General terms and conditions for the use of lawyrs.net

§ 1 Acceptance of these general terms and conditions

lawyrs.net is made available by Intrasocial UG (haftungsbeschränkt) ("Intrasocial") on the basis of the following general terms of use. By logging on to lawyrs.net, users accept these general terms and conditions and their observance.

§ 2 Availability

Intrasocial reserves the right to discontinue the operation of the lawyrs.net web site in full or in part at any time. Due to the nature of the Internet and computer systems in general, Intrasocial cannot accept any liability for the continuous availability of the lawyrs.net web site.

§ 3 Registration

lawyrs.net can be fully used only after registration as a member. Any registration by, use of or access to the site by anyone under 18, is unauthorized, unlicensed and in violation of these terms of use. By using the service or the site, users represent and warrant that they are 18 or older and that they agree to abide by all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement. Users who sign up with lawyrs.net are obliged to give accurate information and, where such information changes over time, update such information without undue delay. Users shall ensure that their e-mail address as specified to lawyrs.net is current at all times. Upon registration users agree to be fully responsible for all use of their account and for any actions that take place using their account.

§ 4 Data Privacy Protection

The lawyrs.net web server does not automatically recognize the user's domain name or e-mail address. Lawyrs.net collects the e-mail addresses of those who communicate with lawyrs.net via e-mail, collects information which users knowingly choose to disclose on the website (by means of personal profiles and group memberships) and aggregates information on the website use of registered users who interact with the lawyrs.net website.

The collected information is used to improve the content of lawyrs.net, used to customize the content (including advertisements by Intrasocial and by third parties who wish to advertise on lawyrs.net) and / or layout of lawyrs.net for each individual visitor and used to notify users about updates to lawyrs.net. Information knowingly disclosed by users on their profiles such as name, professional and educational information and interests is shared with other users who can access this information on the user profiles. Lawyrs.net users can select their preferred privacy options regarding their profiles: The "public lawyrs profile" is publicly accessible. The "non-public lawyrs profile" is only accessible for other registered users of lawyrs.net. The default setting for lawyrs profiles is the "public lawyrs profile", but users can change the privacy settings themselves on https://www.lawyrs.net/settings.

The collected information will not be shared with third parties outside lawyrs.net nor will third parties be allowed to send users information to e-mail address submitted to lawyrs.net. However, users post information on the site at their own risk. It may not be possible to control the actions of other users with whom users may choose to share their pages and information. Therefore, Intrasocial cannot guarantee that information users post on the site will not be shared with third parties due to the actions of other users, even though that is prohibited by the terms and conditions of lawyrs.net. Intrasocial is not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on the site. Users must understand and acknowledge that, even after removal, copies of their former profiles may remain viewable in cached and archived pages or if other users have copied or stored the information, despite the fact that these actions bz others constitute violations of the lawyrs.net terms and conditions of use. Any such violation should be reported to [email protected].

Users may send private messages to other users. The user settings under "Settings" are preset per default in a way that all lawyrs.net users may send private messages and a user will receive e-mail notifications on new private messages and posts in his / her groups. Users may change these settings at any time to the effect that only their contacts may send them private messages and / or that they will not receive e-mail notifications on new private messages and / or group posts.

If a user visits the profile of another lawyrs.net user, per default its name and the time of the visit will be shown to the other user at "Last visitors on your profile". Users may change these settings at "Settings" at any time to the effect that no information about their visits to other users’ profiles will be shown.

With respect to cookies: Lawyrs.net uses cookies to record user-specific information on what pages users access or visit.

If users do not want to receive e-mails from lawyrs.net in the future, they can inform Intrasocial by sending an e-mail to the above address, or writing to Intrasocial at the above address.

Upon request Intrasocial provides site visitors with access to all information that is maintained about them.

Users can access all volunteered information by visiting their profile. Users can have this information corrected by editing their profile or by sending an e-mail to the above address.

