Terms of Use

Welcome to the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) Virtual Social  Network service (the “Service”).  The following Terms of Use apply when you view or use the Service [via our platform located at: http://networking.afaas-africa.org]. Please review the following terms carefully.  By accessing or using the Service, you signify your agreement to these Terms of Use.  If you do not agree to these Terms of Use, you may not access or use the Service.  

PRIVACY POLICY

AFAAS respects the privacy of its Service users.  

ABOUT THE SERVICE

The Service allows you to:

  • Register and create a personalised account;
  • Follow the content and activities of individuals, organisations, groups, discussions, questions, and opportunities;
  • Send private messages to other Service users;
  • Post questions and answers to questions posted by other Service users;
  • Create and join organisations, groups, discussions, questions, and opportunities;
  • Post resources, stories and news items;
  • Post comments on discussions, resources, stories and news items.

REGISTRATION; RULES FOR USER CONDUCT AND USE OF THE SERVICE

If you are a user who signs up for the Service, you will create a personalized account which includes a unique username and a password to access the Service and to receive messages from the Platform.  You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your password and/or account. AFAAS will not be responsible for any liabilities, losses, or damages arising out of the unauthorized use of your member name, password and/or account.

USE RESTRICTIONS

Your permission to use the platform is conditioned upon the following Use Restrictions and Conduct Restrictions: You agree that you will not under any circumstances:

  • post any information that is abusive, threatening, obscene, defamatory, libelous, or racially, sexually, religiously, or otherwise objectionable and offensive;
  • use the service for any unlawful purpose or for the promotion of illegal activities;
  • attempt to, or harass, abuse or harm another person or group;
  • use another user’s account without permission;
  • provide false or inaccurate information when registering an account;
  • interfere or attempt to interfere with the proper functioning of the Service;
  • make any automated use of the system, or take any action that we deem to impose or to potentially impose an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on our servers or network infrastructure;
  • bypass any robot exclusion headers or other measures we take to restrict access to the Service or use any software, technology, or device to scrape, spider, or crawl the Service or harvest or manipulate data; or
  • publish or link to malicious content intended to damage or disrupt another user’s browser or computer.

POSTING AND CONDUCT RESTRICTIONS

When you create your own personalized account, you may be able to provide (“User Content”).  You are solely responsible for the User Content that you post, upload, link to or otherwise make available via the Service.  You agree that we are only acting as a passive conduit for your online distribution and publication of your User Content.  AFAAS, however, reserves the right to remove any User Content from the Service at its discretion.

The following rules pertain to User Content. By transmitting and submitting any User Content while using the Service, you agree as follows:

  •  You are solely responsible for your account and the activity that occurs while signed in to or while using your account;
  • You will not post information that is malicious, false or inaccurate;
  • You will not submit content that is copyrighted or subject to third party proprietary rights, including privacy, publicity, trade secret, etc., unless you are the owner of such rights or have the appropriate permission from their rightful owner to specifically submit such content; and
  • You hereby affirm we have the right to determine whether any of your User Content submissions are appropriate and comply with these Terms of Service, remove any and/or all of your submissions, and terminate your account with or without prior notice.

You understand and agree that any liability, loss or damage that occurs as a result of the use of any User Content that you make available or access through your use of the Service is solely your responsibility.  AFAAS is not responsible for any public display or misuse of your User Content.  AFAAS does not, and cannot, pre-screen or monitor all User Content.  However, at our discretion, we, or technology we employ, may monitor and/or record your interactions with the Service.

ONLINE CONTENT DISCLAIMER

Opinions, advice, statements, offers, or other information or content made available through the Service, but not directly by AFAAS, are those of their respective authors, and should not necessarily be relied upon.  Such authors are solely responsible for such content.  AFAAS does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information on the Service and neither does AFAAS adopt nor endorse, nor is AFAAS responsible for, the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, advice, or statement made by parties other than AFAAS.  AFAAS takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for any User Content that you or any other user or third party posts or sends over the Service.  Under no circumstances will AFAAS be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from anyone’s reliance on information or other content posted on the Service, or transmitted to users.

