Software License Terms
These Software License Terms (the "License Terms") describe the rights that Rust Shield grants to you when you download, install, activate, or use Rust Shield, our fast and lightweight antivirus application for Windows and macOS built on a Rust core. They set out what each subscription tier includes, how your license operates, and what happens when your subscription changes or ends.
Rust Shield is provided by [Registered company name], operating as Rust Shield, with its principal place of business at [Registered business address]. These License Terms are governed by the laws of [Governing jurisdiction]. If you have questions about your license, contact us at [email protected].
These License Terms supplement, and should be read together with, our End User License Agreement and our Terms of Service. Where the EULA governs the general rules for installing and running the software, and the Terms of Service govern your relationship with the service overall, these License Terms focus specifically on the scope of the license granted for each subscription tier. In the event of a direct conflict, the EULA controls matters of software licensing, the Terms of Service control matters of the broader service, and these License Terms control the tier-specific entitlements described below.
1. The License We Grant
Subject to your compliance with these License Terms, the EULA, and the Terms of Service, Rust Shield grants you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, and revocable license to install and use Rust Shield on the number of devices permitted by your subscription tier, solely for the protection of devices that you own or lawfully control.
This is a license, not a sale. Rust Shield and its licensors retain all right, title, and interest in and to Rust Shield, including the application, its Rust core, the malware-definition data, and all related intellectual property. No rights are granted to you other than those expressly stated in these License Terms, the EULA, and the Terms of Service.
2. Subscription Tiers and Entitlements
Rust Shield is offered in three tiers: Free, Plus, and Pro. The table below summarizes the entitlements of each tier. Your access to specific features is enforced by the application based on the tier associated with your account.
| Entitlement | Free | Plus | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $3.99 / month | $6.99 / month |
| Device limit | 1 device | Devices as described at purchase | Devices as described at purchase |
| Signature & heuristic scanning | Included | Included | Included |
| Quarantine | Included | Included | Included |
| Scan volume | Standard scans | Unlimited scans | Unlimited scans |
| Real-time protection | Not included | Included | Included |
| Web protection | Not included | Included | Included |
| Network scan | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Cloud backup | Not included | 500 MB | 5 GB |
| Malware-definition updates | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Support level | Self-service & community | Standard email & chat | Priority support |
| Subscription term | Perpetual (no charge) | Monthly, auto-renewing | Monthly, auto-renewing |
| License key | Account-linked | Account-linked | Account-linked |
2.1 Free
The Free tier is available at no charge for use on a single device. It includes signature-based and heuristic scanning, quarantine of detected threats, and automatic malware-definition updates so that your protection stays current. Support for the Free tier is provided on a self-service basis through our documentation and website resources. The Free tier does not include real-time protection, web protection, network scanning, or cloud backup.
2.2 Plus
The Plus tier is a paid subscription billed at $3.99 per month. In addition to everything in the Free tier, Plus adds real-time protection that monitors your device as you use it, web protection that helps guard against malicious sites, cloud backup of up to 500 MB, and unlimited scans. Plus subscribers receive standard support by email at [email protected] and through the in-app and website chat.
2.3 Pro
The Pro tier is a paid subscription billed at $6.99 per month. It includes everything in the Plus tier and adds network scanning to help identify threats and vulnerabilities across your local network, expanded cloud backup of up to 5 GB, and priority support with faster response handling. Pro is intended for users who want the most comprehensive protection Rust Shield offers.
3. Subscription Term and Renewal
The Free tier continues for as long as your account remains active and you comply with these License Terms, at no charge.
Paid subscriptions (Plus and Pro) are offered on a recurring monthly term. Unless you cancel before the end of the current billing period, your subscription automatically renews for a successive term of the same length, and the applicable recurring fee is charged to your payment method using the rate in effect at the time of renewal. You authorize Rust Shield and its payment processors to charge the recurring fee for each renewal term until you cancel.
You may cancel a paid subscription at any time through your account settings or by contacting us at [email protected]. Cancellation stops future renewals; it takes effect at the end of the then-current billing period, and you retain access to the paid tier until that period ends. Fees already paid are non-refundable except where required by applicable law or as otherwise stated in our Terms of Service. If we change subscription pricing, we will provide notice in accordance with the Terms of Service, and the revised price will apply to renewals after the notice period.
4. License Keys and Activation
Access to your entitlements is tied to your Rust Shield account and, where applicable, to a license key or activation record associated with that account. When you install Rust Shield and sign in, the application validates your subscription with our license service to determine which tier and features you are entitled to use.
Your license key and account credentials are personal to you. You must keep them confidential and must not share, resell, sublicense, publish, or otherwise transfer your license key or account access to any other person. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account or license key. If you believe your credentials or license key have been compromised, notify us promptly at [email protected].
To confirm your subscription status and enforce device limits, the application periodically communicates with our license service, including a regular heartbeat check. If the application cannot verify an active paid subscription, your access may be adjusted to the tier for which a valid entitlement exists, as described in Section 7.
5. Device Limits
Each tier permits installation and active use on a defined number of devices. The Free tier is limited to a single device. Paid tiers permit use on the number of devices described at the time of purchase for the plan you selected. A single seat of the license may not be used to protect more devices than your tier allows, and you may not attempt to circumvent device limits by sharing accounts or license keys.
