Terms of Use

These Terms of Use govern your access to and use of rupa.garden and all associated services operated by Rupa Garden. By using this site you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.

1. About Rupa Garden

Rupa Garden is an independent digital news publication based in Sri Lanka. We publish news, opinion, culture, and community stories. Our editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by advertisers or external interests.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use this site. By creating an account you confirm that you meet this requirement. If you are under 18, you should review these terms with a parent or guardian.

3. User Accounts

To post comments or submit articles you must create an account with a verified email address. You are responsible for:

• Keeping your password secure and confidential
• All activity that occurs under your account
• Notifying us immediately at info@rupa.garden if you suspect unauthorised use

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms or that have been inactive for an extended period.

4. User-Generated Content

When you post a comment or submit content to Rupa Garden, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to display, distribute, and reproduce that content as part of our services. You retain ownership of your content.

You are solely responsible for the content you post. By submitting content you confirm that:

• The content is your own original work or you have the right to share it
• It does not infringe the copyright, trademark, or other rights of any third party
• It does not violate any applicable Sri Lankan law or regulation
• It is not defamatory, abusive, threatening, obscene, or hateful

We reserve the right to remove any content at our sole discretion without notice.

5. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Post spam, unsolicited promotions, or misleading information
• Harass, intimidate, or threaten other users or our staff
• Impersonate any person or organisation
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the site or its infrastructure
• Use automated tools (bots, scrapers) to extract content without our prior written permission
• Use the site for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable law
• Interfere with the site's operation or the experience of other users

6. Intellectual Property

All editorial content published on Rupa Garden — including articles, photographs, graphics, and design — is the property of Rupa Garden or its respective contributors and is protected by copyright. You may share links to our content and quote brief excerpts with proper attribution, but you may not reproduce full articles or substantial portions without our written permission.

To request syndication or republication rights, contact info@rupa.garden.

7. Article Submissions

Submissions sent to publish@rupa.garden are considered for publication at our editorial discretion. Submitting a piece does not guarantee publication. We may edit accepted submissions for clarity, length, and house style. You will be notified if your submission is accepted or declined within a reasonable timeframe.

8. Accuracy and Corrections

We strive for accuracy in all our reporting. If you believe an article contains a factual error, please contact us at info@rupa.garden. Verified corrections will be published promptly and noted on the article.

9. Third-Party Links

Our content may include links to third-party websites. These links are provided for convenience and do not constitute an endorsement. We have no control over and accept no responsibility for the content, privacy practices, or availability of those sites.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

The site and its content are provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not warrant that the site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses. While we take care to publish accurate information, we make no representations as to the completeness, reliability, or currency of any content.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Rupa Garden shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of, or inability to use, the site or its content. Our total liability to you for any claim arising under these terms shall not exceed the amount, if any, paid by you to us in the twelve months preceding the claim.

12. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold Rupa Garden harmless from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising out of your use of the site, your violation of these terms, or your infringement of any third-party right.

13. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Any dispute arising from or related to these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Sri Lanka.

14. Changes to These Terms

We may revise these Terms of Use at any time. The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised terms. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

15. Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms of Use, please contact us at info@rupa.garden.