Terms of Service

Offline Edition · Last updated: June 2026

These terms govern your use of the “Dictara” software in its Offline Edition. Dictara runs entirely on your own Mac: speech recognition and all processing happen locally on the device. There is no subscription, no per-hour billing, no credits and no metered usage. During Early Access the app is free; a one-time licence per Mac will follow later. A consumer within the meaning of these terms is any natural person who enters into the transaction for purposes that are predominantly outside their trade, business or profession.

1. Provider

2. Subject matter and licence

Dictara is an application for macOS (Apple Silicon) that records spoken language, converts it into text on your device and inserts it at your cursor or into your local diary.

During the Early Access phase we grant you a free, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use Dictara on a per-device basis (one installation per Mac), revocable and limited to the duration of the Early Access programme. When the paid version is introduced, use will be covered by a one-time licence per Mac (a single payment for a permanent right to use the version covered by it on one device).

This is not a subscription: there are no recurring fees, no hourly rates, no usage credits and no metered billing of any kind. The licence is granted for the application as provided (“as is”); it does not constitute a sale of the software itself and does not transfer any ownership, source code or intellectual-property rights to you.

3. 100% local processing

Dictara performs speech recognition and all text processing locally on your Mac. Your audio and the resulting text are not required to leave the device for the app to function, and we do not receive your recordings, transcripts or diary. Recognition quality depends on factors such as pronunciation, background noise and your hardware; error-free or complete transcription is not owed, and you should review inserted text before relying on it.

Because everything stays on your device, you are solely responsible for the files Dictara creates and stores locally (in particular your diary and transcripts) and for making your own backups. We have no access to these files and cannot restore, recover or reproduce them if they are lost, moved or deleted.

4. Permitted use and your obligations

You may use Dictara for your own lawful purposes. You undertake in particular:

• not to redistribute, resell, sublicense, rent or pass off the app (or a modified version of it) as your own product or service;
• not to reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the software, except to the extent such acts are expressly permitted by mandatory law (in particular § 69e of the German Copyright Act on interoperability) and cannot be excluded by contract;
• not to circumvent technical protection or licensing measures, and not to use the app abusively or in any way that violates applicable law or the rights of third parties.

Recording of conversations: Depending on your jurisdiction, recording or transcribing conversations — especially calls and meetings — may require the consent of the other participants or may be restricted by law. You alone are responsible for ensuring that your recordings and transcriptions are lawful and for obtaining any required consent. Dictara is a tool; how you use it is your responsibility.

5. Availability and changes to the app

Because Dictara runs locally, the app keeps working on your Mac independently of our servers. We may offer updates and an optional version check, but we do not owe any particular level of server availability. We may modify, update or discontinue features over time, in particular to reflect technical developments, security needs or changes in the law, provided this does not unreasonably disadvantage you.

6. Warranty and liability

During Early Access the software is provided free of charge and “as is”, to the extent permitted by law; it may contain errors and is made available for evaluation. Statutory warranty rights of consumers remain unaffected and are not excluded by this clause.

We are liable without limitation in cases of intent and gross negligence, under the German Product Liability Act, in the event of fraudulently concealed defects, and for injury to life, body or health. In cases of simple negligence we are only liable for the breach of a material contractual obligation (a so-called cardinal obligation) whose fulfilment makes the proper performance of the contract possible in the first place and on whose observance you may regularly rely; in such cases liability is limited to the foreseeable damage typical for this type of contract. Any further liability is excluded.

In particular, we are not liable for the loss of locally stored data where this results from the absence of your own backups, nor for losses or errors arising from automated speech recognition, within the limits set out above. Mandatory consumer protection rights remain unaffected.

7. Paid licence to follow

The detailed purchase and licence terms for the paid version — including price, scope of the one-time licence, conclusion of contract and the statutory right of withdrawal — will be presented separately before any purchase is possible, once the paid licence is introduced. Until then, use of Dictara under these terms is free of charge.

8. Changes to these terms

We reserve the right to amend these terms with effect for the future, insofar as this is necessary for a valid reason (e.g. a changed legal situation, the introduction of the paid licence, or changes to the app) and you are not unreasonably disadvantaged. We will notify you of material changes in an appropriate manner.

9. Final provisions

The law of the Federal Republic of Germany applies, excluding the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods; mandatory consumer protection provisions of the country of your habitual residence remain unaffected. Should any provision be or become invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions remains unaffected. Information on our company and on online dispute resolution can be found in our imprint.