SciencePOD

Terms of Service

Welcome to SciencePOD, a service provided by Armor Media Limited trading as SciencePOD, a company registered in Ireland, with registered number 550743 whose registered office is situated at 6/9 Trinity Street, Dublin 2, D02 EY47 (hereinafter referred to as “Armor Media”, “SciencePOD, “we” “our”, “us”).

These Terms of Service govern your use of the SciencePOD service, www.sciencepod.net  (the “Website”), and all related apps, sites, players, widgets, tools, data, software, APIs and other services provided by or for Armor Media Limited (the “Services”).

These Terms of Service, together with our Privacy PolicyAnti-bribery and anti-corruption policy and our Website Terms and Conditions constitute a legally binding agreement (the “Agreement”) between you and Armor Media Limited in relation to your use of the Website, and the Services (together, the “Platform”).These Terms of Service are divided into the following sections (with a brief summary below for convenience only):

  1. Acceptance of Terms of Service: By using and SciencePOD Service you accept our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Cookies Policy and agree to abide by them.
  2. Changes to Terms of Service: This section explains that our Terms of Service may change from time to time.
  3. Description of the Platform: This provides a general description of the Platform, its features and functionality including a description of the various type of registered users (Liaison Editors, Clients, Content Creators, including Writers, Editors, Proof Reader, Multimedia Producers (Audio, Video, Illustrations), etc.)
  4. Your SciencePOD Account: This section explains your responsibilities should you choose to register for a SciencePOD Account.
  5. Payment Terms: This section explains how you pay for content commissioned through our Platform or if you are a contributor how you get paid for creating content.
  6. Your Use of the Platform and the Content: This section sets out your right to use the Platform and the Content, and the conditions that apply to your use of the Platform and the Content.
  7. Content Created on the Platform: This section deals with ownership of Content, and includes your agreement not to upload anything that infringes on anyone else’s rights.
  8. Representations and Warranties: This section includes important promises and guarantees that you give when uploading content to SciencePOD – in particular, your promise that everything you upload and share is owned by you and won’t infringe anyone else’s rights.
  9. Liability for Content: This section explains that SciencePOD is a hosting service and that its users are solely liable for material that they upload to SciencePOD.
  10. Reporting Infringements: This section explains how to notify us of any content on SciencePOD that you believe infringes your copyright or any other intellectual property right, or that is offensive, abusive, defamatory or otherwise contrary to our Community Guidelines.
  11. Confidentiality: You must keep information given to you by us confidential, even after you have finished using the Platform
  12. Compliance with Policies: You must comply with our policies that are notified to you as a condition of using the Platform. Any breach of our policies may result in suspension of your access to the Platform and/or termination of these Terms of Service and/or legal action against you.
  13. Third Party Websites and Services: Through SciencePOD you may have access to other websites and services. This section explains that these are separate third party services that are not under the control of SciencePOD.
  14. Repeat Infringers: Users who repeatedly infringe third party rights or breach our Community Guidelines will have their SciencePOD Accounts suspended or terminated, as explained in this section.
  15. Disclaimer: This section explains that SciencePOD cannot give any guarantees that the Platform will always be available – sometimes even a platform as well built and as amazing as ours will have a few problems.
  16. Limitation of Liability: This section explains some of those things that SciencePOD will not be liable for. Please make sure you read and understand this section.
  17. Indemnification: If you use the Platform in a way that results in damage to us, you will need to take responsibility for that.
  18. Data Protection and Privacy: It is really important to us that you understand how we use your personal information. All information is collected, stored and used in accordance with our Privacy Policy, so please make sure that you read and understand that policy.
  19. Changes to the Platform, Accounts and Pricing: From time to time, we may need to make some changes to SciencePOD. This section explains your rights in this situation.
  20. Termination and Right of Cancellation: This section explains how you can terminate your SciencePOD Account, and the grounds on which we can terminate your use of SciencePOD.
  21. Force majeure: This section explains what happens in the event that SciencePOD is unable to perform its obligations under these Terms of Service for reasons beyond its control.
  22. Assignment to Third Parties: This section deals with SciencePOD’s right to transfer this agreement to someone else.
  23. Severability: This is a standard legal provision, which says that any term that is not valid will be removed from the agreement without affecting the validity of the rest of the agreement.
  24. Entire Agreement: Your use of SciencePOD is governed only by these Terms of Service, our Privacy Policy and our Community Guidelines, and any changes shall be made in writing.
  25. Third Party Rights: These Terms of Service apply to the relationship between you and SciencePOD only.
  26. Applicable Law and Jurisdiction: All of our documents are governed by Irish law.
  27. Contact: This section provides information about SciencePOD, including how to contact us.
  1. Acceptance of Terms of Service:

