Terms of Service

Defensia is a trading name of Adam Booth, trading as Boothstrap Labs, a sole trader based in the United Kingdom ("we", "us", "our"). As a sole trader, Defensia is not a separate legal entity — Adam Booth is personally responsible for the Service. A geographical address for service of documents is available on request by contacting [email protected].

By creating an account and using Defensia ("the Service"), you agree to these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

Defensia is an AI-assisted viva practice platform for PhD students. You can upload thesis documents, run practice sessions with AI examiners, and receive scored feedback. The Service is for practice and preparation purposes only. It does not guarantee any particular viva outcome, and the AI-generated content should not be taken as authoritative academic assessment.

You must be 18 or older to use the Service. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorised access.

You agree not to:

• Upload content that infringes third-party intellectual property rights.
• Attempt to circumvent the Service's security or access controls.
• Use the Service in any way that violates applicable law or regulation.
• Share your account credentials with other people.
• Use automated means to interact with the Service without our written permission.

New accounts receive 60 minutes of free session time. Additional session time and examiner credits are available for one-time purchase, bought in advance, at the prices shown on our Pricing page at the time of purchase (inclusive of VAT where applicable). Prices may change; the price you pay is the price shown at checkout.

All purchases are final. Credits are non-refundable, including any unused balance. Credits do not expire.

We do not record or store audio from your practice sessions. Audio is processed in real time to run the session and generate a text transcript, which is stored in your account so we can produce your feedback. You can delete a thesis document and every transcript, session, and feedback record linked to it at any time from your account. See our Privacy Policy for full details, including the third-party processors (speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and AI inference providers) involved in running a session.

You retain ownership of all thesis documents and content you upload. By uploading, you grant Defensia a limited, non-exclusive licence to process your content solely for the purpose of providing the Service to you.

The Defensia platform, including its software, design, and AI systems, remains the intellectual property of Defensia. Nothing in these Terms transfers that ownership.

The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. Defensia makes no representations about the accuracy or completeness of AI-generated questions or feedback, and accepts no liability for your viva outcome.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Defensia's total aggregate liability to you arising out of or in connection with the Service — whether in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise — shall not exceed the total amount you have paid us in the 12 months preceding any claim. We are not liable for any indirect, special, or consequential loss, including loss of academic opportunity or delayed submission.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited under the laws of England and Wales.

You may stop using the Service and delete your account at any time from Settings within the app — this is immediate and does not require contacting us. Unused credits are forfeited on account deletion. We may suspend or permanently terminate accounts that violate these Terms, without prior notice.

We may update these Terms from time to time. We'll notify you of material changes by email. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

For questions about these Terms, contact us at [email protected].