Terms of Use

Version of 30 October 2026

This English text is a translation of the Italian Condizioni d'uso. In the event of any discrepancy between the two versions, the Italian version prevails.

1. Who provides the service

Controvisto is provided by Alessandro Richard, an Italian sole proprietorship (ditta individuale) — Via Roma 123, 15020 Villadeati (AL), Italy — VAT no. IT10689390010 — certified e-mail (PEC) [email protected] — e-mail [email protected] (the “Provider”).

2. What Controvisto is

Controvisto is an online service that allows professionals to keep a register of their uses of artificial intelligence (AI) and to issue “Verified by a person” seals linked to the digital fingerprint (SHA-256 hash) of a file, with a public verification page that can be reached through the QR code. If the file is a PDF, the service can print the seal inside the document, on the user’s own device. In all other cases the file is delivered as it is, without any change, and the seal is provided separately (seal sheet, image or verification link): any change made to the file after it has been sealed, including adding an image or a digital signature, will cause the file to show as “not matching”. For documents that must be digitally signed, the rule is “sign first, then seal”: the service recognises PDFs that have already been signed and does not print the seal on them, so as not to invalidate the signature.

3. What the seal certifies, and what it does not

The seal certifies only that the person named on it, using an account in their own name, declared on that date that they had checked the file with that fingerprint. It does not certify who wrote the document and does not certify that its content is correct. The seal is not an electronic signature within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (“eIDAS”) or of the Italian Digital Administration Code (Codice dell'amministrazione digitale); despite its name, it is not an electronic seal, an advanced electronic seal or a qualified electronic seal within the meaning of eIDAS, and it is not intended to be used as an electronic signature under the law of any other country. The person who issues the seal is solely responsible for the check and for the content. The Provider does not check the documents or the content of the register.

Where the verification page shows “Registration verified”, the Provider has checked once, on the public register of the professional body (in Italy, the albo of the relevant Ordine), that the professional body and the registration number declared by the user match a person with that name. This check does not cover any later suspension or change, which the user undertakes to notify.

Every day the Provider calculates a single fingerprint of all the seals issued on the previous day and records it with the public OpenTimestamps system, which is anchored to the Bitcoin blockchain (“daily proof of date”). Confirmation in the blockchain normally arrives within one day of recording: until then the verification page shows the proof as “pending”; once it arrives, the proof is completed automatically with the block number. This timestamp shows that the seal existed on that date and that nobody, not even the Provider, can change that date afterwards. It is not a qualified electronic time stamp within the meaning of Article 42 of eIDAS: under Article 41(1) eIDAS it may not be denied legal effect or admissibility as evidence solely because it is in electronic form or is not qualified, and its weight as evidence is freely assessed by the court.

4. Who the service is for

Paid plans are for business customers only. The Professional and Studio plans, and additional people, are sold only to professionals, firms and businesses acting for purposes relating to their trade, business, craft or profession (“business customers”). When purchasing, the customer declares that it is acting for such purposes and provides its VAT number or, if it has none, the business identification number of its own country. The Provider may refuse or cancel a purchase if the declaration or the number turns out to be untrue or invalid.

Consumers resident in Italy who purchase a paid plan under the Italian Condizioni d'uso keep the rights granted to them by the Italian Consumer Code (Legislative Decree No 206/2005), including the right of withdrawal described there.

The Free plan is open to everyone, including individuals using it for private purposes. Users of the Free plan who are consumers (individuals acting for purposes outside their trade, business, craft or profession) retain all the rights granted to them by the mandatory consumer protection law that applies to them, which these terms do not limit; they may close their account at any time, at no cost, by writing to support.

5. Account and security

Each person uses their own account, with a verified e-mail address. Login credentials are personal and may not be passed on to anyone else, because the seal states who carried out the check. Logging in requires the password and a code generated by an authenticator app (two-step verification). Each account can be used on no more than two devices at a time: when a user logs in from a third device, the device used least recently is logged out. On a registered device users do not need to log in every day: after more than 6 hours of inactivity the service asks again for the authenticator app code and, every 90 days from the last full login, for both the password and the code. Users must lock their computer or phone when they leave it unattended. Users receive an e-mail each time their account is accessed from a device never used before with that account (except for the first login after signing up). A user who loses the phone holding the authenticator app should write to support from the e-mail address of their account: after an identity check carried out in writing (confirmation from the certified e-mail (PEC) address shown in the professional register, or from the owner of the firm, or using the details of the latest invoice), the Provider resets two-step verification and closes all open sessions; at the next login the user sets it up again. The service works with recent versions of the most widely used browsers; on iPhone and iPad it requires iOS 15.4 or later. The Provider may contact the firm if repeated logouts suggest that an account is being shared.

Within a firm there are three roles: the owner (who manages people, tools and the subscription, and sees the whole register, the history and the access log), the professional (who records and seals the work they check) and the assistant or trainee (who records uses, naming the professional who will check them, but does not issue seals). The owner may deactivate any account at any time. Anyone who issues a seal declares that their own details (name, qualification, professional registration) are true.

6. Plans, renewal, payment and invoicing

Free plan. The Free plan costs nothing, is for one person (the owner of the firm) and allows up to 3 seals per calendar month (Italian time), with the same register, client notice, revocation and public verification features as the paid plans. Seals issued under the Free plan carry the line “Verified with Controvisto — get 3 free seals a month” with the website address, which is also shown on their verification page. The Free plan does not require a payment card and never turns into a paid plan automatically. The Provider may change the limits of the Free plan, or discontinue it, by giving at least 30 days’ notice by e-mail; seals already issued remain verifiable as set out in section 8.

