Terms of Service

Terms of Service

Last Updated: 5 March 2026

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern access to and use of the website https://inkbound.org (the “Website”) and all services provided by Inkbound Publishers (“Inkbound”, “we”, “us”, or “our”), including but not limited to manuscript submission, editorial participation, peer review, publishing services, and the purchase of printed publications. 

Inkbound Publishers was previously known as The Law Brigade (Book) Publisher, and the current publishing platform continues the academic publishing activities formerly carried out under that name. References to “Inkbound”, “we”, “us”, or “our” in this policy refer to the publisher operating the Website and its associated publishing services.

Inkbound Publishers operates as an independent open access academic publisher based in India and provides publishing services for scholarly books, monographs, edited volumes, and conference proceedings.

By accessing or using the Website, creating an account, submitting manuscripts or proposals, participating in editorial activities, or purchasing printed publications, you agree to comply with and be legally bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must discontinue use of the Website and associated services immediately.

Inkbound reserves the right to amend or revise these Terms at any time. Any modifications will become effective upon publication on this page with an updated “Last Updated” date. Continued use of the Website following such updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

1. Definitions

For the purposes of these Terms:

“Content” refers to manuscripts, book proposals, conference papers, editorial materials, data, images, tables, figures, and any other scholarly or informational materials submitted to or published by Inkbound.

“User” refers to any individual or entity accessing or using the Website, including authors, editors, reviewers, readers, and purchasers.

“Services” refers to all services provided by Inkbound, including but not limited to submission systems, peer review management, editorial processing, publication, hosting, dissemination, and print-on-demand services.

2. Eligibility and User Accounts

The Website and Services are available to individuals and organizations worldwide.

By creating an account or submitting content to Inkbound, you represent and warrant that:

  • you are at least 18 years of age or have reached the age of legal majority in your jurisdiction;

  • you possess the legal capacity to enter into binding agreements;

  • all information provided during registration is accurate and complete.

Users may be required to register an account in order to submit manuscripts, participate in editorial or peer review processes, or purchase printed books.

Users are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their login credentials and for all activities conducted under their account.

Inkbound reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to suspend, restrict, or terminate any account that violates these Terms or that may pose a risk to the integrity or security of the Website or Services.

3. Description of Publishing Services

Inkbound provides open access academic publishing services for scholarly works including, but not limited to:

  • academic books and monographs

  • edited volumes

  • conference proceedings

  • interdisciplinary scholarly publications

Under the open access model adopted by Inkbound, accepted works are made freely accessible online without subscription barriers, enabling unrestricted academic dissemination.

To support editorial management, peer review, production, digital hosting, indexing, archiving, and dissemination infrastructure, Inkbound may charge Book Processing Charges (BPCs) or any other form of  processing charges.

Applicable fees are communicated through submission systems, publishing agreements, or author correspondence and may be revised periodically.

Unless otherwise stated in a separate written agreement or policy, all fees become non-refundable once the editorial or production process has commenced.

Inkbound may offer discretionary fee waivers or discounts in cases of demonstrated financial need or institutional limitations.

4. Submission of Content and Author Representations

By submitting Content to Inkbound, the submitting author and all contributing authors represent and warrant that:

  1. The Content is original scholarly work and does not infringe the intellectual property rights or other legal rights of any third party.

  2. The Content has not been previously published elsewhere, except where explicitly permitted (for example, preprints, dissertations, or institutional repositories).

  3. All necessary permissions have been obtained for any third-party materials incorporated in the Content, including images, figures, tables, or excerpts.

  4. The Content does not contain plagiarism, falsified data, manipulated research findings, defamatory material, or unlawful content.

  5. All listed authors have approved the submission and agree to the publication of the work.

Authors further agree to participate in the editorial and peer review process and to cooperate with reasonable editorial revisions, corrections, and production requirements.

5. Artificial Intelligence and Research Integrity

Inkbound maintains strict academic integrity standards.

The submission of fully AI-generated scholarly manuscripts is prohibited.

