content generated by
the Services based on your
Prompts.
5. Violation and Liabilities
5.1 Liabilities
We reserve the right to suspend or discontinue offering or supporting all or part of any of the Services at
any time and for any reason, to some or to all users. Subject to the requirements of applicable law, we may
limit, suspend, or terminate your use of any of the Services at any time without notice and for any reason.
If you believe we have suspended or terminated your account in error, you can file an appeal with us by the
details specified in Section 10.
5.2 Breach of these Terms includes but is not limited to:
(i) if you breach these Terms;
(ii) if you engage in abusive conduct such as repeated attempts to produce prohibited content;
(iii) if we determine we must do so to comply with the law;
(iv) if your use of our Services could cause risk or harm to us, our users, or anyone else;
(v) if we suspect you are engaged in fraudulent or illegal activity; or
(vi) if your account is suspended or closed by us or by you.
6. Intellectual Property
6.1. Ownership of the Services
The Services are owned, operated, and provided by us and our affiliates, licensors, distributors, and service
providers (collectively “Providers”). We and our Providers retain all of our respective rights, title, and interest, including intellectual
property rights, in and to the Services. Other than the rights of access and use expressly granted in our Terms, our Terms do not grant you any right,
title, or interest in or to our Services.
6.2. Open-Source Software
Our Services may include open-source software. In the event of any conflict between these Terms and any other our or third-party terms applicable to any portion of our Services, such as open-source license terms, such other terms will control as to that portion of our Services and to the extent of the conflict.
6.3. Copyright
Complaints
We respect the intellectual property of others, and we ask our users to do the same. If you believe that your content has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright or
trademark infringement, or violates your publicity or other intellectual property rights, you are encouraged
to contact the infringing party directly. Additionally, you may also notify us at platform@stepfun.com providing the following information (Subject line: “DMCA Takedown Request”):
Ÿ an electronic or physical signature of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the
intellectual property right;
Ÿ identification of the copyrighted work(s), trademark, publicity rights, or other intellectual property rights
that you claim is being infringed;
Ÿ identification of the allegedly infringing material that is requested to be removed, including a description
of the specific location (i.e., urls) on the Services of the content claimed to be infringing, so that we may locate the content;
Ÿ your full legal name (not pseudonym), address, telephone number, and email address;
Ÿ a statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the owner of
the intellectual property right, its agent, or the law;
Ÿ a statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that the above information in your Takedown Notice is
accurate and that you are intellectual property right owner or authorized to act on the owner’s behalf.
We may delete or disable content that we believe violates these Terms or is alleged to be infringing and will
terminate accounts of repeat infringers where appropriate. Please also note that StepFun is not in a position to assess the legal merits of the claims. Any further action, claim or remedy
against the infringing user must be undertaken by the aggrieved user.
7. Fees
7.1. Prepaid Account and Payment
Upon registration, you will be assigned a Platform User Balance Account (the “Balance Account”). Funds deposited into the Balance Account constitute prepayment to the Platform and may be used to
purchase specific Services.
The Platform operates on a pay-before-use basis. You must make a one-time payment of the recharge amount
displayed on the payment page in accordance with the Platform’s payment requirements before consuming any
Services. If your prepaid balance is depleted, you must top up your Balance Account according to the then-current price
standards shown on the Platform.
7.2. Pricing, Modifications, and Refunds
7.2.1 Pricing
The names, types, and prices of Services are as displayed on the Platform at the time of purchase. In case of
inconsistency, the prices and terms shown on the Platform prevail.
7.2.2 Price Adjustments
The Platform may modify pricing standards, billing methods, or introduce new fees from time to time. Any such
changes will be announced on the Platform prior to taking effect. If you do not agree with the updated terms,
you must immediately stop using the affected Service and contact customer support.
7.2.3 Refunds
Except where a specific Service provides otherwise, or where your inability to use a Service is directly
caused by the Platform’s fault, all payments are non-refundable. You may review your recharge balance, deductions, and payment history through your Balance Account.
7.2.4 Invoices
Invoices may be issued for the actual amount you have recharged (excluding any promotional or gifted amounts) upon your request and subject to verification of billing
information.
7.3. Trial Credits and Promotional Amounts
7.3.1 Trial Credits
The Platform may from time to time provide limited-time Trial Credits to new users for service testing and
evaluation. Trial Credits may be used to offset Service fees within their validity period and are subject to
the rules displayed on the Platform website at the time of issuance.
