Legal
Terms of Service
These Terms govern your use of the Lexicon desktop application, related downloadable builds, optional browser extension beta, and the website at lexicon-writer.pages.dev (together, the “Service”), operated by Aashish Harishchandre (“I,” “me,” or “Lexicon”).
By downloading, installing, or using Lexicon, or by using the website, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
These Terms are a practical framework for an indie MIT-licensed project. They are not a substitute for professional legal advice.
1. Eligibility
You must be at least 13 years old to use Lexicon. If you are under the age of majority where you live, you may use Lexicon only with a parent or guardian’s permission. Lexicon is not directed at children under 13.
2. What Lexicon is
Lexicon is a local-first writing assistant that helps with drafting, proofreading, optional AI transforms using a downloaded local model on supported builds or a server you configure, and export. Features may change over time. Some UI elements may be experimental or incomplete; release notes describe what is live versus stubbed.
3. Browser extension beta
Lexicon may provide a beta browser extension for Chrome and Firefox. After optional page access is granted, the extension's content scripts match supported URLs and frames and, by default, automatically detect visible editable fields, read their text, send it to the Lexicon desktop application running on the same device, and display proofreading results or suggestions in the page. It also supports Tone and rewrite actions from a field badge. The desktop app must be running for this integration to work. The Published GitHub release artifacts provide a Chrome load-unpacked package and an unsigned, temporary Firefox add-on when available.
The extension is experimental and may be unstable or unavailable on particular sites. Google Docs is not currently supported, and Firefox 142 or later is required. You are responsible for reviewing the optional HTTP/HTTPS host permissions, installing packages only from the official Lexicon release page, and deciding where to enable the extension. The extension provides controls to pause proofreading globally or disable Lexicon on a specific website. Pausing does not prevent a manually requested Tone/rewrite action; disabling a website prevents extension processing there. Your use of a website with the extension remains subject to that website’s terms and privacy policy.
The extension also lets you add or remove words from a personal dictionary shared with the desktop app through the same-device Lexicon sidecar. The sidecar stores the canonical list in local application data; the extension keeps a browser-local cache and queues changes when the desktop app is unavailable. Dictionary words are used as ignore values for later proofreading checks and are not sent to a Lexicon-operated cloud service.
Extension page text is sent to the desktop app over a local connection, not to a Lexicon-operated cloud service. If you configure the desktop app to use a remote AI or proofreading endpoint, the relevant text and prompt may then be sent to that endpoint under its terms.
The desktop integration uses an unauthenticated HTTP API on loopback. It is intended as a same-device trust boundary, not as an encrypted or authenticated service for untrusted local software. Other software running on the device may be able to connect to the API. Advanced configurations can also change backend destinations or expose the standalone API beyond loopback; you are responsible for securing those configurations and using HTTPS where credentials or writing are sent.
4. Your content
You retain ownership of the documents and other content you create or import into Lexicon. These Terms do not transfer ownership of your writing to me, including text you choose to proofread through the browser extension. You are responsible for having the rights to any content you use with Lexicon and for reviewing any rights or restrictions that may apply to AI-generated output or to a third-party endpoint.
Local documents, histories, prompts, preferences, and model files are stored using ordinary application storage without an application-level encryption or backup guarantee. You are responsible for protecting your device, OS account, backups, and any files you export.
5. Open-source license
The Lexicon source code is licensed under the MIT License. Nothing in these Terms limits rights you already have under that MIT license for the Software as defined there. These Terms additionally cover how you use packaged builds, the website, and community channels in connection with Lexicon.
6. Acceptable use
You agree not to:
- Use Lexicon in a way that violates applicable law
- Attempt to disrupt or abuse update infrastructure, the website, or community spaces
- Use the browser extension to bypass a website’s access controls, scrape content in violation of that website’s rules, or interfere with another person’s privacy
- Misrepresent Lexicon’s output as human-verified professional advice (legal, medical, academic integrity, immigration, etc.)
You are solely responsible for reviewing suggestions and for any document you publish, submit, or rely on.
