ideaforge Terms & Conditions

Creators retain ownership of the ideas, materials, concepts, inventions, files, and innovation assets they submit to ideaforge.

Submission to the platform does not transfer ownership of an asset to ideaforge.

Nothing within ideaforge should be interpreted as an assignment of intellectual property rights to the platform.

Creators remain responsible for protecting, registering, licensing, assigning, enforcing, or commercializing their intellectual property.

A Covered Asset includes any idea, concept, invention, process, system, product, technology, software, business model, design, content, documentation, file, or innovation asset submitted to ideaforge.

Covered Assets also include:

• Modified versions
• Improved versions
• Derivative versions
• Rebranded versions
• Successor versions
• Continuations
• Materially similar commercial implementations

where such versions substantially originate from the originally submitted asset.

When a creator submits an asset to the ideaforge Evaluation Engine, ideaforge immediately provides structured value through:

• Structured evaluation and readiness assessment
• Prior art intelligence and competitive analysis
• Market analysis and commercialization insight
• Strategic guidance and asset structuring
• Platform-generated intelligence and scoring

Because evaluation creates value, any asset submitted to the Evaluation Engine immediately becomes a Covered Asset under these Terms. Covered Asset status does not require, and is not conditional upon, any of the following:

• IdeaID Registration (V1 or V2)
• Workspace participation or AI-assisted development
• Re-Evaluation
• Listing Preparation
• Marketplace publication
• Investor or buyer engagement

A core function of ideaforge is helping creators transform early-stage ideas into structured opportunities.

When a creator uses ideaforge to evaluate, validate, structure, register, strengthen, develop, prepare, or expose a Covered Asset, ideaforge becomes a commercialization origin platform for that asset.

The creator acknowledges that value may be created through evaluation, prior art analysis, market intelligence, asset structuring, registration records, development guidance, commercialization preparation, and marketplace exposure.

Because of this contribution, certain commercialization activities involving Covered Assets may be subject to Success Fees as described below.

Success Fees apply only when a Covered Asset results in a qualifying commercial outcome. No Success Fee is owed merely for submitting an idea or running an evaluation.

Success Fees become applicable only upon commercialization, funding, licensing, acquisition, sale, partnership formation, or similar economic events involving a Covered Asset.

Users may not intentionally use ideaforge services and then structure transactions outside the platform for the purpose of avoiding applicable Success Fees.

Examples include:

• Repackaging or renaming a Covered Asset
• Routing transactions through affiliates
• Concealing transaction value
• Delaying transactions to avoid platform obligations
• Moving negotiations off-platform solely to avoid Success Fees

Success Fees survive platform departure and account termination.

ideaforge is designed to support secure handling of innovation assets. However, no online platform can guarantee absolute confidentiality. Users remain responsible for determining what information to submit and when to share it.

ideaforge may suspend, restrict, remove, or terminate access to any asset, listing, account, or activity that violates these Terms, applicable law, or threatens platform integrity — without prior notice when reasonably necessary.

Use of ideaforge does not create a partnership, joint venture, agency relationship, fiduciary relationship, or employment relationship between ideaforge and any user.

ideaforge is not a broker-dealer, securities exchange, investment advisor, or funding portal unless expressly stated otherwise. Nothing on the platform constitutes investment advice, a securities offering, or a guarantee of returns. Users are responsible for compliance with all applicable securities laws.

Current Success Fees (5% commercialization / 3% capital formation) may be modified in the future with reasonable notice.

ideaforge owns the platform itself including software, branding, evaluation methodologies, registry architecture, lifecycle architecture, marketplace infrastructure, and platform-generated systems.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, ideaforge shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, punitive, or special damages arising from platform use. The platform is provided on an “as-is” and “as-available” basis.

Users agree to indemnify and hold harmless ideaforge from claims arising from submitted materials, intellectual property disputes, misrepresentations, regulatory violations, breach of these Terms, or improper platform use.

ideaforge may update these Terms periodically. Continued use of the platform after publication of updated Terms constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. Material changes may require renewed acceptance.

These Terms shall be governed by the laws of the applicable governing jurisdiction identified by ideaforge. Specific dispute resolution procedures, venue requirements, and arbitration provisions may be established in the final legal version of these Terms.