Terms of Service

Last updated: April 10, 2026

ElfEars is free, open-source software. You may use, modify, and distribute it under the MIT license. These terms cover your use of the application and optional connected services.

Acceptance of Terms

By downloading, installing, or using ElfEars, you agree to these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the application.

Description of Service

ElfEars is a macOS application for on-device dictation and meeting transcription. It uses local machine learning models to convert speech to text entirely on your Mac. ElfEars also offers optional integrations with third-party services (OpenAI, OpenRouter, ChatGPT, Google Calendar) that you may choose to enable.

License

ElfEars is distributed under the MIT License. The full source code is available in the CH5 source repository. You are free to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and sell copies of the software, subject to the conditions of the MIT License.

User Responsibilities

You are responsible for your use of ElfEars, including any audio you record and transcriptions you generate
You must comply with all applicable laws regarding recording conversations, including consent laws in your jurisdiction
You must not use ElfEars to record conversations without the knowledge and consent of all participants where required by law
You are responsible for securing your device and any data ElfEars stores locally

Third-Party Services

ElfEars integrates with optional third-party services. Your use of these services is subject to their respective terms:

OpenAI API / ChatGPT — governed by OpenAI's Terms of Use
OpenRouter — governed by OpenRouter's Terms of Service
Google Calendar — governed by Google's Terms of Service

ElfEars is not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or policies of these third-party services.

Google Calendar Integration

When you connect Google Calendar, ElfEars requests read-only access to your calendar events. ElfEars's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. You can revoke access at any time from your Google Account permissions page.

Disclaimer of Warranties

ElfEars is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement. The accuracy of speech-to-text transcriptions depends on audio quality, language, and model capabilities. Transcriptions should not be relied upon as verbatim records without verification.

Limitation of Liability

In no event shall the authors or copyright holders of ElfEars be liable for any claim, damages, or other liability, whether in an action of contract, tort, or otherwise, arising from, out of, or in connection with the software or the use or other dealings in the software.

Changes to These Terms

These terms may be updated from time to time. The updated version will be posted here with a revised date. Continued use of ElfEars after changes constitutes acceptance of the new terms.

Contact

For questions about these terms, open an issue in the CH5 source repository.