Terms of Service

To secure a discounted Founding Member rate, users pay a $1.00 one-time non-refundable founding access fee via Stripe. By completing this payment, you agree that:

• The $1.00 fee is charged immediately upon checkout and is non-refundable except where required by applicable law.
• This payment is not a subscription charge. No recurring billing occurs at the time of this transaction.
• Your payment method is securely stored by Stripe on our behalf for future subscription billing at launch.
• You expressly authorize FishDuel and Stripe to charge your stored payment method $14.99/month (Founding Member Rate) beginning at or after the official platform launch, with at least 7 days advance email notice before the first recurring charge.
• You acknowledge that these charges are recurring and will continue until you cancel your membership.

• Free — Basic access, catch logging, open challenge participation.
• Angler — $12.99/month. Create 1 crew, local tournament access, priority leaderboard placement.
• Pro — $24.99/month ($14.99/month for Founding Members). Up to 3 crews, regional tournaments, no entry fee cap, advanced analytics.
• Elite — $49.99/month. Unlimited crews, elite league access, featured badge, global season trial entry.

• Founding Members may receive a single-use promo code granting one friend access to the Founding Member rate at launch.
• Codes are non-transferable, have no monetary value, and may not be applied to existing subscriptions.
• FishDuel may revoke or expire codes at any time without notice.
• Codes expire upon public launch or at FishDuel's sole discretion, whichever comes first.

• Subscriptions renew automatically on the same date each month unless cancelled.
• Cancellations must be submitted at least 48 hours before the next billing date to avoid the upcoming charge.
• Membership access continues through the end of the paid billing period after cancellation.
• Cancellation of a Founding Member subscription permanently forfeits the discounted rate. Reinstatement is subject to standard pricing.

All payments are processed by our third-party payment processor(s). FishDuel does not store your full card number or any sensitive payment credentials. By paying through FishDuel, you agree to the applicable payment processor's terms of service. See our Privacy Policy Section 5 for full payment data details.

• All catch photos must be taken live through the FishDuel app camera at the time of the catch. Gallery uploads, stock photos, and pre-taken images are strictly prohibited and constitute fraud.
• The fish must be clearly visible and on a scale showing the weight in the photo.
• GPS coordinates are automatically captured at photo time and must correspond to a legitimate fishing location near a body of water.
• Photo timestamp metadata must match the submission time within a reasonable window.
• By submitting a catch you certify it is genuine, occurred during the stated time window, and that all data and photos are accurate and unaltered.

• Duplicate photo detection is enforced via image hashing. Submitting the same photo twice — including from different accounts — is automatically flagged and constitutes fraud.
• Unrealistic catch timing (e.g. multiple catches submitted within minutes of each other) will be flagged for review.
• Community flagging: any angler may flag a suspicious catch for admin review. Accurate flaggers earn a Verified Reporter badge.
• GPS pattern detection: submissions from implausible locations or repeated identical coordinates will be flagged.

• Crew captains sign a Captain's Agreement upon creating a crew and are partially accountable for the conduct of their crew members.
• Captains have tools to view all crew catch submissions and flag suspicious activity within their crew.
• Repeated violations by crew members will affect the captain's reputation score and may result in the crew being barred from tournaments and leagues.

• 1st offense: Warning issued and catch removed from the platform.
• 2nd offense: 7-day suspension from all competitive activity.
• 3rd offense: Permanent ban from competitive play. Account may remain active for non-competitive features at FishDuel's discretion.
• FishDuel's decisions on all verification matters are final.

• You are solely responsible for complying with all applicable local, state, and federal fishing regulations in your jurisdiction, including but not limited to licensing, size limits, bag limits, and seasonal restrictions.
• FishDuel is not responsible for verifying the legal compliance of individual catches under fishing regulations. That responsibility rests entirely with the user.

All FishDuel competitions are skill-based. Tournament outcomes are determined entirely by angling ability — specifically the weight and species of fish caught and verified during the competition window. There is no element of chance in determining winners. This framework is consistent with legally recognized skill-based competitions including professional fishing circuits such as Major League Fishing, Bassmaster, and FLW.

• Species-Specific Tournaments: One target species, 3-5 fish submission limit, scored by heaviest single catch or combined weight.
• Multi-Species Tournaments: Multiple species count toward score with species-specific point multipliers.
• 1v1 Challenge Tournaments: Direct competition between two anglers — Biggest Fish, Most Catches, Fastest Catch, or Best of 3 formats.
• Crew Tournaments: Team-based competition where the top 5 of 7 crew member scores count toward the crew total.
• Flash Tournaments: Short duration events (2 hours or less) with simple objectives.
• Special Event Tournaments: Seasonal, sponsored, or themed events with unique rules published per event.

• Some tournaments require an entry fee to participate. Entry fees and prize pool structures are published for each tournament before registration opens.
• Prize pools are funded through participant entry fees and/or sponsor contributions.
• FishDuel retains a platform fee percentage from tournament prize pools as compensation for operating the platform, administering the competition, and maintaining verification infrastructure. The exact percentage is published per tournament.
• Prize pool amounts are confirmed only after the tournament entry period closes. FishDuel does not guarantee specific prize amounts until a tournament is officially confirmed.
• Entry fees are non-refundable once a tournament begins unless FishDuel cancels the event.
• You must be at least 18 years old to enter any paid tournament.

