This is a translation. The Russian original is at podcast.ru/useragreement.
This Agreement governs the use of the Smart Links and Information Pages of Podcast.ru / PC.ST, sign-up for and operation of the Dashboard, the connection of Podcasts, and the updating and editing of their pages.
1. General provisions and acceptance of the terms
1.1. The Administration of the Service: individual entrepreneur Akavov Telman Rakhmanovich, INN 782614915148, OGRNIP 319784700368803, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation. Contacts: mail@podcast.ru and mail@pc.st.
1.2. Podcast.ru and PC.ST are domains of a single Service. The Service is part of the Podcasts.ru ecosystem, but this Agreement does not automatically govern the use of the ecosystem’s other projects.
1.3. A User is a person who uses the Service. For the Dashboard, the Agreement is accepted by an express action upon sign-up or when the Dashboard is first activated, after the User has been given the opportunity to read the terms. By submitting a request to generate a link or by using an Embedding tool, the User accepts the terms relating to that action, if they were available before the action was taken.
1.4. Merely opening a page does not constitute a transfer of rights to someone else’s Podcast or consent to optional processing of personal data. Consent to the processing of data, to analytics and to the dissemination of data, where required, is obtained separately.
1.5. The User acts within their legal capacity. A representative of an author, publisher, rights holder or organisation must have the appropriate authority.
1.6. For Accounts created earlier, amended terms of page management are brought to the User’s attention before they are applied. The mere existence of an Account before the publication of this revision does not mean that the User has already accepted the new terms or given new consents.
2. Basic concepts
2.1. “Service” means the functionality on podcast.ru and pc.st and on related subdomains on which a link to the Agreement is posted. “Podcast” means a series of releases, and “Episode” means an individual release.
2.2. “RSS” means a metadata feed used by a publisher to convey information about a Podcast, its releases and related resources. “Information Page” means a page of the Service containing such information and the available links.
2.3. “Smart Link” or “Short Link” means an address of the Service that leads to an Information Page or performs a redirect provided for by the interface. “External Platform” means an independent website, app, catalogue or hosting service.
2.4. “Embedding” means displaying an element provided by the Service on another website. “Materials” include texts, images, audio recordings, titles, metadata and other objects available through the Service.
2.5. “Dashboard” means the part of the Service available after sign-up and sign-in for managing an Account and the related Podcast pages. “Account” means a set of information that allows the User to be granted the corresponding access.
2.6. “Podcast Connection” means granting an Account the rights to manage a specific page after the verification provided for by the Service. “Page Manager” means a User who has been granted such rights. This status does not constitute recognition of authorship of the Podcast or of exclusive rights to it.
3. Purpose and features of the Service
3.1. The Service helps to find Podcasts, obtain Smart Links and Short Links, view information about Podcasts and Episodes and go to the available listening platforms.
3.2. Depending on the specific page and the version of the interface available, Episode lists, a player, Embedding tools and auto-redirect links may be provided. The presence of a feature on one page does not mean that it is available for every Podcast.
3.3. The subject matter of the Agreement does not include the provision of podcast hosting services or the grant of a right to upload audio files for independent publication. The player and links provide access to Materials by an available technical means; the rights to those Materials are determined independently of the method of delivery.
3.4. Viewing public pages and using publicly available links do not require sign-up. The Dashboard is available after an Account has been created and the User has signed in. In it, the User can connect their own Podcast, request an update of its information and edit the available fields of the page within the rights granted.
3.5. No fee is charged for basic use that is designated as free. Any paid features or individual services are arranged separately, with the price and terms disclosed in advance. The use of a free feature does not in itself create an obligation to pay for future services.
3.6. Statistics for podcasters, custom additional links and other future tools are not deemed to have been provided already merely because they are mentioned in the Agreement or in development plans. Their availability, limitations and additional terms are communicated before they are enabled. The Service does not promise a specific launch date for such features.