Please read these Terms of Service, Our Website Terms and Conditions, Anti-bribery and Anti-corruption Policy and our Privacy Policy carefully. If you do not agree with any of the provisions set out in these documents you should not use the Platform. By accessing or using the Platform, creating an Account, placing an Order, requesting editorial content creation or requesting any service available on the Platform you indicate that you accept and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service, Website Terms and Conditions, Anti-bribery and Anti-corruption Policy and Privacy Policy and will abide by them.

The Platform may only be used by users who are over 18 years of age.

  1. Changes to Terms of Service:

We may change these terms at any time by sending you an email with details of the change. You will have no obligation to continue using the Platform following any such notification, but if you do not accept the revised Terms of Service when you login you will not be permitted to continue to use the Platform.

  1. Description of the Platform:

SciencePOD, provides Science Prose On-Demand. SciencePOD enables clients to order the delivery of high-quality content suitable for a lay audience, or a targeted audience of their choice, based on scientific or technical information they provide.

Additionally, SciencePOD provides publishing and distribution advisory services.

We produce any type of content in text, visual, audio or video format ranging from single articles to complex content such as one-off newsletters, periodical magazines, white papers, podcasts, infographics, video or animations or curated content. Individual content pieces are paid on the basis of a fixed fee calculated upon commissioning. Complex content, which involves more than a single piece at a time, requires payment for the content itself and additional editorial and strategic communication advisory services.

Clients registration

Clients can register on the SciencePOD platform with a Client Account, which is aimed at professionals and businesses. Typical Client Account holders are publishers (traditional or open access), R&D intensive corporations, organisations with ties to science such as charities, learned societies or patient advocacy groups, research consortia, media organisations, social media platforms for scientists, companies providing professional solutions to scientists or enterprises providing science-based educational content, venture capital investor, scientists, technology transfer officers, start-ups or entrepreneurs. etc…

This type of account allows Clients to directly commission bundles of content themselves via the SciencePOD commissioning interface, by purchasing the content formats they need or by purchasing Content Credits redeemable via the SciencePOD platform against any standard or custom content formats available from the catalogue. The final content—which is based on complex scientific and technological information provided by the Client who will upload such documentation as background—will be easy to understand and especially tailored to the audience of choice of the individual account holder.

This Client Account is designed to allow Clients to place orders that handle large volumes of content pieces ordered in bundles, and require customised complex content. With a Client Account you may order series of content pieces, and access SciencePOD’s editorial and strategic communicatory advisory services—including advice on how best to structure the editorial content, select suitable contributors, choose the most interesting angles, in order to deliver the content required to populate blogs, one-off newsletters, as well as periodical magazines, podcasts, infographics, video and animations or curated content, such as themed article bundles. It also provides access to distribution strategy advice.

Note: Client Accounts may be subject to separate terms and conditions described in individual offline contracts between you and SciencePOD, which may modify or replace these Terms of Service.

Publishing process

SciencePOD offers Clients several options defining the specifications of the article commissioned, including information relating to length, target audience, deadline for delivery distribution on social media and through targeted science news distribution services.

Each piece of content is typically based on information available in background scientific and technical documents provided by the Client.

