Legal

Terms of Service

Guidelines for collaboration, usage, and community membership.

Last Updated: February 2025

1. Introduction and Acceptance

Welcome to RAIHARC (Robotics, AI, Hardware, and Research Community). By accessing our website, participating in our programs, or collaborating on projects, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. RAIHARC is a community-driven research initiative, not a traditional commercial entity. Our primary goal is knowledge creation, innovation, and technological empowerment.

Note: These Terms of Service serve as a general framework for community interaction and website usage. Specific terms, deliverables, and obligations for collaborative projects will be outlined in separate agreements, contracts, or Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) consented to by all involved parties.

2. Nature of Services and Collaboration

RAIHARC provides research advisory, system prototyping, educational workshops, and collaborative development.

  • Research & Experimental Nature: Many of our projects involve cutting-edge technologies (AI, Robotics, IoT) which are experimental by nature. While we strive for excellence, we cannot guarantee specific outcomes similar to off-the-shelf commercial products.
  • Collaboration Model: We operate on a partnership model. "Clients" are viewed as "Collaborators." Success depends on mutual engagement and transparent communication.

3. Community Code of Conduct

We are built on trust and respect. All members and partners agree to:

  • Integrity: uphold professional honesty in all research and development activities.
  • Respect: treat all community members, students, and mentors with dignity, regardless of background or expertise level.
  • Safety: prioritize safety in all physical prototyping and hardware interactions.

Violation of these standards may force immediate termination of collaboration or membership.

4. Intellectual Property (IP) Rights

We believe in balancing open innovation with proprietary protection.

  • Open Source Initiatives: Unless otherwise specified, research outputs intended for public benefit may be released under open licenses (e.g., MIT, Apache 2.0, CC-BY) to foster community growth.
  • Collaborative Projects: IP rights for specific collaborative projects will be defined in the respective project agreement or MoU. Generally, partners retain ownership of their proprietary data and business logic, while RAIHARC retains the right to reuse generic modules, libraries, and research methodologies.
  • Educational Content: Training materials and workshops developed by RAIHARC remain the intellectual property of RAIHARC.

5. Payments and Contributions

Financial contributions (quoted as project costs) are strictly for:

  • Cost Recovery: covering operational expenses, hardware, and infrastructure.
  • Sustainability: supporting researchers and developer, while also maintaining community labs.

Payments are non-refundable once resources have been allocated or purchased, as they directly fund immediate project needs.

6. Limitation of Liability

Please read this section carefully.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, RAIHARC AND ITS MEMBERS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM: (A) YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF OR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE OUR SERVICES; (B) ANY CONDUCT OR CONTENT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE SERVICES; OR (C) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, USE, OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR CONTENT.

Prototype Disclaimer: Hardware and software prototypes are provided "as is" for research and validation purposes. They are not certified for safety-critical (e.g., medical, automotive) applications unless explicitly stated and certified by third-party authorities.

7. Modifications to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these specific terms at any time. We will provide notice of significant changes by posting the new terms on this site. Your continued use of our services constitutes acceptance of those changes.

8. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact the administration team at raiharc@gmail.com.