Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using BrightSurf, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the site immediately. Your continued use of the site constitutes acceptance of any updated Terms.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years of age to use BrightSurf. By using this site, you represent that you meet this age requirement and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.

3. About BrightSurf

BrightSurf is a reader-supported science news platform delivering research updates from academic institutions, government agencies, and peer-reviewed journals. We summarize and link to primary sources to help readers explore the research directly.

4. Permitted Use

You may:

• View, share, and link to our articles for personal or non-commercial purposes
• Quote short excerpts with clear attribution to BrightSurf and a link back to the original article
• Access our RSS feeds through standard RSS readers for personal use

You may not:

• Reproduce our articles in full or republish the site wholesale
• Use our content to train commercial AI models or large language models without written permission
• Scrape, spider, or use automated tools to access the site without authorization
• Modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, reproduce, or create derivative works from site content without permission

We reserve the right to suspend or block access for conduct that disrupts site operations or violates these Terms.

5. User Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the site for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms
• Harass, abuse, threaten, or intimidate other users or BrightSurf staff
• Post or transmit spam, malware, viruses, or malicious code
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems or other users' accounts
• Interfere with or disrupt the site's operation or servers
• Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation
• Collect or harvest personal information about other users

6. RSS Feeds

BrightSurf provides RSS feeds for personal, non-commercial use. You may subscribe to our feeds using standard RSS readers. Commercial use, redistribution, or systematic downloading of feed content requires written permission. We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or terminate RSS feeds at any time.

7. Affiliate Revenue Disclosure

BrightSurf is reader-supported. Some outbound links, including Amazon affiliate links that append ?tag=bc02f-20, generate revenue that helps fund our independent journalism. Editorial coverage is not influenced by affiliate partnerships. We maintain editorial independence and clearly disclose affiliate relationships.

8. Intellectual Property

All site content, including text, graphics, logos, images, audio clips, video, data compilations, page layout, underlying code, and software is the property of BrightSurf or our licensors and is protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property laws.

Third-party trademarks, service marks, and logos referenced on the site remain the property of their respective owners. Use of any third-party trademarks does not imply endorsement or affiliation.

9. Copyright Complaints (DMCA)

BrightSurf respects the intellectual property rights of others. If you believe content on our site infringes your copyright, please notify our designated Copyright Agent:

Copyright Agent
BrightSurf
Email: legal@brightsurf.com

Your notice must include:

• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed
• Identification of the allegedly infringing material and its location on the site
• Your contact information (address, telephone number, email)
• A statement that you have a good faith belief that use is unauthorized
• A statement that the information in the notice is accurate
• Your physical or electronic signature

10. No Professional Advice

Articles on BrightSurf are summaries of research and should not be interpreted as medical, legal, financial, engineering, or other professional advice. Information is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified professional before making decisions or taking actions based on scientific or medical information.

11. Third-Party Content and Links

BrightSurf links to academic papers, institutional press releases, government websites, and third-party retailers. We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, content, or policies of external sites. We do not endorse any products, services, or information offered by third parties. Visiting third-party sites is at your own risk.

12. Disclaimer of Warranties

BrightSurf is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or timeliness of information on the site. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement.

We do not warrant that:

• The site will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free
• Results obtained from use of the site will be accurate or reliable
• The quality of any content, products, services, or information obtained through the site will meet your expectations
• Any errors in the site will be corrected

13. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, BrightSurf, its owners, editors, contributors, affiliates, licensors, and service providers shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, punitive, or exemplary damages arising from:

• Your use of or inability to use the site
• Any conduct or content of third parties on the site
• Unauthorized access to or alteration of your transmissions or data
• Any other matter relating to the site

This limitation applies whether based on warranty, contract, tort (including negligence), or any other legal theory, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions do not allow limitation of liability for incidental or consequential damages, so these limitations may not apply to you.

In no event shall our total liability to you exceed $100 or the amount you paid to access the site (if any), whichever is greater.

14. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless BrightSurf, its owners, officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, licensors, and suppliers from and against any claims, actions, demands, liabilities, judgments, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to:

• Your use of or conduct on the site
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of a third party
• Your violation of any applicable laws or regulations

15. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be noted on this page with a revised effective date. We may also notify you via email or through a notice on the site. Your continued use of BrightSurf after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the modified Terms. If you do not agree to the modified Terms, you must stop using the site.

16. Termination

We reserve the right to terminate or suspend your access to the site, without notice, for conduct that we believe violates these Terms, is harmful to other users, us, or third parties, or is otherwise objectionable. Upon termination, your right to use the site will immediately cease.

Sections 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 21 shall survive termination.

17. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, United States, without regard to its conflict of law principles. You agree to submit to the personal and exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located within Westchester County, New York.

18. Dispute Resolution

Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the breach, termination, enforcement, interpretation, or validity thereof shall be resolved as follows:

Informal Resolution: Before filing a claim, you agree to contact us at legal@brightsurf.com to attempt to resolve the dispute informally. We will attempt to resolve the dispute within 60 days.

Binding Arbitration: If the dispute cannot be resolved informally, you agree that it will be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association. The arbitration will be conducted in Westchester County, New York or remotely via video conference. You and BrightSurf agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of the arbitrator.

Exception: Either party may bring suit in court to enjoin infringement or other misuse of intellectual property rights.

Class Action Waiver: You agree to resolve disputes with us on an individual basis and waive your right to participate in class actions, class arbitrations, or representative actions.

19. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and BrightSurf regarding use of the site and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, whether written or oral.

20. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect. The invalid provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

21. Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be deemed a waiver of such right or provision. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by an authorized representative of BrightSurf.

22. Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights hereunder without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms without restriction. Any attempted assignment in violation of this section shall be void.