Terms of Service

Last updated: April 12, 2026

Operator

OpenStuds is operated by BrickVault, Kleiner Sandberg 8, 21481 Lauenburg/Elbe, Germany. In these Terms, "OpenStuds," "we," "us," and "our" refer to the operator of the OpenStuds marketplace. References on the site to BrickVault describe the operator and related brand family.

By accessing OpenStuds, creating an account, listing a MOC, purchasing a download, or otherwise using the service, you agree to these Terms of Service and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the service.

You must be at least the age of majority in your place of residence to use OpenStuds on your own. If you use the service on behalf of a business or other organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

What OpenStuds Provides

OpenStuds is a marketplace for digital MOC instruction files, related parts-list data such as XML, creator profile content, and related marketplace services.

OpenStuds does not sell or ship physical bricks, sets, or other tangible goods unless a page expressly says otherwise. Product pages describe digital files and related listing information only.

We may change, improve, suspend, or discontinue features of the service at any time. We may also set or update eligibility rules, marketplace workflows, or technical limits when reasonably necessary for operations, security, fraud prevention, or legal compliance.

Accounts and Guest Checkout

You may browse parts of OpenStuds without an account, but some features require you to register or complete checkout with an email address.

You are responsible for keeping your login credentials secure and for activity that occurs through your account. You must provide accurate information and keep it reasonably current.

OpenStuds currently supports guest checkout for some purchases. If you complete guest checkout and later create an account with the same email address, we may associate those purchases with your account so you can access your downloads through the site.

We may suspend, restrict, or terminate accounts or guest access if we reasonably believe there has been fraud, abuse, infringement, payment misconduct, security risk, or a violation of these Terms.

Purchases and Checkout

OpenStuds uses Stripe and related service providers to process payments and seller payouts. Payment card details are collected and processed by the payment processor, not stored directly by OpenStuds.

Prices, availability, discount status, and other listing details may change before checkout is completed. Taxes, currency conversion charges, or processor fees may also apply depending on the transaction and your location.

Access to paid files is provided only after successful payment confirmation. If a transaction fails, is reversed, or is flagged for review, we may delay or disable access while the issue is investigated.

Digital Goods and License

When you purchase or claim a listing on OpenStuds, you receive a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the purchased digital files for your own personal use, unless a listing expressly states otherwise.

Unless we or the seller expressly permit it in writing, you may not:

• resell, sublicense, redistribute, repost, or publicly share purchased files

• upload purchased files to other marketplaces, file-sharing services, social platforms, or forums

• share download access with others

• remove, obscure, or bypass watermarking, access controls, or other protective measures

• use purchased files in a way that infringes the rights of the seller, OpenStuds, or any third party

Listings may be updated over time. OpenStuds may allow prior buyers to access updated files for the same listing, but continued hosting or availability of any listing or file version is not guaranteed.

Refunds

Because OpenStuds primarily provides digital goods, purchases are generally non-refundable once access to the files has been granted, except where refund rights are required by applicable law.

Without creating a general refund obligation, OpenStuds may choose to issue a refund, replacement, account credit, or other resolution in situations such as:

• duplicate payment

• failure to receive access because of a verified technical issue

• materially broken or missing files

• a listing that was materially misdescribed

• fraud, unauthorized payment, or another issue we determine warrants a remedy

If you file a payment dispute or chargeback, we may investigate the transaction, request supporting information, pause download access, or suspend the account involved while the matter is reviewed. Abuse of the refund or chargeback process may result in account restrictions or loss of marketplace access.

For help with a payment or download problem, contact info@openstuds.com.

Seller Terms

If you upload or sell content on OpenStuds, you represent and warrant that:

• you own the content you submit or have all rights needed to upload, market, license, and sell it

• your listings are accurate in all material respects, including the files included, price, and what the buyer receives

• your files, images, descriptions, and other content do not infringe copyright, trademark, privacy, or other rights

• you will complete and maintain any Stripe onboarding or payout information required for seller access

• you are responsible for your own tax, accounting, reporting, and business obligations related to your sales

You may not use listings, profile bios, images, file contents, embedded contact details, or other seller-controlled surfaces on OpenStuds to link to, advertise, or redirect users to competing marketplaces or other off-platform sales channels for similar digital instructions. We may remove such content or restrict seller access if this rule is violated.

