DRAFT — recommended for attorney review. This text was prepared as a plain-language starting point and is not legal advice. Bracketed items ([LIKE THIS]) must be completed or confirmed before publication.

• Effective date: 2026-09-26
• Last updated: 2026-09-26
• Canonical URL: https://services.aprslive.com/terms

These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the APRS Service Registry and related services operated by Walter Boring, amateur radio callsign WB4BOR, Hemna LLC ("WB4BOR", "we", "us", or "our"). By accessing or using any part of the Covered Services (defined below) you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Covered Services.

The short version: the registry is a community resource for amateur radio. Personal, educational, and non-commercial amateur radio use is free and always will be, and APRSD service operators may register their services. Commercial use requires prior written approval from WB4BOR. Contact WB4BOR@hemna.com.

1. Covered Services

These Terms apply to all of the following (together, the "Covered Services"):

1. The registry websites — https://services.aprslive.com and https://aprs.hemna.com, including every page, and any other domain that serves the APRS Service Registry.
2. The registry API — every endpoint under /api/ (for example /api/v1/registry, /api/v1/registry/{callsign}, /api/v1/stats, /api/v1/count, /api/v1/query, /api/v1/events, health-history, uptime, badge, vote, trust, and command endpoints), the WebSocket and server-sent event streams, and any future API versions.
3. The directory data — the list of registered services and all associated information, including callsigns, descriptions, categories, websites, locations and coverage, status, health-check history, uptime statistics, votes and trust scores, as a whole or in any substantial part (the "Directory Data").
4. Service descriptions and command documentation — the written descriptions of services, their accepted commands and command help text, and the registry's guides, FAQ, developer documentation, and blog (the "Documentation").
5. RGSTRY bot responses — the replies sent by the RGSTRY APRS station over APRS-IS or RF (for example to help, list, find, info, cmds).
6. The APRS dashboard pages — https://aprsdashboard.hemna.com, including the REPEAT (/repeat) and WXNOW (/wxnow) service pages, and the redirecting sites https://aprs-repeat.hemna.com and https://aprs-wxnow.hemna.com.
7. Services operated by WB4BOR — the APRS message services WB4BOR operates, which as of the effective date are:

[Verified against the live registry on 2026-09-26: REPEAT, WXNOW, IRC, JOKE, and WB4BOR-11 are listed as active; RGSTRY is the registry's own query bot. None of these entries currently record WB4BOR as callsign_owner; they were identified by their websites.] Additional services WB4BOR later operates are also covered.

Third-party services. Most services listed in the registry are operated by other amateur radio operators, not by WB4BOR. Those services belong to their respective operators and are governed by the operators' own terms. These Terms govern your use of the registry's listing of those services (the Directory Data and Documentation), not your use of the third-party services themselves.

2. Free Non-Commercial Use

Subject to these Terms, WB4BOR grants you a free, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable permission to access and use the Covered Services for personal, educational, and non-commercial amateur radio purposes. This includes, for example:

• browsing the websites and using the RGSTRY bot and WB4BOR's services on the air;
• using the API from personal, hobby, club, educational, emergency-communications (ARES/RACES and similar volunteer groups), or open-source amateur radio software that is distributed free of charge, has no paid tiers, and shows no ads;
• sharing links to the registry and quoting individual listings with attribution;
• research and teaching that is not sold.

Service registration is always permitted. Operators of APRSD and other APRS services may register and update their services, including automatically via POST /api/v1/registry, and may display their own listing, status badge, and uptime. Registration does not require approval and is not "commercial use" under these Terms.

3. Commercial Use Requires Prior Written Approval

You may not make any Commercial Use of the Covered Services without WB4BOR's prior written approval (email is sufficient if it comes from WB4BOR and expressly grants approval). Request approval at WB4BOR@hemna.com, describing your product, how you will use the Covered Services, and expected request volume. WB4BOR may grant, condition (including on attribution, rate limits, or fees), or refuse approval in its sole discretion.

"Commercial Use" is defined broadly and means any use of the Covered Services in connection with, or for the benefit of, any app, website, service, device, or product that:

• (a) is sold or licensed for a fee;
• (b) offers paid tiers, subscriptions, "pro" or premium versions, in-app purchases, donations-for-features, or other paid features;
• (c) displays advertising or sponsored content, or monetizes user data; or
• (d) is operated by, or on behalf of, a business or other for-profit entity (regardless of whether the particular feature is free).

Without limiting the definition, each of the following is Commercial Use when done in connection with anything described in (a)–(d):

• bundling, embedding, or pre-loading the Directory Data or Documentation in an app, website, device, or dataset;
• copying, caching, mirroring, archiving, or storing all or a substantial part of the Directory Data or Documentation;
• scraping or crawling the websites, API, or RGSTRY responses;
• redistributing, republishing, reselling, or sublicensing the Directory Data or Documentation, including in modified, translated, or reformatted form;
• building a services directory, service catalog, command reference, or similar feature from the Directory Data or Documentation; and
• building paid features on top of the Covered Services, the API, or WB4BOR-operated services (for example, a paid feature that queries REPEAT, WXNOW, or RGSTRY on the user's behalf).

