TERMS OF USE

(Last revised on 11 March 2023)

  1. The terms on which you may use our site and the VOICE Platform
    1. These Terms of Use (together with the other documents referred to below) shall govern your use of our site, www.voice-global.org and the “VOICE Platform”, a password protected area of the site (together the “Website”). For the purposes of these Terms of Use, ‘VOICE’ is an acronym for Valuing Our Intellectual Capital and Experience.
    2. You should read these Terms of Use carefully before using our Website. By registering to become a member of the VOICE Platform (a “VOICE Member”) and using our Website you confirm that you accept these Terms of Use in their entirety and you agree to comply with them. If you do not agree to these Terms of Use, please do not use our Website.
    3. We recommend that you print a copy of these Terms of Use for future reference.
    4. The following policies also apply to your use of our Website:
      • our policy also applies to your use of our Website and to any personal data you provide to us through the Website. Our privacy policy sets out what we do with that personal data. In becoming a VOICE Member, there is no obligation to take part in any activity and any information requested in addition to the core joining details will be given entirely at your discretion. We will always endeavour to ensure that any information requested is relevant and proportional to the activity it is being requested for; and
      • the code of conduct guidelines annexed at the end of these Terms of Use (“Code of Conduct Guidelines”).
    5. You are responsible for ensuring that anyone else who accesses our Website through your internet connection is aware of these Terms of Use and the policies referred to above and that they comply with them.
    6. For the purposes of these Terms of Use, the term “IPR” means any and all intellectual and industrial property of any kind whatsoever including patents, rights in know-how, registered trade marks, comparable marks (EU), registered designs (including re-registered UK designs), utility models, unregistered design rights (including continuing unregistered designs and supplementary unregistered designs), unregistered trade marks, goodwill and rights to prevent passing off or unfair competition and copyright (whether in drawings, plans, specifications, designs and computer software or otherwise), performers’ proprietary rights, database rights, topography rights, any rights in any invention, discovery or process, and applications for and rights to apply for any of the foregoing, in each case in the United Kingdom and all other countries in the world and together with all renewals, extensions, continuations, divisions, reissues, re-examinations and substitutions.
  2. Who we are and how to contact us
    1. We, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, trading as Newcastle University (“we”, “our” or “us”), operate this site at www.voice-global.org. We are a registered charitable organisation in England and Wales under registered number [528066] and our registered office and main trading address is Kings Gate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU.
    2. You can contact us:
      • By email [email protected]
      • By phone at +44 (0)191 208 1288
      • By Post at The Catalyst, 3 Science Square, Newcastle Helix, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5TG
    3. If you see something on our Website that you think is offensive, infringes your or anybody else’s IPRs, is defamatory, does not comply with these Terms of Use, or is unlawful in any way or form, we encourage you to let us know by using the ‘report’ button located at the top of each discussion post. This will immediately remove the post for monitoring and we will take appropriate action. If you have a complaint or are concerned about the conduct of a user or any content outside of the discussion forums please contact us by email or telephone. Your privacy will be respected at all times.
  3. Registration and accounts
    1. The use of certain parts of the Website is password protected. You may register an account to become a VOICE Member and use the VOICE Platform by completing and submitting the account registration form on our Website, and clicking on the verification link in the email that will be sent to you via the Website. You must provide accurate and complete registration information and keep that information up to date at all times.
    2. If you register an account with us, you will be asked to choose a user ID and password. Your user ID must not mislead and must comply with the content rules set out in these Terms of Use. You must not use your account or user ID for or in connection with the impersonation of any person.
    3. It is your responsibility to keep your password secret and confidential and not disclose it to any other person and you must not allow any other person to use your account to access the VOICE Platform. You must notify us in writing immediately if you become aware of any unauthorised use of your account or any disclosure of your password.
    4. In registering an account with us, you will be entitled to access the opportunities and services available to VOICE Members and to use the VOICE Platform as the same are made available by us to VOICE Members from time to time in accordance with these Terms of Use.
