PatentPC Terms of Use

1. Eligibility

The Site is intended for persons who are at least 18 years old and are legally able to form a binding agreement. If you are under 18 or otherwise unable to form a binding agreement, you may not access or use the Site except with the involvement and consent of a parent or legal guardian who agrees to be responsible for your use of the Site.

2. Scope and Other Agreements

These Terms govern your use of the Site and related online offerings made available by PatentPC. These Terms do not replace, amend, or supersede any separate written engagement letter, legal services agreement, subscription agreement, order form, statement of work, or other executed agreement between you and PatentPC. If these Terms conflict with a separate executed agreement, the separate agreement controls with respect to its subject matter.

3. Privacy Policy

All information collected through the Site is subject to PatentPC's Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using the Site, you acknowledge that PatentPC may collect, use, and disclose information as described in the Privacy Policy.

4. No Attorney-Client Relationship

Your use of the Site does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship with PatentPC or any PatentPC attorney, patent agent, or representative.

Without limitation, no attorney-client relationship is created merely by:

• visiting or browsing the Site;
• reading Site content;
• completing a form or questionnaire;
• scheduling or requesting a consultation;
• sending an email, chat, text, or other communication;
• uploading documents, invention disclosures, or other materials; or
• using any software tool, automation, workflow, or AI-assisted feature.

An attorney-client relationship is formed only if PatentPC has completed any required conflicts review, PatentPC has agreed in writing to undertake the representation, and you and PatentPC have signed a written engagement letter or other written confirmation of representation.

Unless and until such a separate written engagement has been executed, your communications with PatentPC through the Site, email, or otherwise will not preclude PatentPC from representing another person or entity in any matter and will not obligate PatentPC to keep the information you provide confidential, except as required by applicable law. Do not send confidential, privileged, proprietary, or time-sensitive information through the Site unless PatentPC has expressly directed you to use a designated secure intake channel.

5. No Legal Advice

The Site and all content made available through it are provided for general informational and educational purposes only. Nothing on the Site constitutes legal advice, a legal opinion, or a substitute for consultation with qualified counsel regarding your specific facts and circumstances.

Site content, including articles, blog posts, FAQs, guides, templates, forms, checklists, calculators, search outputs, AI-generated material, reports, and similar resources, may be incomplete, generalized, not current, or inapplicable to your situation. PatentPC expressly disclaims liability arising from actions or inactions taken in reliance on Site content without obtaining qualified professional advice.

6. Patent, IP, and AI Tools

The Site may include questionnaires, intake tools, calculators, search tools, drafting aids, review tools, workflow features, analytics, and AI-assisted or automated features (collectively, "Tools"). Unless expressly stated otherwise in a separate signed agreement:

• the Tools are provided for convenience, preliminary information, workflow support, or educational purposes only;
• Tool outputs are not legal advice and do not create an attorney-client relationship;
• Tool outputs are not guaranteed to be accurate, complete, current, reliable, or fit for any particular purpose;
• Tool outputs do not guarantee patentability, registrability, validity, enforceability, non-infringement, freedom to operate, or any legal or business outcome; and
• any Tool output should be independently reviewed by qualified counsel before reliance.

PatentPC may use artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation, prompts, templates, models, and third-party technologies in connection with the Tools. You acknowledge that automated systems can generate errors, omissions, hallucinations, formatting issues, incomplete analyses, and outdated or inapplicable responses, and PatentPC does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of any automated output. PatentPC may modify, suspend, restrict, or discontinue any Tool at any time without liability.

7. AI Chatbots and Virtual Assistants

The Site may provide one or more chat interfaces, virtual assistants, intake bots, or similar interactive features powered in whole or in part by artificial intelligence or other automated systems (collectively, "AI Assistants"). By using any AI Assistant, you acknowledge and agree that:

• you may be interacting with software rather than a human;
• AI Assistant responses are generated automatically based on your inputs, available data, and configured system behavior;
• AI Assistant responses are provided for general informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice, a legal opinion, or any other professional advice;
• use of an AI Assistant does not create an attorney-client relationship, fiduciary relationship, or duty of representation;
• AI Assistant responses may be inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, misleading, or not tailored to your specific facts, jurisdiction, technology, deadlines, or circumstances;
• you must not rely on AI Assistant output without independent human review and verification by a qualified professional;
• AI Assistants are not intended for emergencies, imminent deadlines, filing cutoffs, litigation holds, statute-of-limitations issues, regulatory deadlines, or other high-risk or time-sensitive matters; and
• PatentPC may monitor, log, store, review, and use AI Assistant interactions and related metadata as reasonably necessary to operate, secure, maintain, analyze, improve, and audit the Site, Tools, and AI Assistants, subject to the Privacy Policy and applicable law.

