Astoryah Terms of Use

Effective Date: 9/30/2026

Last Updated: 9/30/2026

These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern access to and use of Astoryah.com (the “Site”), Astoryah accounts, memberships, community features, seminars, consulting and evaluation services, and other products, content, features, and services offered by Nova Features, LLC, doing business as Astoryah (“Astoryah,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) (collectively, the “Services”).

By creating an account, purchasing or using a Service, submitting material, or accepting these Terms through an Astoryah acceptance mechanism, you agree to these Terms and the Privacy Policy.

IMPORTANT ARBITRATION NOTICE: Section 30 requires binding individual arbitration of Covered Disputes, subject to the exceptions and opt-out right stated there, and includes a jury-trial and class-action waiver.

1. Eligibility

Public portions of the Site may be viewed by general audiences. Accounts, memberships, community participation, purchases, consulting and evaluation services, seminars requiring registration or payment, material submissions, and other transactional or interactive Services are intended solely for persons at least 18 years old.

By using such Services, you represent that you are at least 18 and legally capable of entering a binding agreement. Astoryah may restrict or terminate use by a person it learns or reasonably believes is under 18, consistent with applicable law.

2. Services

Astoryah provides entertainment-industry education, community features, seminars, consulting, evaluations, screenplay and project services, production and distribution consulting, and related resources. Services may change over time, subject to obligations concerning Services already purchased.

3. Educational and Informational Nature

Unless a separate written agreement states otherwise, educational materials, seminars, community discussions, evaluations, opinions, recommendations, and consulting are for educational, informational, and professional-development purposes. Entertainment projects involve creative, financial, commercial, and market uncertainty. Astoryah does not guarantee financing, representation, production, distribution, employment, sales, awards, festival acceptance, commercial performance, or any other result. Creative opinions are inherently subjective.

4. Accounts

You are responsible for accurate information, credential security, account activity, notice of suspected unauthorized access, and current contact information. You may not impersonate others, transfer an account without authorization, or use another person’s account without permission.

5. Memberships

Astoryah may offer free Member and paid Premium Member plans. Paid memberships may renew automatically when disclosed during enrollment. Cancellation stops future renewal but does not ordinarily create a refund right for a period already purchased except where required by law.

Premium cancellation does not close the account. Premium benefits ordinarily remain available through the paid period and the account then returns to the free Member tier. Account closure terminates membership-tier benefits and unused eligibility for discretionary courtesy accommodations, subject to Astoryah’s discretion and applicable law.

6. Purchases, Payments, Cancellations, and Service Rules

Astoryah may use third-party payment and registration providers. Specific prices and service terms displayed at purchase are incorporated into these Terms.

6.1 Scheduled Consulting

A cancellation request made less than 48 hours before the scheduled start is not eligible for a refund or Discretionary Courtesy Fee Waiver, except where required by law. Astoryah may attempt to reschedule in its discretion but does not guarantee rescheduling.

If cancellation is requested at least 48 hours before the scheduled start and within 24 hours after completed payment, the payment is eligible for a full refund.

If cancellation is requested at least 48 hours before the scheduled start but more than 24 hours after completed payment, Astoryah may make a Discretionary Courtesy Fee Waiver available.

The 24-hour period runs from the exact completed-payment timestamp. A purchase made within 48 hours of the scheduled start does not become refundable or waiver-eligible merely because the request is within 24 hours of payment.

6.2 Discretionary Courtesy Fee Waiver

A Discretionary Courtesy Fee Waiver is a customer-service accommodation that may permit an eligible Member to apply up to a stated amount toward one qualifying future consulting service or seminar.

It has no cash value; is not redeemable for money; is not an account balance; is personal to the applicable Member/account; is nontransferable, nonassignable, non-saleable, non-barterable, and non-pledgeable; is not Premium Membership; and is single-use.

If the replacement Service costs more, the Member pays the difference. If it costs less, no residual amount remains. Eligibility ordinarily expires one year after the qualifying cancellation unless Astoryah states otherwise. After expiration, a Member may request a new discretionary accommodation, which Astoryah may grant or deny based on the circumstances. Providing one accommodation does not require future accommodations.

6.3 Evaluations

Astoryah does not intend to assign substantive review during the first 24 hours after completed payment.

If an Evaluation is cancelled during that initial 24-hour period before substantive fulfillment begins, the payment is eligible for a full refund, subject to applicable law.

