Terms of Use

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using Digital Pinakothek (pinakothek.online), you accept and agree to be bound by the terms and provision of this agreement. If you do not agree to abide by the above, please do not use this service.

These Terms of Use may be updated from time to time. Your continued use of the website after any changes indicates your acceptance of the new terms.

2. Description of Service

Digital Pinakothek is a free online museum platform providing access to public domain artworks, educational content, and virtual exhibitions. Our mission is to democratize access to world-class art and cultural heritage.

3. Permitted Use

You may use Digital Pinakothek for lawful purposes only. The artworks in our collection are in the public domain and free to use, but we encourage responsible and ethical use.

• Personal Use: Browse, view, and download artworks for personal enjoyment and education
• Educational Use: Use materials for teaching, research, and academic purposes
• Creative Projects: Incorporate public domain artworks into your own creative works
• Commercial Use: Use public domain artworks in commercial projects (verification recommended)
• Sharing: Share links to specific artworks and collections

4. Prohibited Activities

To maintain the integrity of our platform and respect all users, the following activities are strictly prohibited:

• Attempting to gain unauthorized access to our systems or databases
• Using automated tools to scrape or download bulk content without permission
• Misrepresenting the source or authenticity of artworks
• Using our service to distribute malware, spam, or harmful content
• Violating any applicable laws or regulations
• Interfering with other users' access to the service
• Claiming copyright over public domain works

5. Public Domain Commitment

All artworks in our collection are verified to be in the public domain. This means they are free from copyright restrictions and available for unrestricted use by the public.

6. Intellectual Property

The Digital Pinakothek website design, code, databases, and original content are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from our proprietary content without permission.

This restriction does not apply to the public domain artworks themselves, only to our presentation, curation, and original descriptive content.

7. Accuracy and Reliability

We strive to provide accurate information about the artworks in our collection, including attributions, dates, and historical context. However, art historical scholarship is continually evolving, and we cannot guarantee the absolute accuracy of all information.

Users should consider our information as a starting point for further research rather than the definitive source for scholarly or commercial purposes.

8. Privacy and Data Collection

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. Our data collection practices are detailed in our Privacy Policy, which forms an integral part of these Terms of Use.

We collect minimal data necessary to provide and improve our services, and we never sell or share personal information with third parties for commercial purposes.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

Digital Pinakothek is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or completely secure.

While we take reasonable measures to ensure the security and reliability of our service, we cannot guarantee against all technical issues or disruptions.

10. Limitation of Liability

Digital Pinakothek shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of our service, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

This limitation includes, but is not limited to, damages for loss of profits, data, or other intangible losses resulting from the use or inability to use our service.

11. Governing Law

These Terms of Use shall be governed by and construed in accordance with international copyright laws and the principles of fair use and cultural heritage preservation.

Any disputes arising from these terms shall be resolved through good faith negotiation, with preference given to solutions that support our mission of democratizing access to art.

12. Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms of Use, our Public Domain Policy, or any aspect of our service, please don't hesitate to contact us.

We are committed to transparency and open communication with our users and the broader cultural heritage community.