    5. In becoming a VOICE Member, there is no obligation to take part in any activity and any information requested in addition to the core registration details will be given entirely at your discretion. We will always endeavour to ensure that any information requested is relevant and proportional to the activity it is being requested for.
  4. We may make changes to these terms
    1. We may amend these Terms of Use from time to time. Every time you wish to use our Website, please check these Terms of Use to see whether any changes have been made, as you will be required to comply with these changes.
    2. We may also make changes to our privacy policy and our Code of Conduct Guidelines from time to time, so you should also check these regularly to see whether any changes have been made.
  5. Our Website and its content
    1. We may update and change our Website, and any content on it from time to time to reflect changes in our operations and our users’ needs.
    2. Our Website is made available free of charge. We do not guarantee that our Website, or any content on it, will always be available or be uninterrupted. Your right to access our Website is given on a temporary basis only.
    3. We may suspend or withdraw or restrict the availability of all or any part of our Website for business and operational reasons. We will try our best to give you reasonable notice of any suspension or withdrawal if we have your contact details.
  6. Do not rely on information on the Website
    1. The content on our Website is provided for general information only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our Website.
    2. Although we make reasonable efforts to update the information on our Website, we do not promise that the content on our Website is accurate, complete or up to date.
  7. We are not responsible for websites we link to
    1. Our Website may contain links to other third party websites. These Terms of Use only apply to our Website so when you link to other websites you should read their own terms and conditions and privacy statements.
    2. Where our Website contains links to other websites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your information only. These links should not be interpreted as approval by us of those linked websites or information you may obtain from them.
  8. User-generated content is not approved by us
    1. Our Website may include information and materials uploaded by other users of the Website. Although we may monitor all information uploaded, this information and these materials may not have been verified or approved by us. All views and information, whether publicly posted or privately transmitted are individual and not the views, policy or advice of ours. VOICE Member generated content is the sole responsibility of the person from which such content originated.
  9. Interactive services/VOICE Groups
    1. We are under no obligation to oversee, monitor or moderate any posts created in the groups feature on the VOICE Platform.
    2. Minors (those persons under 18 years of age) are not permitted to use any interactive services/Groups on the VOICE Platform. Minors must obtain the consent of a parent or guardian before using any interactive services/Groups
    3. We are not responsible for the conduct, whether online or offline, of any user of the VOICE Platform.
    4. You must be aware of your own, and other people’s security and confidentiality. You may be sent unwanted emails if you post your email address in a Group on the VOICE Platform or send it to other users, or receive unwanted telephone calls if you post your telephone number.
  10. Our responsibility to you
    1. We do not exclude or limit in any way our liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes: (a) liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or the negligence of our employees, agents or subcontractors; (b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or (c) any other matter for which we are not permitted by law to exclude or limit our liability.
    2. Your use of the Website is at your own risk. To the fullest extent permissible by law, we exclude all conditions, warranties, representations or other terms which may apply to our Website or any content on it, whether express or implied.
    3. We do not guarantee that our Website is secure or free from bugs or viruses. You are responsible for ensuring that the device from which you access our Website has suitable anti-virus software in place.
    4. We will not be liable to you for any loss or damage arising out of or in connection with: (a) use of, or inability to use, our Website; (b) accessing the links of any third party websites via our Website; or (c) use of or reliance on any content displayed on our Website, however this may arise.
    5. If you do use our Website for any commercial or business purposes, and we have no liability to you for any: (a) loss of profit, business, sales, or revenue; (b) business interruption; (c) loss of anticipated savings; (d) loss of business opportunity, goodwill or reputation; or (e) any indirect or consequential loss or damage.
  11. Uploading content to our Website and the rights you give us to use the uploaded content
