Terms of Use

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Use (“Terms”) constitute a binding agreement between you and the WinsBS Research Institute (“WinsBS Research,” “we,” “our,” “us”). By accessing or using our website, research publications, datasets, tools, or services (collectively, the “Services”), you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy & Data Transparency Statement.

If you do not agree, do not access or use the Services. If you use the Services on behalf of an institution or company, you represent that you are authorized to accept the Terms on its behalf.

2. Definitions

• “Publications” mean reports, briefs, articles, methodology notes, and ancillary materials published by WinsBS Research.
• “Datasets” mean structured or unstructured data we publish or provide for research purposes, whether aggregated, anonymized, or sampled.
• “You” means an individual user or an institution/company accessing the Services.

3. Intellectual Property

All content on the Services—including but not limited to text, graphics, figures, logos, methodologies, and compiled datasets—is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws and remains the property of WinsBS Research or its licensors. Except as expressly permitted in Section 4 (Permitted Use & License), any reproduction, modification, distribution, or derivative works are prohibited without prior written permission.

4. Permitted Use & License

Subject to these Terms, WinsBS Research grants you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to:

• Access and read Publications for academic, educational, or professional internal use;
• Quote short excerpts with proper attribution and citation;
• Use published statistics or figures with source acknowledgment.

Unless a specific dataset or article page explicitly states otherwise (e.g., a permissive open license), you may not redistribute full Publications or Datasets, resell them, or incorporate them into commercial products or services without written permission.

5. Prohibited Conduct

• Scraping, bulk downloading, or automated harvesting of Publications or Datasets beyond fair academic use;
• Attempting to re-identify anonymized data;
• Infringing intellectual property or removing attribution notices;
• Using the Services to violate laws, export controls, or sanctions.

6. Submissions & Unsolicited Ideas

Unsolicited ideas, manuscripts, or proposals sent to WinsBS Research are deemed non-confidential unless a separate written agreement states otherwise. By submitting content, you grant WinsBS Research a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use and evaluate the submission for research or editorial purposes.

7. Research Collaboration & Data Use

Collaborative studies are governed by separate agreements that define data rights, confidentiality, and publication attribution. Where permitted, datasets used for reproducibility will be anonymized and documented in accordance with our methodology governance.

8. Third-Party Links

The Services may contain links to third-party sites. We do not control or endorse, and are not responsible for, third-party content, policies, or practices. Accessing third-party sites is at your own discretion and risk.

9. Disclaimers

The Services are provided “as is” and “as available.” WinsBS Research disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, and accuracy. Research findings may depend on assumptions, sampling, and data availability; conclusions are subject to revision as new information emerges.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, WinsBS Research and its affiliates shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, revenue, data, or use, arising from or related to your use of the Services.

11. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless WinsBS Research, its officers, and employees from any claims, liabilities, and expenses arising from your use of the Services or violation of these Terms.

12. Compliance, Export & Sanctions

You represent that your use of the Services complies with applicable laws, including export controls and sanctions administered by the U.S. government and other jurisdictions. You will not use the Services in prohibited regions or for restricted end uses.

13. Governing Law & Venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Oregon, without regard to conflict of law principles. Exclusive jurisdiction and venue shall lie in state or federal courts located in Multnomah County, Oregon, USA.

14. Changes to the Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The “Last Updated” date reflects the latest revision. Material changes will be announced on this page. Your continued use of the Services constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

16. Entire Agreement; Severability; Waiver

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and WinsBS Research regarding the Services, superseding prior understandings. If any provision is held invalid, the remaining provisions remain in full force. Failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of our right to do so later.