Last updated on May 5, 2015

1) INTRODUCTION

The following terms of use apply to the use of the website owned by the Italian Association of Patent Documentalists, with its registered office at Via Mauro Macchi 8, 20124 Milan (Tax ID/VAT No. 02437091206), a nonprofit association established for an indefinite term (hereinafter “AIDB”), identified by the website http://www.aidb.it (hereinafter referred to as the “Website” or “AIDB Website”), and are legally binding on all visitors to the Website. If you (hereinafter the “User”) do not intend to accept even one of the terms of use of this Site, you are requested to immediately cease visiting the Site.

By choosing to view the various pages of the Site, the User accepts all of the following AIDB Site Terms of Use, as well as thePrivacy Policy and theCookie Policy.

Upon becoming an ordinary member or an observer member, the User is also subject to theMembership Registration Policy, as well as to the provisions set forth in the AIDB Articles of Incorporation, the AIDB Bylaws, the AIDB Regulations, the Teaching Guidelines, and the Mailing Guidelines available on the Website, and to any other provisions applicable to ordinary and observer members that are known to or could reasonably be known to the member.

Please note: By visiting this Site, the User acknowledges that the Site is intended exclusively for individuals who are at least 18 years of age, and that in order to complete any type of registration or interaction with the Site (for example, and for illustrative purposes only, subscribing to the mailing list or registering as a member), you must be at least 18 years of age.

The content of these Terms of Use may be modified at AIDB’s sole discretion and without prior notice. Each User is bound by any such modifications or updates, and it is the User’s responsibility to periodically review these Terms of Use.

2) PURPOSE OF THE AIDB

The objectives of the AIDB association are:

  1. a) the dissemination of knowledge regarding methodologies, techniques, and tools for patent research, documentation, and analysis, as well as contributing to their study and refinement;
  2. b) the protection, promotion, and advancement of the profession of patent analyst and patent librarian for its members in Italy and abroad;
  3. c) the promotion and coordination of cultural and professional development initiatives in the field of patent research, documentation, and analysis;
  4. d) the promotion of collaborations with organizations, institutions, and associations—both domestic and foreign—operating in the field of intellectual property and, in particular, in the field of patent documentation.
  5. e) the promotion of initiatives aimed at achieving legal recognition and protection of the profession of patent analyst and patent librarian in Italy and the European Union.

Any other information regarding the Association’s operations is available at the link to the AIDB Bylaws.

3) PERMITTED USE OF THE SITE AND USER RESPONSIBILITIES

The website is designed as a meeting place for professionals in the field of patent analysis and documentation, as well as for anyone interested in the subject.

On the Website, Users can view documents related to the Association, such as—but not limited to—the Bylaws, Regulations, Teaching Guidelines, Mailing List Guidelines, and the minutes and resolutions of the Board of Directors and the Members’ Assembly. Users may also view the list of regular members and observers, learn about the types of activities carried out by the AIDB, and read news related to matters of interest to the AIDB that members periodically publish on the Website.

The User acknowledges that he or she may carry out the aforementioned activities for the purpose of furthering the Association’s objectives as set forth in point 2) of these Terms of Use for the AIDB website, as well as for educational purposes—that is, to learn about the operations and activities of the AIDB—whether with a view to future membership or even if the User does not intend to join the Association as a member. Using a search bar can help the User find such content.

Within the scope of the aforementioned permitted activities, as well as the purposes pursued by AIDB, the User must not engage in conduct that violates the law, mandatory regulations, public order, or public decency, or that contravenes the provisions contained in these Terms of Use for the AIDB website, and, in particular, the User acknowledges that they may not engage in defamatory, slanderous, or otherwise unlawful conduct toward AIDB, AIDB members, or third parties.

Similarly, the User agrees not to disclose, share, transmit, publish, or otherwise communicate to third parties any material of any kind present on the Site in a manner contrary to the Association’s aims and purposes, and, in case of doubt regarding such conduct, the User agrees to seek the Association’s express authorization in advance.

It is also expressly prohibited to use trademarks, signs, symbols, logos, information, data, photographs, graphics, videos, images, icons, or other elements attributable to AIDB as they appear on the Site for commercial purposes, either on one’s own behalf or on behalf of third parties. These elements, and any other material on this Website, are the exclusive property of AIDB and/or third parties, and the User further agrees not to infringe upon the copyrights, intellectual property rights, or other personal or property rights of AIDB or third parties.

