WEBSITE TERMS OF SERVICE

SubOptic Limited

Version 1.0 | Effective Date: 1st January 2026 | Last Updated: 1st January 2026

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please read these Terms of Service carefully before using our website. By accessing or using this website, you confirm that you accept these terms and agree to comply with them. If you do not agree, you must not use our website. These terms have been prepared to comply with applicable law in the United Kingdom (including UK GDPR, the Consumer Rights Act 2015, PECR, and the Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002), the European Union (including EU GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive), and the United States of America (including applicable federal and state consumer protection and privacy laws).

1. About Us and These Terms

1.1 These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the website located at www.suboptic.org (the "Website"), operated by SubOptic Limited ("we", "us", "our"). Our company is registered in England and Wales under company number 07850307, with our registered office at 27 Old Gloucester Street, London, England, WC1N 3AX.

1.2 We may update these Terms from time to time. Every time you wish to use our Website, please check these Terms to ensure you understand the terms that apply. We will notify registered users of material changes by email or by a prominent notice on our Website.

1.3 These Terms incorporate the following additional policies, which also form part of the agreement between us:

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Acceptable Use Policy (where applicable)
  • Returns and Refund Policy (where applicable)
  • Events Terms and Conditions (where applicable)
  • Membership Agreement (where applicable)

2. Accessing Our Website

2.1 Our Website is made available free of charge unless otherwise stated. We do not guarantee that our Website, or any content on it, will always be available or be uninterrupted. We may suspend, withdraw, or restrict the availability of all or any part of our Website for business and operational reasons.

2.2 You are responsible for making all arrangements necessary for you to have access to our Website. You are also responsible for ensuring that all persons who access our Website through your internet connection are aware of and comply with these Terms.

2.3 Our Website is directed to people residing in the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United States of America. We do not represent that content available on or through our Website is appropriate or available in other locations.

3. Account Registration

3.1 Where we offer the ability to register for an account on our Website, you must provide accurate, current, and complete information during the registration process and keep that information updated.

3.2 You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account login credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You must notify us immediately at membership@suboptic.com if you suspect any unauthorised use of your account.

3.3 We reserve the right to disable any user account at any time if, in our reasonable opinion, you have failed to comply with any of the provisions of these Terms.

3.4 If you are registering on behalf of a business entity, you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

4. Membership

4.1 Where we offer a membership programme, membership is governed by a separate Membership Agreement, which sets out the specific terms relating to membership fees, duration, benefits, renewal, and cancellation. In the event of any conflict between these Terms and the Membership Agreement, the Membership Agreement will prevail in respect of your membership.

4.2 By applying for or renewing a membership, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to the Membership Agreement in addition to these Terms.

4.3 We reserve the right to suspend or terminate a membership where a member is found to be in breach of these Terms, the Membership Agreement, or our Acceptable Use Policy.

5. Community and Third-Party Platforms

5.1 Our Website may provide access to, or integration with, third-party platforms for community engagement, member discussion, or related services (including, where applicable, community platforms such as Circle.so). Access to and use of any such third-party platform is subject to that platform's own terms of service and privacy policy, in addition to these Terms.

5.2 We are not responsible for the content, conduct, or practices of any third-party platform or for content posted by users on those platforms. Any disputes relating to third-party platform functionality or user-generated content on those platforms should be directed to the relevant platform provider.

5.3 You acknowledge that we have no control over third-party platforms and cannot guarantee their continued availability, security, or performance. We will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your use of any third-party platform accessed via our Website.

6. Events

6.1 Where we organise, host, or facilitate events (including conferences, webinars, workshops, and networking events), registration for and attendance at those events is subject to separate Event Terms and Conditions, which will be made available at the point of registration.

6.2 In the event of any conflict between these Terms and the applicable Event Terms and Conditions, the Event Terms and Conditions will prevail in respect of the relevant event.

6.3 We reserve the right to cancel, postpone, or significantly alter the format or content of any event. Where we cancel an event that you have paid to attend, we will offer either a full refund or, where applicable, an alternative arrangement, in accordance with the relevant Event Terms and Conditions and your statutory rights.