If users choose to invite a friend to lawyrs.net, Intrasocial will ask for the friend’s email address and send him/her a one-time email. Lawyrs.net stores this information to send this one-time invitation and to register a friend connection between the users if the invitation is accepted. If invitees wish to have this information removed, they can email [email protected] to request that this information is deleted from our database.

Lawyrs.net does not knowingly collect or solicit information about anyone below the age of 18. No one under age 18 may register as a user of lawyrs.net. No one may provide any personal information such as contact details, education etc on this web site if he or she is below the age of 18.

With respect to security: Sensitive information such as name, contact information and interests are transmitted by a secure server connection.

This web site uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google"). Google Analytics uses "cookies", which are text files placed on the user’s computer, to help the web site analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about the use of the web site (including the user’s IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating the use of the web site, compiling reports on web site activity for web site operators and providing other services relating to web site activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf. Google will not associate the user’s IP address with any other data held by Google. Users may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on their browser, however please note that if they do this they may not be able to use the full functionality of this web site. By using this web site, users consent to the processing of data about them by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.

§ 5 Security

Although Intrasocial will make all efforts to try to keep the lawyrs.net web site free from viruses, it cannot guarantee that it is virus-free. Users shall for their own protection take the necessary steps to ensure appropriate security measures are in place and shall utilize a virus scanner before downloading any information, software or documentation.

After the registration, users will receive a password to log on to lawyrs.net. Users are obliged to keep this password secret. Users shall inform Intrasocial immediately of any unauthorized possession of their login data by a third party and about any abusive use of their login data. In this case, users are obliged to immediately change their password to prevent any abuse. Users are solely responsible for any damage caused by a disclosure of their login data to a third party. Intrasocial is not responsible for any damage, which results from a violation of the obligations mentioned above.

§ 6 General Responsibilities and Obligations

The use of lawyrs.net is at the own risk of the users. The person who transmits the information, messages, data, texts, photos, diagrams, or other materials on lawyrs.net is solely responsible for the data.

The following actions are strictly forbidden:

Intrasocial may delete any contents which are in breach of these terms of conditions or unlawful immediately and without notice. Intrasocial may delete the account of any user who violates these terms of use or takes any unlawful action.

As far as Intrasocial incurs any costs or damages as a result of a violation of these terms of use, the responsible user is obliged to compensate Intrasocial for these costs or damages.

Intrasocial shall under no circumstances be responsible for contents published by users, in particular not for errors or incompleteness of contents.

§ 7 Newsletter

All users of lawyrs.net will receive a regular newsletter, containing information about new features on lawyrs.net, recent developments in any area of law as well as information about law firms and the lawyrs’ community. Users may unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time by informing Intrasocial at [email protected].

Any user may add information or articles to the newsletter – whether it will be published or not is at the discretion of lawyrs.net editors. Intrasocial, lawyrs.net, its subsidiaries and affiliates, and each of their directors, officers, agents, contractors, partners and employees do not assume responsibility for the correctness or completeness of information posted in newsletters. The same terms apply to the newsletter as to all other content of the site.

Lawyrs.net may use for the newsletter any news items which users have added to the lawyrs.net site through the “add news” button without notice. If users do not want news items added by themselves to lawyrs.net to appear in the newsletter, they must notify Intrasocial by sending an email to [email protected].

§ 8 Copyright

Intrasocial respects the intellectual property rights of third parties and prohibits users from uploading, posting or otherwise transmitting on the lawyrs.net website or service any materials that violate another party's intellectual property rights. Should a third party be of the opinion that its works were used or reproduced without permission this party should immediately contact Intrasocial. If the allegations are justified, Intrasocial will remove or disable access to the material concerned. Intrasocial acknowledges that in case of any unlawful content, the forum operator has the obligation to immediately examine and remedy the illegal condition, since otherwise, according to German law, the forum operator incurs the same responsibility as the original source of the content. Intrasocial will only release content again if the user can prove that the illegal situation is remedied. In case of alleged infringements of third party rights, users may contact Intrasocial at [email protected].