Artificial intelligence tools may be used for limited support functions such as language editing, formatting, or generating illustrative materials, provided that:

  • the intellectual substance of the research remains human-authored;

  • the use of AI tools is transparently disclosed where appropriate.

Inkbound reserves the right to screen submissions using plagiarism detection and AI detection tools.

Submissions found to violate integrity standards may be rejected, withdrawn, or retracted.

6. License to Publish and Copyright

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, authors retain copyright ownership of their work.

By submitting Content to Inkbound, authors grant Inkbound a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to:

  • publish and distribute the work

  • reproduce and display the work in digital or print formats

  • archive the work in repositories and indexing systems

  • promote and disseminate the work globally

All published works are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).

Under this license, readers may share and adapt the material provided that:

  • appropriate attribution is given

  • the material is not used for commercial purposes

  • derivative works are distributed under the same license terms.

7. Post-Publication Corrections and Retractions

Inkbound maintains policies for addressing post-publication concerns in accordance with internationally recognized publication ethics practices.

Where appropriate, Inkbound may issue:

  • corrections or errata

  • expressions of concern

  • retractions or withdrawals

Such actions may occur in cases involving plagiarism, data fabrication, ethical misconduct, copyright disputes, or significant factual errors.

Inkbound’s editorial decisions regarding corrections or retractions shall be final.

8. Print-on-Demand Publications

Inkbound may offer printed versions of selected publications through print-on-demand services.

Prices listed on the Website relate to production costs; shipping charges are calculated separately.

Buyers are responsible for any applicable shipping fees, customs duties, import taxes, or other regulatory charges imposed by their jurisdiction.

Inkbound shall not be responsible for delays, losses, or damages caused by shipping carriers or customs authorities.

Unless required by applicable law, print-on-demand books are non-returnable.

9. Acceptable Use

Users agree not to:

  • upload or submit unlawful, harmful, defamatory, or infringing material;

  • attempt to disrupt the operation of the Website or Services;

  • access systems without authorization;

  • use automated data extraction tools without permission;

  • impersonate other individuals or misrepresent affiliations.

Inkbound reserves the right to investigate suspected violations and take appropriate action, including account suspension, content removal, or legal action.

10. Intellectual Property Rights

All intellectual property associated with the Website—including design, logos, trademarks, text, graphics, and underlying software—remains the property of Inkbound or its licensors.

Except as expressly permitted, no part of the Website may be reproduced, modified, distributed, or used without prior written consent.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Website and Services are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.

Inkbound makes no warranties or representations regarding:

  • the accuracy or completeness of published content

  • uninterrupted or error-free operation of the Website

  • the suitability of services for any particular purpose.

Scholarly opinions expressed in published works are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Inkbound.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Inkbound and its directors, employees, editors, contractors, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from:

  • use of the Website or Services

  • reliance on published content

  • technical interruptions or system failures.

In no event shall Inkbound’s total liability exceed the amount paid by the user for the relevant service giving rise to the claim.

13. Indemnification

Users agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Inkbound and its affiliates from any claims, damages, losses, or legal expenses arising from:

  • submitted Content

  • violations of intellectual property rights

  • breaches of these Terms.

14. Privacy and Data Protection

Inkbound collects and processes personal information for purposes including account management, editorial communication, publication processes, and customer support.

Personal data is handled in accordance with applicable data protection regulations. Additional details are provided in Inkbound’s Privacy Policy.

15. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of India, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.

Prior to initiating legal proceedings, the parties agree to attempt to resolve disputes through good-faith negotiation.

Where disputes cannot be resolved amicably, they shall be submitted to binding arbitration under the rules of the Gujarat High Court Arbitration Center (GHAC) in Ahmedabad.

16. Miscellaneous

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between Inkbound and users regarding the use of the Website and Services.

Failure by Inkbound to enforce any provision shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

Contact

For inquiries regarding these Terms, please contact:

Email: editor@inkbound.org

By using the Website or Services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms of Service.