Though AFAAS strives to enforce these Terms of Use, you may be exposed to User Content that is inaccurate or objectionable.  AFAAS reserves the right, but has no obligation, to monitor the materials posted in the public areas of the service or to limit or deny a user’s access to the Service or take other appropriate action if a user violates these Terms of Use or engages in any activity that violates the rights of any person or entity or which we deem unlawful, offensive, abusive, harmful or malicious.  [E-mails sent between you and other participants that are not readily accessible to the general public will be treated by us as private to the extent required by applicable law.]  AFAAS shall have the right to remove any such material that in its sole opinion violates, or is alleged to violate, this agreement or which might be offensive, or that might violate the rights, harm, or threaten the safety of users or others.  Unauthorized use may result in criminal and/or civil prosecution under local law.  If you become aware of misuse of our Service, please contact us [network@afaas-africa.org].

LINKS TO OTHER SITES AND/OR MATERIALS

As part of the Service, AFAAS may provide you with convenient links to third party website(s) (“Third Party Sites”) as well as content or items belonging to or originating from third parties (the “Third Party Applications, Software or Content”).  These links are provided as a courtesy to Service subscribers.  AFAAS has no control over Third Party Sites and Third Party Applications, Software or Content or the promotions, materials, information, goods or services available on these Third Party Sites or Third Party Applications, Software or Content.  Such Third Party Sites and Third Party Applications, Software or Content are not investigated, monitored or checked for accuracy, appropriateness, or completeness by AFAAS, and AFAAS is not responsible for any Third Party Sites accessed through the Platform or any Third Party Applications, Software or Content posted on, available through or installed from the Platform, including the content, accuracy, offensiveness, opinions, reliability, privacy practices or other policies of or contained in the Third Party Sites or the Third Party Applications, Software or Content.  Inclusion of, linking to or permitting the use or installation of any Third Party Site or any Third Party Applications, Software or Content does not imply approval or endorsement thereof by AFAAS.  If you decide to leave the Site and access the Third Party Sites or to use or install any Third Party Applications, Software or Content, you do so at your own risk and you should be aware that our terms and policies no longer govern.  You should review the applicable terms and policies, including privacy and data gathering practices, of any site to which you navigate from the Platform or relating to any applications you use or install from the site.

COPYRIGHT COMPLAINTS AND COPYRIGHT AGENT

Termination of Repeat Infringer Accounts.  AFAAS respects the intellectual property rights of others and requests that the users do the same.  AFAAS will implement a policy that provides for the termination in appropriate circumstances of users of the Service who are repeat infringers.  AFAAS may terminate access for users who are found repeatedly to provide or post protected third party content without necessary rights and permissions.

LICENSE GRANT

By posting any User Content via the Service, you expressly grant, and you represent and warrant that you have a right to grant, to AFAAS a royalty-free, sub licensable, transferable, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, worldwide license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, list information regarding, edit, translate, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, and make derivative works of all such User Content and your name, voice, and/or likeness as contained in your User Content, if applicable, in whole or in part, and in any form, media or technology, whether now known or hereafter developed, for use in connection with the Service.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

You acknowledge and agree that we retain ownership of all intellectual property rights of any kind related to the Service, including applicable copyrights, trademarks and other proprietary rights.  Other product and company names that are mentioned on the Service may be trademarks of their respective owners. We reserve all rights that are not expressly granted to you under this Agreement.

EMAIL MAY NOT BE USED TO PROVIDE NOTICE

Communications made through the Service’s e-mail and messaging system, will not constitute legal notice to AFAAS or any of its officers, employees, agents or representatives in any situation where notice to AFAAS is required by contract or any law or regulation.

USER CONSENT TO RECEIVE COMMUNICATIONS IN ELECTRONIC FORM

For contractual purposes, you (a) consent to receive communications from AFAAS in an electronic form via the email address you have submitted; and (b) agree that all Terms of Use, agreements, notices, disclosures, and other communications that AFAAS provides to you electronically satisfy any legal requirement that such communications would satisfy if it were in writing.  The foregoing does not affect your non-waivable rights.