A free end-user of a commercial app who individually messages a service over APRS is not personally in breach of these Terms; the obligation to obtain approval rests on the commercial app's operator.

4. Attribution

Anyone whose Commercial Use is approved must display the following attribution wherever the Directory Data, Documentation, or Covered Services are shown or used (for example, on the services-directory screen and in the app's "About" or credits screen), unless WB4BOR's written approval says otherwise:

Service directory and services provided by WB4BOR / APRS Service Registry — https://services.aprslive.com

The attribution must include a working link (or, where links are not possible, the URL) and must not imply endorsement by WB4BOR beyond the approval granted.

Non-commercial users are asked (and, for redistributed data, required by the data license in Section 6) to give similar attribution.

5. Acceptable Use, Rate Limits, and Bulk Access

You agree not to:

• bulk-download, scrape, crawl, or systematically harvest the websites, API, or RGSTRY responses, except for ordinary, moderate API use permitted by these Terms and the published rate limits;
• exceed or attempt to circumvent rate limits (currently 60 requests per minute per IP address for most API endpoints; limits may change without notice), including by rotating IP addresses, user agents, or callsigns;
• send automated or high-volume traffic to the RGSTRY bot or WB4BOR-operated services over APRS-IS or RF, or otherwise burden the APRS network;
• submit false, misleading, or unauthorized registrations, votes, or command documentation, or register a callsign you are not authorized to use;
• interfere with, probe, or attempt unauthorized access to the Covered Services, the admin interface, or their infrastructure; or
• use the Covered Services in violation of the rules governing amateur radio in your jurisdiction (for example, FCC Part 97 in the United States).

Please cache responses and use /api/v1/count (with ETag) to detect changes instead of repeatedly downloading the full registry.

6. Licensing: Code vs. Data and Documentation

Software code. The source code of the APRS Service Registry (and of related software such as APRSD and the dashboard) remains available under its existing open-source license (Apache License 2.0 or MIT, as stated in each repository). These Terms do not restrict any rights you already have under those licenses for code you obtained under them. The open-source code license does not grant any right to use WB4BOR's hosted Covered Services, the Directory Data, or the Documentation.

Directory Data, service descriptions, and Documentation. Except where otherwise noted, the Directory Data (as a compilation), service descriptions, command documentation, and Documentation text published through the Covered Services are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Commercial licensing is available only by prior written permission from WB4BOR (see Section 3). These Terms apply in addition to that license; in particular, the access restrictions in Section 5 apply regardless of the license. See DATA-LICENSE.md.

Content submitted by service operators. By registering a service or submitting descriptions, command documentation, or other content, you represent that you have the right to submit it and you grant WB4BOR a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual license to host, display, reproduce, adapt (for example, to format or shorten for APRS), distribute, and sublicense that content as part of the Directory Data and Documentation, including under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 and under commercial licenses WB4BOR grants. You keep ownership of your content, and you may ask WB4BOR to remove your listing at any time.

7. Revocation, Blocking, and Changes

WB4BOR may, at any time and for any reason (including suspected Commercial Use without approval, excessive traffic, or violation of these Terms), with or without notice:

• revoke or suspend your permission to use any Covered Service;
• block or throttle IP addresses, API clients, user agents, apps, or callsigns;
• add authentication, API keys, or other access requirements; and
• modify, suspend, or discontinue any Covered Service.

WB4BOR may change these Terms at any time by posting a revised version at the canonical URL above and updating the "Last updated" date. Changes take effect when posted unless stated otherwise. Continued use after a change means you accept the revised Terms. Approvals granted in writing remain governed by their own terms.

8. No Warranty

THE COVERED SERVICES, DIRECTORY DATA, AND DOCUMENTATION ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, AVAILABILITY, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. Service listings, status, and uptime are informational only and may be incomplete, out of date, or wrong. Do not rely on the Covered Services for emergency or safety-of-life communications.

9. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WB4BOR AND HEMNA LLC AND ITS CONTRIBUTORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE COVERED SERVICES OR THESE TERMS, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. WB4BOR'S TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATING TO THE COVERED SERVICES WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID WB4BOR FOR THE COVERED SERVICES IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM OR (B) US $50. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so some of the above may not apply to you.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless WB4BOR and Hemna LLC from claims arising out of your use of the Covered Services in violation of these Terms.

10. Enforcement

Use of the Covered Services beyond the permission granted in these Terms (including unapproved Commercial Use) is unauthorized. WB4BOR reserves all rights and remedies, including requesting removal of copied Directory Data or Documentation, filing takedown notices with app stores and hosting providers, and seeking injunctive relief and damages.

11. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Virginia, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Appomattox County, Virginia, and you consent to their jurisdiction, except that WB4BOR may seek injunctive relief in any court of competent jurisdiction.

12. General

If any provision of these Terms is held unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. WB4BOR's failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. You may not assign these Terms without WB4BOR's consent. These Terms, together with DATA-LICENSE.md and any written approval WB4BOR grants you, are the entire agreement between you and WB4BOR regarding the Covered Services.

13. Contact

Questions, commercial-use requests, and removal requests: WB4BOR — WB4BOR@hemna.com