1. Introduction

These Terms of Service govern your use of PatentNode ("the Service"), operated by Christopher Chen. By accessing the Service you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service. PatentNode is a research and demonstration tool for US patent practitioners. Nothing produced by the Service is legal advice; the Service is not a substitute for the independent professional judgment of a qualified patent professional. Using the Service does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Christopher Chen or any entity that operates the Service.

2. Eligibility

The Service is intended for patent professionals working on US matters (including patent engineers, patent agents, and attorneys) and individuals working under their supervision. You represent that you are over the age of majority in your jurisdiction, that you use the Service in a professional capacity, and that your use of the Service complies with applicable law and any rules of professional conduct that apply to you.

3. Acceptable use

You agree not to (a) reverse-engineer the Service or attempt to extract its underlying models or prompts; (b) use the Service to violate any law, including export controls; (c) submit privileged or confidential third-party information for which you do not have authority to disclose; (d) attempt to disrupt the operation of the Service or other users' access to it.

4. Intellectual property

The Service, including all software, models, prompts, and content presented on the site, is the intellectual property of Christopher Chen or its licensors and is protected by applicable law. Outputs the Service generates from public USPTO data, whether from the built-in sample or from a public Office Action you submit, may be used by you for your professional work, provided you remain solely responsible for verifying their accuracy and your compliance with your professional obligations.

5. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. AI-generated content may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading. You are solely responsible for verifying every output before relying on it in any professional capacity.

6. Limitation of liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL CHRISTOPHER CHEN BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUES, DATA, OR USE, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE. IN ANY EVENT, THE TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF CHRISTOPHER CHEN AND ANY ENTITY THAT OPERATES THE SERVICE, FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICE, WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE TOTAL FEES YOU PAID FOR THE SERVICE IN THE TWELVE MONTHS PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE LIABILITY, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED US DOLLARS (US$100).

7. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Christopher Chen and any entity that operates the Service from and against any claim, damage, loss, liability, cost, or expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of any output without independent verification by a qualified patent professional; (b) any content you submit, including any submission you were not authorized to make; or (c) your violation of these Terms or of any law or rule of professional conduct. Christopher Chen may assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter subject to indemnification by you, and you will cooperate in asserting available defenses.

8. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice. You may stop using the Service at any time and request deletion of your account as described in the Privacy Policy.

9. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Wyoming, USA, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. Subject to the binding arbitration provision below, any matter not subject to arbitration will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Wyoming, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

10. Dispute resolution; arbitration and class-action waiver

Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Commercial Arbitration Rules, seated in Wyoming, rather than in court, except that either party may bring an individual claim in a small-claims court. To the fullest extent permitted by law, you and Christopher Chen each waive any right to a jury trial and agree that disputes will be resolved only on an individual basis: no class, collective, consolidated, or representative proceeding is permitted. If this class-action waiver is held unenforceable, the arbitration agreement will be void as to that dispute, which will then proceed only in the courts identified above.

11. Changes

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated through the Service or by email to the address associated with your account. Continued use after the effective date of any update constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

12. Contact

Questions regarding these Terms: legal@patentnode.com.