Terms and Conditions

Earth Inc. ("Earth Inc.", "we", "us") is a company registered in Lagos, Nigeria. We operate financial infrastructure for African contemporary art, comprising a curated marketplace at earthinc.io, the Artist Studio at studio.earthinc.io, the Collector Dashboard at dashboard.earthinc.io, and the ENORA authentication standard (together, the "Platform").

These Terms and Conditions govern your access to and use of the Platform. By creating an account, submitting an artwork, or acquiring a work through the Platform, you agree to be bound by these terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform. Artists additionally enter into the Earth Inc. Artist Agreement presented and accepted at registration; where that agreement addresses the same subject matter, it prevails for artists.

• ENORA means Earth Notarized Origin Registry Authentication, Earth Inc.'s proprietary multi-layer authentication standard.
• Certificate of Authenticity (COA) means the certificate issued by Earth Inc. for a work that has passed the ENORA layers required at the date of issue. Each COA states the verification layers completed and their status at that date, and is versioned as further layers complete.
• Artwork Passport means the public provenance page for a registered work on earthinc.io.
• ENORA Seal means the serialised, tamper-evident physical seal affixed to a work as its physical anchor.
• Primary Market means the first sale of a work by the artist through the Platform. A resale by a collector is a secondary sale.
• Provenance Record means the ledger of registration, authentication, and ownership events Earth Inc. maintains for a work.

You must be at least 18 years old to use the Platform. Artists register through the Artist Studio and must complete identity verification (KYC) before consigning works. Collectors register through the Collector Dashboard. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide and for the security of your credentials. This includes any PIN used to access Private Vault, Earth Inc.'s PIN-protected view of your collection in the Collector Dashboard. We may suspend or close an account that breaches these terms, provides false information, or is used in connection with fraud.

Every work offered through the marketplace is authenticated to the ENORA standard before listing. Authentication includes digital registration, cryptographic imaging checks, registry cross-checks, blockchain anchoring, physical seal issuance, and, where applicable, physical inspection and expert review. A COA records which layers were completed at issuance; layers scheduled for a later stage, such as physical inspection prior to resale, are stated as pending on the face of the COA.

A COA is Earth Inc.'s attestation of the verification steps performed. It is not a valuation, a guarantee of future market performance, or investment advice. Nothing on the Platform constitutes financial advice, and works acquired through the Platform are not regulated financial products.

Artists consign works to the Platform under the Artist Agreement accepted at registration, which sets out commission rates, payment terms, exclusivity, and withdrawal rights. Artists warrant that each consigned work is their original creation, that they hold unencumbered title, and that the work is not subject to any third-party claim. Artists retain copyright in their works and grant Earth Inc. a licence to reproduce images of the work for authentication, listing, marketing, and provenance purposes.

When you acquire a work, your payment is held in escrow with our payment partner until delivery is confirmed. On delivery you have 48 hours to confirm receipt and to verify that the ENORA Seal is present and intact. If you flag a missing or voided seal within that window, the transfer is frozen, the escrow is held, and an investigation is opened. If no issue is flagged within 48 hours of confirmed delivery, the escrow releases automatically and title passes to you.

Prices are stated at listing. Applicable taxes, duties, and shipping terms are presented before you commit to an acquisition. Acquisitions of authenticated original artworks are final, subject to your statutory rights and the seal-verification window above.

A collector may consign a work for resale through the Platform. Every resale requires re-authentication, including physical inspection, before the work ships to the new owner. Resale listings are presented as "Private Collection" and do not disclose the seller's identity. Secondary sales are subject to the platform commission and the artist resale royalty in force at the time of listing, which are disclosed to the seller before the listing goes live. A work undergoing re-authentication cannot be listed, sold, or transferred until the process concludes.

Owners may request verification of a work for banking, insurance, or other third-party purposes. Third-party verification requests require the owner's consent in every case. Verification is a billable service and concludes with a Verification Letter where the inspection passes.

As part of ENORA, Earth Inc. anchors cryptographic references for authenticated works to a public blockchain. These anchors contain no personal information and no images; they are mathematical fingerprints that allow independent verification of a work's record. Blockchain records are permanent by design and cannot be altered or deleted once written.

ENORA, the Earth Inc. name and brand, the Platform, and all content we create are the property of Earth Inc. and its licensors. Artists retain copyright in their works. You may not reproduce, scrape, or reuse Platform content, including Artwork Passports and Provenance Records, for commercial purposes without our written consent.

• Submitting works you did not create or do not own, or misrepresenting a work’s attribution, condition, or provenance.
• Interfering with the authentication process, including tampering with an ENORA Seal or submitting manipulated imagery.
• Using the Platform to launder money, evade sanctions, or deal in stolen or looted cultural property.
• Circumventing the Platform to complete off-platform a transaction initiated on the Platform.
• Attempting to gain unauthorised access to the Platform, other accounts, or Earth Inc. systems.

The Platform is provided with reasonable skill and care. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Earth Inc. is not liable for indirect or consequential loss, loss of profit, or loss of opportunity arising from use of the Platform, and our aggregate liability in connection with a transaction is limited to the fees we received on that transaction. Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot be excluded by law, including liability for fraud.

You may close your account at any time by contacting support. We may suspend or terminate access for breach of these terms, suspected fraud, or where required by law. Provenance Records and issued COAs survive account closure: they attach to the work, not the account.

These terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Nigerian courts have exclusive jurisdiction, save that we may seek injunctive relief in any competent court. Before commencing proceedings, both parties agree to attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute through direct negotiation.

We may update these terms from time to time. Material changes will be notified to registered users by email or through the Platform before they take effect. Continued use of the Platform after a change takes effect constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

Questions about these terms: support@earthinc.io. Privacy enquiries: privacy@earthinc.io.