    1. We aim to gather insight and harness the views and experience of citizens to influence research, policy and innovation through the VOICE Platform. We would welcome others to use content from the VOICE Platform to help us achieve these aims.
    2. Whenever you make use of a feature that allows you to upload content to our Website, or to make contact with other users of our Website, you must comply with the Code of Conduct Guidelines. We have the right to remove any posting you make on our Website if, in our opinion, your post does not comply with our Code of Conduct Guidelines.
    3. You promise to us that you own any content which you upload to our Website or, if you are not the owner, that you have the right to upload it.
    4. Any content you upload to our Website will be accessible to us and our VOICE Members and/or other non-members and will be considered non-confidential and non-proprietary. You retain all of your ownership rights in your content, but by uploading any such content you immediately and automatically grant us, and other VOICE Members and non-member users of our Website, including any organisations we partner with as part of VOICE initiative, (together “Permitted Parties”) a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable and fully sub-licensable licence to use, reproduce, distribute, display and prepare derivative works of, any content contributed, posted or uploaded by you onto the Website (including any IPR which may subsist in the same) in any media or format and for any purpose.
    5. In respect of any and all content you upload to our Website you irrevocably and unconditionally waive any and all so-called “moral rights” and performers’ personal rights and any and all broadly equivalent rights which may exist in any territory of the world, in such content.
    6. We are not responsible for any content and/or IPR on our Website which is uploaded by a user. Any view expressed by any user of our Website is their view and not our view nor the view of our officers or employees.
    7. You are solely responsible for securing and backing up your content.
    8. We have the right to disclose your identity to any third party who is claiming that any content posted or uploaded by you to our Website violates their IPRs, or their right to privacy, or if such content is defamatory.
    9. In relation to any and all content uploaded by you to the Website, you warrant that such content does not infringe any rights, including IPR, of any person or third party.
    10. You hereby agree to indemnify us for any losses, liabilities, costs, expenses, claims or proceedings that we suffer or incur, or will suffer or incur, arising as a result of or in connection with any breach by you of your obligations or promises in these Terms of Use.
  12. How we may use your personal information
    1. We will only use information that relates to you or which identifies you (“your personal information”) in accordance with applicable data protection laws and as set out in the applicable privacy policy made available on our website and/or as provided to you from time to time.
    2. In becoming a VOICE Member, there is no obligation to take part in any activity and in many cases personal information requested will be given entirely at your discretion. However, please note that where we have indicated in our relevant privacy policies that processing of your personal information is necessary for us to comply with a legal obligation or to enter into, or perform, our contract with you, and you choose not to provide the relevant personal information, we may not be able to process your application to become a VOICE Member or to enable you to take part in an activity. In certain cases we may also request your consent. We will always endeavour to ensure that any personal information requested is relevant and proportional to the activity it is being requested for.]
  13. Intellectual property
    1. We, or our licensors, own and control the copyright and all other IPRs in our Website and all content on it other than content uploaded by or linked to by others. All the copyright and other IPRs in our Website and the material on our Website are reserved.
    2. Upon completion of the registration process, we grant to you, the VOICE Member, a limited, non-exclusive, non-sublicensable, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the Website and VOICE Platform, and all IPR subsisting in the same, for [non-commercial] purposes only.
    3. Save as expressly provided in this Clause 13.3, no licence is granted to you under these Terms of Use.
    4. Reproduction of all or any substantial part of the Website or any contents in any form is prohibited and you agree that you will not use or reproduce, or extract data from, any aspect of the Website at any time or for any purpose. No part of the Website (including without any limitation any content or data contained in the Website) may be distributed or copied for any commercial purpose without our prior written approval. If you use, download, print or reproduce content from our Website in breach of these Terms of Use your right to use our Website will immediately end and you must return to us or destroy (at our option) all digital and paper copies of the content that you have made. The provisions of this clause ‎13.4 do not apply to use of content uploaded to the site by Members or other users of the Website, use of which is governed by the provisions of clause 11.