The service relies on the involvement of several Content Creators including an international team of highly-experienced science, medical or technology Journalists or Writers, Editors and Proofreaders to help deliver the final piece of content. The process is as follows; a Client registers as an Account holder.  For an extra fee, a Client Account holder may call upon the assistance of a SciencePOD Account Manager working on their behalf on the SciencePOD Platform to commission bundles of content to a teams of SciencePOD Content Creators, selected for their expertise in a given scientific area, and/or for their language skills and/or their expertise in creating a particular content format, and then assigns a deadline (an “Order”).

The price and deadlines for the Order are calculated and once the Client is satisfied he may then place the Order through the Platform and make payment.

The Content Creators receive information separately about each order including the fee paid and deadlines.

We have bespoke workflows to create different types of workflow. Typically, to deliver Content consisting, for example, of a written article, the following workflow applies. First, the Writer files the article on the SciencePOD platform. The article is then edited by the allocated Editor for the Order to produce the final article, which will then be proof read by a Proof Reader, before being submitted to the Client for checking. The Client has the option to make up to 2 rounds of  suggestions consolidated in a single email communication or comments directly on the document saved on the SciencePOD platform for amendments. Suggested changes will be incorporated into the draft. We reserve the right at our sole discretion to refuse changes which we deem inappropriate for the purpose of translating complex information into layman’s terms or that we consider to be beyond fair use of the editorial process.

The Platform makes it possible to receive the final product in text, HTML, Word (docx or ODT), text or PDF versions. The final product can then either be published in SciencePOD’s chosen publishing platform, as a starting point for distribution on social media networks, via our partnered distribution solutions, or on the Client’s own web site. Please contact our IT team for details regarding publication on your website.

Description of the types of content uploaded to and created on the Platform (“Content”)

The Platform is used to upload scientific publications or material and information of a technical or scientific nature by Clients, for use as background information constituting the starting point of the editorial process. The Platform is also used by Content Creators to create articles that are either stand alone or part of content bundles, content required to deliver summaries (generated by AI or by professionals), white papers, one-off newsletters, periodical magazines and to prepare and edit drafts of such articles or multimedia items such as infographics, podcats, videos and animations (“Content”). Specifically “Commissioned Content” is Content that is the subject of an Order by a Client, and delivered by Content Creators acting as Writers, Editors, Proof Readers and Multimedia Producers (audio and video Content Creators) has been accepted as complete by a Client.

The Client uploads background material, which is typically based on scientific publications or technical information.

Content Creators upload Content based on their role:

  • Writers and Multimedia Creators upload the various versions of their draft content when finalised.
  • Editors or Multimedia Producers (audio and video) perform quality checks on the various versions of the draft content, until the content has been finalised
  • Proof Readers upload the proof read version of the content finalised by the Editor or Multimedia Producers, as required.

SciencePOD is a Platform that facilitates and automates the editorial process for commissioning Commissioned Content by connecting Clients with Content Creators. Client Account holders allocate commissions to Writers, Editors, Proof Readers and Multimedia Producers (infographic, audio and video). The SciencePOD administrator plays no other role in the process apart from providing the Platform. However, SciencePOD may also review any Content for the purposes of quality control, product development and for purpose of assessing compliance with or breach of any of these Terms of Service.

  1. Your SciencePOD Account:

You must register to access the Platform. When you register on the Platform and create an account (“Account”) you will provide us with your telephone number or/and skype ID, postal address, email address, VAT number, billing information and you will choose a user name and password. You must maintain a valid email address to use the Platform. Your email address and other personal information about you will be treated according to our Privacy Policy. The information you provide must by accurate, up to date and complete including the information provided during the registration process.

There are three types of user account on the Platform each of which has different features which are only available to users who register for such an account.

Clients are users who commission Commissioned Content through the Platform (“Clients”). Clients must register. Once registered, they will be able to place an Order directly onto the SciencePOD platform. They may call upon the assistance of a SciencePOD Liaison Editor to place an Order on the platform, on their behalf, for an additional fee.