Unless PatentPC has expressly directed you to use a designated secure intake channel after appropriate intake and conflicts procedures, do not submit confidential, privileged, proprietary, trade secret, export-controlled, personal health, financial-account, government-ID, or other highly sensitive information through any AI Assistant. Communications through AI Assistants may be processed by third-party technology providers and are not protected by attorney-client privilege unless and until a separate written engagement agreement has been executed and PatentPC has expressly agreed to receive such information through an approved channel.

PatentPC does not guarantee that any AI Assistant will be available, uninterrupted, secure, or suitable for your intended purpose. To the maximum extent permitted by law, PatentPC disclaims liability for decisions, actions, or omissions taken in reliance on AI Assistant output.

8. Site System and Content

For purposes of these Terms, the "System" means the Site and any related software, source code, interfaces, servers, databases, models, platforms, and infrastructure, whether operated by PatentPC or by third parties on PatentPC's behalf. The "Content" means all text, graphics, logos, trademarks, service marks, trade names, software, designs, images, audio, video, documents, publications, and other materials made available through the Site.

The System and Content are owned by or licensed to PatentPC and are protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret, and other applicable laws. Subject to these Terms, PatentPC grants you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable right to access and use the Site for your own lawful internal, informational, and non-commercial purposes, unless PatentPC expressly authorizes a broader use in writing.

Except as expressly permitted in these Terms or by PatentPC in writing, you must not: (a) copy, redistribute, publish, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, modify, alter, revise, translate, create derivative works of, or make any unauthorized attempt to access or use the System or Content; (b) sell, assign, sublicense, transfer, distribute, lease, rent, or grant a security interest in the System or Content; (c) reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell, or exploit the System or Content for commercial purposes; or (d) access or use the System or Content in a manner prohibited by applicable law or these Terms. All rights not expressly granted are reserved.

9. User Materials and Submissions

"User Materials" means any content, data, files, documents, text, prompts, drawings, disclosures, communications, images, feedback, or other materials you submit, upload, transmit, or otherwise make available through the Site.

As between you and PatentPC, and subject to any separate written agreement, you retain ownership of your User Materials. You grant PatentPC a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, store, reproduce, process, analyze, transmit, display, adapt, and use User Materials solely as reasonably necessary to operate, maintain, secure, improve, and provide the Site, respond to your requests, evaluate potential engagements, deliver Tool outputs, maintain records, comply with law, and enforce these Terms.

PatentPC does not accept unsolicited ideas, inventions, product suggestions, business methods, or similar proposals outside a formal engagement process. If, notwithstanding that policy, you submit unsolicited materials that are not clearly provided as part of a requested intake, evaluation, or service workflow, PatentPC may treat those materials as non-confidential and non-proprietary to the maximum extent permitted by law, and PatentPC will have no obligation to review, return, acknowledge, compensate, or refrain from using general concepts reflected in those submissions, except as otherwise required by applicable law or an express written agreement.

You represent and warrant that you own or control all rights necessary to provide the User Materials and that your submission of User Materials does not violate any law or third-party right.

10. Prohibited Conduct

You agree to comply with applicable law and not to:

• upload, transmit, post, email, or otherwise make available any material that is false, misleading, fraudulent, unlawful, harmful, threatening, defamatory, obscene, invasive of another's privacy, or otherwise objectionable;
• infringe or violate any intellectual property, privacy, publicity, confidentiality, or other rights of any person or entity;
• introduce viruses, worms, Trojan horses, corrupted files, malicious code, or other harmful components into the System;
• impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity;
• attempt to gain unauthorized access to the System, Content, accounts, or data;
• use any robot, scraper, spider, crawler, data-mining tool, or similar device or process to monitor, copy, benchmark, or extract the System or Content unless expressly authorized in writing;
• interfere with or disrupt the integrity, performance, or security of the System;
• remove, obscure, or falsify any copyright, trademark, attribution, or proprietary notices; or
• access the Site in order to build a competing product or service, copy features or functionality, or conduct benchmarking or competitive analysis without PatentPC's express written consent.

PatentPC may investigate potential violations and may suspend, restrict, or terminate access to the Site for conduct that PatentPC reasonably believes violates these Terms, threatens the System, or exposes PatentPC or others to risk.

11. Third-Party Sites and Services

The Site may contain links to or integrations with third-party websites, software, payment processors, hosting providers, analytics providers, or other services not owned or controlled by PatentPC. PatentPC does not control and is not responsible for the content, functionality, security, availability, terms, or privacy practices of third-party services. Your use of third-party services is at your own risk and subject to the terms and policies of the applicable third party.

12. Electronic Communications

You agree that PatentPC may provide notices, disclosures, and other communications to you electronically, including by posting on the Site or by email where appropriate, and that such electronic communications satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.