By publication of contents on the lawyrs.net web site, the users grant Intrasocial an unlimited, irrevocable and assignable right of use for the respective contribution, which Intrasocial is entitled to utilize for any purpose. Reproduction, downloading, distribution and storing of the contents is prohibited without express approval of Intrasocial or the user. The copyright of the user remains unaffected.

§ 9 Commercial use

Users may not use the forum for advertisement purposes, except if expressly permitted by Intrasocial and / or as permitted by the structure and format of the user profile. In particular, it is prohibited to post advertisement without prior approval by Intrasocial on the lawyrs.net site or its service. It is also prohibited to send chain letters, or identical private messages to more than one user at the same time.

§ 10 Liabilty; Indemnity

The use of lawyrs.net takes place at the user’s own risk. Intrasocial does not accept any liability in connection with the functioning and availability of lawyrs.net and / or lost data of a user. Intrasocial reserves the right to change any and all content, software and other items used or contained in the lawyrs.net site and any services and platform applications offered through the website at any time without notice.

The liability for damage claims based on negligence shall only exist if Intrasocial breaches a major obligation under this agreement. The liability is limited to typically foreseeable damages. These limitations shall however not apply in case of personal injury and property damage claims based on the German Product Liability Act.

Intrasocial is not responsible nor liable in any manner for any user content (information posted by users) or third party applications, software or content posted on the lawyrs.net site or in connection with the service. Although Intrasocial provides rules for user conduct and postings, it does not control and is not responsible for what users post, transmit or share on the site and is not responsible for any offensive, inappropriate, obscene, unlawful or otherwise objectionable content users may encounter on the site.

Users shall indemnify and hold Intrasocial, its subsidiaries and affiliates, and each of their directors, officers, agents, contractors, partners and employees, harmless from and against any loss, liability, claim, demand, damages, costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, arising out of or in connection with any user content, any third party applications, software or content users post or share on or through the site. The user assumes all reasonable costs Intrasocial incurs in this context, in particular in case of infringement of third party rights, including all reasonable legal-defense costs

§ 11 Storage of data

Intrasocial may at any time to set up general rules and restrictions regarding the use of groups or forums. Intrasocial may close or delete user accounts which were not accessed for more than six (6) months. Intrasocial may delete connection data six (6) months after the connection has ended. If a user objects to the storage of his connecting data by sending an email to [email protected], the data will be deleted immediately, in so far as there are no legal requirements for further storage of the data.

§ 12 Amendments to the general terms and conditions

Intrasocial reserves the right to amend or supplement these general terms and conditions in the future. The user will, after publication of new general terms and conditions, be notified of these when logging on to lawyrs.net again. If the user does not object to the applicability of the amended general terms and conditions within one (1) week after receipt of said notice, the amended general terms and conditions shall be deemed to be accepted by the user.

§ 13 Termination of membership

Intrasocial may prohibit the use of the forum by a specific user at any time without notice, in particular if the user has infringed any obligation under these general terms and conditions or any other legal obligation. A user account may be blocked or deactivated if the user did not use the account for a period of more than three months.

§ 14 Governing Law; unenforceable provisions

By visiting or using the lawyrs.net site and/or the service, users agree that German law, without regard to principles of conflict of laws, will govern these terms of use and any dispute that might arise between users and Intrasocial or any of our affiliates, excluding international private law and the provisions of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. Place of jurisdiction, insofar as legally admissible, shall be the seat of Intrasocial.

If any provision of these general terms and conditions is invalid and / or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain valid and enforceable to the extent possible under German law. The parties agree to replace an invalid or unenforceable provision with the valid and enforceable provision which comes closest regarding intent and economic effect to the invalid or unenforceable provision.