1. Introduction and acceptance
These Terms & Conditions (the "Terms") are a legally binding agreement between you ("you", "your", or the "Cook") and Sear ("Sear", "we", "us", "our"), governing your use of the website at sear.world (the "Website"), the Sear mobile application (the "App"), the Sear waitlist, the smart glasses and gloves we provide (the "Equipment"), and all related services, features, content and functionality (together, the "Service"). By accessing the Website, joining the waitlist, applying, completing identity verification, receiving or using the Equipment, using the App, or uploading any content, you confirm that you have read, understood and agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated by reference. If you do not agree, do not use the Service. Your acceptance at any acceptance point (such as a checkbox), and your continued use of the Service, each constitute agreement to the Terms in effect at that time.
2. Definitions
"Accepted Cook" means a Cooking Session that passes Sear's quality review and is credited with value. "Content" means all video footage, audio (if any), images, sensor data, motion data, glove telemetry, metadata, descriptions and other material captured by the Equipment or submitted by you. "Cooking Session" means a single recorded session of cooking activity. "Equipment" means the smart glasses, gloves, chargers, cases, cables, packaging and any other hardware provided by Sear. "Partner" means a third-party robotics, AI or research organization contracted with Sear for licensed use of Content. "Value" or "Credits" means the value credited to your account for Accepted Cooks, as determined by Sear.
3. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, if higher) and legally resident in a region where Sear operates — currently the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. We may expand or restrict regions at any time. You must have legal capacity to contract and must not have been previously suspended from the Service. You are responsible for ensuring that every person who appears in or assists with a Cooking Session is at least 18 and has given informed consent to being recorded and to the use of the recording under these Terms. The Service is for personal use in domestic kitchens; commercial kitchens require our prior written approval.
4. Waitlist and application
Joining the waitlist does not guarantee acceptance, Equipment shipment, or any entitlement to participate or earn Value; acceptance is at Sear's sole discretion. You agree to provide accurate, current and complete information (name, contact details, shipping address, and details about you and your cooking) and to keep it up to date. False or misleading information is grounds for rejection, suspension or termination. We may contact you using the details you provide about your application, onboarding, shipment and the Service.
5. Identity verification (KYC)
Before Equipment ships and before any Value is paid out, you must complete a one-time identity verification using a valid, unexpired, government-issued ID. KYC may be performed by Sear or a third-party verification provider, and you consent to the processing of your identity documents for this purpose as described in our Privacy Policy. We may decline, suspend or revoke participation if KYC cannot be completed or if we reasonably suspect fraud, and may require re-verification at reasonable intervals.
6. Equipment — loan, care and return
All Equipment is and remains at all times the sole property of Sear and is provided free of charge on loan, solely for participating in the Service. No title or ownership passes to you. You may use the Equipment only to record Cooking Sessions and must not use it for any other purpose, including surveillance or any unlawful activity. You agree to: keep the Equipment in good working condition with reasonable care; follow all usage, safety, charging, cleaning and storage instructions; not disassemble, modify, repair, reverse-engineer, extract software from, or tamper with it; not sell, rent, lend, pledge or transfer it to anyone; not remove serial numbers or identifiers; and notify us promptly at support@sear.world if it is lost, stolen, damaged or malfunctioning.
You must return all Equipment, in working order with all accessories, within 30 days of the earliest of: your decision to stop participating, our request, or termination of your account. Sear bears reasonable return-shipping costs using the method we specify. You are responsible for loss or damage caused by misuse, neglect, unauthorized modification or non-return; in such cases we may charge you, offset against accrued Value, or invoice the repair or replacement cost, to the extent permitted by law. Normal wear and tear is not your responsibility. The Equipment contains embedded software, licensed to you on a limited, personal, non-transferable, revocable basis; we may update it remotely for security or functionality.
7. The Service and recording
The glasses are designed to frame your hands, food, utensils and immediate workspace — not your face. The gloves capture hand and finger movement data. Recordings transfer to the App on your device, and no Content is transmitted to Sear until you review it and affirmatively approve upload. You are solely responsible for reviewing each recording before approving it. Automated blurring of certain personal details is applied where technically feasible, but automated systems are not perfect; your review-and-approve step is the primary safeguard, and you should keep documents, screens and other personal items out of frame. We may set technical and content requirements for sessions and may reject sessions not meeting them. We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free availability and may suspend the Service for maintenance, security or operational reasons.
