Terms of Service

Last updated: March 18, 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of Sappar Studio software, the sapparstudio.com website, and any related services (collectively, the "Service"), operated by Carrier-Nation LLC, a Texas limited liability company ("we," "us," or "our"). By creating an account, downloading the software, or otherwise using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not access or use the Service.

1. Beta Program

Sappar Studio is currently in beta. During this period:

Beta Key Expiry: Beta license keys expire at the end of the stated beta period. Upon expiry, your access will automatically revert to the free Core tier. You will not lose access to documents you have already created, but Pro features will no longer be accessible until a paid license is activated. We will notify registered users via email in advance of beta key expiration where reasonably practicable. Beta participation does not guarantee access to any future paid tier or release version of the software at any specific price.

2. Eligibility and Age Requirements

You must meet the following requirements to use the Service:

Age: The Service is intended for users who are at least 13 years of age. If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, you must be at least 16 years of age, or such higher age as required by your country's applicable law. By creating an account or using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet the applicable age requirement for your jurisdiction.

Minors: We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If we become aware that a user is under 13, we will terminate that account and delete any associated personal information promptly. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has created an account, please contact us immediately at support@sapparstudio.com.

Capacity: You represent that you have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement under the laws of your jurisdiction. If you are using the Service on behalf of a business or other legal entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

3. Service Tiers

Sappar Studio is offered in the following tiers:

Core (Free): The Core tier is available to all registered users at no cost and includes access to the full typesetting engine, PDF export, and core formatting features. The specific features included in the Core tier are defined within the software and on our website and may change over time at our discretion.

Pro: The Pro tier is a paid license that unlocks additional features including, but not limited to, advanced preflight checking, multiple simultaneous documents, and custom publisher profiles. Pro licenses are subject to device activation limits as described in Section 9.

Publisher: The Publisher tier is a paid license that unlocks all Pro features plus enterprise workflow tools including batch export, template libraries, and team licensing. Publisher licenses are subject to device activation limits as described in Section 9.

We reserve the right to move features between tiers, introduce new tiers, or discontinue tiers at any time. We will provide reasonable notice to existing paid users before removing features from a tier they have purchased.

4. Accounts

You must create an account to access the Service. By registering, you agree to:

We reserve the right to refuse registration or cancel accounts at our discretion.

5. License

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to install and use Sappar Studio solely for personal or commercial book typesetting on devices you own or control.

You may not:

This license is revoked automatically upon termination of your account or your breach of these Terms.

6. Export Controls

The Service and software are subject to the export control laws and regulations of the United States, including the Export Administration Regulations ("EAR") administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the sanctions programs administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC").

By using the Service, you represent and warrant that:

If you are located in a jurisdiction subject to U.S. export restrictions, you are not authorized to use the Service and must not attempt to do so. We reserve the right to terminate accounts that we determine, in our sole discretion, are in violation of this section.

7. Platform Requirements

Sappar Studio is a native macOS application. The Service is only available on Apple Mac computers running macOS. By purchasing a license or creating an account, you represent that you have access to a compatible Mac device.

Minimum System Requirements:

We do not offer versions of Sappar Studio for Windows, Linux, iOS, iPadOS, or any other operating system. We are under no obligation to develop versions for other platforms. Purchasing a license does not entitle you to a refund on the basis that your device does not meet the minimum system requirements, as it is your responsibility to verify compatibility before purchase. System requirements may change with future updates and will be communicated on our website.

8. Open Source Software

Sappar Studio is a proprietary commercial application. However, it incorporates certain open source software components that are subject to their own license terms. Your use of those components is governed by the applicable open source licenses, which are separate from and in addition to these Terms. Nothing in these Terms limits any rights granted to you under any applicable open source license.

Bundled Fonts

All fonts bundled with Sappar Studio are licensed under the SIL Open Font License, Version 1.1 (OFL). The full OFL license text is included in the application bundle at Sappar Studio.app/Contents/Resources/Fonts/OFL.txt. The following font families are bundled:

Cormorant Garamond © 2015 The Cormorant Project Authors; Courier Prime © 2015 The Courier Prime Project Authors; Crimson Text © 2010 The Crimson Text Project Authors; EB Garamond © 2017 The EB Garamond Project Authors; Inter © 2020 The Inter Project Authors; Libre Baskerville © 2012 The Libre Baskerville Project Authors; Libre Caslon Text © 2015 The Libre Caslon Text Project Authors; Literata © 2017 The Literata Project Authors; Lora © 2011 The Lora Project Authors; Merriweather © 2016 The Merriweather Project Authors; Source Sans 3 © 2010–2020 Adobe Systems Incorporated; Source Serif 4 © 2014–2021 Adobe Systems Incorporated.

ICC Color Profiles

FOGRA39 (ECI) and GRACoL 2006 (IDEAlliance) ICC profiles are bundled for PDF/X export under the Adobe ICC Profile License. © Adobe Systems Incorporated. License text included in the application bundle at Sappar Studio.app/Contents/Resources/LICENSES/Adobe-ICC-Bundling-License.txt.