We may also use your email address, to send you other messages, including information about AFAAS and special events. You may opt out of such email by changing your account settings or sending an email to network@afaas-africa.org or mail to the following postal address:

AFAAS Virtual Social Network Platform Support

Plot 22A Nakasero Road

P.O. Box 34624

Kampala, Uganda

Opting out may prevent you from receiving messages regarding AFAAS or special events.

WARRANTY DISCLAIMER

THE SERVICE, IS PROVIDED “AS IS,” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, AFAAS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, REGARDING THE SERVICE INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, SECURITY, ACCURACY AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, AFAAS MAKES NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION THAT ACCESS TO OR OPERATION OF THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE. YOU ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND RISK OF LOSS RESULTING FROM YOUR DOWNLOADING AND/OR USE OF FILES, INFORMATION, CONTENT OR OTHER MATERIAL OBTAINED FROM THE SERVICE. SOME JURISDICTIONS LIMIT OR DO NOT PERMIT DISCLAIMERS OF WARRANTY, SO THIS PROVISION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

LIMITATION OF DAMAGES; RELEASE

TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL AFAAS, ITS AFFILIATES, DIRECTORS, OR EMPLOYEES, OR ITS LICENSORS OR PARTNERS, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, USE,  OR DATA, OR FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, HOWEVER ARISING, THAT RESULT FROM (A) THE USE, DISCLOSURE, OR DISPLAY OF YOUR USER CONTENT; (B) YOUR USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICE; (C) THE SERVICE GENERALLY OR THE SOFTWARE OR SYSTEMS THAT MAKE THE SERVICE AVAILABLE; OR (D) ANY OTHER INTERACTIONS WITH AFAAS OR ANY OTHER USER OF THE SERVICE, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE) OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, AND WHETHER OR NOT AFAAS HAS BEEN INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE, AND EVEN IF A REMEDY SET FORTH HEREIN IS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.  SOME JURISDICTIONS LIMIT OR DO NOT PERMIT DISCLAIMERS OF LIABILITY, SO THIS PROVISION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

If you have a dispute with one or more users of the Service, you release us (and our officers, directors, agents, and employees) from claims, demands and damages (actual and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown, arising out of or in any way connected with such disputes.  

 MODIFICATION OF TERMS OF USE

We can amend these Terms of Use at any time and will update these Terms of Use in the event of any such amendments.  It is your sole responsibility to check the Platform from time to time to view any such changes in the Agreement.  If you continue to use the Platform, you signify your agreement to our revisions to these Terms of Use.  However, we will notify you of material changes to the terms by posting a notice on our homepage and/or sending an email to the email address you provided to us upon registration.  For this additional reason, you should keep your contact and profile information current.  Any changes to these Terms (other than as set forth in this paragraph) or waiver of AFAAS’s rights hereunder shall not be valid or effective except in a written agreement bearing the physical signature of an officer of AFAAS.  No purported waiver or modification of this Agreement by AFAAS via telephonic or email communications shall be valid.

GENERAL TERMS

If any part of this Agreement is held invalid or unenforceable, that portion of the Agreement will be construed consistent with applicable law.  The remaining portions will remain in full force and effect. Any failure on the part of AFAAS to enforce any provision of this Agreement will not be considered a waiver of our right to enforce such provision.  Our rights under this Agreement will survive any termination of this Agreement.

You agree that any cause of action related to or arising out of your relationship with AFAAS must commence within ONE year after the cause of action accrues.  Otherwise, such cause of action is permanently barred.

AFAAS may assign or delegate these Terms of Use, in whole or in part, to any person or entity at any time with or without your consent. You may not assign or delegate any rights or obligations under the Terms of Use without AFAAS’s prior written consent, and any unauthorized assignment and delegation by you is void.

YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ THESE TERMS OF USE, UNDERSTAND THE TERMS OF USE, AND WILL BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. YOU FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THESE TERMS OF USE TOGETHER REPRESENT THE COMPLETE AND EXCLUSIVE STATEMENT OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN US AND THAT IT SUPERSEDES ANY PROPOSAL OR PRIOR AGREEMENT ORAL OR WRITTEN, AND ANY OTHER COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN US RELATING TO THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS AGREEMENT.

 

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