After the first 24 hours, uploading the material to be evaluated constitutes instruction and authorization to immediately commence fulfillment. Once substantive fulfillment begins, the Evaluation is nonrefundable and not eligible for a Discretionary Courtesy Fee Waiver except where required by law or Astoryah chooses otherwise.

If no material has been uploaded after the first 24 hours, the Evaluation order may remain open for up to one year from purchase. During that period the Member may submit one qualifying item of the purchased type or request cancellation, in which case Astoryah may make a Discretionary Courtesy Fee Waiver available. After one year without upload, Astoryah may close the incomplete order and may, in its discretion, later provide an accommodation toward a new qualifying Service.

Evaluation Services ordinarily include the consultation described in the applicable service listing. Astoryah may use telephone, Zoom, or another reasonable method unless the listing provides otherwise.

6.4 Seminars

For paid seminars, cancellation less than 48 hours before the event is not eligible for a refund or Discretionary Courtesy Fee Waiver except where required by law.

A cancellation at least 48 hours before the event and within 24 hours after completed payment is eligible for a full refund. A cancellation at least 48 hours before the event but more than 24 hours after payment may be eligible for a Discretionary Courtesy Fee Waiver.

A ticket purchased within 48 hours of an event is not refundable or waiver-eligible merely because the request occurs within 24 hours of purchase.

6.5 Astoryah-Caused Cancellation or Rescheduling

If Astoryah cancels a scheduled standard consulting service for reasons not caused by the Member, Astoryah may offer a reasonably available replacement/reschedule, a Discretionary Courtesy Fee Waiver, or a refund. If Astoryah materially reschedules and the Member cannot reasonably accept the new schedule, Astoryah may offer a waiver or refund.

If Astoryah cancels a paid seminar, changes the seminar to a different calendar date, or changes its scheduled commencement time by two hours or more from the originally scheduled commencement time, and the attendee cannot or does not wish to attend the revised seminar, the attendee may choose attendance at the revised seminar, a Discretionary Courtesy Fee Waiver, or a full refund of the amount paid for the affected seminar. The 24-hour and 48-hour cancellation limitations otherwise applicable to attendee cancellations do not apply to a cancellation, date change, or qualifying time change initiated by Astoryah.

6.6 Member No-Shows and Late Arrival

A Member who has not joined or answered within 15 minutes after the scheduled start may be treated as a no-show. For telephone consultations, the consultant may make reasonable attempts during the first 15 minutes but has no obligation to continue attempts thereafter.

A first no-show is not automatically eligible for a refund, waiver, or replacement. Astoryah may make reasonable efforts to arrange one replacement appointment. If a replacement is arranged and the Member again fails to appear, no additional appointment, refund, waiver, or replacement is required except where law requires otherwise.

Late arrival does not guarantee extension beyond the original end time. A consultant may voluntarily extend. Arrival 15 or more minutes late may be treated as a no-show.

6.7 Custom Professional Services

Screenwriting, producing/production, distribution, and similar custom professional services may require preliminary discussions and a separate written agreement. Astoryah may require a separate nonrefundable deposit before preparing or negotiating a custom engagement, with the deposit’s purpose and terms stated in writing.

Preliminary discussions alone do not obligate either party to proceed. Once a custom agreement is executed and any required activation payment is made, that agreement governs scope, milestones, payments, deposits, cancellation, suspension, termination, and deliverables. Except as stated in the separate agreement or required by law, activated-engagement payments may be nonrefundable.

A custom agreement may supersede conflicting general Service terms but does not supersede Section 30 unless it expressly identifies and validly modifies Section 30.

7. Community Features

Astoryah may provide forums, comments, live chats, profiles, discussion areas, reviews, and other interactive features. Participation is a privilege subject to these Terms and applicable community rules.

8. Community and Service Conduct

You may not threaten, harass, stalk, intimidate, sexually harass, publish discriminatory abuse, engage in aggressive or degrading conduct, deliberately seriously disrupt a Service, publish private information without authorization, impersonate others, engage in fraud, distribute malicious code, spam, evade restrictions, infringe rights, or create an unsafe, threatening, abusive, or seriously disruptive environment.

Good-faith criticism, disagreement, negative opinions, or legitimate complaints do not violate these Terms merely because they are unfavorable.

