Terms of Service

1. Agreement to these Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") are a binding agreement between you ("you" or "User") and Canine Genetic Services LLC ("CGS," "we," "us," or "our") governing your access to and use of the website at caninegeneticservices.com and all related content, features, and services (the "Website").

By accessing or using the Website — and, where applicable, by checking the box indicating your agreement during account registration — you accept and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Website.

When you register, we record your agreement to these Terms, including the date and time, your IP address, and the version of these Terms then in effect.

2. About CGS and the Website

CGS provides quantitative-genetics consulting for dog breeders and owners, and operates this Website to describe those services and to host a research library of scientific literature in animal genetics, breeding, and related fields (the "Library"). The Website is provided for informational, educational, and research purposes.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority where you live) and able to form a binding contract to create an account or use account-based features. By using the Website, you represent that you meet these requirements and that the information you provide is accurate.

4. Accounts and Registration

Some features, including full access to the Library, require an account.

• Registration: provide accurate, current, and complete information and keep it up to date.
• Security: you are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential and for all activity under your account, and for notifying us promptly of any unauthorized use.
• Individual use: accounts are for individual use and may not be shared, sold, or transferred.
• Suspension and termination: we may suspend or terminate your account at our discretion, including for violating these Terms. You may delete your account at any time from your profile.

5. The Research Library and Access Tiers

The Library contains bibliographic records (titles, authors, abstracts, and other metadata) and, for many items, full-text PDF files of scientific papers. Access depends on the item and your account status:

• Open-Access papers are available to everyone, including without an account.
• Other (non-Open-Access) papers: the bibliographic metadata and abstract are publicly viewable, but the full-text PDF is available only to registered, logged-in users.
• Registered users may access full-text PDFs for their own personal, non-commercial research and educational use, subject to the Intellectual Property and Acceptable Use sections below.

Access to the Library does not transfer any ownership of, or broad license to, the underlying works.

6. Intellectual Property and Copyright

CGS content. Except for third-party materials, the Website and its original content, features, and functionality are owned by CGS and protected by intellectual-property laws.

Third-party scientific papers. The Library includes scientific papers and other materials whose copyright is held by their respective authors, publishers, or other rights holders. CGS does not own the copyright in these works and claims no such ownership. CGS makes them available to support research and education. Your use of any such work is subject to the rights of the applicable rights holder and to applicable copyright law, including principles of fair use.

Your limited license. Subject to these Terms, CGS grants you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and view Library materials and, where downloading is permitted, to download individual items for your own personal, non-commercial research and educational use. You may not redistribute, republish, sell, sublicense, or otherwise make Library PDFs available to others, and you may not use them for any commercial purpose.

Copyright complaints. If you believe material on the Website infringes your copyright, please send a notice to the contact below that includes the information required by 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3): your contact information; identification of the copyrighted work; identification and location of the allegedly infringing material; a statement of your good-faith belief that the use is not authorized; a statement, under penalty of perjury, that your notice is accurate and that you are authorized to act; and your signature. We will respond to valid notices, including by removing or disabling access to the identified material where appropriate.

7. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• reproduce, distribute, publicly display, or share Library PDFs or other content except as expressly permitted;
• download the Library in bulk, or use crawlers, scrapers, bots, or other automated means to access, index, or harvest content;
• circumvent access controls or the tiered-access system, or access content you are not authorized to access;
• use the Website or its content for any commercial purpose without our prior written consent;
• interfere with or disrupt the Website, its servers, or networks, or attempt to gain unauthorized access to any system or account;
• upload or transmit malware, or engage in any unlawful, infringing, or harmful activity; or
• misrepresent your identity or affiliation.

We may investigate and take appropriate action, including removing content, suspending or terminating accounts, and reporting to authorities.

8. Consulting and Information — Not Professional Advice

Information on the Website, including materials in the Library and any general genetics or breeding information, is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not veterinary, medical, or other professional advice, and it does not create a professional-client relationship. Genetics and breeding involve uncertainty, and CGS does not guarantee any particular result or outcome. Any consulting engagement with CGS is governed by a separate agreement, not by these Terms. Always consult a qualified professional for decisions affecting the health or breeding of an animal.

9. Privacy

When you register, we collect your name, email address, and IP address, and we record your acceptance of these Terms (including the date, time, and version). Our Privacy Policy — available at caninegeneticservices.com/privacy — describes in full what personal information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.

10. Third-Party Links and Resources

The Website may link to third-party websites and resources, such as external genetics databases. We provide these for convenience and do not endorse or take responsibility for third-party content, products, or practices. Your use of third-party sites is at your own risk and subject to their terms.

11. Disclaimers

The Website and all content are provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement. CGS does not warrant that the Website will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, or that content is accurate, complete, or current.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, CGS and its owners, members, and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost profits or data, arising out of or relating to your use of the Website. CGS's total liability for all claims relating to the Website will not exceed one hundred U.S. dollars ($100). Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so some of the above may not apply to you.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless CGS and its owners, members, and agents from any claims, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of your use of the Website, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any third party's rights.

14. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will revise the version and effective date shown above and post the updated Terms on the Website. Material changes may require you to re-accept the Terms. Your continued use of the Website after updated Terms take effect constitutes acceptance.

15. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Connecticut, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Website will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Connecticut.

16. Miscellaneous

• Entire agreement: these Terms are the entire agreement between you and CGS regarding the Website.
• Severability: if any provision is unenforceable, the rest remains in effect.
• No waiver: our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it.
• Assignment: you may not assign these Terms; we may assign them in connection with a transfer of our business.

17. Contact

Questions about these Terms, or copyright notices, may be sent to Canine Genetic Services, LLC, Attn: Eldin A. Leighton, P.O. Box 274, Clayton, NM 88415; by phone at 703-757-0725; or by email at eldin@caninegeneticservices.com.