Sellers remain responsible for the legality, accuracy, and rights clearance of their listings, even if OpenStuds reviews, features, rejects, or removes content.

Fees, Payouts, and Platform Discretion

Marketplace fees, commission structure, seller eligibility, and payout rules may be described in product copy, seller materials, or support content such as the commission wiki. Those materials may be updated from time to time.

Unless we expressly state otherwise, Stripe processing fees are separate from OpenStuds platform fees. OpenStuds may update platform fees, discount tools, eligibility requirements, moderation standards, or seller program terms prospectively.

We may review, reject, edit for formatting or compliance, delist, disable, or remove listings, accounts, discounts, files, or marketplace features where reasonably necessary for quality control, platform integrity, rights complaints, legal compliance, fraud prevention, or operational reasons.

User Content, Moderation, and Marketplace Role

Users may submit listings, profile text, reviews, messages, images, and other content. You retain rights you already own in your content, but you grant OpenStuds a non-exclusive, worldwide license to host, store, reproduce, format, display, distribute, and use that content as needed to operate, secure, review, promote, and improve the service.

OpenStuds may but is not required to pre-screen user content. We are not obligated to publish or keep any submission available.

We may investigate complaints, cooperate with rights holders, payment providers, or legal authorities, and take action we consider reasonably necessary to protect users, sellers, buyers, and the platform.

IP Complaints

If you believe content on OpenStuds infringes your copyright or other intellectual property rights, email info@openstuds.com with enough detail for us to review the complaint. Include:

• your name and contact information

• identification of the work or right you believe is being infringed

• the URL or other identifying information for the allegedly infringing listing or content

• a brief explanation of the complaint and the basis for your rights

• a statement that the information you provide is accurate and that you are the rights holder or authorized to act for them

We may remove, disable, or limit access to challenged content while a complaint is reviewed. We may also request more information from the reporting party or the affected user.

OpenStuds may terminate or restrict accounts of repeat infringers or users who repeatedly submit unlawful or abusive rights complaints.

Prohibited Conduct

You may not use OpenStuds to:

• break the law or encourage others to do so

• infringe intellectual property or privacy rights

• scrape, crawl, harvest, or extract listings, user data, or files in an unauthorized way

• upload malware, destructive code, or content designed to interfere with the service

• evade bans, create accounts with false identities, or impersonate another person or business

• manipulate payments, abuse discounts, commit chargeback fraud, or interfere with payout flows

• bypass technical protections, access controls, download restrictions, or watermarking

• upload, share, or sell pirated, stolen, deceptive, or unlawful files

• use the service to solicit users away from OpenStuds for competing transactions or similar off-platform sales

Disclaimers and Liability

OpenStuds is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis to the maximum extent permitted by law. We do not guarantee uninterrupted availability, error-free operation, or that any listing, file, seller, or content will meet your expectations.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, OpenStuds is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for loss of profits, revenue, goodwill, business opportunity, or data arising from or related to the service, user content, seller conduct, listings, transactions, or downloaded files.

Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot legally be excluded, including liability for intent, gross negligence where non-waivable, fraudulent misrepresentation, or death or personal injury caused by negligence where applicable law so requires.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless OpenStuds and its operator from third-party claims arising out of your content, your listings, your misuse of the service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of another person's rights, to the extent permitted by law.

Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Germany, excluding conflict-of-law rules, unless mandatory consumer protection law in your place of residence requires otherwise.

If you are a merchant, legal entity under public law, or special fund under public law, the exclusive place of jurisdiction for disputes arising out of these Terms is the competent court for the operator's registered seat, unless applicable law requires a different forum.

Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will post the updated version on this page and update the "Last updated" date above. Continued use of OpenStuds after a change takes effect means you accept the revised Terms.

Contact

Questions about these Terms should be sent to info@openstuds.com.