  14. Breaches of these Terms of Use
    1. Without prejudice to our other rights under these Terms of Use, if you breach (or if we reasonably suspect that you have breached) these Terms of Use (including the Code of Conduct Guidelines) in any way, we may at our own discretion exercise one or a combination of the following:
      • send you one or more formal warnings;
      • temporarily suspend your access to our Website and projects;
      • permanently prohibit you from accessing our Website and projects; and
      • suspend or delete your account on our Website.
    2. In addition we may take such other actions including but not limited to any legal action as we consider appropriate.
    3. Where we suspend or prohibit or block your access to our Website or a part of our Website, you must not take any action to circumvent such suspension or prohibition or blocking.
    4. Any action taken by us in connection with your VOICE membership or in connection with any of your contributions is binding and the decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into and we will not be obliged to explain such actions.
    5. If you breach any term of these Terms of Use, or if we receive a request from a law enforcement authority to do so, we may report your identity, details of any breach and any other information we consider necessary to relevant law enforcement authorities.
  15. Diversity and equality
    1. We place equality and diversity at the heart of our work and we actively seek to support inclusion of groups and individuals who are often excluded from research and innovation. We value involvement from a variety of cultures, experiences and perspectives and are guided by the principles of the Equality Act 2010. We will undertake to ensure that, wherever possible, anyone wishing to take part in VOICE activities has an equal opportunity to participate.
  16. Cookies
    1. Cookies are text files placed on your computer to collect standard internet log information and visitor behaviour information. This information is used to track visitor use of the Website and to compile statistical reports on Website activity.
    2. For further information visit www.aboutcookies.org.uk. You can set your browser not to accept cookies and the aforementioned website will tell you how to remove cookies from your browser. However in a few cases some of our Website features may not function as a result.
  17. Applicable law
    1. If you are a consumer (where you are an individual acting for purposes that are wholly or mainly outside that individual's trade, business, craft or profession) these Terms of Use are governed by the law of England and Wales and the courts of England and Wales have non-exclusive jurisdiction to determine any dispute arising out of or in connection with them. If you are resident in Scotland you may also bring proceedings in Scotland and if you are resident in Northern Ireland you may also bring proceedings in Northern Ireland. As a consumer, you will benefit from any mandatory provisions of the law of the country in which you are resident. Nothing in these Terms of Use affects your rights as a consumer to rely on such mandatory provisions of local law.
    2. If you are a business user these Terms of Use (and any non-contractual obligations arising out of or in connection with them) are governed by the law of England and Wales and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction to determine any dispute arising out of or in connection with them (including without limitation in relation to any non-contractual obligations).
  18. Other important terms
    1. You must not use our website in violation of export laws, controls, regulations or sanction policies of the United States or any other country.
    2. Each section of these Terms of Use operate separately. If any of these sections (or any part of any section) is found by any court or relevant authority to be unlawful or unenforceable, the other sections (or other parts of the section in question) shall not be affected and will remain enforceable. If any section of these Terms of Use is found to be unlawful or unenforceable but would be lawful and enforceable if some part of the section were deleted, the section in question shall apply with such deletion as may be necessary to make it lawful and enforceable.
    3. These Terms of Use cannot be varied except by us. Nothing said by any employee or agent of us will be capable of varying these Terms of Use.
    4. This agreement is between you and us. No other person shall have any rights to enforce any of its Terms of Use, save that Permitted Parties will be entitled to rely upon and enforce clause 11.4 against you, if and to the extent applicable, should you seek to rely on your IPR to prevent any Permitted Parties from using, in compliance with these Terms of Use, content that you have uploaded to the Website.
    5. We may transfer our rights and obligations under these Terms of Use to another organisation. We will always notify you in writing if we have your contact details and we will ensure that the transfer will not affect your rights under this agreement.

