Terms of Use

Codicino is a secret-code game that introduces children to the first ideas of cryptography. A child invents a code, writes a short message, sees how each letter changes, and can print a paper cipher wheel to exchange notes with friends away from the screen.

These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your use of the Codicino application for iPhone and iPad ("the App"), developed and maintained by Francesco Sarpellon, operating as LoopSpark Studio ("we", "us", "our"). By downloading or using the App, you agree to these Terms.

The Service

Codicino lets you create secret codes based on two classical ciphers — the Caesar shift and a keyword substitution alphabet — and use them to encode short messages. It can generate a printable cipher wheel and a substitution table, and it can share a code with another Codicino user through a QR code.

The App works entirely on your device and does not require an internet connection to function.

Educational Purpose and Security Disclaimer

The ciphers used by Codicino are historical and educational. A Caesar shift has only twenty-five possible keys and can be broken by trying them all; a keyword substitution alphabet can be broken by frequency analysis. The App itself teaches children this, because understanding that a simple code can be discovered is part of learning about cryptography.

You must not use Codicino to protect passwords, personal data, financial information, health information or anything else that requires genuine confidentiality. The App provides no security guarantee of any kind and is not a security product.

Who May Use the App

Codicino is published in the App Store Kids Category for ages 6–8 and is intended to be used by children with the involvement of a parent, guardian or teacher. An adult is responsible for the device on which the App is installed, for any purchase made within it, and for supervising how a child uses it.

Certain functions — purchasing, sharing, importing a code, using the camera and opening web links — are placed behind a parental gate and are intended to be performed by an adult.

Kind Codes

The App includes a short promise, the "Code Pact", that children are asked to make: codes are for playing and for keeping kind secrets, never for teasing, excluding or upsetting anyone. We ask parents, guardians and teachers to support this principle. The App does not read, filter or moderate the content of messages, because nothing a child types is ever transmitted to us or stored anywhere outside the device.

Purchases

Codicino is free to download and includes one complete secret code, the interactive wheel, message encoding, the learning section, and sharing and importing of codes.

Codicino Pro is an optional one-time purchase — not a subscription — that unlocks:

• Unlimited secret codes
• Printable PDFs (cipher wheel, substitution table, instructions and the Code Pact)
• Advanced tools for adults (decode a message with a saved code; try all keys of a Caesar code)

All payments are processed by Apple through the App Store. We do not collect, see or store any payment information. There is nothing to cancel and nothing renews automatically. If you reinstall the App or use another device with the same Apple Account, tap Restore purchases in the paywall to recover Codicino Pro at no additional cost.

Prices may vary by country and are subject to change. Refunds are handled exclusively by Apple in accordance with their refund policy; we have no ability to issue refunds directly.

Acceptable Use

You agree to use the App only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You must not:

• Use the App for any unlawful, harmful or fraudulent purpose.
• Use it to write or circulate messages that offend, harass, threaten or exclude anyone.
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, decompile or modify the App.
• Attempt to bypass the purchase system or unlock paid features without payment.
• Redistribute, resell or republish the App or its printable materials as your own.

Intellectual Property

All content, design, illustrations, code and intellectual property in the App are owned by Francesco Sarpellon / LoopSpark Studio or licensed to us. You may not reproduce, distribute or create derivative works based on the App or its content without our express written permission.

The printable materials generated by the App (cipher wheel, substitution table, instructions, Code Pact) may be freely printed, cut out and used at home, at school or in a classroom. They may not be sold, or published or distributed commercially.

The codes and messages you create with the App are yours. We claim no ownership over them, and we never receive them.

Disclaimer of Warranties

The App is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not warrant that:

• The App will be error-free or uninterrupted.
• The codes it creates will keep any information confidential.
• The App will meet any particular educational objective.

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Francesco Sarpellon / LoopSpark Studio shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages arising from your use of the App, including any consequence of relying on its ciphers to protect information.

Our total liability to you for any claim arising from your use of the App shall not exceed the amount you paid for the App in the 12 months preceding the claim.

Third-Party Services

The App contains no third-party software. The only third party involved is Apple, which distributes the App and processes in-app purchases through the App Store; your use of those services is subject to Apple's own terms and privacy policy.

Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the App at any time if you violate these Terms. You may stop using the App at any time by deleting it from your device. Deleting the App also deletes the codes stored on that device.

Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Italy. Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Italy, without prejudice to your rights as a consumer under applicable European Union law.

Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us:

Francesco Sarpellon – LoopSpark Studio
hello@loopsparkstudio.com