7. No professional advice; AI and grammar limits
Grammar suggestions, readability metrics, tone tools, summaries, and other AI or rule-based output can be wrong, incomplete, biased, or inappropriate for your context. Lexicon does not guarantee correctness, originality, citation quality, or fitness for exams, job applications, publications, or legal filings.
AI output may be generated by a downloaded local model on supported builds, a local Ollama or LM Studio server, or another endpoint that you configure. Windows x86 and ARM64 builds do not include the native local GGUF engine. A custom network or remote endpoint may receive the text and prompt supplied to it. You are responsible for reviewing output, confirming that your use complies with the endpoint’s terms, and avoiding confidential material in any endpoint you do not control.
If you save an LM Studio API token, Lexicon sends it to the configured LM Studio server as request authentication. You are responsible for choosing a trustworthy server and protecting access to your local application data.
Remote requests may use more than one HTTP request for a whole-document transform, and cancelling a request cannot retract data that an endpoint already received. Custom HTTP URLs may transmit writing or bearer credentials without transport encryption.
8. Updates
Packaged builds may automatically check for updates. Installing an available update is optional and occurs only if you choose to install. Enabling beta updates only changes which update channel is checked. Packaged builds enable operating-system startup by default and can run in the system tray while the main editor window is hidden. This can allow an update check to occur in the background. The current build has no in-app startup toggle; after initial setup, an operating-system startup disable is respected. You can stop using or uninstall Lexicon through the normal operating-system controls.
9. Disclaimer of warranties
THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. I DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS, OR THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED.
This disclaimer is consistent with the MIT License’s “AS IS” language for the Software.
10. Limitation of liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, I WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, GOODWILL, OR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, MY TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICE IS LIMITED TO THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNTS YOU PAID ME FOR LEXICON IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM, OR (B) ZERO U.S. DOLLARS (US$0) IF YOU PAID NOTHING. Lexicon is currently offered free of charge.
Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations; in those places, the above limits apply to the fullest extent allowed.
11. Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Aashish Harishchandre from and against claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of your misuse of the Service, your content, or your violation of these Terms or applicable law.
12. Third-party services and components
Lexicon may interact with or bundle third-party technology (for example LanguageTool, local model downloads via Hugging Face, optional Ollama, LM Studio, user-configured AI or LanguageTool-compatible endpoints, GitHub for releases/updates and browser-extension distribution, browser extension APIs, websites where the extension is enabled, Discord for community support, and libraries listed in the project README). Source installation may also contact Maven Central, PyPI, and npm. Optional downloaded model weights and bundled third-party components are subject to their own licenses. Those services and components are subject to their own terms and privacy policies. I am not responsible for third-party outages, policy changes, permissions, retention practices, or content on third-party sites.
13. Community support
Bug reports and feature requests should be submitted through the Lexicon Discord. GitHub is primarily for source code, releases, and pull requests; Issues may still be used and addressed, but Discord is preferred for product feedback.
You may also contact me by email. Messages sent through Discord, GitHub, or email are handled by those providers under their own terms and privacy policies. Do not include confidential material unless you are comfortable sharing it with the relevant provider.
14. Privacy
Local-first data handling is described in the Privacy Policy.
15. Payments
Lexicon does not currently require payment. If paid offerings are introduced later, additional terms may apply and this section will be updated.
16. Termination
You may stop using Lexicon at any time by uninstalling it, removing the browser extension, clearing its browser-local data if desired, and ceasing use of the website. On Windows, the installer may offer an option to delete application data during uninstall; you may also need to remove the current document, histories, dictionary, dismissed suggestions, custom tools, local models, preferences, tokens, and WebView data separately. Resetting defaults does not perform that full deletion. I may stop distributing builds, change features, or discontinue hosting materials at any time.
17. Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Ohio, United States, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Courts located in Ohio shall have exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising from these Terms, except that I may seek injunctive relief in any jurisdiction if needed to protect intellectual property or prevent misuse.
18. Changes
I may update these Terms by posting a revised version with a new “Last updated” date. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
19. Contact
Questions about these Terms: hello.lexiconwriter@gmail.com. Community support: Discord (preferred for bugs and feature requests). Source and releases: GitHub.