Rust Components

The following open source Rust libraries are compiled into and distributed with Sappar Studio:

The complete list of all direct and transitive Rust dependencies, including their full license texts and copyright notices, is included in the application bundle at Sappar Studio.app/Contents/Resources/LICENSES/THIRD_PARTY_RUST.txt.

Apple Frameworks

The Sappar Studio macOS application is built on Apple system frameworks including SwiftUI, AppKit, Metal, PDFKit, CoreText, and Foundation. These are proprietary Apple frameworks and are not open source components of Sappar Studio.

License Texts

The MIT License, Apache License 2.0, SIL Open Font License 1.1, and BSD 3-Clause License texts governing the above components are included in the application bundle at Sappar Studio.app/Contents/Resources/LICENSES/THIRD_PARTY_RUST.txt. Copies are also available at opensource.org/licenses, apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0, and scripts.sil.org/OFL respectively.

9. Device Activation Limits

Paid licenses are subject to the following device activation limits:

TierActivations Included
Pro2 devices
Publisher5 devices

Each activation binds the license to a specific device. You may deactivate a device at any time through your account portal to free up an activation slot for another device. Additional activation slots may be purchased for $10 per slot. Carrier-Nation LLC reserves the right to revoke activations in cases of suspected fraud or Terms violation.

10. Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Service only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree not to:

Violation of this section is grounds for immediate account termination without refund.

11. Right to Modify the Service

We reserve the right to modify, update, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Service at any time and for any reason, with or without notice. This includes but is not limited to:

We will make reasonable efforts to notify registered users of significant changes via email or in-app notice. However, your continued use of the Service following any modification constitutes your acceptance of the change. We shall not be liable to you or any third party for any modification, suspension, or discontinuation of the Service.

12. Purchases and Refunds

All payments are processed securely through Stripe. Prices are listed in USD unless otherwise stated.

Early Supporter Purchases: Early supporter purchases include a lifetime Pro license that will be delivered upon the full commercial release of Sappar Studio. By purchasing, you acknowledge that the release date is not guaranteed and that the software remains Alpha testing stage.

Refunds: Refund requests may be submitted within 14 days of purchase by contacting support@sapparstudio.com. Refunds are granted at our discretion and will not be issued for accounts found to be in violation of these Terms.

Pricing Changes: We reserve the right to change pricing at any time. Price changes will not affect purchases already completed.

Automatic Renewal: If and when subscription pricing is offered, subscriptions will renew automatically at the end of each billing period unless cancelled before the renewal date. Cancellation instructions will be provided at the time of subscription.

13. Earn Your Upgrade — Promotional Discount

We offer an optional promotion called "Earn Your Upgrade" that allows eligible users to earn a discount toward the purchase of Sappar Pro by sharing content about Sappar on eligible social media platforms. Participation in this promotion is subject to the full Earn Your Upgrade Terms & Conditions, which are incorporated into these Terms by reference and available at sapparstudio.com/earn-terms.

Key terms of the promotion include:

In the event of any conflict between these Terms and the Earn Your Upgrade Terms & Conditions, the Earn Your Upgrade Terms & Conditions govern with respect to that promotion.

14. Intellectual Property

Sappar Studio, its name, logo, user interface, and all related software, designs, and materials are the exclusive property of Carrier-Nation LLC and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws. Nothing in these Terms grants you any right to use our trademarks, logos, or brand elements without our prior written consent.

Your Content: All documents, manuscripts, and files you create using the software remain your property. We claim no ownership over your content and will not access, use, or reproduce it except as necessary to provide the Service or as required by law.

Your Responsibility for Content: You are solely responsible for all content you create, format, or export using the Service, including ensuring that you have the legal right to use, reproduce, and distribute any text, images, or other material incorporated into your documents. We are not responsible for and expressly disclaim any liability arising from content that infringes the copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights of any third party.

15. Feedback and Suggestions

We welcome feedback, bug reports, feature requests, and suggestions about the Service submitted through any channel, including but not limited to the in-app feedback form, email, Discord, or any other communication platform ("Feedback").

By submitting Feedback, you agree that:

Nothing in this section limits our obligation to handle personal information contained in Feedback in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

16. DMCA and Copyright Infringement

Carrier-Nation LLC respects intellectual property rights and expects users of the Service to do the same. If you believe that content available through the Service infringes your copyright, you may submit a written notice to our designated DMCA agent containing the following information:

  1. A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or authorized agent
  2. Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed
  3. Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate it
  4. Your contact information, including name, address, telephone number, and email address
  5. A statement that you have a good faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law
  6. A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the owner's behalf

Designated DMCA Agent:
Carrier-Nation LLC — Attn: DMCA Agent
legal@sapparstudio.com

We reserve the right to remove any content alleged to be infringing and to terminate accounts of repeat infringers.

