The API and SDK allow us to use our Cursor accounts to power the usage of AI applications.
I’m particularly puzzled by the clause in 1.5. iii of the Terms of Service and how this is compatible with the usage of API and SDK. Only internal usage applications are permitted?
1.5. Use Restrictions. Except and solely to the extent such a restriction is impermissible under applicable law, you may not: (i) reverse engineer, disassemble, decompile, decode, or otherwise attempt to derive or gain access to the source code, object code or underlying structure of the Service; (ii) reproduce, modify, translate, or create derivative works of the Service; (iii) rent, lease, lend, or sell the Service;
Clause 1.5(iii) is generally aimed at resale of the Cursor Service itself, for example repackaging Cursor access as your own product, account, or hosted service and charging others to use that access.
Using the Cursor API or SDK in your own application is not automatically the same thing as selling the Service. The key distinction is whether you are building an application that uses Cursor as part of your workflow, versus offering third parties access to Cursor itself or Cursor-powered usage under your account.
An example of prohibited behavior would be:
Getting an ultra account
Selling someone access to use 1 hour of your ultra account
That’s not the only behavior that is prohibited, but it’s meant to give you an example of an unacceptable behavior.
Thanks Kevin, understood in that direct sense of repackaging you present. As if to put a mask over a service which is solely Cursor.
However since the API and SDK, I’m starting to consider Cursor as a third-party external AI service provider to support application backends so I’m wondering if it could be plugged into commercial projects in this regard. Akin to third-party service providers such as external databases, auth, storage or secrets managers in a tech stack. These services are part of a tech stack, in combination to create a product, Cursor would be another piece of the stack if that makes sense.
Thanks for the followup! Seems fine in my opinion. Here’s my full understanding:
Embedding Cursor as a backend AI service in your product’s tech stack is a supported and explicitly intended use of the Cursor SDK. The main guardrails in our Terms of Service are: you can’t resell Cursor itself as a standalone service, you can’t use Cursor’s outputs to train a competitive model, and regulated data (HIPAA/PCI/etc.) needs a separate arrangement.