Paid plans (for business customers only, see section 4). The Professional plan (one person) costs €9 / $9 / £8 per month or €90 / $90 / £80 per year. The Studio plan (up to five people) costs €29 / $29 / £25 per month or €290 / $290 / £250 per year; each additional person costs €5 / $5 / £4 per month or €50 / $50 / £40 per year. For a new customer’s first monthly subscription, the first month costs €1 / $1 / £1 (Professional plan) or €5 / $5 / £5 (Studio plan, up to five people; each additional person €1 / $1 / £1); from the second month the subscription renews automatically at the full price shown on the website. The currency in which the subscription is charged is the one shown at checkout.

Prices are shown exclusive of VAT and other taxes, which are added where applicable (“+ tax where applicable”). Business customers established in the European Union outside Italy who provide a valid VAT number are invoiced without Italian VAT, under the reverse-charge mechanism; business customers established outside the European Union are invoiced without Italian VAT and account for any tax due in their own country.

Paid subscriptions are monthly or annual, are paid in advance by card through Stripe and renew automatically at the end of each period, on the same card, until cancelled. Before each renewal the Provider notifies the owner by e-mail, stating the expected renewal amount for subscriptions on the Italian price list in euros paid through Stripe (for customers billed outside Italy the notice states the renewal date and refers to the Stripe invoice or receipt for the amount), and by a clearly visible notice in the service: 5 days before renewal for the monthly plan and one month before renewal for the annual plan. For customers billed outside Italy, the invoice is issued with the billing details and the VAT or business identification number collected by Stripe at checkout; for customers billed in Italy, with the details entered in the “Subscription” section. The customer is responsible for the accuracy of these details. Nothing can be purchased in the Controvisto Android app: subscriptions are purchased only on the website.

A subscription can be cancelled at any time from the subscription management page or by writing to support; cancellation takes effect at the end of the period already paid for. No refunds are given for partial periods, except where mandatory law provides otherwise (see section 4).

7. Unpaid renewal: return to the Free plan

There is no grace period. If payment of the renewal fails on the due date, or after cancellation, the firm moves immediately to the Free plan (section 6): the owner can still view the register and issue up to 3 seals a month; the other people in the firm can only revoke the seals they issued, until the firm activates a paid plan again. The paid plan comes back automatically as soon as the customer updates the card and payment succeeds. The verification pages of seals already issued always remain active, because those documents are already in the hands of clients, counterparties and public authorities.

8. Cancellation, data retention and end of the service

After the end of the last paid period (because of cancellation, non-renewal or failed payment) the firm stays on the Free plan and its register data (entries, tools, people, history and access log) are kept. The register data of a firm on the Free plan are deleted automatically after 24 months without any access by the people in the firm, but never earlier than 30 days after the notice that the owner receives by e-mail; signing in before that date keeps the data. Firms on a paid plan are not affected. The owner may at any time ask support in writing for an export of the register (the Provider sends it in CSV and JSON format to the owner’s e-mail address) and for the deletion of the firm’s data. Accounts that are not linked to any firm and have not been accessed for 30 days are deleted 7 days after a notice sent by e-mail, unless they are used in the meantime.

Seals already issued remain verifiable for at least 10 years from issue, even after cancellation or deletion of the register data; this corresponds to the ordinary limitation period under Italian law (Article 2946 of the Italian Civil Code). The verification page shows only the data listed in the privacy notice, as they stood when the seal was issued, together with the proof of date. The person who issued a seal, or the owner of the firm, may revoke it from within the service, also while the firm is on the Free plan; after deletion of the data, revocation can always be requested in writing from support.

9. Acceptable use

Users must not issue seals on documents they have not personally checked, share their account, use other people’s details, enter clients’ names or special categories of personal data in the register when this is not necessary, attempt to access other firms’ data or interfere with the operation of the service. Users must not open more than one Free account in order to get around the limits of the Free plan. In the event of a breach the Provider may suspend the account and revoke any seals issued improperly, informing the owner of the firm.

10. Availability and liability

The Provider runs the service with professional diligence and keeps backup copies, but does not guarantee that it will always be available or free from interruptions. Except in cases of wilful misconduct or gross negligence, the Provider’s liability towards business customers is limited to the amount paid in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim. Towards consumers using the Free plan, the Provider is liable within the limits set by the mandatory law that applies to them. The Provider is not liable for the content of sealed documents or for the consequences of the checks carried out by users. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits any liability that cannot be excluded or limited under the applicable law.

11. Trade mark

“Controvisto” and the icon of the C closing around the check mark are signs of the Provider (Italian trade mark application UIBM no. 302026000177604). Customers may reproduce the seal generated by the service only on documents they have checked, and without altering it.

12. Changes

These terms may be updated. Material changes are notified by e-mail at least 30 days in advance, and customers may cancel at no cost within that period.

13. Governing law and jurisdiction

These terms are governed by Italian law. For disputes with business customers, the courts of the place where the Provider has its principal place of business have exclusive jurisdiction. For consumers (Free plan users acting for private purposes and, under the Italian terms, consumers resident in Italy), the courts of the place where the consumer resides or is domiciled have jurisdiction, and the choice of Italian law does not deprive them of the protection given to them by the mandatory provisions of the law of the country where they habitually reside.