Astoryah personnel or consultants may immediately end, suspend, or withdraw from a consultation when they reasonably believe prohibited conduct has occurred or the environment is unsafe, abusive, threatening, or seriously disruptive. Astoryah may terminate the Service, deny further participation, or suspend or terminate the account. Amounts may be nonrefundable and ineligible for a waiver when termination results from Member misconduct or material breach, except where law requires otherwise. Astoryah may nevertheless provide an accommodation in its discretion.

9. Moderation

Astoryah may moderate community features and User Content in reasonable discretion, subject to applicable law, including warnings, removal, posting restrictions, suspension, locking discussions, and account termination.

10. Warnings, Restrictions, Suspensions, and Bans

Astoryah may consider seriousness, frequency, and context. Serious threats, unlawful activity, fraud, harassment, malicious interference, or substantial risk may result in immediate action without prior warning.

11. Repeated Hostile or Abusive Behavior

Patterns of individually minor conduct may collectively become harassing, abusive, or disruptive. Good-faith criticism and disagreement remain permitted.

12. Reporting Misconduct

Users may report suspected violations. Knowingly false or abusive reports may themselves violate these Terms.

13. Reviews and Testimonials

Reviews or testimonials must reflect genuine experience. Astoryah will not intentionally use identifiable Member comments or reviews as advertising testimonials or endorsements without any consent required by applicable law.

14. Astoryah Content

Content created, developed, commissioned, or owned by Astoryah—including Site design, branding, original text, graphics, educational content, and other proprietary materials—is protected by applicable law. “Astoryah Content” excludes User Content, Submitted Materials, and third-party intellectual property not owned by Astoryah. Display of third-party material does not transfer ownership to Astoryah.

15. User Content and Submitted Materials

15.1 User Content

You retain ownership of User Content you lawfully own. By posting User Content to community features, you grant Astoryah a nonexclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, reproduce, display, distribute, format, archive, and otherwise use it as reasonably necessary to operate, maintain, moderate, preserve, and provide the community and Services, subject to applicable law.

15.2 User Content Deletion

Requests may be sent to legal@astoryah.com. Astoryah may remove, anonymize, disassociate, restrict, preserve, or retain content as reasonably necessary for discussion continuity, other users’ rights, legal obligations, business/security/moderation records, fraud prevention, enforcement, and operation.

Where deletion of an original topic would impair other users’ replies, Astoryah may preserve the thread structure while replacing the requester’s text with a notice such as “Topic deleted by request” and may identify the original poster generically, such as “Past Member.”

15.3 Submitted Materials

“Submitted Materials” include scripts, treatments, synopses, loglines, pitch decks, presentations, story outlines, films, rough cuts, trailers, videos, photographs, artwork, music, character descriptions, business plans, budgets, financing, production and distribution materials, concepts, ideas, confidential or proprietary materials, and related documentation submitted in connection with a Service.

Submitted Materials are distinct from ordinary User Content.

15.4 Ownership and Authority

Astoryah does not acquire ownership merely by submission. You represent that you own or have authority to submit the materials and authorize Astoryah and its personnel, contractors, consultants, service providers, and representatives to receive, possess, store, access, review, evaluate, reproduce as technically necessary, and otherwise use them as reasonably necessary for the requested Service.

You represent that submission and permitted handling will not violate intellectual-property, privacy, publicity, contractual, confidentiality, trade-secret, ownership, or other rights and that you have necessary permissions, licenses, releases, and consents.

15.5 Assigned Consultants

Astoryah may provide Submitted Materials and reasonably necessary Member contact or project information to the consultant or evaluator assigned to perform the purchased Service. Consultants are contractually limited to use reasonably necessary for the Assignment and are ordinarily required to delete their working copies within 30 days after completion unless Astoryah directs otherwise because of a dispute, legal hold, investigation, or other legitimate requirement.

15.6 Operational License

You grant Astoryah a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to receive, store, technically reproduce, internally transmit, access, review, evaluate, annotate, and otherwise use Submitted Materials as reasonably necessary to provide Services, administer the relationship, maintain records and backups, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, comply with law, and protect legal rights.

This does not authorize commercial exploitation of Submitted Materials as entertainment property absent a separate written agreement with the rights holder.

15.7 Submission Risk and Independent Development

Except where a separate written agreement provides otherwise, submission does not create a fiduciary or agency relationship, obligate Astoryah to acquire or exploit the material, or restrict lawful work involving independently created or independently obtained material.

Similarity alone does not establish copying, access, infringement, misappropriation, breach, or liability. Nothing authorizes infringement.

