TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR VIKING ROOTS

www.vikingroots.com

Effective date: 1^st March 2024

1. Introduction and Purpose

Welcome to Viking Roots, a premier genealogy platform dedicated to connecting individuals with their Viking ancestry and facilitating the contribution of historical data and photographs for the compilation of the "Gimli Saga" book. These Terms and Conditions govern your use of Viking Roots' website, services, and community contributions (collectively, "the Platform"). By engaging with our Platform, you acknowledge and consent to these Terms, which incorporate our Privacy Policy and any other policies or agreements referenced herein or applicable to specific segments of the Platform.

2. User Eligibility and Agreement

The Platform is designed for individuals who are at least eighteen (18) years of age. By accessing or utilizing the Platform, you affirm that you are at least 18 years old, possess the legal capacity to enter into binding agreements, and will comply with these Terms. If you are under 18, you are prohibited from using the Platform and must not provide us with personal information.

3. Account Creation and Management

To partake in certain features of the Platform, you might be required to create a Viking Roots account ("Account"). When registering, you must furnish accurate and current information about yourself. You commit to maintaining the accuracy of this information and accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your Account. Viking Roots reserves the right to suspend or terminate Accounts that violate these Terms or engage in activities harmful to the Platform or its users.

4. Contributions and User Conduct

Viking Roots encourages users to contribute data, photographs, and information ("Contributions") to enrich our genealogical databases and the "Gimli Saga" publication. By submitting Contributions, you grant Viking Roots a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, display, modify, and incorporate these Contributions in the Platform and the "Gimli Saga" in any form. It is imperative that your Contributions do not infringe on others' rights or contain illicit content. The Platform should be used respectfully and legally, honoring the spirit of discovery and community.

5. Copyright and Intellectual Property

Viking Roots and its users generate a wealth of original content and contributions. While you retain copyright to your Contributions, by submitting them, you allow us to use them within the Platform and the "Gimli Saga." Apart from Contributions, all aspects of the Platform, including its design, text, graphics, and interfaces, are protected by intellectual property laws and are owned by Viking Roots or its licensors. Misuse of Viking Roots' intellectual property is strictly prohibited.

6. Privacy and Personal Data

The trust and privacy of our community are paramount. Viking Roots' Privacy Policy outlines our practices for collecting, using, and safeguarding your personal data on the Platform. By using Viking Roots, you consent to the data practices described in our Privacy Policy. You have control over your personal information and can manage your privacy settings within your Account.

7. Changes to Terms and Platform

Viking Roots evolves with our community's needs and legal landscapes. We reserve the right to amend these Terms and the Platform's features without prior notice. Your continued use of the Platform after changes signifies your acceptance of the new Terms. We encourage you to review these Terms regularly to stay informed of your rights and responsibilities.

8. User Responsibilities and Conduct

As a user of Viking Roots, you commit to using the Platform in a manner that is lawful, respectful, and in accordance with these Terms. You agree not to upload, share, or otherwise disseminate any content that is unlawful, defamatory, invasive of privacy, or otherwise objectionable. You are responsible for ensuring that your contributions do not infringe on the rights of others, including copyright, privacy, and personality rights. Viking Roots reserves the right to remove content that violates these standards or to suspend or terminate accounts engaged in harmful conduct.

9. Contribution Licensing and Rights

When you contribute data, photographs, or any other content to Viking Roots, you grant us a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license to use, copy, modify, adapt, publish, and display these contributions for any purpose related to the Platform and the publication of "Gimli Saga". This license does not affect your ownership rights but allows Viking Roots to freely use and share your contributions within our community and publications. You also grant us the right to use your contributions for promotional purposes related to Viking Roots and "Gimli Saga".

10. Copyright and Content Ownership

All content published on Viking Roots remains the intellectual property of the original creators. However, by contributing to Viking Roots, you allow the platform and its community to use your content within the scope of Viking Roots' services and "Gimli Saga". This includes the adaptation, publication, and distribution of your contributions. Viking Roots does not claim ownership of your contributions but requires the aforementioned license to incorporate them into our genealogical databases and publications.