8. Your Content and license grant
You retain ownership of your Content. By uploading, you grant Sear a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, fully paid-up, sublicensable (through multiple tiers) and transferable license to access, host, store, reproduce, process, transmit, display, adapt, modify, translate, annotate, label, segment, create derivative works from, combine with other works, and otherwise use the Content, in whole or in part, to: operate, maintain, secure and improve the Service; develop, train, fine-tune, evaluate, benchmark and improve machine-learning models, datasets, robotics systems and related technologies; share the Content with Partners under confidentiality and use restrictions for those purposes; conduct quality assurance and R&D; and comply with legal obligations.
This license survives termination of your account or these Terms. You acknowledge that Content incorporated into datasets or used to train models may be technically impossible to remove, and trained models will not be untrained or deleted on termination. To the maximum extent permitted by law you waive, or consent to acts otherwise infringing, any moral rights in the Content as against Sear and its Partners. You represent and warrant that you own or have all rights and consents needed to submit the Content and grant this license; that the Content and its licensed use will not infringe any third party's intellectual-property, privacy, publicity or other rights; that all persons appearing are 18+ and have consented; and that the Content complies with these Terms and applicable law. Sear has no obligation to accept, use or retain any Content.
9. Acceptable use and content standards
You agree NOT to: record any person without informed consent; record or include anyone under 18 in any Content; deliberately capture other people's faces, identity documents, financial information, screens, mail, medications or other sensitive personal information; stage, falsify, loop, splice, duplicate or artificially generate sessions, or submit content not genuinely recorded by you with the Equipment; submit unlawful, dangerous, obscene or infringing material; manipulate or defraud the review, grading or payment systems; use bots or automation; probe, scan or interfere with the Service or circumvent security; reverse-engineer the App or Equipment except where the law prohibits this restriction; use the Service to build a competing product or dataset; or violate any applicable law. We may remove Content, withhold Value for Content obtained in breach of this section, and suspend or terminate violating accounts.
10. Quality review, grading and acceptance
All submitted Content is subject to automated and/or human review. Sear determines, in its sole discretion, whether a session is accepted, the grade assigned, and the Value credited. Relevant factors may include session length, dish complexity, video and sensor quality, lighting and framing, completeness, uniqueness, current data needs, and compliance with these Terms. Review decisions are final; we will try to give reasons for rejections where practicable but are not obliged to.
11. Payments, credits and taxes
Only Accepted Cooks carry Value. Sear sets, and may change at any time, rates, formulas, multipliers, minimum payout thresholds, payout schedules and methods; changes apply prospectively. Payouts are conditional on current KYC, compliance with these Terms, any minimum threshold, and the absence of pending fraud or quality investigations. We may reverse, withhold or reclaim Value credited in error or obtained through fraud or breach. You are solely responsible for any taxes on amounts you receive; we may collect tax information, report payments to authorities, and withhold where legally required. Unclaimed Value in long-inactive accounts is handled per applicable unclaimed-property laws.
12. Relationship of the parties
You participate as an independent party. Nothing in these Terms creates an employment, agency, partnership, joint-venture or franchise relationship. You are not entitled to employee benefits and may not act on Sear's behalf. You decide if, when and what to cook and whether to upload any session; Sear does not direct or control your cooking.
13. Privacy and data protection
Our handling of personal data is described in our Privacy Policy, available in the footer of this Website, which forms part of these Terms. Your Content is never made public by Sear, never sold on an open marketplace, and never used for advertising; it is shared only with Partners bound by confidentiality and use-limitation obligations.
14. Sear's intellectual property
The Service — including the Website, App, Equipment design and software, the Sear name, logo, trademarks, text, graphics and interfaces — is owned by Sear or its licensors and protected by copyright, trademark, patent, trade-secret and other laws. Except for the limited rights expressly granted, nothing transfers any of Sear's intellectual property to you. You may not use our name, logo or trademarks without prior written consent.
15. Feedback
If you provide suggestions, ideas or feedback about the Service, you grant Sear a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to use it for any purpose without obligation or compensation.
16. Third-party services and links
The Service may link to or integrate with third-party websites or services (including social media and payment providers). Sear does not control and is not responsible for them; your use of them is at your own risk and subject to their terms.
17. Confidentiality
You may receive non-public information about the Service — such as rates, review criteria, product plans or Partner identities. You agree to keep it confidential and not disclose or use it except as necessary to participate.
