Terms of Service

Last Updated: June 10, 2026

1. Agreement to Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("you" or "User") and Pathren, LLC ("Pathren," "we," "us," or "our") governing your access to and use of the Pathren adaptive learning platform ("Service").

By accessing or using Pathren, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Service.

1.1 Who Can Use Pathren

You may use Pathren if you:

  • Are at least 18 years old, or are at least 13 years old and have parental consent
  • Are a student, faculty member, or administrator at an institution with a valid Pathren agreement
  • Have been authorized by your institution to access the Service
  • Can form a binding contract and are not barred from using the Service under applicable law

2. Description of Service

Pathren is an AI-powered adaptive learning platform that provides:

  • Adaptive Study Sessions: Personalized flashcard-based learning that adapts to your learning style (VARK) and cognitive level (Bloom's Taxonomy)
  • AI Tutoring: Intelligent assistance with hints, explanations, and feedback
  • Content Generation: AI-powered creation of study materials from course content
  • Progress Tracking: Analytics and insights on your learning progress
  • Spaced Repetition: Scientifically-optimized review scheduling for long-term retention

The Service is provided to educational institutions and their authorized users.

3. User Accounts

3.1 Account Creation

Accounts may be created through:

  • Institution provisioning via SSO (Single Sign-On) or LTI integration
  • Direct registration with institution authorization
  • Administrative creation by institution staff

3.2 Account Security

You are responsible for:

  • Maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials
  • All activities that occur under your account
  • Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access

Do not share your account credentials or allow others to access your account.

3.3 Account Termination

Your account may be terminated:

  • By you, at any time, by contacting your institution administrator
  • By your institution, at their discretion
  • By Pathren, for violation of these Terms or illegal activity

4. Acceptable Use

4.1 Permitted Uses

You may use Pathren for:

  • Personal educational purposes related to your enrolled courses
  • Reviewing and studying course materials
  • Interacting with the AI tutor for educational assistance
  • Tracking your learning progress

4.2 Prohibited Activities

You may NOT use Pathren to:

  • Academic dishonesty: Using Pathren to cheat on exams, plagiarize, or violate academic integrity policies
  • Harmful content: Submit content that is violent, threatening, harassing, or discriminatory
  • Illegal activities: Engage in any activity that violates applicable laws
  • System abuse: Attempt to circumvent security measures, reverse engineer the platform, or interfere with operations
  • Data harvesting: Scrape, collect, or extract data from the Service
  • Impersonation: Misrepresent your identity or affiliation
  • Commercial use: Use the Service for commercial purposes without authorization

4.3 AI Interaction Guidelines

When interacting with the AI tutor:

  • Use the AI for educational purposes related to your coursework
  • Do not attempt to manipulate the AI to produce harmful or inappropriate content
  • Understand that AI responses are for educational support and may not always be accurate
  • Report any concerning AI behavior to your administrator

5. Intellectual Property

5.1 Pathren's Intellectual Property

Pathren and its licensors own all rights to:

  • The Pathren platform, software, and technology
  • Pathren's name, logo, and branding
  • AI models, algorithms, and learning systems

You receive a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Service for its intended purpose.

5.2 Institution Content

Educational institutions retain ownership of:

  • Course materials uploaded to the platform
  • Custom content created by institution staff
  • Institution branding and configurations

Institutions grant Pathren a license to process this content solely to provide the Service.

5.3 User Content

Users retain ownership of:

  • Personal notes and annotations
  • Chat conversations with the AI tutor
  • Feedback and submissions

By submitting content, you grant Pathren a license to use it to provide and improve the Service.

6. Privacy

Your privacy is important to us. Please review our Privacy Policy to understand how we collect, use, and protect your information.

6.1 FERPA Compliance

For educational institutions in the United States, Pathren operates as a "school official" under FERPA, processing student education records on behalf of the institution. Institutions maintain control over student data and determine appropriate access and use.

7. Third-Party Services

Pathren integrates with third-party services to provide its functionality:

  • AI Providers (OpenRouter/Google Gemini): Process requests with Zero Data Retention enabled
  • Supabase: Authentication and database services
  • Railway: Application hosting infrastructure

These services operate under their own terms and privacy policies. We carefully vet providers for security and privacy practices.

8. Disclaimers

8.1 Service Provided "As Is"

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, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

8.2 AI Limitations

AI-generated content and responses:

  • May contain errors or inaccuracies
  • Should not be relied upon as authoritative sources
  • Are intended as educational aids, not replacements for instruction
  • May not reflect the views of Pathren, your institution, or instructors

8.3 Educational Tool

Pathren is a supplementary learning tool. It does not replace instructor guidance, textbooks, or other educational resources. Academic performance depends on many factors beyond use of this Service.

9. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PATHREN SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

  • Indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
  • Loss of profits, data, or goodwill
  • Service interruptions or unavailability
  • Errors or inaccuracies in AI-generated content
  • Academic outcomes or performance

IN NO EVENT SHALL PATHREN'S TOTAL LIABILITY EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT PAID BY YOUR INSTITUTION FOR THE SERVICE IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100).

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Pathren and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:

  • Your violation of these Terms
  • Your violation of any third-party rights
  • Your misuse of the Service
  • Content you submit to the Service

11. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. When we make material changes:

  • We will update the "Last Updated" date
  • We will notify institutions of significant changes
  • Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance

If you do not agree to modified Terms, you must stop using the Service.

12. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Kansas, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.

12.1 Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Service shall be resolved through:

  1. Good faith negotiation between the parties
  2. Mediation, if negotiation fails
  3. Binding arbitration or litigation in Kansas state or federal courts

12.2 Class Action Waiver

You agree to resolve disputes individually and waive any right to participate in class actions or class arbitrations.

13. Contact

For questions about these Terms, please contact us.