15.8 Records and Retention

Astoryah may maintain records and copies concerning Submitted Materials for as long as reasonably necessary for providing Services, records, backups, security, legal compliance, enforcement, dispute resolution, and establishing, exercising, or defending legal claims, subject to the Privacy Policy and applicable law. Normal deletion practices may be suspended by a legal hold or reasonably anticipated dispute.

16. Copyright and Intellectual-Property Complaints

Complaints may be sent to legal@astoryah.com with sufficient information to identify the protected work, challenged material, complaining party, and basis of the complaint.

17. Third-Party Services and Links

Third-party links, embeds, payment systems, registration tools, and services may have separate terms and privacy practices. Astoryah does not control them except as required by law.

18. Communications

Astoryah may send transactional and service communications concerning accounts, purchases, scheduling, Submitted Materials, consultation recording choices, seminar recording notices, security, memberships, and other aspects of the relationship. Marketing communications will follow applicable law and available opt-out mechanisms.

19. Consultation Recording and Transcription

Private consultations may ordinarily be recorded and transcribed to provide a transcript or service record to the Member and for service administration, appropriate quality/customer-service purposes, complaints or disputes, security, legal compliance, and legitimate recordkeeping.

Astoryah will provide an appropriate recording notice and a mechanism to decline recording where the service permits and applicable law requires or supports that choice. If a Member declines recording through the designated process, Astoryah will endeavor not to record the private consultation.

Astoryah will not use a private consultation recording or transcript as public website content, social-media content, advertising, marketing, promotional content, or public entertainment content without separate authorization from the affected participants.

Automated or human-generated transcripts may contain errors and should not be treated as a verbatim certified record unless Astoryah expressly states otherwise.

20. Seminar and Event Recording

Astoryah seminars, panels, webinars, interviews, and similar programs may be photographed, audio recorded, and video recorded.

For ticketed or registered seminars where audience members may be seen or heard, acceptance of the applicable recording consent is a condition of attendance. By accepting the consent and attending, the attendee authorizes capture of the attendee’s image, likeness, and voice if the attendee appears or is heard and Astoryah’s perpetual use, reproduction, editing, display, distribution, and exploitation of the recording in connection with Astoryah’s business, Services, educational content, promotion, and archival activities without additional compensation, subject to applicable law.

21. Member and Consultant Off-Platform Transactions

Astoryah may introduce Members to consultants and industry professionals through paid Services, seminars, events, and community activities.

Members may not knowingly use Astoryah Services, confidential information, or an Astoryah-arranged consultant relationship to circumvent Astoryah by redirecting an Astoryah-originated paid consulting transaction outside Astoryah.

Astoryah welcomes legitimate creative collaborations that may develop through its community. A commercial collaboration arising from an Astoryah-originated consultant/Member relationship may require Astoryah’s prior written approval and a separate written agreement establishing any Astoryah participation.

Nothing in this Section prohibits lawful relationships independently existing before Astoryah or independently developed without misuse of Astoryah information. This Section applies only to the extent permitted by applicable law.

22. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE SITE AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” ASTORYAH DISCLAIMS IMPLIED WARRANTIES TO THE EXTENT LEGALLY PERMITTED.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ASTORYAH WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR LOST PROFITS OR OPPORTUNITIES, ARISING FROM THE SERVICES, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT SUCH LIMITATION IS PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Nothing excludes rights or liabilities that cannot lawfully be excluded.

23. Indemnification

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you will indemnify and hold harmless Astoryah and its owners, personnel, consultants, contractors, and representatives from third-party claims arising from your unlawful conduct, material breach, Submitted Materials, unauthorized submission, lack of rights or permissions, infringement, or misuse of the Services.

Astoryah will provide reasonable notice and cooperation. You may not settle a claim in a manner imposing liability, admission, obligation, or restriction on Astoryah without prior written consent.

24. Account Closure by You

You may request closure through available controls or info@astoryah.com. Closure terminates membership-tier benefits and unused Discretionary Courtesy Fee Waiver eligibility associated with the account. Closure does not automatically delete User Content, Submitted Materials, recordings, transcripts, transaction records, or other records Astoryah may lawfully retain.

25. Reopening a Voluntarily Closed Account

A former Member may request reopening of the same voluntarily closed account by contacting admin@astoryah.com. Astoryah may require verification through the original account email and other reasonable verification. Reopening is discretionary and not guaranteed.

Astoryah may deny reopening because of prior violations, security or fraud concerns, prior suspension or ban, inability to verify, passage of time, discontinued Services, or other legitimate reasons. Astoryah may restore unused courtesy-waiver eligibility in its discretion. Eligibility does not transfer to a different account.

