Terms of Service

1. Introduction

Welcome to 1990 Web Archive ("we," "our," or "us"). This platform is dedicated to the preservation, archiving, and public accessibility of historical web content dating back to the dawn of the internet. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of our website, archival databases, APIs, and related services (collectively, the "Service").

By accessing or using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please discontinue use immediately.

2. Acceptance of Terms

Your use of the Service constitutes acceptance of these Terms as amended from time to time. We reserve the right to update these Terms at our discretion. Material changes will be communicated via prominent notice on the Service or through registered email addresses associated with user accounts. Continued use following such notice constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

3. Use of Service

The Service is provided primarily for educational, research, journalistic, and personal historical purposes. Permitted uses include:

• Browsing and viewing archived web pages, media, and metadata
• Conducting historical or academic research using our search and retrieval tools
• Using approved API endpoints for non-commercial research purposes (subject to rate limits)
• Sharing direct links to archived content for attribution and citation

Prohibited uses include automated scraping at scale, commercial redistribution of archived datasets, bypassing access controls, or using the Service to facilitate illegal activities.

4. Archive Content & Accuracy

Archived content may contain broken links, missing assets, deprecated technologies, or material that reflects the historical context of its time, including content that may be considered offensive or outdated by modern standards. 1990 Web Archive makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of any archived material. We are not responsible for third-party content, nor do we endorse or monitor the historical material preserved within our database.

5. Intellectual Property

All original content, platform architecture, software, branding, and database structures belonging to 1990 Web Archive are protected by intellectual property laws and remain our exclusive property. This includes, but is not limited to, custom rendering engines, archival indexing algorithms, and interface designs.

Content archived on this platform remains the intellectual property of its original creators, publishers, or rights holders. 1990 Web Archive claims no ownership over third-party content. Archival access does not grant transfer of copyright. Users seeking to reproduce archived materials for commercial purposes must obtain appropriate permissions from original rights holders.

6. User Conduct & Restrictions

You agree not to:

• Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the Service
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to restricted systems, databases, or APIs
• Use the Service to distribute malware, engage in phishing, or compromise user security
• Submit false, misleading, or malicious data for archival inclusion
• Resell, license, or redistribute archived datasets without explicit written consent

Violations of these restrictions may result in immediate suspension of access, IP blocking, and reporting to appropriate authorities where applicable.

7. Privacy & Data Collection

Your privacy is important to us. Our data practices are governed by our Privacy Policy. In summary, we collect minimal operational data required to maintain Service functionality, including anonymized access logs, search queries, and API usage metrics. We do not sell user data to third parties. Archival submissions may include publicly available metadata; users are responsible for ensuring they have the right to submit content for preservation.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, 1990 Web Archive, its founders, employees, contractors, and partners shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use or inability to use the Service, including but not limited to data loss, archival inaccuracies, service interruptions, or exposure to historical content.

Our total aggregate liability shall not exceed the amount paid by you, if any, for access to the Service during the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

9. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Service at our sole discretion, without prior notice, for conduct that we believe violates these Terms, harms our infrastructure, or violates applicable laws. Upon termination, all rights granted to you under these Terms will immediately cease.

10. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. Updated Terms will be posted on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. Material changes will be announced via email to registered users and prominently displayed on the Service homepage. Your continued use after such modifications constitutes acceptance.

11. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising under these Terms shall be resolved exclusively in the federal or state courts located in Wilmington, Delaware. Both parties waive the right to a jury trial.

12. Contact Information

For questions, legal inquiries, DMCA takedown requests, or archival permission issues, please contact our legal team: