CARL License Agreement

Effective date: April 1, 2026

Please read this License Agreement carefully. By downloading, installing, accessing, copying, or using CARL, you agree to be bound by these terms.

Plain English Summary

You are purchasing a license to use CARL, not ownership of the software.

• The Monthly license covers 1 domain. Cancel anytime.
• The Lifetime license covers unlimited domains. Pay once, use forever.
• The 12-Month Plan covers unlimited domains. 12 payments of £54.94, no interest. Converts to a full lifetime license after the final payment.
• Everything currently in CARL is included in every license. No features will ever be moved behind an extra paywall after you purchase.
• New addon modules released in the future (such as CARL AutoPost) are separate products and not included.
• You may swap an authorised domain for rebranding or migration, up to 1 swap per year per license.
• You may request a refund within 14 days, as long as there is no abuse. Payment processor fees may be non-refundable.
• Chargebacks void the license immediately.
• License transfers may be allowed with written approval.

1. Definitions

"CARL" or "Software" means the CARL (Content Automation Ranking Launchpad) software product, including all updates provided by us during your update term.

"We", "Us" or "Licensor" means SoftLayer Media, operated by Carl Riedel, Bottelier Kaya A #20A, Willemstad, Curaçao.

"You" or "Licensee" means the individual or business entity that purchased or lawfully obtained a license to use the Software.

"Authorised Domain" means a domain name approved for use under your license.

"License Key" means the code issued to you to activate and validate your license.

"Updates" means improvements, bug fixes, and new versions of CARL made available by us.

"Standard Features" means all features included in CARL at the time of your purchase, plus any new standard features added to CARL in the future. This does not include separately released addon modules.

"Addon Module" means a separately developed and sold extension to CARL (such as CARL AutoPost) released after your purchase date. Addon modules are not included in any license tier.

2. Ownership

CARL is licensed, not sold. SoftLayer Media retains all right, title, and interest in and to the Software and all related intellectual property.

You do not receive ownership rights in the Software. You receive only the rights explicitly granted in this Agreement.

3. Grant of License

Subject to your compliance with this Agreement, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to install and use CARL for your personal and commercial use.

Monthly License

You may install and use CARL on 1 (one) Authorised Domain. Your license remains active for as long as your monthly subscription is paid. Cancelling your subscription ends your license at the close of the current billing period.

Lifetime License

You may install and use CARL on unlimited Authorised Domains. Your license is perpetual — it does not expire and requires no renewal.

12-Month Plan

You may install and use CARL on unlimited Authorised Domains from the date of your first payment. Your license converts to a full lifetime license upon completion of all 12 payments. If payments are missed or cancelled before completion, your license reverts to the terms of a monthly license covering 1 domain until the outstanding balance is resolved or the subscription is cancelled.

What is included

All Standard Features of CARL at the time of your purchase are included in every license tier. Standard Features added to CARL in the future are also included at no additional charge. Addon Modules released in the future are separate products and are not included in any license tier.

Need to cover additional domains on a monthly license? Purchase an additional monthly license or upgrade to a lifetime license.

4. Domains and Rebranding

We understand rebrands happen. You may request to replace an Authorised Domain with a new domain.

• Domain swaps are allowed for legitimate changes such as rebranding, domain migrations, or business restructuring.
• You may request up to 1 domain swap per year per license.
• We may require verification that you own or control the new domain.
• To request a domain swap, contact support with your License Key and both the old and new domain names.

5. Updates

All Standard Features and updates to Standard Features are included in your license for as long as your license is active. There is no separate update term or renewal requirement for standard updates.

Addon Modules, when released, will have their own separate licensing and update terms.

6. License Transfers

A license transfer may be allowed only if we approve it in writing.

• To request a transfer, contact support with your current License Key, your details as current licensee, and the details of the new owner.
• We may require verification of the sale or ownership change.
• Once approved, the license will be reassigned to the new owner and the prior licensee must stop using CARL.
• We reserve the right to deny transfers if there is evidence of abuse, key sharing, or attempts to resell licenses as a product.
• If you are selling a site that uses CARL, contact us before the sale closes so we can guide you through a clean transfer.

7. Restrictions

You may not:

• Resell, redistribute, sublicense, rent, lease, or share the Software or License Key without a separate written agreement.
• Remove, disable, or bypass license validation, licensing notices, or protections built into the Software.
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the Software, except to the extent permitted by applicable law.
• Use the Software to violate laws, regulations, or third-party rights.
• Represent CARL as your own product or remove attribution from the Software.

Responsible use

• You are responsible for complying with privacy and marketing laws where you operate, including GDPR, CCPA, and CAN-SPAM where applicable.
• You are responsible for obtaining any required consents when collecting subscriber or member data through CARL.
• You are responsible for the content you publish and the links you track using CARL.
• You agree not to use CARL for illegal tracking, deception, spam, or abusive activity.

8. License Keys and Activation

License activation confirms your license is valid and helps prevent abuse. You agree to keep your License Key confidential.

• Activation may be tied to your Authorised Domain(s) as part of license enforcement.
• If we reasonably believe your License Key is being shared, abused, or used outside the license limits, we may suspend or revoke the license.
• If your license is suspended or revoked due to abuse, you may lose access to updates and support.

9. Support and Install Assistance

Email support is included with every license. We aim to respond to all support requests within 5 business days.

If you request installation assistance, you agree that you may need to provide temporary access to your hosting control panel so we can install CARL for you.

• You are responsible for backing up your hosting account before installation assistance begins.
• Whenever possible, create temporary credentials for installation and remove them after completion.
• We will use access only to complete installation and basic verification.
• We do not take responsibility for hosting provider limitations or restrictions outside our control.

10. Refund Policy

14-day refund window. You may request a refund within 14 days of purchase, no questions asked, as long as there is no abuse.

Refunds may be denied if:

• There is evidence of License Key sharing, redistribution, or resale attempts.
• There are intentional bypass attempts or tampering with license validation.
• There are repeated refund requests across multiple purchases or identities.

Installation issues

If your refund request is due to installation problems, you agree to allow us a reasonable opportunity to install CARL for you using cPanel access before the refund is finalised. If we cannot get CARL installed on your server after a reasonable attempt, and you are still within the 14-day window, we will approve the refund.

Payment processor fees

Some payment processors (including PayPal) may not refund their processing fees. Refunds may exclude non-refundable processing fees we are not able to recover, to the extent permitted by law. Refunds are otherwise issued to the original payment method wherever possible.

How to request a refund

Email [email protected] with your purchase email address, your order or transaction reference, and your License Key. If the issue is installation-related, include any error messages and confirm you can provide cPanel access for install assistance.

11. Chargebacks and Payment Disputes

If you file a chargeback, payment dispute, or reversal for a CARL purchase, your license is automatically voided.

• When a chargeback or dispute is filed, we may immediately suspend license access and support.
• If the dispute is resolved in our favour, we may reinstate the license at our discretion.
• If the dispute is resolved against us or remains unresolved, the license remains void.

If you need help, contact support first. We will work with you to resolve issues without a payment dispute.

12. Warranty Disclaimer

CARL is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement.

We do not warrant that the Software will be uninterrupted, error-free, or compatible with every hosting environment.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we will not be liable for any special, incidental, indirect, consequential, or punitive damages (including loss of profits, loss of data, or business interruption) arising out of your use of or inability to use CARL, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Our total liability for any claim relating to CARL will not exceed the amount you paid for the license giving rise to the claim.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations of liability, so parts of this section may not apply to you.

14. Term and Termination

• This Agreement is effective from the date you purchase, download, or use CARL and continues until terminated.
• Monthly licenses terminate at the end of the billing period in which you cancel.
• Lifetime licenses do not expire unless terminated for breach of this Agreement.
• If you breach this Agreement, your license may terminate immediately without notice.
• If your license is voided due to a chargeback, dispute, or abuse, you must stop using CARL and delete all copies in your possession or control.

15. General Terms

Changes

We may update this Agreement from time to time. The updated version will be posted on carlriedel.com with a new effective date. If you continue using CARL after changes are posted, you accept the updated terms.

Severability and waiver

If any part of this Agreement is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect. A failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of our right to enforce it later.

Governing law and venue

This Agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes must be brought in the courts of England and Wales, unless applicable law requires otherwise.

This Agreement is the entire agreement between you and SoftLayer Media regarding CARL and supersedes any prior discussions or representations.

16. Contact

We aim to respond to all licence-related enquiries within 5 business days.