Content Creators are users who create Commissioned Content by writing, editing, proof reading or creating audio, visual or video content. Content Creators may be offered commissions from Clients via the SciencePOD Platform and must register as Content Creators on the Platform in order to be offered commissions. Content Creators may be offered the option of registering under one or more categories of Contributor:

  • Content Creators who author Content (“Writers”, “Audio journalists”, “Video Crews”, “Animation Designers” & “Graphic designer or illustrator”)
  • Content Creators who perform quality control over the Content (“Editor”, “Visual Editor”, “Multimedia (Audio, Video and Animation) Producer”); and
  • Content Creators who proof read Content (“Proof reader”)

Once registered, Content Creators may be assigned commissions, and can upload Content and take part to the editing process, until the Content has been finalised for checking by the Client. They will be required to perform their assigned tasks in the editorial process until the Client has approved the final version of the Commissioned Content and no more changes have been requested.

SciencePOD Liaison Editors are users who support Client Account holders (”Liaison Editors”). Liaison Editors register separately from other Content Creators through a page provided by the SciencePOD administrator.

All parties to these Terms of Service agree to use their best endeavours to execute their respective obligations with the level of diligence and care that one expects from professionals operating in the same or a similar branch activity.

All parties will at all times, whilst executing their respective obligations under these Terms of Service act in good faith and refrain from engaging in any behaviour causing detriment to the any other party’s interest.

  1. Payment terms:

Content Creators:

In order for SciencePOD to pay fees due to you, you must issue an invoice at the end of the month where you have completed the work and provide your address and bank account details including BIC, IBAN and bank address. Funds will be transferred to you within thirty days of receipt of your invoice.

Content Creators must inform their editor of any likely delays in delivering the article, and explain the reason for such delay. In case of justifiable delay, a new deadline will be agreed with the relevant Editor. SciencePOD shall determine at its sole discretion whether a delay is justifiable or not. Unjustified delays in delivering the Commissioned Content will result in a 10% penalty on payment for delays greater than two days and less than seven days, and a further 10% for each further two days’ delay. SciencePOD reserves the right to reassign the work to another Content Creator at its sole discretion, should unjustified delay arise. Failing to meet deadlines will result in exclusion from the site which will be communicated by SciencePOD.

In some cases Commissioned Content may be rejected. However, if you have timely delivered Commissioned Content, have cooperated fully in the editing process and have used your best professional efforts to re-write Commissioned Content as instructed and the Commissioned Content is ultimately rejected, you may at our sole discretion be paid a kill fee equal to 50% of the agreed fee for the Commissioned Content.

Clients:

Client Account holders must pay all amounts due in full including VAT and other taxes upon placing the order via Stripe. In the event that a Client rejects an article no refund will be due.

Although payment of all amounts is due in full upfront, separate payment terms may apply to some Client Account holders who pay via invoicing, please contact your Liaison Editor for details.

  1. Your Use of the Platform and the Content:

In consideration of you agreeing to abide by the terms of these Terms of Service, we grant you a non-transferable, non-exclusive licence to use the Platform, subject to these Terms of Service, Website Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy. We reserve all other rights.

If you are a Client you may:

  1. Submit, upload or post orders for content strictly as permitted in accordance with these Terms of Service and any other applicable terms posted on the Website or notified to you from time to time
  2. Use the Services strictly as permitted in accordance with these Terms of Service and any other applicable terms posted on the Website or notified to you from time to time
  3. Upload background material to the extent that you have the right to do so, this will typically be based on scientific publications or technical information as background information constituting the starting point for article creation.
  4. Review the articles and clarify scientific or technical aspects, prior to the order being completed

If you are a Liaison Editor you may, acting on behalf of a Client Account holder:

  1. Place orders and organise bundles of articles into magazine, newsletters and any other complex content.

If you are a Content Creator you may:

