SpeakUp – Terms of Service

These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) govern your access to and use of the SpeakUp platform, including our websites at speak-up.pro, our mobile applications for iOS and Android, and all related features, content and services (together, the “Platform”).

The Platform is operated by Shelp FZ-LLC, the company described in Section 2 (“SpeakUp”, “we”, “us” or “our”). By creating an account, downloading our app, or otherwise accessing or using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and any additional policies referenced in these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the Platform.

If you use the Platform on behalf of a company or other organization, you confirm that you have authority to bind that organization, and “you” refers to that organization.

The Platform is operated by:

• Legal entity: Shelp FZ-LLC, a Free Zone Limited Liability Company
• Free zone and authority: Dubai Development Authority Free Zone (Dubai Internet City), Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Commercial licence number: 104739
• Registered address: In5 Tech, HD55B, First Floor, Dubai Internet City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Contact for legal and platform matters: legal@speak-up.pro

“SpeakUp” is a brand and trade name of Shelp FZ-LLC. References to “SpeakUp” in these Terms mean Shelp FZ-LLC operating under that brand. SpeakUp is a registered trademark of Shelp FZ-LLC in the United Arab Emirates (Trademark Registration No. 469244, Class 42).

• “Speaker” means a user who creates a profile to offer speaking, expert, podcast guest or similar services, or to apply to opportunities published on the Platform.
• “Organizer” means a user (including event organizers, conference organizers, podcasters, journalists, media companies, brands and corporate teams) who publishes opportunities, searches for Speakers, or seeks to engage Speakers.
• “Business User” means any user who uses the Platform for purposes relating to its trade, business, craft or profession.
• “Consumer” means an individual user who uses the Platform wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession, where applicable law grants such users specific protections.
• “Content” means any text, images, audio, video, profile information, messages, listings, reviews, ratings and other materials uploaded, posted or transmitted through the Platform.
• “Booking” or “Engagement” means any arrangement, agreement or transaction between users (for example between an Organizer and a Speaker) that is initiated, discussed or arranged through the Platform.
• “Growth Marketplace” means the section of the Platform where third-party providers may offer or advertise services to users, as described in Section 12.

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account or use the Platform. By using the Platform, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.

To use most features you must register an account. You agree to provide accurate, current and complete information and to keep it up to date. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account.

We may verify certain profile information (for example, to display verification badges), but we do not guarantee the accuracy, identity, qualifications or reliability of any user. Verification, where offered, does not constitute our endorsement of any user.

SpeakUp is a technology platform and intermediary. We provide tools that help Speakers and Organizers discover each other, communicate, and arrange Bookings, including profiles, search, opportunity listings, AI-assisted matching and recommendations, in-app messaging, and booking management features.

We are not a party to any Booking or Engagement between users. SpeakUp is not a speaker bureau, talent agency, employer, recruiter or event organizer. We do not negotiate, set the terms of, deliver, supervise, guarantee or take responsibility for any speaking engagement, appearance, podcast, media feature or other arrangement made between users. Any contract for such services is concluded directly between the users involved.

We do not charge commission on Bookings. Unless expressly stated, we are not responsible for payments between users, for the performance or non-performance of any user, for cancellations, no-shows, the quality or legality of any engagement, or for any dispute arising between users. Section 13 sets out further detail on Bookings between users.

All users agree to use the Platform lawfully, honestly and in good faith, and to provide truthful information in their profiles, listings and communications.

The Platform uses artificial intelligence and automated systems to suggest, rank and recommend Speakers, Organizers and opportunities, and to support search, onboarding and certain Content features. These systems consider information such as topics, expertise, languages, audience, event format, profile data and activity on the Platform.

AI-generated matches, rankings and recommendations are provided for convenience only. They are suggestions, not advice, endorsements or guarantees, and may be incomplete or inaccurate. You remain solely responsible for your own decisions, including whom you contact, engage or book. We do not guarantee that any match will result in a Booking or a particular outcome.

You retain ownership of the Content you submit to the Platform. You are solely responsible for your Content and confirm that you have all rights necessary to submit it and that it does not infringe the rights of any third party or violate any law.

You grant SpeakUp a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable licence to host, store, reproduce, adapt, display, distribute and otherwise use your Content to the extent reasonably necessary to operate, provide, promote and improve the Platform. This licence ends when your Content is removed, except where the Content has been shared with others who have not deleted it, or where we must retain it to comply with law.

You agree not to, and not to allow any third party to:

• post or transmit Content that is unlawful, fraudulent, defamatory, obscene, harassing, discriminatory, infringing, or harmful to minors;
• impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your identity, affiliation or qualifications;
• use the Platform to send spam, unsolicited marketing, or to harvest data about other users;
• circumvent, disable or interfere with security or technical features, or attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Platform or other accounts;
• scrape, crawl or use automated means to access or copy the Platform or its data except as expressly permitted;
• upload viruses or malicious code, or otherwise disrupt the integrity or performance of the Platform;
• use the Platform for any purpose that is illegal in your jurisdiction or in the United Arab Emirates.

A breach of this Section may result in suspension or termination of your account under Section 15, and may be reported to the relevant authorities where required by law.

Certain features are paid, including subscription plans for individual users and for businesses, and paid placements in the Growth Marketplace. The current plans, prices and features are displayed on the Platform at the point of purchase. Prices may vary by country and may change from time to time; changes do not affect a subscription period you have already paid for.