4. Sign-up, sign-in and Account security
4.1. The User creates an Account using a sign-up and sign-in method that is available and permitted for them. Where external authorisation is used, the terms of the chosen provider also apply. Creating an Account does not automatically grant rights to manage any Podcast that has been found.
4.2. The User provides accurate information to the extent necessary for the Service to operate, retains access to the chosen sign-in method and does not use another person’s identity or Account without authority. Passwords for external services, one-time codes and tokens may not be passed to third parties or included in public materials.
4.3. A representative of a studio, publisher, organisation or author acts within the authority granted to them and reports when it ends. Whether access can be granted to several representatives depends on the actual functionality; team roles are not automatically assumed to exist.
4.4. If an unauthorised sign-in is discovered, control has been lost or a Podcast has been connected in error, the User reports this to mail@podcast.ru with the subject “Security”. The Administration may temporarily restrict risky operations and request proportionate confirmation of identity or authority.
4.5. Actions taken in a signed-in session may be taken into account, together with other evidence, as actions of the corresponding User. This does not preclude reporting a compromise and disputing a specific action; the User is not made unconditionally responsible for the consequences of every unauthorised sign-in.
4.6. Service notifications about sign-ins, Podcast Connections, changes of access, security and requests may be sent via the Dashboard or to the contact address provided. They do not constitute consent to advertising messages.
5. Podcast Connection and confirmation of authority
5.1. A Podcast may be connected by its author, publisher, rights holder or an authorised representative. The User confirms that they hold rights sufficient for the page management requested, but is not obliged to declare themselves the sole author of all the Podcast’s Materials.
5.2. Management rights are granted after verification by a method provided for by the interface or through support. Depending on the situation, the Administration may invite the applicant to confirm control over the source feed or through an available publisher contact, or to present other proportionate evidence. The specific method is communicated to the applicant; the Agreement does not assert that each of these methods is already automated.
5.3. Finding a Podcast in search, knowing the RSS address, creating a Smart Link or a matching name does not confer a right to take over the page. Technical verification of control confirms the ability to manage the page within the Service, but does not replace establishing authorship and ownership of exclusive rights.
5.4. Passwords for hosting, email and External Platforms should not be sent during verification. The Administration requests only the confirmation that is necessary. The terms of processing contact details and evidence are set out in the Privacy Policy.
5.5. If several persons claim the same page, authority is disputed or there are signs of a takeover, the Administration may suspend Podcast Connection or editing pending verification. It takes into account the evidence presented, the authority currently in effect and binding decisions of competent authorities. An earlier request does not create priority over the actual rights holder.
5.6. In the event of a change of publisher, transfer of the project, loss of control over the feed or termination of authority, the Page Manager must cease unconfirmed actions and report the change. Access is transferred through the procedure provided for this purpose, with re-verification where necessary; handing over the Account password is not sufficient.
5.7. A confirmed-management mark, where the interface provides for one, means only that the corresponding verification by the Service has been passed. It is not a guarantee of the Podcast’s authenticity, an editorial recommendation or a certification of exclusive rights.
6. Updating and editing a page
6.1. The Page Manager may request an update of the information and change the fields available in the Dashboard for their page. The specific set of fields, format restrictions and the saving procedure are determined by the interface. The ability to edit one field does not give access to the entire source RSS feed or to external hosting.
6.2. Changes made in the Dashboard apply to the Podcast.ru / PC.ST page. They do not automatically change the data in the RSS, Apple Podcasts, other catalogues or listening apps, unless a separate confirmed integration expressly provides otherwise.
6.3. Public pages may be generated from RSS, catalogues and manual changes made by an authorised User. Automatic generation does not confirm the authorship of the User who created the link. How manual edits and subsequent updates from sources are combined is determined by the available settings; where necessary, the Administration explains this before the change is made.
6.4. There may be a delay between an update of the source, the User’s request and the appearance of the result. The Service does not guarantee the immediate receipt of all releases, the correction of errors in the source RSS or the appearance of a link to every platform. The status of a request and any errors are communicated by an available method.