6.4 Speakers, delegates, sponsors, and exhibitors attending events do so subject to any applicable event-specific codes of conduct. We reserve the right to remove from an event, without refund, any individual found to be in breach of such a code of conduct or acting in a manner that is disruptive, unlawful, or contrary to these Terms.

7. Intellectual Property

7.1 We are the owner or the licensee of all intellectual property rights in our Website and in the material published on it. Those works are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All such rights are reserved.

7.2 You may print off one copy, and may download extracts, of any page(s) from our Website for your personal use and you may draw the attention of others within your organisation to content posted on our Website.

7.3 You must not modify the paper or digital copies of any materials you have printed off or downloaded in any way, and you must not use any illustrations, photographs, video or audio sequences or any graphics separately from any accompanying text.

7.4 Our status (and that of any identified contributors) as the authors of content on our Website must always be acknowledged. You must not use any part of the content on our Website for commercial purposes without obtaining a licence to do so from us or our licensors.

7.5 Where our Website hosts research papers, presentations, or other contributed content, such content is made available for personal, non-commercial, and reference purposes only. The copyright in contributed content remains with the respective author(s) or their employing organisation, unless otherwise stated. Reproduction, distribution, or republication of contributed content requires the written permission of the relevant rights holder.

8. Acceptable Use

8.1 You may use our Website only for lawful purposes. You must not use our Website:

  • In any way that breaches any applicable local, national, or international law or regulation;
  • In any way that is unlawful or fraudulent, or has any unlawful or fraudulent purpose or effect;
  • For the purpose of harming or attempting to harm minors in any way;
  • To transmit, or procure the sending of, any unsolicited or unauthorised advertising or promotional material or any other form of similar solicitation (spam);
  • To knowingly transmit any data, send or upload any material that contains viruses, trojan horses, worms, time-bombs, keystroke loggers, spyware, adware, or any other harmful programs or similar computer code designed to adversely affect the operation of any computer software or hardware;
  • To reproduce, duplicate, copy, or re-sell any part of our Website in contravention of these Terms.

8.2 You also agree:

  • Not to access without authority, interfere with, damage, or disrupt any part of our Website, any equipment or network on which our Website is stored, or any software used in the provision of our Website;
  • Not to use automated bots, scrapers, or crawlers to access content on our Website without our express written permission;
  • Not to use our Website to send or knowingly receive material that infringes any copyright, database right, trade mark, or other intellectual property right of any other person.

9. User-Generated Content

9.1 Where we allow you to post, upload, or contribute content to our Website, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, transferable licence to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform that content in connection with the services provided by our Website.

9.2 Any content you contribute must comply with these Terms. You warrant that any contribution complies with those standards, and you indemnify us for any breach of that warranty.

9.3 We have the right to remove, edit, or refuse to publish any contribution at our discretion. We are not responsible, or liable to any third party, for the content or accuracy of any user-generated content posted by you or any other user.

10. Email and Marketing Communications

10.1 By registering for an account or submitting your contact details via our Website, you acknowledge that we may send you transactional and service-related communications (such as account confirmations, event registration details, or updates to these Terms). These communications are necessary to the service we provide and are not subject to marketing opt-out.

10.2 We will only send you marketing or promotional communications (such as newsletters, event announcements, or industry updates) where you have given your explicit consent to receive them, or where we have a legitimate interest to do so in accordance with applicable law.

10.3 For UK users, our marketing communications comply with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR). For EU users, they comply with the ePrivacy Directive and applicable national implementing legislation. For US users, they comply with the CAN-SPAM Act and, where applicable, state law requirements.

10.4 You may withdraw your consent to receive marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email, or by contacting us at membership@suboptic.org. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of any communications sent prior to withdrawal.

11. Accessibility

11.1 We are committed to making our Website accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (where applicable) and relevant EU accessibility requirements under Directive 2016/2102.

11.2 If you experience any difficulty accessing content on our Website, or if you require content in an alternative accessible format, please contact us at membership@suboptic.org and we will do our best to accommodate your request.

