Minutes Ago Terms of Use

Article 1 (Scope; Relationship to Apple's License Agreement)

1. These terms apply to everyone who uses the App.
2. If you obtained the App from the App Store, Apple's standard Licensed Application End User License Agreement applies and these terms supplement it. Where the two conflict, Apple's standard license agreement prevails.

Article 2 (What the App Does; Paid Features)

1. The App continuously records your Mac's microphone and the audio of an app you choose, keeps it for a limited time, and lets you go back and take out audio, transcripts, speaker labels and minutes. Processing happens on your Mac in principle. Connections off the Mac are described in the Privacy Policy (https://www.kurokoto.com/legal/minutesago/privacy, also shown in the App under "About Minutes Ago").
2. The App is free to use. Recording, viewing the buffered range, running speaker identification, and saving, copying and writing minutes on this Mac for the most recent 30 minutes are free without limit.
3. The following outputs are part of the paid feature "Minutes Ago Pro": outputs that include a range older than 30 minutes; outputs that include speaker names; minutes written by an engine outside the Mac (Apple Private Cloud Compute, an OpenAI-compatible API); and outputs through AI agents or Shortcuts (except getting the recording status and getting the transcript of the most recent 30 minutes, with speaker names omitted).
4. If you have not purchased Minutes Ago Pro, you may try the outputs in the preceding paragraph up to 5 times in total ("free tries"). A free try is counted once per operation and only when the output succeeds, and the App shows the number left before each use. Free tries have no time limit, and after they are used up, everything in paragraph 2 remains free.
5. In the App obtained from the App Store, Minutes Ago Pro is purchased through App Store in-app purchase (a one-time purchase, not a subscription). The price is shown on the purchase screen. Payment, restoring purchases and refunds follow Apple's rules, and refund requests are made to Apple. If a purchase is refunded or otherwise revoked, Minutes Ago Pro can no longer be used (free tries already used are not restored).
6. A purchase made in the App obtained from the App Store and a license for the direct version under Article 2-2 cannot be transferred to each other.
7. Transcribing an audio or video file you choose by bringing it into the App, and identifying speakers in it, writing minutes for it, and copying and exporting the results ("audio file import"), is a feature of Minutes Ago Pro (in the Direct Version, Minutes Ago Pro enabled by license activation under Article 2-2). Audio file import is not covered by the free tries in paragraph 4 and cannot be used without purchasing Minutes Ago Pro.

Article 2-2 (Terms for the Direct Version)

This Article applies when you use the direct version of the App (the version distributed from our website; the "Direct Version").

1. In the Direct Version, Minutes Ago Pro is enabled by entering a license key in the App ("license activation"). Payment for a license is handled by Polar, the payment and licensing platform we use, as the merchant of record, and Polar's terms also apply to the purchase.
2. License activation is performed online through Polar. The information sent when activating, when checking periodically and when deactivating is described in section 3 of the Privacy Policy.
3. One license can be active on up to 3 Macs at the same time. Deactivating it with "Deactivate This Mac" in the App or in Polar's customer portal lets you activate it on another Mac.
4. For 14 days after the license was last confirmed, you can use Minutes Ago Pro without a network connection. If it cannot be confirmed after that period, the App returns to the use described in Article 2, paragraphs 2 to 4, until it can be confirmed again. Recording and the buffered data are not affected.
5. Within 14 days of purchase, we refund the full amount for any reason. To request a refund, contact [email protected] with the email address used for the purchase and the order details. Refunds are made through Polar.
6. A license is invalidated when its refund is completed. If you breach these terms (including use contrary to the next paragraph), we may invalidate your license. An invalidated license key cannot be used for Minutes Ago Pro, and the App returns to the use described in Article 2, paragraphs 2 to 4.
7. A license is personal to the purchaser (or, for a purchase by a legal entity, to its authorized officers and employees). You may not sublicense, transfer or lend it, or share or resell the license key.
8. We may provide additional or corrective programs for the Direct Version ("updates") to fix defects or add features, but we are under no obligation to do so. Updates may add to or change the features of the App. In the Direct Version, you can check for and obtain new versions with the App's built-in update feature (Sparkle). Checks for new versions are made when you ask for one or, if you allow it, automatically at regular intervals; the information sent when checking is described in section 3 of the Privacy Policy. Updates are applied only by your action; the App never replaces itself automatically. Before an update is applied, our digital signature and code signature on it are verified, and the update is not applied if they cannot be verified. Updates within the 1.x version line are provided free of charge.
9. The command line tool (minutesago) included with the Direct Version is part of the App, and these terms apply to it. Outputs through the command line tool are treated in the same way as outputs through AI agents under Article 2, paragraph 3, and what is free, free tries and the conditions of Minutes Ago Pro are as set out in Article 2.

