Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the Graph Technology Institute ("GTI," "we," "us," or "our") website, services, programs, or resources, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, you should not access or use our services.

We may update these Terms from time to time. Your continued use of our services after any changes constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

2. Description of Services

GTI is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization that provides:

• Educational Resources: Research publications, tutorials, documentation, and curated literature on graph technologies.
• Software Licensing: Stewardship and licensing of open source software related to graph technologies under GTI's authority.
• Community Events: Conferences, workshops, hackathons, webinars, and networking events for the graph technology community.
• Consortium Membership: A structured program enabling organizations and individuals to support and participate in GTI's mission.

3. Consortium Membership

Consortium membership involves a financial contribution (donation) to support GTI's nonprofit mission. By joining the consortium, you agree to the following:

• Donations: Membership contributions are tax-deductible donations to a 501(c)(3) organization. Donation amounts and tiers are published on our website.
• Access Rights: Members receive access to member-only events, resources, and communications as described in the applicable membership tier. Access is personal to the member and may not be transferred without GTI's consent.
• Cancellation: Members may cancel their membership at any time by contacting GTI. Donations already made are non-refundable. Access to member benefits will continue through the end of the current membership period.
• Renewal: Membership may be set to renew automatically unless cancelled before the renewal date. We will provide advance notice of upcoming renewals.

4. Intellectual Property

The GTI name, logo, and associated trademarks are the property of the Graph Technology Institute. You may not use GTI's trademarks without prior written permission, except as necessary to refer to GTI in a factual, non-misleading manner.

Software licensed through or stewarded by GTI is governed by the specific open source license associated with each project. Those licenses define your rights and obligations with respect to the software.

Website content, including text, graphics, and design, is owned by GTI or its licensors and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

5. User Contributions

When you contribute code, documentation, research, or other materials to GTI projects, you retain copyright ownership of your contributions. By submitting a contribution, you grant GTI a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable license to use, reproduce, modify, distribute, and display your contribution in connection with GTI's nonprofit mission.

You represent that you have the right to make the contribution and that it does not infringe any third-party intellectual property rights.

6. Code of Conduct

All participants in GTI's community, events, and programs are expected to adhere to the following principles:

• Respect: Treat all community members with dignity and respect, regardless of background, experience level, or perspective.
• No Harassment: Harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or abusive behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, offensive comments related to personal characteristics, unwelcome attention, and deliberate intimidation.
• Constructive Engagement: Engage in discussions and debates constructively. Focus on ideas and technical merit rather than personal attacks. Provide and accept feedback graciously.

GTI reserves the right to remove any participant who violates this Code of Conduct from events, programs, and community spaces.

7. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, GTI and its directors, officers, employees, volunteers, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of or inability to use our services, even if GTI has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

GTI's services are provided on an "as-is" and "as-available" basis without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless GTI and its directors, officers, employees, volunteers, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your use of our services, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.

9. Governing Law

These Terms of Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which GTI is incorporated, as determined by GTI's Board of Directors. Any disputes arising under these Terms shall be resolved in the courts of that jurisdiction.

10. Changes to Terms

GTI reserves the right to modify these Terms of Service at any time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Effective Date" at the top of this page and provide notice through our website or by email to registered members. Your continued use of our services after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

11. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us:

Graph Technology Institute
Email: info@graphtechinstitute.org