11.3 We publish a separate Accessibility Statement on our Website, which sets out the current accessibility status of the Website, known limitations, and the process for reporting accessibility issues.

12. Privacy and Data Protection

12.1 We process personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which is available at www.suboptic.org/privacy-policy-uk and www.suboptic.org/privacy-policy-us. Our Privacy Policy sets out the basis on which any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us.

12.2 By using our Website, you acknowledge that personal information you provide is processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the following applicable legislation:

  • United Kingdom: UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018;
  • European Union: EU General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation 2016/679);
  • United States: Applicable state laws including (where applicable) the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) / California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), and other relevant state privacy laws.

12.3 Where we transfer personal data outside the UK or EEA, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place as required by applicable data protection law.

13. Cookies

13.1 Our Website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our Website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our Website and also allows us to improve our site.

13.2 For detailed information on the cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them, please see our Cookie Policy at www.suboptic.com/cookies.

13.3 By using our Website, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy. You can withdraw that consent at any time by adjusting your browser settings or using our cookie preference centre.

14. Links to Third-Party Websites

14.1 Our Website may contain links to third-party websites, plug-ins, and applications. Clicking on those links or enabling those connections may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control those third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements or content.

14.2 When you leave our Website, we encourage you to read the privacy notice and terms of service of every website you visit.

15. Limitation of Liability

15.1 Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury arising from our negligence, or our fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by applicable law.

15.2 To the extent permitted 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.

15.3 We will not be liable to any user for any loss or damage, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, even if foreseeable, arising under or in connection with use of, or inability to use, our Website; or use of or reliance on any content displayed on our Website.

15.4 In particular, and without limiting the above, we will not be liable for:

  • Loss of profits, sales, business, or revenue;
  • Business interruption;
  • Loss of anticipated savings;
  • Loss of business opportunity, goodwill, or reputation;
  • Any indirect or consequential loss or damage.

Note for UK and EU users: These limitations do not affect your statutory rights as a consumer. For UK users, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 provides certain rights that cannot be excluded. For EU users, Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights applies where relevant. For US users, some states do not allow limitation of liability for certain types of damages; in such states, our liability will be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

16. Indemnification

16.1 You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless SubOptic Limited, its directors, officers, employees, agents, licensors, and service providers from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or relating to your violation of these Terms or your use of the Website.

17. Disclaimers

17.1 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.

17.2 Although we make reasonable efforts to update the information on our Website, we make no representations, warranties, or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content on our Website is accurate, complete, or up to date.

18. Force Majeure

18.1 We shall not be in breach of these Terms nor liable for delay in performing, or failure to perform, any of our obligations under these Terms if such delay or failure results from circumstances beyond our reasonable control (a "Force Majeure Event").

18.2 Force Majeure Events include, without limitation: acts of God; flood, drought, earthquake, or other natural disasters; epidemic or pandemic; terrorist attack, civil war, civil commotion, or riots; war, threat of, or preparation for war; government action; nuclear, chemical, or biological contamination; collapse of buildings, fire, explosion, or accident; interruption or failure of utility services; labour disputes; failure of the internet or any telecommunications network; or any other event outside our reasonable control.

18.3 In the context of events and conferences specifically, Force Majeure Events include travel restrictions imposed by national or international authorities, venue closures, public health requirements, or geopolitical circumstances that materially prevent or restrict the safe delivery of an event.

18.4 If a Force Majeure Event occurs, we will contact you as soon as reasonably possible to notify you and to outline the steps we intend to take. Where an event is cancelled or postponed due to a Force Majeure Event, your rights will be governed by the applicable Event Terms and Conditions and your statutory consumer rights.

19. Termination

19.1 We may terminate or suspend your access to our Website immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason whatsoever, including without limitation if you breach these Terms.

19.2 Upon termination, your right to use the Website will immediately cease. All provisions of these Terms which by their nature should survive termination shall survive, including ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity, and limitations of liability.

20. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

20.1 For Users in the United Kingdom

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. You agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales to resolve any dispute or claim arising from these Terms or our Website, subject to any mandatory consumer law rights you may have.