ANNEX: CODE OF CONDUCT GUIDELINES

In using our website and participating as a member of the VOICE initiative, you are agreeing to abide by our Code of Conduct guidelines. The purpose of the Code of Conduct guidelines for VOICE members is to set out standards of behaviour expected from VOICE members. Our Code of Conduct is designed to balance freedom of speech while ensuring a productive and disciplined attitude is maintained by all users of the site. All VOICE members should ensure that they have read and comply with this Code of Conduct.

We will monitor the site for any activity which we deem to be inappropriate conduct or usage. VOICE members should maintain the highest standards of behaviour when participating in VOICE opportunities by:

  1. General Conduct
    1. Following policies and procedures as well as any instructions or directions reasonably given to them; directing any VOICE policies, procedures, support or supervision to the VOICE team
    2. Performing their role as a VOICE member to the best of their ability in a safe, efficient and competent way; safeguarding themselves and others.
    3. Communicating respectfully and honestly at all times; Members agree to act in a civil, tasteful and polite manner.
    4. Acting honestly, responsibly and with integrity, that is in line with the purpose and values of VOICE and that enhances the work of the VOICE collaborators;
  2. Confidentiality
    1. Keeping sensitive information discussed with opportunity owners, VOICE collaborators and organisations, that have not been made public strictly confidential.
  3. Equal opportunities
    1. Treating others with fairness, equality, dignity and respect; ensuring that there is no discrimination on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief, sex and/or sexual orientation and marital or civil partnership status. These are known as the protected characteristics. Voice members should show respect for users of all ages and abilities.
  4. Health and Safety
    1. Observing safety procedures, including any obligations concerning the safety, health and welfare of other people
    2. Reporting any health and safety concerns and declaring any medical/mental health conditions or physical limitations which may affect their ability to fully partake in VOICE opportunities.
    3. Raising concerns about possible wrongdoing witnessed by the VOICE member in the course of the voice member’s role with VOICE collaborator organisations with VOICE;
  5. Conflicts of interest
    1. Declaring any interests that may conflict with their role or the work of VOICE collaborators (e.g. business interests or employment). If any doubt arises as to what constitutes a conflict of interest, VOICE members may seek guidance from the VOICE team.

For this purpose, inappropriate conduct or usage shall include (but may not be limited to) any activities that are judged to be:

  • Defamatory - Adversely affecting the reputation of a clearly identifiable person, company or organisation; Bringing VOICE and it’s collaborators into disrepute through the use of email, social media and other internet sites, engaging with media;
  • Personal – Infringing the right of privacy under data protection legislation by including private and confidential information about yourself or other people, disclosure of which would constitute a breach of the common law duty of confidentiality
  • Offensive engaging in any activity that may cause physical or mental harm or distress to another person (such as verbal abuse, physical abuse, assault, bullying, or discrimination or harassment on the grounds of gender, race, nationality, sexual orientation, civil status, family status, religion, age, disability,
  • Dangerous - consist of or contain any instructions, advice or other information which may be acted upon and could, if acted upon, cause illness, injury or death, or any other loss or damage; depict violence in an explicit, graphic or gratuitous manner;
  • Obscene or indecent - including sharing offensive material, comments or usernames that are indecent and/or of a sexual nature, pornographic, lewd, suggestive or sexually explicit.
  • Misleading- providing an untrue, false, inaccurate or misleading statement, declaration, document, record or claim in respect of VOICE, its employees, collaborators and partnerships; including impersonation of other VOICE members and their views, using multiple log-ins to disrupt the VOICE platform, duplicate posting of spam or off-topic material.
  • Impaired - through the use of alcohol, drugs, or medication which will affect a VOICE members’ abilities to carry out their duties and responsibilities while taking part in a VOICE project.
  • Harassing - Harassment is unwanted conduct (including insults and 'jokes') affecting the dignity of another, including written attacks on another person or aggressive pressure or intimidation. Comments should not be mean-spirited, or contributed with the intention of causing trouble.
  • Inciting - Any material or comments that seek to instruct or influence another to the commission of a criminal offence
  • In contempt of court - Disclosing information about live court proceedings before that information has been heard in court or where reporting restrictions are in place. Please note that VOICE will generally bar any comments relating to court proceedings, as they cannot be expected to know or investigate the legal status of individual cases
  • Party political - Any comments that are clearly party political in nature. This is particularly relevant during elections, and those postings that canvass support for, or opposition to, any political party
  • In breach of IPR - Comments that may infringe any of the laws governing IPRs. VOICE accepts no liability whatsoever for any actionable breach of such laws.

I understand that by becoming a VOICE member, I am agreeing to abide by this Code of Conduct. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct could result in your position as a VOICE member being subject to review in line with our Complaints Procedure.