6.5. The User is responsible, within the scope of their own actions, for the lawfulness of the texts, images and other Materials they submit. It is not permitted to publish other people’s personal data, confidential information, misleading information, unlawful content or Materials without the necessary permission.
6.6. Sign-up and page editing do not constitute consent to the publication of the Account’s private email address, verification documents or other non-public information. The posting of personal data is subject to independent grounds and the necessary separate consents.
6.7. The Administration may reject, temporarily hide or revert changes that violate the law, the rights of third parties, the terms of the Service or security. Where possible, the User is informed of the reason and of the procedure for raising the matter. This does not imply a prior legal review of every item of Materials.
6.8. The Service does not replace the publisher’s hosting or backup archive. The User keeps the source materials they need. This provision does not release the Administration from its statutory obligations in respect of data and of the features it provides.
7. Links, Embedding and future tools
7.1. The User may distribute a link they have obtained in the usual ways, including on a website, on social networks and in materials about the Podcast, in compliance with the law and the rights of third parties. A link does not constitute the sale of a domain or a transfer of rights to an address of the Service.
7.2. The auto-open feature, where available, may direct a visitor to an External Platform or an app based on the parameters of the link and the device. The External Platform independently determines the availability of content, territorial restrictions, prices and whether sign-in is required.
7.3. The User may not disguise a malicious purpose of a link, misrepresent its source or use the Service for phishing, deception or the circumvention of lawful restrictions.
7.4. The embed code provided may be used to display the corresponding Podcast or Episode without misleading visitors about authorship or the ownership of the Service. This permission does not transfer rights to other people’s audio recordings, images or texts.
7.5. A website owner who uses Embedding ensures that the component is placed lawfully, provides their own data notices and obtains the necessary consents. This does not release the Administration from liability for the processing within its component.
7.6. The Administration may change the technical implementation, correct routing and restrict links that infringe rights. There is no guarantee that addresses, External Platforms and features will remain unchanged indefinitely. Planned changes take into account the need to keep previously issued links working.
7.7. Once the ability to add custom links is launched, the User must have the right to post them and must accurately describe the purpose of the link. A link must not lead to a malicious resource, be used for phishing, mislead as to the ownership of the page or conceal unlawful content.
7.8. Adding a link does not permit the installation of arbitrary advertising pixels, counters, executable code or tracking tools. Where a placement is of an advertising nature, the applicable advertising requirements are complied with separately. The Service does not become a party to a transaction with an External Platform merely because of a link.
7.9. When statistics are launched, the set of available metrics and the methodology are disclosed in the interface or in a separate description. A page view, a click-through to a platform, a player start and a confirmed listen are different events. Aggregate metrics do not guarantee an exact number of people, listens or advertising results and may differ from the hosting provider’s data.
7.10. Statistics are expected to be provided in aggregate form, without the podcaster having access to visitors’ IP addresses, identifiers or individual history. A different model requires independent legal grounds and prior amendment of the relevant documents. The mention of statistics does not permit their collection before these terms have been determined.
8. Intellectual property rights and User Materials
8.1. The rights to Podcasts, Episodes, recordings, artwork, descriptions and designations remain with the respective rights holders to the extent that such rights are protected by law. Display on Podcast.ru / PC.ST does not mean that the Administration acquires exclusive rights.
8.2. The software and design solutions, the Service’s own texts and other elements of the Service are owned by the Administration or used by it on a lawful basis. This Agreement does not claim exclusive rights to all the information, titles or Materials appearing on the site.
8.3. Simply submitting the address of someone else’s Podcast does not grant the Administration a licence from its rights holder. The lawfulness of using Materials obtained from sources is assessed independently; the public availability of an RSS feed does not replace the necessary permission.