  1. Submit, upload or post content fulfilling clients Orders strictly as permitted in accordance with these Terms of Service and any other applicable terms posted on the Website or notified to you from time to time
  2. Use the Services strictly as permitted in accordance with these Terms of Service and any other applicable terms posted on the Website or notified to you from time to time
  3. Create content that is either stand alone or part of content bundles, including one-off newsletters, periodical magazines.
  4. As a Content creator who authors content, upload the various versions of your draft article until the text has been finalised.
  5. As an Editor or Producer who performs quality control, such as editing, over the content, upload various versions of the quality controlled draft pieces of content that have been commissioned, until the content has been finalised and bundled as needed
  6. As a Proof Reader, upload the proof read versions of the article finalised by the Editor.

The above licences are conditional upon the following:

  1. You must not copy the Services or Platform except where such copying is incidental to normal use of the Services and Platform, or where it is necessary for the purpose of back-up or operational security;
  2. You must not disclose any confidential information that is stored or created on the Platform including the identity of other users and the nature of the Content.
  3. You must not rent, lease, sub-license, loan, translate, merge, adapt, vary or modify the Services or Platform;
  4. You must not make alterations to, or modifications of, the whole or any part of the Content created on the Platform, except where permitted under these Terms of Service;
  5. You must not use any Content and/or the Platform to create a separate content service that replicates all or part of the Platform
  6. You must not use screen scraping or other similar technologies to download or extract any part of the Platform or any Content.
  7. You may not make use of any bots, spiders, data mining tools, scripts or other automated means with respect to the Platform or any Content.
  8. You must not alter or remove or attempt to alter or remove any trade mark, copyright notice or other legal notice contained in or appearing on the Platform or any Content.
  9. You must not make contact with another user for any purpose except for the purpose of using the Services or Platform according to these Terms of Service including but not limited to recruiting or soliciting any user to join third-party services, applications or websites without prior written approval.
  10. You must not use the Services or Platform to commission or agree to accept commissions independent of the Services or Platform or to circumvent any fees in any way for any reason.
  11. You must not use the Platform to generate Content which:
    • Contains any material which is defamatory of any person.
    • Contains any material which is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory.
    • Promotes sexually explicit material.
    • Promotes violence.
    • Promotes discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age.
    • Infringes any copyright, database right or trade mark of any other person.
    • Is likely to deceive any person.
    • Is made in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence.
    • Promotes any illegal activity.
    • Is threatening, abusive or invades another’s privacy, or cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety.
    • Is likely to harass, upset, embarrass, alarm or annoy any other person.
    • Is used to impersonate any person, or to misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person.
    • Gives the impression that they emanate from SciencePOD, if this is not the case.
    • Advocates, promote or assist any unlawful act such as (by way of example only) copyright infringement or computer misuse.
  12. You must not circumvent or attempt to circumvent any security measures employed by us or attempt to log on with an account other than your Account
  13. You must not use the Platform or services to collect personal data of any person whether or not they are also a user of the Platform
  14. You must not sell or otherwise transfer your Account to any other person.

We will determine, in our discretion, whether there has been a breach of the above through your use of the Platform. When a breach has occurred, we may take such action as we deem appropriate including informing and cooperating with appropriate enforcement authorities in prosecuting users who have participated in any such violations.

Failure to comply with the above conditions constitutes a material breach of the Terms of Service upon which you are permitted to use the Platform, and may result in our taking all or any of the following actions:

  • Immediate, temporary or permanent withdrawal of your right to use the Platform.
  • Immediate, temporary or permanent removal of any Content uploaded by you to the Platform.
  • Issue of a warning to you.
  • Legal proceedings against you for reimbursement of all costs on an indemnity basis (including, but not limited to, reasonable administrative and legal costs) resulting from the breach.
  • Further legal action against you.
  • Disclosure of such information to law enforcement authorities as we reasonably feel is necessary.
  • We exclude liability for actions taken in response to breaches of the above conditions. The responses described in this policy are not limited, and we may take any other action we reasonably deem appropriate.
  1. Content created on the Platform:

In consideration of the payment made to the Content Creator by Armor Media Limited each Content Creator hereby assigns to Armor Media Limited absolutely with full title guarantee the following rights throughout out the world:

(a) the entire copyright and all other rights in the nature of copyright subsisting in the Content created by you as soon as they come into existence (including without limitation all present and future copyright) and in all preliminary drafts or earlier versions of the Content;

(b) any database right subsisting in the Content and any future Content and in all preliminary drafts or earlier versions of the Content and future Content; and

(c) all other rights in the Content and future Content of whatever nature, whether now known or created in the future, to which the Contributor is now, or at any time after the date of this agreement may be, entitled by virtue of the laws in force in the Ireland and in any other part of the world,

In each case for the whole term including any renewals, reversions, revivals and extensions and together with all related rights and powers arising or accrued, including the right to bring, make, oppose, defend, appeal and obtain relief (and to retain any damages recovered) in respect of any infringement, or any other cause of action arising from ownership, of any of these assigned rights, whether occurring before, on, or after the date of this agreement.

In consideration of the payment made by the Client to Armor Media pursuant to these Terms of Service Armor Media Limited grants to the Client a non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free licence — under all copyright and rights in the nature of copyright subsisting in the Commissioned Content in any part of the world to which Armor Media is or may become entitled — to do the following acts in any part of the world subject to and in accordance with the terms of this agreement:

  • Publish or reproduce it in any format any medium, as they see fit
  • To distribute and make it available
  • To sub-license it to third parties, including using creative common licences

Armor Media reserves all other rights in the Commissioned Content including without limitation the right to reproduce, distribute, translate, licence, sub-licence, syndicate, edit, revise, and adapt the Commissioned Content for any purpose on any media and in any form in any part of the world.

Armor Media, at its sole discretion, may make Commissioned Content available under a creative commons or similar licence.

Insofar as you may do so under applicable law you as a Content Creator unconditionally waive and shall procure the waiver of any or your employees or contractors, in respect of Content created through use of the Platform and any updates or revisions to such Content, all moral rights which may now or at any time in the future time exist under the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 as amended from time to time and under all similar legislation from time to time in force anywhere in the world

We have the right, but not the obligation, to credit the Content Creator or its employees or contractors as the author of the Commissioned Content and to use their name, likeness and/or biographical information in the Commissioned Content in any derivative works based on the Commissioned Content including, without limitation, any translations or edited, revised or adapted versions of the Commissioned Content, and for the purposes of advertising and promoting the Commissioned Content and any derivative works based thereon.

Any unauthorised use of third party copyright protected material within Content created by you on the Platform may constitute an infringement of third party rights and is strictly prohibited. Any such infringement may result in termination of your Account and may lead to civil litigation by or on behalf of the relevant third party rights owner.

  1. Representations and Warranties:

You warrant to us that you have full power and authority to enter into and perform your obligations under these Terms of Service.

If you are a Content Creator you warrant that Content contributed by you:

  1. Is entirely your own original creation and that you are the sole author of each contribution,
  2. that each contribution has not been previously published, assigned or licensed to another party;
  3. that the contribution will not be libellous
  4. that the Content does not infringe any copyright, or trademark, or obligation of confidentiality or give rise to any legal cause of action of any kind against us or our licensees or assigns or other users including Clients.

If you are a Client you warrant that your use of the Platform and any Content you upload to it:

  1. will not infringe any third party’s intellectual property rights;
  2. is not defamatory, libellous, obscene, or otherwise unlawful; and
  3. does not violate any applicable law, statute or subordinate legislation.
  1. Liability for Content:

You hereby acknowledge and agree that we store Content at the discretion and upon the instructions of our users; that we are a mere conduit and/or host for the uploading storage and distribution of Content; and that we play no active role in such activities.