18. Disclaimers
THE SERVICE, EQUIPMENT, APP AND ALL RELATED MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE", WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Sear does not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure or error-free; any level of earnings or acceptance rate; that any submission will be accepted; that automated blurring will capture all sensitive details; or that the Equipment will be defect-free. You are solely responsible for safe cooking practices; Sear does not supervise your cooking and is not responsible for burns, cuts, fires, foodborne illness, allergic reactions, property damage or other harm arising from your cooking activities. Nothing in these Terms excludes warranties or statutory consumer rights that cannot lawfully be excluded in your jurisdiction.
19. Limitation of liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SEAR AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AFFILIATES, LICENSORS AND PARTNERS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, EARNINGS, REVENUE, DATA OR GOODWILL, UNDER ANY THEORY, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY. SEAR'S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (a) THE VALUE CREDITED TO YOU IN THE THREE (3) MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM, OR (b) US $100. Nothing limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any liability that cannot be limited by law. These limitations are fundamental to the bargain; the Service would not be provided free of equipment cost without them.
20. Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Sear and its officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates and Partners from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from: your Content (including any claim it infringes rights or that a person in it did not consent); your use or misuse of the Equipment or Service; your breach of these Terms or applicable law; or your cooking activities, including any injury or property damage. We may assume exclusive defense of any such matter, and you agree to cooperate.
21. Term, suspension and termination
These Terms apply from your first use until terminated. You may stop at any time by emailing support@sear.world and returning the Equipment under Section 6; accrued Value for Accepted Cooks above the payout threshold is paid in the ordinary course, subject to these Terms. We may suspend or terminate your access at any time, with or without notice, for breach, suspected fraud or unlawful activity, legal requirement, or discontinuation of the Service in your region or generally; where termination is not for breach we will make reasonable efforts to give notice and pay accrued Value. On termination, your license to the App and Equipment ends and you must return the Equipment. Sections 8, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22 and 23, and any provisions that by nature should survive, survive termination.
22. Dispute resolution; arbitration; class-action waiver
Before any formal proceeding, you agree to contact us at support@sear.world describing the dispute and give us 30 days to resolve it informally. For US residents, to the maximum extent permitted by law, any dispute that cannot be resolved informally shall be finally resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by a recognized arbitration provider under its consumer rules, rather than in court — except that either party may bring an individual claim in small-claims court or seek injunctive relief in court for IP infringement or misuse. The Federal Arbitration Act governs this Section. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YOU AND SEAR EACH WAIVE THE RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY CLASS, COLLECTIVE, CONSOLIDATED OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION; ALL CLAIMS MUST BE BROUGHT INDIVIDUALLY. You may opt out of arbitration and the class-action waiver by emailing support@sear.world with subject "Arbitration Opt-Out" within 30 days of first accepting these Terms. If you reside in the UK or Canada, this Section applies only to the extent permitted by mandatory local law, and nothing deprives you of non-waivable consumer protections or the right to proceed in your local courts where mandatory law so provides.
23. Governing law and jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules, except where mandatory consumer-protection laws of your residence provide otherwise. Subject to Section 22, you agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in Delaware, except that UK and Canadian consumers may bring proceedings in their local courts where mandatory law so provides.
24. General provisions
Changes: we may amend these Terms; the "Last updated" date reflects the latest version, material changes will be notified via the App, email or Website, and continued use after the effective date is acceptance — if you disagree, stop using the Service and return the Equipment. Force majeure: Sear is not liable for delay or failure caused by events beyond its reasonable control (natural disasters, epidemics, war, labor disputes, supply-chain failures, government action, power or internet failures, third-party failures). Severability: invalid provisions are enforced to the maximum permissible extent; the rest remain in force. Waiver: no failure or delay by Sear waives any right; waivers must be written. Assignment: you may not assign these Terms without our consent; Sear may assign freely, including in a merger or asset sale. Entire agreement: these Terms plus the Privacy Policy and any feature-specific terms are the entire agreement and supersede prior understandings. Electronic communications: you consent to receive notices electronically, satisfying any writing requirement. Export and sanctions: you represent you are not in a comprehensively sanctioned country or on a restricted-party list, and will comply with export-control and sanctions laws. No third-party beneficiaries. Headings are for convenience only.
25. Contact
Questions, notices and requests regarding these Terms: support@sear.world.
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