26. Account Termination by Astoryah

Astoryah may suspend or terminate an account for material or repeated violations, unlawful conduct, fraud, abuse, threats, serious misconduct, security risks, nonpayment, or other legitimate reasons, subject to applicable law.

27. Changes to Services and Terms

Astoryah may modify Services and revise these Terms. Where legally required or materially appropriate, Astoryah will provide notice and obtain consent. Changes will not be applied retroactively to an existing dispute where prohibited by law.

28. Informal Dispute Resolution

Before arbitration, the claimant must provide a written Notice of Dispute containing the claimant’s contact information, account email if applicable, factual basis, legal or contractual basis if known, and requested relief. Notices to Astoryah must be sent to legal@astoryah.com. The parties will attempt good-faith informal resolution for at least 30 days unless emergency relief is necessary or law requires otherwise.

29. Small Claims

Subject to applicable law and AAA rules, either party may elect eligible individual small-claims proceedings where the matter remains exclusively within that court’s jurisdiction.

30. Binding Arbitration, Jury-Trial Waiver, and Class-Action Waiver

Except for expressly excluded matters, you and Astoryah mutually agree that disputes arising from these Terms, the Site, Services, account, membership, purchases, payments, refunds, cancellations, rescheduling, Discretionary Courtesy Fee Waivers, Custom Professional Services, communications, recordings, transcripts, seminar recordings, User Content, Submitted Materials, consultant interactions, or the relationship between you and Astoryah (“Covered Disputes”) will be resolved through binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”).

Covered Disputes expressly include Submitted Materials claims involving copyright, authorship, ownership, alleged copying, plagiarism, substantial similarity, idea submission, misappropriation, unauthorized use or disclosure, confidentiality, breach of confidence, trade secrets, contract, compensation, attribution, unfair competition, or alleged exploitation of material claimed to derive from Submitted Materials.

The Federal Arbitration Act governs this arbitration agreement to the fullest extent applicable. Unless applicable law requires otherwise, AAA Consumer Arbitration Rules apply to consumer Covered Disputes.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the parties waive jury trial and class, collective, consolidated, coordinated, or representative proceedings.

Either party may seek emergency or provisional judicial relief where legally permitted without waiving arbitration of the underlying dispute.

Where reasonably available, an arbitrator for a Submitted Materials dispute should have relevant copyright, intellectual-property, entertainment, media, or creative-content experience.

Arbitration proceedings and nonpublic materials exchanged in arbitration will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law and AAA rules.

A claim is not frivolous merely because the claimant loses. Fee shifting or sanctions for frivolous or harassing claims are available only where authorized by applicable law or AAA rules.

You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by sending a written opt-out notice to legal@astoryah.com within 30 days after first accepting these Terms. The notice must identify you and clearly state that you opt out of the arbitration agreement. Opting out does not affect the remainder of these Terms.

31. Governing Law and Court Venue

California law governs these Terms except where federal law or another applicable law controls. When a dispute may properly proceed in court, exclusive venue will be in state or federal courts located in Los Angeles County, California, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

32. Assignment

You may not assign your account, personal membership benefits, or personal Discretionary Courtesy Fee Waiver eligibility without Astoryah’s written consent. Astoryah may assign these Terms in connection with a legitimate transfer of its business or assets, subject to applicable law.

33. No Waiver

Failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. Customer-service accommodations, refunds, rescheduling, courtesy waivers, extensions, or other discretionary measures do not create a continuing obligation.

34. Severability

If a provision is invalid or unenforceable, it will be enforced to the maximum lawful extent where permitted and the remainder will continue in effect.

35. Entire Agreement and Separate Written Agreements

These Terms, the Privacy Policy, and applicable purchase terms constitute the agreement concerning general use of the Services. A separate written Custom Professional Services agreement or other specific agreement may control the subject matter it addresses.

No separate agreement creates a different dispute-resolution forum or supersedes Section 30 unless it expressly identifies Section 30 and validly states the agreed modification.

36. Contact

General questions and ordinary customer service: info@astoryah.com

Requests to reopen a voluntarily closed same account: admin@astoryah.com

Formal legal notices, privacy/legal requests, copyright or intellectual-property complaints, User Content deletion requests, arbitration notices and opt-outs, Submitted Materials disputes, and other legal communications: legal@astoryah.com