Unless you purchase through an app store as described below, payments are processed by our third-party payment provider, Stripe. By purchasing, you authorize us and Stripe to charge your chosen payment method for the applicable fees, including taxes where they apply. You agree to keep your payment information accurate and current.

The Growth Marketplace lets third-party providers offer or advertise services to users, such as public relations, coaching, production, venues, marketing and professional tools. These providers are independent third parties, not SpeakUp.

We do not provide, control or guarantee third-party services, and we are not a party to any contract you enter into with a third-party provider. Any paid placement or advertisement in the Growth Marketplace is identified as such. Listing or advertising on the Platform does not constitute our endorsement. You deal with third-party providers at your own risk, and any dispute is between you and that provider.

When you arrange a Booking with another user, you do so directly with that user. You are responsible for agreeing the terms of the Engagement, including scope, fees, dates, travel, cancellation terms, invoicing and taxes. We strongly recommend that users record the agreed terms in writing.

SpeakUp does not guarantee any Booking and is not responsible for the conduct or performance of any user. This includes cancellations, no-shows, late or non-payment between users, the quality, safety or legality of any engagement, and any loss or damage arising from an Engagement. Any dispute about a Booking is between the users involved. We may, at our discretion and without obligation, provide limited assistance, but we are not required to mediate or resolve user disputes.

The Platform, including its software, design, text, graphics, logos and the SpeakUp name and brand, is owned by or licensed to Shelp FZ-LLC and is protected by intellectual property laws. SpeakUp is a registered trademark of Shelp FZ-LLC in the United Arab Emirates (Registration No. 469244, Class 42).

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Platform for its intended purpose, subject to these Terms. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, lease, reverse engineer or create derivative works from any part of the Platform except as permitted by law or with our written consent. You may not use our name, logo or trademarks without our prior written permission.

You may stop using the Platform and close your account at any time. Closing your account does not automatically entitle you to a refund, except as required by law.

We may suspend or terminate your access to all or part of the Platform if we reasonably believe that: (a) you have breached these Terms or our policies; (b) your use creates legal risk or harm to us, other users or third parties; (c) we are required to do so by law or by an app store; or (d) you have not paid fees that are due.

If we terminate a paid subscription for reasons other than your breach, we will refund any prepaid fees for the unused part of your subscription period. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 9, 14, 16, 17 and 18) will survive.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Platform is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. We do not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free or secure, that defects will be corrected, or that any match, recommendation, content or result will meet your expectations or achieve any particular outcome.

We do not warrant the accuracy, completeness, identity, qualifications or reliability of any user, Content, listing or third-party service. Your use of the Platform and any reliance on its Content is at your own risk.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits any warranty or right that cannot be excluded or limited under the law that applies to you, including mandatory consumer protections.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, SpeakUp and Shelp FZ-LLC, and our directors, officers, employees and agents, will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive loss, or for any loss of profits, revenue, business, goodwill, data or opportunity, arising out of or in connection with your use of the Platform or any Booking, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such loss.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with the Platform and these Terms in any 12-month period will not exceed the greater of (a) the total amount you paid to us for the Platform in that period, or (b) one hundred US dollars (USD 100).

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law. If you are a Consumer, you keep all mandatory rights granted by the law of your country, and the limitations in this Section apply only to the extent permitted by that law.

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless SpeakUp and Shelp FZ-LLC from and against any claims, damages, losses and reasonable costs (including legal fees) arising out of your breach of these Terms, your Content, your use of the Platform, or any Engagement you enter into with another user. This Section does not apply to Consumers except to the extent permitted by applicable law.

If you download our app from the Apple App Store, the following applies and prevails over any conflicting term in these Terms only with respect to the Apple-sourced application:

• These Terms are between you and Shelp FZ-LLC only, not with Apple. Apple is not responsible for the app or its content.
• Your licence to use the app is limited to use on Apple-branded devices that you own or control, as permitted by the App Store Terms of Service.
• Apple has no obligation to provide maintenance or support for the app. Any product warranty, to the extent not effectively disclaimed, is our responsibility, not Apple’s.
• We, not Apple, are responsible for addressing any claims relating to the app, including product liability, legal or regulatory compliance, and consumer protection claims, to the extent we are responsible under these Terms and applicable law.
• We, not Apple, are responsible for investigating and resolving any third-party claim that the app or your use of it infringes intellectual property rights.
• Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms with respect to the Apple-sourced app and may enforce them against you.
• You confirm that you are not located in a country subject to a relevant embargo and are not on any prohibited or restricted party list, as required by Apple.

If you download our app from Google Play, your use is also subject to the Google Play Terms of Service. To the extent of any conflict for the Google Play-sourced app, the Google Play Terms govern the distribution of the app. Google is not a party to these Terms and is not responsible for the app or its content.

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will give reasonable notice, for example by posting the updated Terms on the Platform with a new effective date or by notifying you in the app or by email. Changes take effect on the stated effective date. If you continue to use the Platform after that date, you accept the updated Terms. If you do not agree, you should stop using the Platform and may close your account.

These Terms and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them are governed by the laws of the United Arab Emirates, as applied in the Emirate of Dubai, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules.

If you are a Consumer, this Section does not deprive you of the protection of mandatory consumer-protection rules of the country where you live, and it does not remove any right you may have to bring proceedings, or to require proceedings to be brought, in the courts of your country of residence where applicable law so provides.