17. Third-Party Services

The Service integrates with and depends on third-party services including, but not limited to, Stripe for payment processing, Supabase for authentication and data storage, and social media platforms including TikTok, X, and Reddit in connection with our promotional programs. Your use of these third-party services is subject to their respective terms of service and privacy policies, which are independent of these Terms.

You acknowledge and agree that:

We are not a party to any agreement between you and any third-party service provider and accept no responsibility or liability arising from such agreements.

18. Third-Party Links

The Service and our website may contain links to third-party websites, platforms, or resources, including but not limited to Discord, social media platforms, and publishing industry resources. These links are provided for your convenience only.

We do not control, endorse, or assume any responsibility for the content, privacy policies, terms of service, or practices of any third-party websites or services. You acknowledge and agree that:

The inclusion of any link on our website does not imply our endorsement of the linked website or its operator.

19. Data, Backups, and Storage

Your Responsibility: You are solely responsible for maintaining copies and backups of all documents, manuscripts, and files you create using the Service. Sappar Studio saves documents in the .sapr file format on your local device. We strongly recommend maintaining regular backups of your work in multiple locations.

No Data Retention Guarantee: We do not guarantee the retention of any data associated with your account, including account information, license records, or any files stored or synced through the Service. This limitation applies with particular force during the beta period, during which data may be lost, reset, or become inaccessible due to software updates, infrastructure changes, or other factors without notice.

Account Data on Termination: Upon termination of your account, your account data may be permanently deleted. We are not responsible for any loss of data resulting from account termination, whether initiated by you or by us.

20. Communications and Email Consent

By creating an account with the Service, you consent to receive the following categories of email communications from us:

Transactional Emails: You will receive transactional emails necessary for the operation of your account, including but not limited to account confirmations, license key delivery, password resets, billing receipts, and material notices regarding your account or these Terms. Transactional emails are required for the functioning of your account and cannot be opted out of while your account remains active.

Product and Marketing Emails: From time to time we may send you emails about new features, product updates, promotions, and other news related to the Service. You may opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link included in any such email or by contacting us at support@sapparstudio.com. Opting out of marketing emails will not affect your receipt of transactional emails.

Beta Program Communications: As a beta user, you may receive additional communications related to the beta program, including update notices, survey requests, and feature announcements. These may be managed through your account preferences.

We will handle your contact information in accordance with our Privacy Policy at sapparstudio.com/privacy. We do not sell or share your email address with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

21. Privacy

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, available at sapparstudio.com/privacy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using the Service, you consent to the data practices described in the Privacy Policy.

22. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS. YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK.

23. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Carrier-Nation LLC and its officers, directors, employees, contractors, and agents from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or related to:

This indemnification obligation will survive termination of these Terms and your use of the Service.

24. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, CARRIER-NATION LLC AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF MANUSCRIPTS OR DOCUMENTS, OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICE, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

OUR TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE TOTAL AMOUNT YOU PAID TO US IN THE TWELVE MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100).

25. Dispute Resolution and Arbitration

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING YOUR RIGHT TO FILE A LAWSUIT IN COURT.

Informal Resolution: Before initiating any formal dispute, you agree to contact us at legal@sapparstudio.com and provide a written description of the dispute, your name, and contact information. We will attempt to resolve the dispute informally within 30 days of receipt. If we are unable to resolve the dispute informally, either party may proceed to arbitration as described below.

Binding Arbitration: Except as set forth below, you and Carrier-Nation LLC agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service — including the validity, enforceability, or scope of this arbitration provision — shall be resolved exclusively through final and binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, rather than in court. The arbitration shall be conducted in the State of Texas, or by telephone or video conference at either party's election. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Class Action Waiver: YOU AND CARRIER-NATION LLC AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding. If this class action waiver is found to be unenforceable for any reason, the entirety of this arbitration agreement shall be null and void.

Exceptions: Either party may seek emergency injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent actual or threatened infringement, misappropriation, or violation of intellectual property rights. Small claims court actions that qualify under applicable rules are also exempt from mandatory arbitration.

Governing Law: To the extent applicable outside of arbitration, these Terms shall be governed by the laws of the State of Texas without regard to conflict of law provisions. Any court proceedings permitted under this section shall be brought exclusively in the state and federal courts located in the State of Texas, and both parties consent to personal jurisdiction in such courts.

Opt-Out: You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by sending written notice to legal@sapparstudio.com within 30 days of first accepting these Terms. Your notice must include your name, account email address, and a clear statement that you wish to opt out of arbitration. Opting out does not affect any other provision of these Terms.

26. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without notice, if we determine that you have violated these Terms or that your use poses a risk to the Service or other users. Upon termination:

You may close your account at any time by contacting support@sapparstudio.com.

27. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. For material changes, we will notify registered users via email at least 14 days before the changes take effect where reasonably practicable. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the Service.

28. General

29. Contact

For questions about these Terms, contact us at:

Carrier-Nation LLC
support@sapparstudio.com — account, billing, and general support
legal@sapparstudio.com — legal notices, DMCA claims, and dispute resolution
sapparstudio.com