We do not review the Content and we have no obligation to monitor the use of the Platform for Content that is inappropriate, infringes third party rights or is otherwise in breach of these Terms of Service.

  1. Reporting Infringements:

If you discover and Content on the Platform that you believe infringes copyright, trade mark or other rights please report this by emailing admin@sciencepod.net.

  1. Confidentiality

You shall not, (except if required in the course of use of the Platform), either during or at any time after the termination of these Terms of Service, use or disclose to any third party any confidential information (which includes  any background material provided by the SciencePOD Client for the purpose of delivering the content for which you have been contracted to do work). This restriction does not apply to (a) any use or disclosure authorised by us or required by law; or (b) any information which is already in, or comes into, the public domain otherwise than through the your unauthorised disclosure.

Nothing in this clause shall prevent you from (a) reporting a suspected criminal offence to the police or any law enforcement agency or co-operating with the police or any law enforcement agency regarding a criminal investigation or prosecution; or (b)doing or saying anything that is required by tax authorities or a regulator, ombudsman or supervisory authority; or (c) whether required to or not, making a disclosure to, or co-operating with any investigation by, tax authorities or a regulator, ombudsman or supervisory authority regarding any misconduct, wrongdoing or serious breach of regulatory requirements (including giving evidence at a hearing); or (d) complying with an order from a court or tribunal to disclose or give evidence; or (e) making any other disclosure as required by law.

All information, documents, data, and other records obtained or created by Content Creators or SciencePOD liaison Editors in the course of performing the Services are and remain our property and/or the property of the Client. Such information, documents, data, disclosed confidential information and other records must be kept safely and securely and must be promptly destroyed and/or returned to us upon completion of the job for which they have been provided or termination of these Terms of Service.

12 Compliance with Policies

As a condition of using the Platform you are required to comply with our policies including any acceptable use, Data Protection, and Anti-bribery and Anti-corruption policies. You may be required to participate in training in relation to our policies. Your compliance of these policies is a requirement for use of the Platform and if we discover or suspect that you have breached these policies we may suspend your access to the Platform or terminate these Terms of Service immediately at our sole discretion without penalty. If you breach our policies we reserve our right to take whatever action is necessary including legal action against you.

  1. Third Party Websites and Services:

Where our site contains links to other sites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your information only. We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources.

14 Suspension or Termination of Accounts:

We may suspend or terminate your account and access to the Platform if we determine in our reasonable discretion that you have repeatedly breached these Terms of Service.

If we receive a valid notification from a third party in accordance with applicable law that your Content infringes the rights of a third party we will send you a written warning by email. Any user who receives more than two of these warnings in any twelve month period is liable to have their access to the Platform terminated.

  1. Disclaimer:

The Platform is provided “as is” and to the fullest extent permissible by law we make no promises or warranties of any kind whatever (expressed or implied) as to the Platform or any part of it. We do not warrant that your use of the Platform will be error free, uninterrupted, timely, or secure or that the Platform or any part of it will be free from viruses or other harmful elements.

16 Limitation of Liability:

We shall not in any circumstances have any liability for any losses or damages which may be suffered by you (or any person claiming under or through the you), whether the same are suffered directly or indirectly or are immediate or consequential, and whether the same arise in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise howsoever, which fall within any of the following categories:

  1. special damage even if the Supplier was aware of the circumstances in which such special damage could arise;
  2. loss of profits;
  3. loss of anticipated savings;
  4. loss of business opportunity;
  5. loss of goodwill;
  6. loss or corruption of data.

Our total liability to you, whether in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise and whether in connection with this licence or any collateral contract, shall in no circumstances exceed a sum equal to the amounts you have paid to use the Platform during the twelve months prior to your claim or €100 whichever is the greater.

The exclusions in this clause shall apply to the fullest extent permissible at law, but we do not exclude liability for:

  1. death or personal injury caused by the negligence of the Supplier, its officers, employees, contractors or agents;
  2. fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
  3. any other liability which may not be excluded by law.