8.4. When an authorised User submits Materials for publication via the Dashboard or pursuant to an agreed request, they grant the Administration a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence, within the scope of the rights they hold, to reproduce the Materials, to make the necessary technical conversions of format and size without distorting their meaning, and to make them available to the public as part of the page and its embeddable version. The licence is worldwide, lasts for the period of lawful placement and is granted only for the operation of the relevant features of the Service. No licence arises when a third party submits a link to someone else’s Podcast.
8.5. The licence does not transfer exclusive rights and does not permit the independent sale of the Materials, their use in the Operator’s advertising or their distribution in other projects of the ecosystem outside the agreed purpose. Termination of placement may be requested under section 9. After placement ends, only technical and evidentiary copies may be kept, on an independent lawful basis, without further public exploitation under the terminated licence.
8.6. The User must not circumvent restrictions on access to content or use Materials in ways other than those permitted by the rights holder or by law. The presence of a player or a link does not imply permission for further copying or commercial distribution.
8.7. Feedback and suggestions for improvement may be used to develop the Service within the limits of the law, but contacting support does not in itself transfer exclusive rights in any works to the Administration or permit the publication of private correspondence.
9. Page corrections and requests from rights holders
9.1. Reports of incorrect information, infringement of rights or unlawful use of an image, text or link, and requests to delete a page, are sent to mail@podcast.ru or mail@pc.st. Recommended subject: “Rights holder” or “Page correction”.
9.2. For an ordinary request, state the disputed page, a description of the problem, the action required and a contact for the reply. A demand on behalf of a rights holder must also include information about the applicant, the object concerned and the basis of the applicant’s rights or authority. Do not send excessive documents that are not relevant to the matter.
9.3. If an application is filed under Article 15.7 of Federal Law No. 149-FZ of 27 July 2006, the special requirements of that Article apply to its content, clarification and consideration. Where necessary, the Administration explains what additional information and confirmation are required. The consents provided for by law are obtained in compliance with the requirements of personal data legislation.
9.4. A proper application under Article 15.7 is subject to the statutory time limits, including the 24-hour time limits for clarification and for taking measures. If there is evidence that the placement is lawful, the applicant is sent a corresponding notice with that evidence in the manner provided for by law.
9.5. During verification, the Administration may temporarily restrict access to the disputed Materials. If the infringement is confirmed, the necessary measures are taken to stop it. The usual timeframe for correspondence with support does not replace the special statutory time limits.
9.6. Deleting a page or individual Materials from the Service is not the same as deleting the source Podcast at the publisher and does not guarantee that independent copies and search results will disappear immediately. The Administration takes measures in respect of the resources under its control and must not automatically restore Materials lawfully deleted on demand unless there is a new basis for doing so.
10. Acceptable use
10.1. The User undertakes not to violate the law or the rights of others, not to impersonate the Administration, an author or a rights holder without the appropriate authority, and not to submit knowingly false information in order to have pages changed.
10.2. The following are prohibited: interference with the operation of the Service, attacks, distribution of malicious code, exploitation of vulnerabilities, circumvention of access restrictions and request-rate limits, fraudulent use of links and unauthorised access to data.
10.3. Automated requests must not create excessive load, circumvent restrictions or infringe the rights to the database and the Materials. Bulk integration not provided for by the public interface requires the terms to be agreed with the Administration.
10.4. Ordinary indexing of public pages by search engines is permitted, subject to the published technical rules and restrictions. This does not grant a search robot or anyone else additional rights to the content.
10.5. If you discover a vulnerability, send a description of it to mail@podcast.ru without extracting other people’s data or causing additional harm.
10.6. Unlawfully connecting other people’s Podcasts, trading in access to other people’s pages, substituting the recipient of traffic and collecting visitors’ data by unauthorised means are prohibited. Ordinary promotion of one’s own Podcast using the link provided is not considered prohibited commercial use.
11. Restriction of access and liability
11.1. The Administration may restrict specific requests, Materials or features where it identifies a violation, a well-founded security threat, a demand from an authorised body or a need to fix a technical failure. The measures must be commensurate with the nature of the grounds.
