bits&bytes™ is the public-facing brand name and builder network stewarded and operated by GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION, a non-profit company incorporated under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013 (Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Uttar Pradesh, India).

In accordance with Section 8 of the Act and Clause 5 of our Memorandum of Association (e-MOA):

• Sole Application of Income: All profits, revenue, grants, donations, and sponsorships connected to official bits&bytes™ activity must be applied solely to promoting our educational, youth development, open-source technology, and charitable objectives.
• No Dividend or Bonus: No portion of the Foundation's income, profits, or assets may be paid or transferred, directly or indirectly, by way of dividend, bonus, or otherwise as profit to any member, director, or representative.
• Asset Lock upon Dissolution: In the event of winding up or dissolution, any remaining assets after satisfying all liabilities must be transferred to another Section 8 company with similar objects or credited to the statutory Rehabilitation and Insolvency Fund.
• Limited Liability: Each formal member of the Foundation guarantees a contribution of up to ₹10,000 in the event of winding up.

By joining any bits&bytes™ event, cohort, project team, local Fork, Discord server, WhatsApp group, GitHub repository, Minecraft server, or official space, you agree to follow these Terms and our Code of Conduct.

Network participation is distinct from corporate membership:

• Participant Status: Fork Leads, volunteers, contributors, attendees, and mentors are "Network Participants."
• No Statutory Governance Rights: Network participation does not confer voting rights in GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION's statutory affairs, corporate directorship, or ownership of its assets.
• Suspension and Termination: The Board of Directors and designated administrators reserve the right to suspend or terminate any participant's access, credentials, or role for Code of Conduct violations, safety threats, harassment, financial irregularities, or behavior that compromises the community or Foundation.

bits&bytes™ is structurally designed to support youth leadership and builder agency. Minors may act as contributors, organizers, Fork Leads, Local Maintainers, and Executive Officers to the extent permitted by law.

• Protected Operational Participation: Participation by a minor in any leadership, coordination, or executive role does not impose adult legal responsibility, fiduciary status, personal liability, or statutory signing authority on the minor.
• Strict Authority Limits: Operational titles used within the Network (such as CEO, CTO, CFO, COO, CCO, Fork Lead, or Organizer) describe community coordination roles. They do not confer statutory directorship, ownership of corporate assets, or the legal authority to sign contracts, bind the Foundation, operate corporate bank accounts, or make representations of legal authority.
• Board Authority Matrix: All formal legal commitments, lease agreements, venue contracts, banking transactions, and vendor agreements must be approved in writing through the Board of Directors.

A Fork is a recognized local, institutional, or thematic operating unit of the bits&bytes™ Network recognized under authority of GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION.

• Limited License: Fork Recognition is a limited, conditional, revocable, and non-exclusive operational and brand-use permission. A Fork is not a separate legal entity, franchise, branch office, subsidiary, or independent fundraising body.
• No Independent Agency: A Fork has no authority to contract, represent, or incur liabilities on behalf of GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION.
• Archiving and Revocation: The Board reserves the right to archive a Fork (for 90+ days of inactivity or leadership transitions) or revoke Fork Recognition (for policy violations or safety breaches). If recognition ends, the local group must immediately cease using all bits&bytes™ names, logos, domains, and assets.

To protect our community and comply with statutory financial laws:

• Corporate Banking Only: All sponsorships, donations, grants, merchandise sales, and event fees connected with bits&bytes™ must be routed exclusively through approved corporate bank accounts and verified payment gateways managed directly by GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION.
• Strictly Prohibited Practices: Collecting funds via personal UPI IDs, personal bank accounts, personal QR codes, or unrecorded cash collections; using personal digital wallets to hold community funds; and entering into unauthorized sponsor agreements are strictly prohibited and grounds for immediate termination and legal referral.
• Expense Reimbursements: No participant or organizer may commit personal funds and expect reimbursement without prior written authorization from the Board or Chief Financial Officer.
• Refund Policy: All financial transactions, event tickets, and donations are governed by our Cancellation & Refund Policy.

The bits&bytes™ name, logo, design system, domains (gobitsnbytes.org), repositories, curricula, and official assets are stewarded by GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION.

• Participant Code & Projects: Participants retain full ownership of the original software, designs, and hacks they build during hackathons, as detailed in our IP Policy.
• Contributed Assets: Code, designs, curriculum, or documentation created specifically for official Foundation infrastructure, platforms, or repositories shall vest in or be licensed to the Foundation to ensure open-source continuity.
• Open Source Defaults: The Foundation defaults to open-source software licenses (MIT or Apache 2.0) and Creative Commons for educational materials.

• As-Is Provision: All services, hackathons, SparkCloud compute resources, Discord bots, websites, and community activities are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind.
• Limitation of Liability: To the maximum extent permitted by Indian law, GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION, its directors, officers, and volunteers shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, loss of profits, data, or personal property resulting from event attendance, software deployment, or platform use.
• Cap on Liability: The Foundation's total liability under these Terms is strictly limited to the amount of fees paid by the participant (if any) to the Foundation in the preceding 12 months.

These Terms and all activities of the bits&bytes™ Network are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of India.

• Amicable Escalation: Any dispute, grievance, or controversy must first be communicated in writing to Upstream governance at hello@gobitsnbytes.org.
• Good-Faith Negotiation: Parties agree to attempt good-faith negotiation for a period of 30 calendar days. If negotiation fails, parties may seek mediation in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
• Exclusive Jurisdiction: Subject to mediation, any formal legal proceedings arising out of or in connection with GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

These Terms incorporate by reference the following official policies:

• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Cancellation & Refund Policy
• Code of Conduct
• Intellectual Property Policy

For legal, governance, or partnership questions, please contact:

• Entity: GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION (CIN: U85500UP2026NPL248652)
• Email: hello@gobitsnbytes.org
• Registered Office: 265/1 Patrakar Colony, Ashok Nagar, Prayagraj - 211001, Uttar Pradesh, India
• Operational / Creator Base: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India