Where you have reached your device limit, you may need to deactivate Rust Shield on an existing device before activating it on a new one. Deactivation and reassignment can be managed through your account or by contacting support.
6. Upgrades and Downgrades
You may change your tier at any time, subject to the following handling.
6.1 Upgrades
When you upgrade to a higher tier (for example, Free to Plus, Free to Pro, or Plus to Pro), the additional features and increased entitlements generally become available promptly after your upgraded subscription is confirmed and payment is processed. Billing for the higher tier begins with the upgrade, and any proration or credit for a mid-cycle upgrade will be handled as described in your account and in our Terms of Service.
6.2 Downgrades
When you downgrade to a lower tier, the change typically takes effect at the end of your current billing period so that you keep the benefits you have already paid for until that period ends. After a downgrade takes effect, the features and limits of the lower tier apply. Any data or usage that exceeds the lower tier's limits (for example, cloud backup that exceeds the lower tier's storage allowance) may become inaccessible, be subject to reduction, or require you to remove content to fit within the new limit. We encourage you to review the entitlements of your target tier before downgrading.
7. What Happens When a Subscription Lapses
If a paid subscription is canceled, expires, is not renewed, or a renewal payment fails and is not cured, your access to paid features ends and your account reverts to the Free tier. This means:
- Real-time protection, web protection, network scanning (Pro), and other paid features stop being available.
- Your device usage is limited to the single device permitted by the Free tier.
- Cloud-backup storage reverts to the Free tier's allowance, and data stored above the Free limit may become inaccessible or be removed. You are responsible for retrieving any content you wish to keep before your paid subscription ends.
- You retain the core Free-tier protection: signature and heuristic scanning, quarantine, and automatic malware-definition updates.
Reverting to the Free tier does not delete your account. You may resubscribe to a paid tier at any time to restore the corresponding features, subject to the pricing then in effect.
8. Malware-Definition Updates
All tiers receive automatic malware-definition updates. Rust Shield periodically retrieves updated definition data so that scanning can detect newly identified threats. These updates are delivered as part of the service, and continued protection depends on the application being able to connect to our update service and apply the latest definitions. The malware-definition data is licensed, not sold, and remains the property of Rust Shield and its licensors; you may not extract, redistribute, or reverse engineer it except as permitted by the EULA or applicable law.
9. Support
The level of support available to you depends on your tier. Free-tier users have access to self-service resources. Plus subscribers receive standard support, and Pro subscribers receive priority support. You can reach support by email at [email protected] or through the in-app and website chat. Support is generally available during Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm. For urgent matters, please include your account details and a description of the issue so we can assist you efficiently. Where a phone line is available, you may also reach us at [Support phone number].
10. Permitted Use
You may use Rust Shield only in accordance with these License Terms, the EULA, and the Terms of Service. In particular, you agree that you will not:
- Use the software on more devices than your tier permits, or otherwise exceed your entitlements.
- Share, sell, rent, lease, sublicense, or otherwise transfer your license key, account, or access rights to any third party.
- Copy, modify, translate, adapt, or create derivative works of the software except as expressly permitted.
- Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the software, or attempt to derive its source code, its Rust core, or the structure of its malware-definition data, except to the extent this restriction is prohibited by applicable law.
- Circumvent, disable, or interfere with license validation, device limits, the heartbeat check, tier enforcement, or any security or access-control mechanism.
- Use the software to develop, test, or distribute malware, or to build a competing product or service.
- Use the software in violation of any applicable law or the rights of others.
Any use of Rust Shield outside the scope of the license granted here is unauthorized and may result in suspension or termination of your license, in addition to any other remedies available to us.
11. Downloads and Authenticity
The official source for Rust Shield is rustshieldsecurity.com. To help ensure you receive genuine, untampered software, download and update Rust Shield only from our official website or from update channels delivered through the application itself. Rust Shield is not responsible for copies of the software obtained from unofficial sources, which may be modified, out of date, or unsafe.
12. Termination of License
Your license continues for as long as your applicable tier remains active and you comply with these License Terms, the EULA, and the Terms of Service. We may suspend or terminate your license if you materially breach these terms, misuse license keys or device limits, or use the software unlawfully, as further described in the EULA and Terms of Service. Upon termination of your license, you must stop using and, if requested, remove the software. Termination of a paid license does not by itself close your account; you may continue on the Free tier where permitted, subject to Section 7.
13. Changes to These License Terms
We may update these License Terms from time to time to reflect changes to our tiers, features, pricing structure, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will provide notice as described in the Terms of Service. Your continued use of Rust Shield after the changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated License Terms. If you do not agree to the changes, you may cancel a paid subscription and continue on the Free tier or stop using the software.
14. Governing Law and Contact
These License Terms are governed by the laws of [Governing jurisdiction], without regard to conflict-of-laws principles, and are subject to the dispute-resolution provisions of our Terms of Service. Any specific consumer-protection rights that apply to you under the law of your place of residence are not affected by this choice of law where they cannot be waived. For questions relating to a specific regulator or authority, see [applicable consumer-protection or software-licensing authority for the jurisdiction].
If you have any questions about these Software License Terms or your entitlements, contact Rust Shield at [email protected], by mail at [Registered business address], or by phone at [Support phone number].