Unless otherwise specified at the time of the grant, the validity period and usage conditions of Trial
Credits shall follow the Platform’s then-current policies. The Platform reserves the right, at its discretion,
to modify or terminate the validity period, usage rules, or applicable scope of such credits. Trial Credits
are non-cash, non-withdrawable, non-transferable, and not eligible for invoicing.
7.3.2 Promotional Amounts
The Platform may periodically launch promotional or recharge incentive campaigns, under which users may
receive promotional benefits (including but not limited to cashback, coupons, vouchers, or discounts) in
addition to their paid recharge amount. All promotional credits are subject to the specific terms and conditions of the applicable campaign as
published on the Platform or otherwise notified in writing. Unless expressly stated otherwise, such
promotional amounts are non-cash, non-withdrawable, non-transferable, and not eligible for invoicing.
The Platform reserves the right to interpret, adjust, suspend, or terminate any promotional activities or
rules at its sole discretion.
7.4. Additional Payment Provisions
You represent and warrant that all funds used to top up the Balance Account originate from lawful sources.
The Platform reserves the right to cooperate with judicial or regulatory authorities and may lock, freeze, or
restrict your Balance Account where required.
You must provide accurate and complete billing information, including a valid payment method. If a payment
fails or is reversed, you remain responsible for any resulting fees, and the Platform may suspend or restrict
your access to the Services. The Platform shall not be liable for any errors caused by third-party payment
processors.
8. Disclaimer of Warranties, Limitations on Liability and Indemnity
8.1. Disclaimer of Warranties
OUR SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS.” EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW, WE AND OUR AFFILIATES AND LICENSORS MAKE NO WARRANTIES (EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE) WITH
RESPECT TO THE SERVICES, AND DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, SATISFACTORY QUALITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND QUIET
ENJOYMENT, AND ANY WARRANTIES ARISING OUT OF ANY COURSE OF DEALING OR TRADE USAGE. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE
SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ACCURATE OR ERROR FREE, OR THAT ANY CONTENT WILL BE SECURE OR NOT LOST OR
ALTERED.
YOU ACCEPT AND AGREE THAT ANY USE OF OUTPUT FROM OUR SERVICE IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK AND YOU WILL NOT RELY ON
OUTPUT AS A SOLE SOURCE OF TRUTH OR FACTUAL INFORMATION, OR AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.
8.2. Limitations on Liability
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL WE, OUR PROVIDERS, OR OUR OR THEIR
RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES, INVESTORS, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, SUCCESSORS OR ASSIGNS (COLLECTIVELY,
THE “STEPFUN PARTIES”), BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY,
OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THE SERVICES, THE MATERIALS, OR THESE TERMS, WHETHER
BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHER THEORY, EVEN IF ANY STEPFUN PARTIES HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGES, AND EVEN IF THE DAMAGES ARE FORESEEABLE.
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, THE STEPFUN PARTIES’ TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL DAMAGES, LOSSES AND CAUSES OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF
OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THE SERVICES, THE MATERIALS, OR THESE TERMS, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING
NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO US FOR ACCESS TO OR USE OF THE
SERVICES (IF ANY) IN THE SIX MONTHS PRECEDING THE DATE SUCH DAMAGES, LOSSES, AND CAUSES OF ACTION FIRST AROSE,
AND $100. THE FOREGOING LIMITATIONS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THESE TERMS, AND WE WOULD NOT OFFER THE SERVICES TO YOU
UNDER THESE TERMS WITHOUT THESE LIMITATIONS.
SOME COUNTRIES AND STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE DISCLAIMER OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES OR THE LIMITATION OF CERTAIN
DAMAGES, SO SOME OR ALL OF THE TERMS ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU, AND YOU MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS. IN THAT
CASE, THESE TERMS ONLY LIMIT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMISSIBLE IN YOUR COUNTRY OF
RESIDENCE.