11.2. The Service may be temporarily unavailable due to updates, failures or the actions of independent providers. The Administration does not promise that the automatic matching of Podcasts will be absolutely error-free or that External Platforms will be constantly available.
11.3. The Administration does not become a party to the relationship between the User, a publisher and an External Platform merely by virtue of placing a link. It does not determine the content of a third-party Podcast, or the subscription terms or payment procedure on an independent platform.
11.4. Liability is determined by law, taking into account the nature of the actions and the established circumstances. The Agreement does not introduce a universal monetary cap on liability and does not exclude liability that cannot be limited by agreement, including liability for one’s own breaches of personal data legislation.
11.5. The special rules on the liability of an information intermediary apply only where the conditions set out in Article 1253.1 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation are met. Merely describing the Service as an aggregator, catalogue or link service does not create an automatic exemption from liability.
11.6. A restriction of access may be challenged by contacting support and by the means provided for by law. The User retains the right to apply to a competent authority or court.
12. Podcast disconnection and Account deletion
12.1. The User may stop using the Dashboard, relinquish management of a Podcast or request deletion of the Account through an available feature or by email to mail@podcast.ru. Deletion of a page, Materials or personal data may be requested separately. The Administration may carry out a proportionate check of the ownership of the Account and the applicant’s authority.
12.2. Disconnection terminates the corresponding Account’s rights to manage the page and does not automatically transfer them to another User. It does not in itself delete the public page, the source RSS or the Podcast on External Platforms.
12.3. Deleting the Account terminates access to the Dashboard and its Podcast Connections. The related personal data are deleted in accordance with the Privacy Policy. Retaining certain information for a legal obligation or a specific dispute does not mean that a working Account is retained.
12.4. A page previously generated from independent sources may continue to exist only to the extent that there is an independent legal basis for it. Lawful demands from rights holders, termination of the licence and withdrawal of consent to the dissemination of personal data are considered separately and are not disregarded because an RSS feed exists.
12.5. A request to delete data may not be automatically replaced with disconnection of the Podcast. The User is given an explanation of the consequences of the chosen action and, where there is a lawful basis for retaining certain information, of the scope and purpose of that retention.
13. Personal data and cookies
13.1. The processing of data is governed by the Privacy Policy, and the use of cookies and analytics also by the Cookie Policy. Both documents are available without having to sign in.
13.2. Acceptance of the Agreement does not constitute consent to all types of analytics, advertising messages or the dissemination of personal data. The necessary consents are requested separately.
13.3. Having a common operator and belonging to the Podcasts.ru ecosystem do not give the right to use data for the unrelated purposes of other projects without an independent basis.
14. Changes to the terms and dispute resolution
14.1. The current revision of the Agreement is posted at /useragreement on each domain. New terms apply to the User’s subsequent actions and have no retroactive effect. Material changes are brought to Users’ attention by an available method before they are applied to the relevant feature.
14.2. A new revision does not cancel rights that the User has already acquired and does not replace consent that the law requires to be obtained separately. A User who does not agree with the new terms may stop using the affected feature and contact the Administration.
14.3. The law of the Russian Federation applies, without prejudice to the mandatory rules applicable to the specific relationship. The existence of a foreign-language version does not mean that there is a different operator.
14.4. The parties may settle disagreements by correspondence. A mandatory pre-action claim procedure applies only where it is provided for by law or by a separate valid agreement. Jurisdiction is determined by the applicable procedural law; a consumer’s right to choose the court is not restricted.
14.5. The invalidity of an individual provision does not invalidate the remaining terms if the Agreement can operate without it.
15. Contacts and related documents
15.1. Administration: individual entrepreneur Akavov Telman Rakhmanovich. INN 782614915148. OGRNIP 319784700368803. Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation. Email: mail@podcast.ru and mail@pc.st.
15.2. Agreement: podcast.ru/useragreement and pc.st/useragreement. Privacy Policy: podcast.ru/privacy and pc.st/privacy. Cookie Policy: podcast.ru/cookies and pc.st/cookies.