Article 3 (Your Responsibilities When Recording)

1. Recording conversations may require the consent of, or notice to, the participants depending on the country, region or organization. Before recording, tell the participants that you are recording, and check and follow the laws, contracts and rules that apply to you.
2. You must not use the App to record people without their knowledge (including wiretapping), to infringe anyone's privacy or rights, or for any purpose that is unlawful or contrary to public order and morals.
3. You are responsible for managing the data you record and export (storing, sharing and deleting it).

Article 4 (Accuracy of Transcripts, Speaker Labels and Minutes)

Transcripts, speaker labels and minutes are generated automatically by speech recognition and machine learning models (AI, including Apple Intelligence). They may contain errors, omissions or statements that differ from what was said. Check them against the original audio before relying on them for important decisions.

Article 5 (Third-Party Services)

When you use outside services such as Apple Private Cloud Compute, an OpenAI-compatible API you specify, an AI agent you connect, or Shortcuts, their own terms and policies apply. We are not responsible for their fees, availability or handling of data.

Article 6 (Intellectual Property)

1. All copyrights and other intellectual property rights in the App belong to us or to third parties holding legitimate rights, and are protected by the Copyright Act of Japan, international treaties and other laws. These terms license the use of the App and do not transfer any intellectual property rights to you.
2. Rights in the data you record or create with the App (audio, transcripts, minutes) belong to you (or the rightful owner); we acquire none.

Article 7 (Prohibited Acts)

You may not:

1. copy (except reasonable copies for backup), modify or adapt the App;
2. reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the App, except where expressly permitted by law;
3. redistribute, resell, lend or publicly transmit the App;
4. offer the App as a service to third parties (unless we have given prior written permission);
5. use the App for the purposes described in Article 3, paragraph 2;
6. otherwise infringe our rights or those of third parties, or interfere with the provision of the App.

Article 8 (Disclaimer of Warranty; Limitation of Liability)

1. The App is provided "as is." We make no warranty of any kind as to its completeness, accuracy, fitness for a particular purpose, uninterrupted operation, or that recording and transcription happen without gaps.
2. The App's behavior depends on your Mac model, the macOS version and settings, your microphone and audio devices, the availability of speech recognition models and Apple Intelligence, and the language. We do not warrant operation in all environments.
3. Except in cases of our willful misconduct or gross negligence, we shall not be liable for any damages arising from the use of, or inability to use, the App (including missing recordings, loss of data, damages caused by errors in generated content, business interruption, lost profits, and other indirect or special damages).
4. Even where we are liable for damages, unless caused by our willful misconduct or gross negligence, our liability shall be limited to the amount you actually paid for the App (including the price of Minutes Ago Pro) and to direct and ordinary damages only.
5. Nothing in this Article precludes the application of the Consumer Contract Act of Japan or other mandatory laws; this Article shall not apply to the extent it is held invalid under such laws.

Article 9 (Termination)

1. You may end your use under these terms at any time by uninstalling the App.
2. If you breach these terms, we may terminate your permission to use the App immediately. In that case you must stop using the App and uninstall it.
3. Articles 6, 8 and 11 survive termination.

Article 10 (Amendments)

1. We may amend these terms as necessary. Amended terms will be announced by posting on our website (kurokoto.com) or by other reasonable means.
2. For material changes disadvantageous to you, we will give reasonable advance notice via in-app notification or website posting before they take effect.
3. Your continued use of the App after an amendment takes effect constitutes acceptance of the amended terms.

Article 11 (Miscellaneous)

1. These terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Japan.
2. Any dispute arising in connection with these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Tokyo District Court as the court of first instance.
3. If any provision of these terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
4. The Japanese version of these terms is the official text. Where an English translation is provided for reference and any discrepancy exists, the Japanese version prevails.

Article 12 (Contact)

Questions about these terms: [email protected]

Established: September 27, 2026
Kurokoto Lab