These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of Global Wildlife Biodiversity Observation (the "Site"). By accessing or using the Site, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Site.
1. Use of content
Articles, photographs, illustrations, and other content on the Site are provided for personal, educational, and non-commercial use. You may share individual articles with attribution and a link back to the original page. Republication in whole or in substantial part requires prior written permission from the editorial team.
2. Intellectual property
All content on the Site — including but not limited to text, photographs, illustrations, graphics, logos, and page layouts — is the property of Global Wildlife Biodiversity Observation or its content contributors and is protected by applicable copyright and intellectual property laws. The "Global Wildlife Biodiversity Observation" name and logo are trademarks of the Site and may not be used without written consent. User-submitted content remains the property of the submitter, subject to the licence granted in Section 4.
3. Accuracy and no warranty
We take reasonable care to publish accurate information, but the Site and all content are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. Wildlife information can change rapidly; readers planning field activities are responsible for verifying current conditions with local authorities.
4. User submissions
Comments, sightings reports, and contributed articles submitted to the Site may be edited for clarity, length, or safety before publication. By submitting content, you confirm that:
- You own or control all rights in the submitted content;
- The content does not infringe any third-party rights;
- You grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to publish, reproduce, adapt, and distribute the content on the Site and in related communications.
5. Prohibited use
You agree not to use the Site:
- For any unlawful purpose;
- To harass, threaten, or intimidate others;
- To attempt to gain unauthorised access to our systems or networks;
- To publish precise geolocations of vulnerable species without editorial approval;
- To scrape, crawl, or otherwise extract data from the Site at scale without permission;
- To distribute malware or other harmful code.
6. Third-party links and content
The Site may contain links to third-party websites or display content from third-party services (including advertisements). We do not endorse, control, or assume responsibility for any third-party content, products, or services. Your interaction with third-party sites is governed by their own terms and policies.
7. Disclaimer of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Global Wildlife Biodiversity Observation and its contributors, editors, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages — including but not limited to loss of profits, data, or goodwill — arising from your use of or inability to use the Site, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.
8. Limitation of liability
Our total aggregate liability to you for any claims arising out of or relating to the Site shall not exceed one hundred US dollars ($100) or the equivalent in your local currency. This limitation applies regardless of the legal theory on which the claim is based.
9. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Global Wildlife Biodiversity Observation and its contributors, editors, and affiliates from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the Site or your violation of these Terms.
10. Termination and access
We reserve the right to restrict or terminate your access to the Site at any time, without notice, for conduct that we believe violates these Terms or is otherwise harmful to the Site or its users. Upon termination, the provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive will remain in effect.
11. Governing law and dispute resolution
These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with applicable law, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any disputes arising under these Terms shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation. If negotiation fails, disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration in a forum mutually agreed upon, or in the courts of the jurisdiction in which the Site's editorial office is located.
12. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect. The unenforceable provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable while preserving the intent of the original provision.
13. Changes
We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be indicated by a revised effective date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
14. Contact
Questions about these Terms should be sent to the editorial contact address on the Contact page.