All references to us in this clause shall be treated as including all of our employees, subcontractors and suppliers and our affiliates, all of whom shall have the benefit of the exclusions and limitations of liability set out in this clause.

  1. Indemnification:

You hereby agree to indemnify us for any loss resulting from any violation by you of these terms of use:

  • any breach of warranty;
  • any violation of third party rights such as copyright and trade mark rights; and
  • any activity relating to your Account be it by you, or by another person accessing your account with or without your consent.
  1. Data Protection and Privacy:

All personal data that you provide to us will be processed by us in accordance with our Privacy Policy and by registering you consent to such processing and you warrant the accuracy of all data provided by you.

  1. Changes to the Platform, Accounts and Pricing:

We reserve the right to change, modify, or discontinue any of the Services and functionalities of the Platform at any time and for any reason without notice. We also reserve the right and for any reason to suspend or cease providing the access to the Platform or any part of it temporarily or permanently entirely or with respect to individual territories.

In such case we will use reasonable endeavours to notify you of such changes in advance.

We may change the features associated with any Account, withdraw any Account or we may create new types of Account at any time and for any reason and we may change prices charged from time to time.

Such changes will be communicated to you in advance by email and shall only take effect when they are published on our web site. Each Account holder will be notified upon their next login after an update to these Terms of Service has been made.

Changes to these Terms of Service shall be applied according to paragraph 2 above

  1. Termination and Right of Cancellation:

Content Creators may cancel their account by sending an email to editor@sciencepod.net such cancellation will only be effective once all agreed work has been completed and accepted and when confirmed in writing by us.

Clients may cancel by sending an email to editor@sciencepod.net Cancellation will only be effective once full payment of all outstanding amounts has been made and when confirmed in writing by us.

We retain all rights over all the Content provided prior to cancellation. However for the avoidance of doubt we have the right but not the obligation to retain a copy of any Content associated with an Account that has been terminated. However, if your Account is terminated for any reason you will not have any further access to any Content once the Account has been terminated.

  1. Force majeure:

We shall not be in breach of these Terms of Service nor liable for delay in performing, or failure to perform, any of our obligations under them if such delay or failure result from events, circumstances or causes beyond our reasonable control.

  1. Assignment to Third Parties:

We may assign our rights and obligations under these Terms of Service in whole or in part to any third party at any time without notice including without limitation any person acquiring all or substantially all of the assets or business of SciencePOD.

You may not assign your rights or obligation under these Terms of Service in whole or in part to any third party without our written consent.

  1. Severability:

If any provision or part-provision of these Terms of Service is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable, it shall be deemed modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid, legal and enforceable. If such modification is not possible, the relevant provision or part-provision shall be deemed deleted. Any modification to or deletion of a provision or part-provision under this clause shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the rest of these Terms of Service.

  1. Entire Agreement:

These Terms of Service constitutes the entire agreement between you and SciencePOD and supersedes and extinguishes all previous agreements, promises, assurances, warranties, representations and understandings between us, whether written or oral, relating to its subject matter. You agree that you shall have no remedies in respect of any statement, representation, assurance or warranty (whether made innocently or negligently) that is not set out in these Terms of Service. You agree that you shall have no claim for innocent or negligent misrepresentation or negligent misstatement based on any statement in these Terms of Service.

  1. Third Party Rights:

No one other than a party to these Terms of Service shall have any right to enforce any of its terms.

  1. Applicable Law and Jurisdiction:

These Terms of Service and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of Ireland.

The courts of Ireland shall have non-exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with this agreement or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims).

  1. Contact:

The Services and Platform are operated by Armor Media Limited trading as SciencePOD whose registered office is at 6/9 Trinity Street, Dublin D02 EY47, Ireland.

More information about SciencePOD is available at www.sciencepod.net. You may contact us through the contact form on the Platform or by emailing editor@sciencepod.net.

 

Updated: May 2021

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