Last updated: May 2026
These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your use of the iOS application Belka (the "App") between you, the user, and the licensor:
Dennis Achtziger, sole proprietor
Email: dennis.achtziger@gmail.com
(the "Licensor" or "we").
Note: The App is sold via the Apple App Store. The original German Terms of Use prevail in case of discrepancies and are available at terms.html. This English version is provided for your convenience.
1.1 These Terms apply to your use of the App as offered on the Apple App Store and to all paid features (in particular the "Belka Pro" subscription).
1.2 By downloading, installing, or first opening the App, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the App.
2.1 License agreement. The license to use the App itself (content, features, learning system) is concluded between you and the Licensor. Apple's Licensed Application End User License Agreement also applies:
https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
If these Terms conflict with the Apple Standard EULA, these Terms prevail to the extent permitted by App Store guidelines.
2.2 Subscription purchase contract. Any paid subscription (see § 6) is concluded exclusively between you and Apple Distribution International Limited, Hollyhill Industrial Estate, Hollyhill, Cork, Ireland ("Apple"). Apple is the seller and party to the payment transaction. The Licensor is not a party to the purchase contract.
2.3 Apple's Media Services Terms also apply: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/
3.1 What Belka provides. Belka is a vocabulary trainer for German-speaking learners who want to grow their Russian vocabulary. It includes:
3.2 What the App is not. Belka is:
3.3 The Licensor may add, change, or discontinue features as long as this is reasonable for users and the essential purpose of the contract is preserved.
4.1 Minimum age. You must be at least 13 years old to use the App. This is required by § 1 BDSG-neu in conjunction with Art. 8 GDPR. If you are between 13 and 16, the supervisory authority may require parental consent.
4.2 Technical requirements. An iPhone running iOS 17.0 or higher and an active Apple Account are required. Version 1.0 is iPhone-only.
4.3 Internet connection. Internet is required for purchasing, restoring, and periodically validating a subscription, and for sending feedback. Lesson content generally works offline once loaded.
5.1 The Licensor grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license for personal, non-commercial use of the App on Apple-approved devices, as permitted by the Apple Standard EULA.
5.2 You must not:
6.1 Plans and prices. "Belka Pro" is offered on the Apple App Store in two variants:
The price displayed in the App Store at the time of purchase, including applicable taxes, is binding.
6.2 Auto-renewal. The subscription renews automatically at the end of each billing period for another period of equal length at the then-current price unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period.
6.3 Cancellation. Cancellation is done exclusively via your Apple Account subscription management (iPhone: Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions) or at https://apps.apple.com/account/subscriptions. The Licensor cannot cancel subscriptions on your behalf.
6.4 Free trial. A free trial may be offered via Apple Offer Codes or Introductory Offers. If your Apple Account has previously consumed a Belka Pro trial, App Store rules do not allow a second trial. Cancelling during a trial prevents paid renewal; you can still use the trial until it ends.
6.5 Price changes. Price changes are announced at least 30 days in advance via Apple or in-app. You can cancel before they take effect. Material increases require your explicit consent inside Apple's system.
6.6 Payment. Payments are processed via your Apple Account at the start of each billing period.
6.7 Right of withdrawal and its expiration. As a consumer in the EU you have a 14-day right of withdrawal under § 312g BGB. Important notice under § 356(5) BGB: When purchasing a subscription on the App Store, you expressly consent to immediate delivery of digital content and confirm that this terminates your right of withdrawal once delivery begins. Because Belka Pro is delivered immediately, your right of withdrawal expires at that moment.
6.8 Refunds. Refund requests must go directly to Apple: https://reportaproblem.apple.com. The Licensor cannot issue refunds.
7.1 The App offers a voluntary feedback form. By submitting feedback, you grant the Licensor a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, worldwide license, solely to (a) reply to you (if you provided an email) and (b) internally improve the App.
7.2 We will not publish your feedback. You retain all rights to your content.
7.3 You warrant that you are authorized to submit the feedback and do not infringe third-party rights.
8.1 All rights to the App, the "Belka" trademark, the Belka mascot (Белка), the logo, editorial word lists, translations, example sentences, audio recordings, and other content remain with the Licensor or the respective rights holders.
8.2 Some word lists may draw on public-domain sources (e.g. Russian classics); the curated selection, arrangement, and didactic preparation are the Licensor's own copyrighted work.
9.1 The Licensor is liable without limitation for: intent and gross negligence; injury to life, body, or health; breach of cardinal contractual duties; fraudulently concealed defects and assumed warranties; and claims under the German Product Liability Act.
9.2 For breach of cardinal duties through slight negligence, liability is limited to typical, foreseeable damages.
9.3 Otherwise the Licensor's liability is excluded.
10.1 Belka is expressly not a medical, therapeutic, or diagnostic product. It is a learning aid and does not replace medical, psychological, or psychotherapeutic advice.
10.2 In an emergency, please seek professional help immediately:
Austria: 142 (lifeline), 144 (medical). Switzerland: 143 (Die Dargebotene Hand), 144 (medical).
The Licensor may amend these Terms for objective reasons (e.g. legal changes, new features) where reasonable for users. Changes will be announced in-app at least 30 days before they take effect. If you do not object within that period, the changes are deemed accepted; this is highlighted in the in-app notice.
You may stop using and uninstall the App at any time. Active subscriptions remain governed by § 6. The Licensor may terminate the license for cause, in particular for serious breaches of § 5.2.
The App is primarily directed at users in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the EU. Use elsewhere is at your own risk and responsibility.
15.1 These Terms are concluded between you and the Licensor only, not with Apple.
15.2 The Licensor — not Apple — is solely responsible for the App and its content. Apple has no obligation to maintain or support the App.
15.3 If the App fails to conform to applicable warranty, you may notify Apple, who may refund the purchase price; Apple has no other warranty obligation.
15.4 The Licensor is responsible for handling any user or third-party claims relating to the App.
15.5 If a third-party IP infringement claim is made about the App, the Licensor — not Apple — is responsible for investigation, defense, and settlement.
15.6 You represent that you are not in a country subject to a U.S. embargo or designated as terrorism-supporting, and not on any U.S. restricted list.
15.7 Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms and may enforce them against you upon your acceptance.
16.1 These Terms are governed by German law, excluding the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). If you are a consumer habitually resident in another EU member state, mandatory consumer-protection rules of your state of residence remain unaffected (Art. 6 Rome-I).
16.2 For consumers, statutory venue applies. For non-consumers, the exclusive venue is the Licensor's place of business.
The European Commission provides an ODR platform: https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr
Notice under § 36 VSBG: The Licensor is not willing or required to participate in dispute-resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.
Dennis Achtziger
Email: dennis.achtziger@gmail.com