8.3. Indemnity
YOU AGREE TO INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS THE STEPFUN PARTIES FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL LIABILITIES, CLAIMS, DAMAGES, EXPENSES (INCLUDING REASONABLE
ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND COSTS), AND OTHER LOSSES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR BREACH OR ALLEGED BREACH OF
THESE TERMS; YOUR ACCESS TO, USE OF, OR ALLEGED USE OF THE SERVICES OR THE MATERIALS; YOUR FEEDBACK; ANY
PRODUCTS OR SERVICES THAT YOU DEVELOP, OFFER, OR OTHERWISE MAKE AVAILABLE USING OR OTHERWISE IN CONNECTION
WITH THE SERVICES; YOUR VIOLATION OF APPLICABLE LAW OR ANY THIRD-PARTY RIGHT; AND ANY ACTUAL OR ALLEGED FRAUD,
INTENTIONAL MISCONDUCT, GROSS NEGLIGENCE, OR CRIMINAL ACTS COMMITTED BY YOU OR YOUR EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS. WE
RESERVE THE RIGHT TO ENGAGE SEPARATE COUNSEL AND PARTICIPATE IN OR ASSUME THE EXCLUSIVE DEFENSE AND CONTROL OF
ANY MATTER OTHERWISE SUBJECT TO INDEMNIFICATION BY YOU HEREUNDER, IN WHICH CASE YOU AGREE TO COOPERATE WITH US
AND SUCH SEPARATE COUNSEL AS WE REASONABLY REQUEST.
9. Dispute
PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY AS IT AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS. YOU AND STEPFUN AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING MANDATORY ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER PROVISIONS:
9.1. MANDATORY ARBITRATION
The validity, interpretation, alteration, execution and dispute settlement of these Terms shall be governed
by the laws of Singapore. Any dispute arising from these Terms (a “Dispute”) shall be submitted to Singapore International Arbitration Centre (“SIAC”) for arbitration which shall be conducted in accordance with the SIAC’s arbitration rules in effect at
the time of applying for arbitration. The arbitral award is final and binding upon both parties.
9.2. CLASS AND JURY TRIAL WAIVERS
You and StepFun agree that Disputes must be brought on an individual basis only, and may not be brought as a plaintiff
or class member in any purported class, consolidated, or representative proceeding. Class arbitrations, class
actions, and representative actions are prohibited. Only individual relief is available.
The parties agree to sever and litigate in court any request for public injunctive relief after completing
arbitration for the underlying claim and all other claims. This does not prevent either party from
participating in a class-wide settlement.
You and StepFun knowingly and irrevocably waive any right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding, or
counterclaim.
9.3. Severability
If any part of these arbitration terms is found to be illegal or unenforceable, the remainder will remain in
effect, except that if a finding of partial illegality or unenforceability would allow class
arbitration, or class action, this entire dispute resolution section will be unenforceable in its entirety.
10. General
Terms
10.1. Changes to These Terms
(i) We are continuously working to develop and improve our Services. We may sometimes add or remove features, increase or decrease capacity limits, offer new Services, or stop
offering certain Services. As a result, we reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to change or modify portions of these Terms at any time, especially for the following reasons:
Ÿ changes to the law or regulatory requirements.
Ÿ security and operability issues.
Ÿ to adapt to new technologies.
(ii) We will post the changes on our Services and will indicate at the top the date these Terms were last revised.
We will also notify you, either through the user interface of our Services, in an email notification or
through other reasonable means. If you continue to access the Services after we post the updated Terms on StepFun’s website or otherwise give you notice of Terms changes, then you agree to the updated Terms. If you do not accept the
updated Terms, you must stop using our Services. We will not be liable for any change to or any suspension or discontinuation of the Services or your access
to them.
10.2. Termination
Unless we have a separate agreement with you, we reserve the right to modify, suspend, or terminate all or
part of the Services or your access to the Services at any time, without prior notice. If we terminate the
Services, although we will make reasonable efforts to notify you in advance, there may be emergency situations
(such as preventing abuse, responding to legal requirements, or addressing security and operability issues)
where prior notice is not possible. We are not responsible for any changes, suspensions, or terminations of
the service or your access to the service. In particular, Sections 7-10 will survive any expiration or
termination of these Terms.
10.3. Assignment
You may not assign or transfer any rights or obligations under these Terms and any attempt to do so will be
void. We may assign our rights or obligations under these Terms to any affiliate, subsidiary, or successor in
interest of any business associated with our Services.
10.4. Entire
Agreement
These Terms and any other terms expressly incorporated by reference form the entire agreement between you and
us regarding the subject matter of our Terms.
10.5. Severability
If a particular Term or portion of these Terms is not valid or enforceable, this will have no effect on any
other Terms.
10.6. No
Waiver
Any delay or failure on our part to enforce a provision of these Terms is not a waiver of our right to
enforce them later.
10.7. Contacts
Users with questions, complaints or claims with respect to the Services can be made by contacting us at [platform@stepfun.com].