11. Refund and Cancellation Policy

Given the nature of our services, including the pre-order of the "Gimli Saga" publication and the personalized aspect of our genealogical research, all sales made through Viking Roots are final. We do not offer refunds or exchanges for any services purchased or contributions made. We encourage you to review your order carefully before finalizing it. In the case of a pre-ordered product, please be aware that delivery times are estimates and subject to change.

12. Service Availability and Modification

Viking Roots strives to ensure the Platform is accessible and functioning properly at all times. However, the availability of our services may be affected by maintenance, updates, or external factors beyond our control. We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Platform at any time, including features, functionalities, and access to certain content, without notice or liability.

13. Third-Party Links and Content

The Viking Roots Platform may contain links to third-party websites, services, and advertisements that are not owned or controlled by Viking Roots. We do not endorse or assume any responsibility for any such third-party sites, information, materials, products, or services. If you access a third-party website from Viking Roots, you do so at your own risk, and you understand that these Terms and Viking Roots' Privacy Policy do not apply to your use of such sites.

14. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

Viking Roots provides its Platform and services "as is" and without any warranty or condition, express, implied, or statutory. Viking Roots specifically disclaims any implied warranties of title, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. In no event shall Viking Roots, its directors, officers, employees, or affiliates be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or exemplary damages arising from your use of the Platform or any third-party claims.

15. Dispute Resolution

In the event of a dispute arising from or in connection with these Terms or your use of the Viking Roots platform, we strongly encourage direct resolution through our customer service channels. If the dispute cannot be resolved directly, it shall be submitted to binding arbitration under the rules of the [Specify Jurisdiction] Arbitration Association. Any arbitration shall take place on an individual basis; class arbitrations and class actions are not permitted.

16. Governing Law

These Terms and your use of the Viking Roots platform shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of [Specify Jurisdiction], without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of law. The courts of [Specify Jurisdiction] shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim arising from, or related to, a visit to our platform, although we retain the right to bring proceedings against you for breach of these conditions in your country of residence or any other relevant country.

17. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Viking Roots, its officers, directors, employees, and agents, from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including, without limitation, reasonable legal and accounting fees, arising out of or in any way connected with your access to or use of the platform, your Contributions, or your violation of these Terms.

18. Modifications to the Platform

Viking Roots reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the platform (or any part thereof) with or without notice. You agree that Viking Roots shall not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification, suspension, or discontinuance of the platform.

19. Account Termination

Viking Roots may terminate or suspend your account and bar access to the platform immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason whatsoever, including, without limitation, a breach of these Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the platform will cease immediately. If you wish to terminate your account, you may simply discontinue using the platform.

20. Feedback and Suggestions

Any feedback, comments, ideas, improvements, or suggestions (collectively, "Suggestions") provided by you to Viking Roots with respect to the platform shall remain the sole and exclusive property of Viking Roots. Viking Roots shall be free to use, copy, modify, publish, or redistribute the Suggestions for any purpose and in any way without any credit or any compensation to you.

21. Notices

Any notices or other communications permitted or required hereunder, including those regarding modifications to these Terms, will be in writing and given: (i) by Viking Roots via email (in each case to the address that you provide) or (ii) by posting to the platform. For notices made by e-mail, the date of receipt will be deemed the date on which such notice is transmitted.

22. Waiver and Severability

No waiver of these Terms by Viking Roots shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or condition or any other term or condition, and any failure of Viking Roots 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 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.

23. Entire Agreement

These Terms and our Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between you and Viking Roots with respect to the platform and supersede all prior or contemporaneous understandings and agreements, whether written or oral, with respect to the platform.

24. Assignment

Viking Roots may assign its rights and obligations under these Terms, in whole or in part, to any party at any time without notice. These Terms may not be assigned by you without Viking Roots’ prior written consent, which may be withheld in Viking Roots’ sole discretion.

25. Contact Information

For any questions, concerns, or comments about these Terms or the platform, please contact Viking Roots at info@vikingroots.com. We are committed to providing a high-quality service and value the feedback of our community.