• Prize distribution follows the placement structure published for each tournament.
• Winners must complete identity verification before prizes are distributed. FishDuel may request government-issued ID, proof of age, and tax documentation.
• Prizes will not be distributed to accounts with active strikes, suspensions, or bans.
• Prize distribution is processed within 14 business days of tournament completion, subject to verification completion.

All prize winners are solely responsible for reporting and paying any applicable federal, state, or local taxes on prizes received. FishDuel will issue a 1099 form where required by law. By accepting a prize you acknowledge this responsibility.

• FishDuel reserves the right to modify, cancel, postpone, or disqualify any participant from any tournament at its sole discretion.
• All tournament decisions by FishDuel are final and binding.
• FishDuel is not liable for disputes between participants. Internal disputes are handled by FishDuel's admin team whose decisions are final.
• Callout System: Within league tournaments, anglers at Captain tier (1800+ Rep) may issue a callout to another angler. The callout winner is determined by relative tournament placement. Rep gains and losses apply per the published Rep system.
• Tournament Host Attestation: Any user creating a tournament on FishDuel must attest that (a) all participants will sign a Florida liability waiver before the event, (b) the host carries at least $1,000,000 in general liability insurance, and (c) the host will comply with all FWC species regulations (bag limits, slot limits, and seasonal closures) for all target species. This attestation is recorded with a timestamp and retained for audit purposes.
• NOAA HMS Registration: Tournaments targeting billfish, sailfish, tuna, or marlin species require a valid NOAA Highly Migratory Species (HMS) tournament registration number. The host must provide this number before the tournament can be created.
• Species Closures: FishDuel enforces Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) species closure dates. Tournaments cannot target species during their closed season. This is enforced at the platform level.

• Leagues are structured seasonal competitions requiring full crew participation (7 members). Entry is based on Crew Rep and tournament performance — not payment.
• League tiers: Local (Angler+), Regional (Pro+, full crew), Elite (Elite tier, full crew), Championship (invite only).
• The top 5 of 7 crew member scores count toward the crew total in league play.
• League entry requirements, schedules, and prize structures are published per season.

FishDuel and all associated content, features, systems, branding, and assets are the exclusive intellectual property of FishDuel and its founders. This includes, without limitation:

• The name "FishDuel," all logos, trade names, trademarks, service marks, and brand identity
• The platform's competitive system design, including the Rep System, Tier System, Callout System, Tournament formats, League structure, Crew system, and Challenge system
• All software, source code, algorithms, database structures, and technical implementations
• All platform designs, visual layouts, user interface elements, and creative works
• All marketing materials, copy, imagery, and promotional content
• All game mechanics, scoring formulas, ranking systems, and competitive frameworks

Without prior explicit written authorization from FishDuel, you are strictly prohibited from:

• Copying or reproducing any part of FishDuel's platform, system design, code, branding, or content for any purpose
• Creating competing products that replicate, imitate, or derive from FishDuel's competitive systems, mechanics, or platform design
• Profiting from FishDuel's brand — using the FishDuel name, logo, or associated branding to generate revenue, attract users, or build any commercial product or service
• Reverse engineering any part of the platform, its code, algorithms, or systems
• Scraping, harvesting, or extracting data, content, or user information from the platform
• Building derivative works — creating any product, service, application, or system based on or inspired by FishDuel's platform systems without a signed written agreement
• Impersonating FishDuel — misrepresenting any affiliation with, endorsement by, or partnership with FishDuel
• White-labeling or reselling any FishDuel technology, systems, or content

Access to the FishDuel platform does not grant you any license, right, or interest in FishDuel's intellectual property beyond what is explicitly required to use the Service as an end user. All rights not expressly granted are reserved by FishDuel.

The FishDuel name, logo, and associated marks are protected trademarks. You may not use these marks in any manner that could cause confusion, disparage FishDuel, or imply sponsorship or endorsement without express written permission. Unauthorized use of FishDuel trademarks will be actively enforced.

By submitting catch photos, catch data, profile content, or any other user-generated content to the Service, you grant FishDuel a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, display, reproduce, distribute, and promote that content in connection with the Service and in marketing materials. You retain ownership of your content and represent that you own or have the right to submit it.

Any feedback, suggestions, feature ideas, or platform concepts you submit to FishDuel become the sole property of FishDuel and may be used without restriction, compensation, or attribution. By submitting feedback you waive any claim of ownership or compensation related to that feedback.

FishDuel actively monitors for unauthorized use of its intellectual property and brand. Violations will be pursued to the fullest extent of applicable law, including seeking injunctive relief, damages, and attorney fees. If you believe your intellectual property has been infringed on FishDuel's platform, contact us at fishduel.net@gmail.com.

Before initiating any formal legal action, contact FishDuel at support@fishduel.net and attempt to resolve the dispute informally. We will respond within 10 business days.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, United States, without regard to conflict of law provisions. Legal action must be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Florida.

TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YOU WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OR CLASS-WIDE ARBITRATION AGAINST FISHDUEL.