20.2 For Users in the European Union

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. SubOptic Limited is incorporated in England and Wales. As a consumer resident in the EU, you may also benefit from mandatory provisions of the law of your country of residence. Nothing in these Terms affects your rights as a consumer to rely on such mandatory provisions. You may also use the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/ to resolve disputes.

20.3 For Users in the United States

If you are located in the United States, these Terms shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any legal action or proceeding relating to your access to or use of the Website shall be instituted in England and Wales.

21. Dispute Resolution and Complaints

21.1 We are committed to resolving complaints fairly and efficiently. If you have a concern or dispute arising from your use of our Website, please follow the process below before pursuing formal legal or ADR routes:

  • Step 1: Contact us directly at membership@suboptic.com with full details of your complaint, including the nature of the issue and any relevant dates or reference numbers.
  • Step 2: We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and aim to provide a full response within 20 working days.
  • Step 3: If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate to a certified Alternative Dispute Resolution provider or, where applicable, your national consumer authority.

21.2 UK users: We are not currently a member of a certified ADR scheme. You may be entitled to refer your complaint to the relevant certified ADR provider. UK consumers may also contact Citizens Advice for independent guidance: citizensadvice.org.uk.

21.3 EU users: You have the right to refer disputes to your national Alternative Dispute Resolution body and to the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/.

21.4 US users: Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Website that cannot be resolved informally may, at our election, be resolved by binding arbitration.. You have the right to opt out of this arbitration agreement by notifying us in writing at membershipl@suboptic.org within 30 days of first accepting these Terms. If you opt out, disputes will be resolved in the courts specified in Section 20.3. You agree to waive your right to participate in class action lawsuits or class-wide arbitration to the fullest extent permitted by law.

22. Consumer Rights (UK and EU)

22.1 For users in the United Kingdom, nothing in these Terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer under applicable UK law, including (but not limited to) the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

22.2 For users in the European Union, nothing in these Terms affects your rights as a consumer under applicable EU law, including Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights. Where we provide digital content or services, you may have specific rights regarding conformity and remedies under applicable EU law.

23. Specific Provisions for US Users

23.1 Privacy Rights: If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), including the right to know, the right to delete, and the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information. Please see our Privacy Policy for details.

23.2 Children's Privacy: Our Website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under this age without verifiable parental or guardian consent. In the UK and EU, the applicable age threshold is 16 (or the age set by the relevant member state, which may be lower but no less than 13). If you are registering on behalf of a child or as part of a corporate membership that may include under-18s, you warrant that you have obtained any required parental or guardian consent. If we become aware that a child below the applicable age threshold has provided us with personal information without such consent, we will take steps to delete that information.

23.3 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA): If you believe that content on our Website infringes your copyright, please send a notice to our designated DMCA agent at membership@suboptic.org including the information required by 17 U.S.C. ss 512(c)(3).

24. General Provisions

24.1 Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and any other legal notices published on our Website, constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding your use of the Website.

24.2 Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from these Terms and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.

24.3 Waiver: No failure or delay by us to exercise any right or remedy provided under these Terms or by law shall constitute a waiver of that or any other right or remedy.

24.4 Assignment: We may transfer our rights and obligations under these Terms to another organisation. We will always tell you in writing if this happens and we will ensure that the transfer will not affect your rights under the contract. You may only transfer your rights or your obligations under these Terms to another person if we agree to this in writing.

25. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us:

SubOptic Limited

Registered Address: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London, England, WC1N 3AX

General Enquiries: membership@suboptic.org

Legal / Complaints: membership@suboptic.org

Accessibility: membership@suboptic.org

Data Protection Officer (if applicable): membership@suboptic.org

DMCA Agent (US): membership@suboptic.org

These Terms were last reviewed and updated on 1st January 2026. Please check this page regularly for updates.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This document is a template provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It should be reviewed and customised by a qualified solicitor or attorney before use to ensure compliance with all laws and regulations applicable to your specific business and jurisdiction.

‍