13. Disclaimer of Warranties

YOU USE THE SITE, SYSTEM, CONTENT, AND TOOLS AT YOUR SOLE RISK. THE SITE, SYSTEM, CONTENT, AND TOOLS ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PATENTPC DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, TITLE, QUIET ENJOYMENT, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, CURRENTNESS, SECURITY, AND RELIABILITY, AND ANY WARRANTIES ARISING FROM COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE.

WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, PATENTPC DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SITE, SYSTEM, CONTENT, OR TOOLS WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, ERROR-FREE, FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS, OR FREE FROM UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, OR THAT ANY DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED.

14. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PATENTPC AND ITS AFFILIATES, ATTORNEYS, PATENT AGENTS, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, LICENSORS, VENDORS, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, GOODWILL, DATA, OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SITE, SYSTEM, CONTENT, TOOLS, OR THESE TERMS, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PATENTPC'S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SITE OR THESE TERMS WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF: (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO PATENTPC SPECIFICALLY FOR THE APPLICABLE SITE-BASED SERVICE DURING THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM; OR (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS (US $100).

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN DISCLAIMERS OR LIMITATIONS, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU TO THE EXTENT PROHIBITED BY LAW.

15. Indemnification

To the maximum extent permitted by law, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless PatentPC and its affiliates, attorneys, patent agents, officers, directors, employees, contractors, licensors, vendors, and agents from and against any third-party claims, demands, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, and reasonable attorneys' fees arising out of or relating to:

• your access to or use of the Site, System, Content, or Tools;
• your User Materials;
• your violation of these Terms;
• your violation of applicable law; or
• your violation of any third-party right.

PatentPC reserves the right to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter subject to indemnification by you, and you agree to cooperate with that defense.

16. Arbitration and Disputes

Please read this section carefully because it affects your legal rights.

Before initiating formal proceedings, the parties agree to attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute informally by written notice describing the nature of the dispute and the requested relief. If the dispute is not resolved within thirty (30) days after receipt of the notice, either party may proceed as provided in this section.

Except to the extent prohibited by law, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms, the Site, System, Content, or Tools, including the scope or applicability of this agreement to arbitrate, shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association before a single neutral arbitrator. The arbitration shall take place in Santa Clara County, California, unless the parties agree otherwise or applicable law requires another forum. Either party may bring an individual action in small claims court if eligible, and either party may seek temporary, preliminary, or emergency injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to protect confidential information, intellectual property, security, or data.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ALL DISPUTES MUST BE BROUGHT IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF, CLASS MEMBER, OR REPRESENTATIVE IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, COLLECTIVE, CONSOLIDATED, MASS, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. YOU AND PATENTPC WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL TO THE EXTENT SUCH WAIVER IS PERMITTED.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, any claim asserted by you in connection with the Site, System, Content, or Tools must be asserted in writing within one (1) year after the claim first arose, or the claim will be deemed waived.

You may opt out of this arbitration and class action waiver section by sending written notice to PatentPC within thirty (30) days after the date you first use the Site. If you timely opt out, neither party will be bound by this section. If you do not timely opt out, this section will apply.

17. Governing Law and Venue

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or relating to the Site or these Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of laws principles, except to the extent federal law or mandatory consumer protection law applies. For any matter not subject to arbitration, and except where prohibited by law, you consent to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in the state and federal courts located in Santa Clara County, California.

18. International Use and Export Compliance

The Site is controlled and operated from the United States. PatentPC makes no representation that the Site is appropriate for use in any jurisdiction outside the United States. If you access the Site from outside the United States, you do so at your own risk and are responsible for compliance with applicable local laws.

You may not use, export, reexport, download, or otherwise transfer any part of the Site or any related software or technical data in violation of any applicable export control, sanctions, embargo, or import laws and regulations.

19. Changes, Suspension, and Termination

PatentPC may modify or discontinue the Site, delete Content, change features, or suspend or terminate access to the Site at any time and for any reason, with or without notice, to the maximum extent permitted by law.

PatentPC may also update these Terms from time to time by posting revised Terms on the Site with an updated "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Site after revised Terms become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms, unless applicable law requires a different form of consent.

20. Miscellaneous

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and PatentPC regarding your use of the Site, except for any policies or separate written agreements expressly incorporated by reference or separately executed.

If any provision of these Terms is held invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable or, if modification is not possible, severed, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

PatentPC's failure to enforce any provision of these Terms is not a waiver of that provision or any other provision. PatentPC's rights and remedies are cumulative and not exclusive. You may not assign these Terms without PatentPC's prior written consent. PatentPC may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets.

Sections that by their nature should survive termination will survive, including sections relating to ownership, licenses, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, arbitration, governing law, and general provisions.

21. Contact Information

Questions regarding these Terms should be directed to PatentPC through the contact information published on PatentPC.com.