Within the scope of the activities permitted by the Site, the User assumes all civil, criminal, and administrative liability for any actions taken in violation of laws, mandatory provisions, public order, public decency, or these AIDB Site Terms of Use.

The Association reserves the right to modify or remove User content from the Site if it does not comply with the law, mandatory regulations, public order, or public decency, or with these AIDB Site Terms of Use, or if it could otherwise harm the Association or third parties.

The Association reserves the right to report illegal activities to the appropriate authorities, either on its own initiative or based on reports from third parties.

The User acknowledges that the Association is free to use, without restriction, the content and materials posted by the User in areas of the Site accessible to other users, except for those related to the purposes and objectives of nonprofit organizations.

4) LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

AIDB disclaims any and all civil, criminal, or administrative liability regarding the accuracy and authenticity of the information and content on this Site, nor does it offer or provide any guarantees of any kind that the material posted on the Website is error-free or suitable for a specific purpose or use, or that the use of such content does not infringe on third-party copyrights, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights, unless otherwise provided for by, or agreed upon with, AIDB.

The Association is not liable for any content made available, disclosed, shared, transmitted, published, or otherwise communicated to third parties by the User or by third parties, whether it is obscene, offensive, defamatory, slanderous, likely to violate copyright or intellectual property laws, or unlawful in any respect under applicable law.

Each User acknowledges that AIDB is not liable, either directly or indirectly, for any type of damage—whether contractual or tortious, financial, emotional, existential, reputational, or any other type of non-pecuniary damage that may result from the User’s or a third party’s use of the Site, or from the information contained therein as published by the User or a third party, even if the Association is aware of or has been informed of the possibility of such damages occurring.

The Site may be temporarily unavailable due to maintenance or other reasons. The Association assumes no liability for any service disruption, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in transmission or failure of the communication line, theft or destruction of data, or unauthorized access to or alteration of the User’s communications.

The Association is also not liable for any type of technical malfunction or other network connectivity issue, nor for any damage to or malfunction of computers, cell phones, smartphones, tablets, or other hardware or software belonging to the User or third parties, or any other type of IT damage related to, or resulting from, the lawful or unlawful use of the Site by the User or third parties.

When the User accesses the Site, the User assumes responsibility for taking all necessary technical measures or precautions to protect himself or herself, his or her computer system, and any hardware and software from viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and other harmful or destructive content.

5) THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES AND CONTENT

The Site contains links to other websites related to Italian or foreign associations that deal with patents, intellectual property, and documentation.

These websites, to which the User may be redirected through the AIDB website, are not monitored or controlled in any way by AIDB; therefore, the Association disclaims all liability for the content, accuracy, operation, lawfulness, reliability, personal data processing policies, or other policies or notices relating to these third-party websites; and the mere possibility of accessing such websites directly from the AIDB website does not in itself imply AIDB’s approval or sponsorship of them or their purposes, objectives, or content by AIDB; for these reasons, the Association shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or cost incurred by the User or any third party. Furthermore, the Association does not guarantee that such sites are constantly updated.

By choosing to access the websites of the associations mentioned, the User acknowledges that these AIDB Website Terms of Use, as well as the Privacy Policy, the Cookie Policy, the provisions regarding the mailing list, and the Membership Registration Policy referenced in Section 1) of these AIDB Website Terms of Use, are no longer valid.

Links to this Site, such as those from other websites, may only be created if the link points to the Site’s home page, and only with the express authorization of AIDB, based on its internal decision-making procedures. AIDB therefore warns any User against creating hyperlinks from the User’s or a third party’s websites that lead to the Association’s Website’s home page or to other pages on the Website.

The Association disclaims all liability, regardless of whether or not the link to the Association’s website was authorized by AIDB, and cautions everyone against creating associations between third parties and the Association itself that are not intended by AIDB.

AIDB reserves the right to take any and all actions necessary to protect its rights and legitimate interests in the event that it suffers any type of damage, whether financial or non-financial—such as damage to the Association’s image and reputation—if a link to the AIDB website is accessible from third-party websites without AIDB’s express prior authorization.

Practices such as “framing”—that is, the technique of displaying AIDB content on a third-party website in a way that prevents users from recognizing that the content on the third-party website belongs to AIDB—are expressly prohibited.

6) GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION

The courts of Milan, Italy, shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or relating to these terms and conditions.

For any matters not expressly provided for herein, the provisions of Italian law shall apply.