Contriboss (COSS) Initiative Website Terms of Service

Effective Date: January 1, 2025

1. Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to the Contriboss (COSS) initiative website (hereinafter “the Website”), operated by The COSS Stewardship Body (hereinafter “we,” “us,” or “our”). By accessing or using our Website, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service (“Terms”) and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use our Website.

2. Use of the Website

Permitted Use: You may use the Website for informational purposes, to learn about the COSS initiative, to access resources we provide, and to engage with the COSS community through any interactive features offered (such as forums or contact forms), all in accordance with these Terms.

Prohibited Use: You agree not to use the Website:

• In any way that violates any applicable local, national, or international law or regulation.
• To impersonate or attempt to impersonate The COSS Stewardship Body or its representatives.
• To attempt to gain unauthorized access to, interfere with, damage, or disrupt any parts of the Website or the server on which the Website is stored.

3. Intellectual Property Rights

Website Content: The Website and its entire contents, features, and functionality (including but not limited to all information, software, text, displays, images, video, and audio, and the design, selection, and arrangement thereof) are owned by The COSS Stewardship Body, its licensors, or other providers of such material and are protected by copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property or proprietary rights laws.

COSS Marks: The COSS name, logos, and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs, and slogans are trademarks of The COSS Stewardship Body or its affiliates or licensors. You must not use such marks without the prior written permission of The COSS Stewardship Body, except as permitted by our Trademark Policy.

Permitted Use of Content: These Terms permit you to use the Website for your personal, non-commercial use only, or for legitimate purposes related to your engagement with the COSS initiative. You must not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, republish, download, store, or transmit any of the material on our Website, except as generally and ordinarily permitted through the Website according to these Terms.

4. User Contributions (If Applicable)

If the Website allows users to post, submit, publish, display, or transmit content or materials (collectively, “User Contributions”) on or through the Website (e.g., in community forums):

• You are solely responsible for your User Contributions, including their legality, reliability, accuracy, and appropriateness.
• By providing User Contributions, you grant us the right to use, reproduce, modify, perform, display, distribute, and otherwise disclose to third parties any such material for any purpose related to the COSS initiative.
• You represent and warrant that you own or control all rights in and to the User Contributions and have the right to grant the license granted above.
• We are not responsible or liable to any third party for the content or accuracy of any User Contributions posted by you or any other user. We reserve the right to remove any User Contributions for any or no reason in our sole discretion.

5. Links from the Website

If the Website contains links to other sites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your convenience only. We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources and accept no responsibility for them or for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them. If you decide to access any of the third-party websites linked to this Website, you do so entirely at your own risk and subject to the terms and conditions of use for such websites.

6. Disclaimer of Warranties

You understand that we cannot and do not guarantee or warrant that files available for downloading from the internet or the Website will be free of viruses or other destructive code. You are responsible for implementing sufficient procedures and checkpoints to satisfy your particular requirements for anti-virus protection and accuracy of data input and output.

YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE, ITS CONTENT, AND ANY SERVICES OR ITEMS OBTAINED THROUGH THE WEBSITE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE WEBSITE, ITS CONTENT, AND ANY SERVICES OR ITEMS OBTAINED THROUGH THE WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS, WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. NEITHER THE COSS STEWARDSHIP BODY NOR ANY PERSON ASSOCIATED WITH US MAKES ANY WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION WITH RESPECT TO THE COMPLETENESS, SECURITY, RELIABILITY, QUALITY, ACCURACY, OR AVAILABILITY OF THE WEBSITE.

7. Limitation on Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PROVIDED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL THE COSS STEWARDSHIP BODY OR ITS VOLUNTEERS BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, UNDER ANY LEGAL THEORY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE, OR INABILITY TO USE, THE WEBSITE, ANY WEBSITES LINKED TO IT, ANY CONTENT ON THE WEBSITE OR SUCH OTHER WEBSITES, INCLUDING ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PERSONAL INJURY, PAIN AND SUFFERING, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, LOSS OF REVENUE, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS OR ANTICIPATED SAVINGS, LOSS OF USE, LOSS OF GOODWILL, LOSS OF DATA, AND WHETHER CAUSED BY TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), BREACH OF CONTRACT, OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF FORESEEABLE.

8. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless The COSS Stewardship Body and its volunteers from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to your violation of these Terms or your use of the Website, including, but not limited to, your User Contributions, any use of the Website’s content, services, and products other than as expressly authorized in these Terms.

9. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

All matters relating to the Website and these Terms, and any dispute or claim arising therefrom or related thereto (in each case, including non-contractual disputes or claims), shall be governed by and construed in accordance with applicable international law without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule.

10. Changes to the Terms of Service

We may revise and update these Terms of Service from time to time in our sole discretion. All changes are effective immediately when we post them and apply to all access to and use of the Website thereafter. Your continued use of the Website following the posting of revised Terms of Service means that you accept and agree to the changes. You are expected to check this page frequently so you are aware of any changes, as they are binding on you.

11. Waiver and Severability

No waiver by The COSS Stewardship Body of any term or condition set out in these Terms shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or condition or a waiver of any other term or condition, and any failure of The COSS Stewardship Body to assert a right or provision under these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.

If any provision of these Terms is held by a court or other tribunal of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable for any reason, such provision shall be eliminated or limited to the minimum extent such that the remaining provisions of the Terms will continue in full force and effect.

12. Entire Agreement

These Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy constitute the sole and entire agreement between you and The COSS Stewardship Body regarding the Website and supersede all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations, and warranties, both written and oral, regarding the Website.

13. Contact Information

All feedback, comments, requests for technical support, and other communications relating to the Website should be directed to The COSS Stewardship Body:
Contact Us