1. Scope
These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) govern the use of Acurio, operated by TecMinds GmbH, Neustadtstrasse 8a, 6003 Lucerne, Switzerland (the “Provider”). By registering for or using the service, you (the “User”) accept these Terms in their current version.
2. Subject matter
Acurio is an online service that enables users to automatically verify academic citations in their own documents against uploaded source documents. Verification is performed with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and indicates whether a citation is supported, partially supported or not supported by the referenced source.
Results are decision support only and do not constitute a final scientific, professional or legal assessment. The User is responsible for reviewing the content and for how the results are ultimately used.
3. Registration and account
Using Acurio generally requires registration with a valid email address. Sign-in is performed via a magic link sent to the address provided. The User undertakes to provide truthful information, to protect their account against unauthorised access and to notify us without delay of any account misuse.
An account is personal and may not be shared with third parties. The Provider may require separate arrangements for legal entities.
4. Subscription, prices and payment
Acurio is offered as a paid subscription. The current price is CHF 10 per month (unless otherwise stated on the website) and is payable in advance. Prices displayed include statutory VAT unless stated otherwise.
Payment is processed via Stripe. By subscribing, the User authorises the Provider or Stripe to charge the amounts due to the payment method on file. The subscription automatically renews for successive one-month periods unless cancelled beforehand.
The Provider may adjust prices with effect for future billing periods. Such adjustments will be communicated to the User by email at least 30 days in advance. If the User does not object or continues to use the service after the change takes effect, the adjustment is deemed accepted.
5. Termination
The subscription can be cancelled at any time effective at the end of the current billing period. Cancellation is performed via the Stripe billing portal available in the user account or by email to info@tecminds.ch. Amounts already paid for the current period are not refunded unless mandatory statutory provisions require otherwise.
The Provider may terminate accounts with reasonable notice, or with immediate effect for good cause (in particular in the event of breaches of these Terms).
6. Right of withdrawal for EU consumers
Consumers domiciled in the EU generally have a statutory right of withdrawal of 14 days for distance contracts. This right may lapse if the User expressly consents to immediate performance and acknowledges that the right of withdrawal is lost once the service has been fully performed before expiry of the withdrawal period. By starting a subscription and actively using the service, the User provides such consent.
7. User obligations
The User undertakes in particular:
- to upload only documents and sources for which they hold the necessary rights or whose use is otherwise lawful;
- not to upload content that violates applicable law, third-party rights (in particular copyright) or public morals;
- not to upload personal data of third parties without a legal basis for doing so;
- not to impair the security, availability or integrity of the service (e.g. via malware, automated scraping, reverse engineering or circumventing technical protection measures);
- not to use the service to create or distribute unlawful, misleading or deceptive content;
- to critically review the results of citation verification and to verify them independently.
8. Rights in content
The User retains all rights in documents and sources they upload. The User grants the Provider a non-exclusive licence, limited in scope, territory and time to what is necessary for providing the service (in particular to perform the citation verification via the processors listed in the privacy policy).
All rights in Acurio itself – in particular in the software, design, trademarks, texts and logos – belong exclusively to the Provider or its licensors.
9. Availability and changes
The Provider strives for a high level of availability but does not owe uninterrupted availability. Maintenance, disruptions at third-party providers or other technical circumstances may lead to temporary limitations.
The Provider may develop, modify or discontinue features of the service, provided the purpose of the contract is not materially affected.
10. Warranty and liability
The Provider performs its services with the diligence of a professional company. Acurio relies on third-party AI models; AI-generated results are inherently not error-free. The Provider therefore does not warrant that citation verification is complete, error-free or suitable for a particular purpose.
The Provider is liable only for damages caused intentionally or through gross negligence. Liability for slight negligence is excluded to the extent permitted by law. Liability for indirect or consequential damages, loss of profit, loss of data or third-party claims is excluded unless mandatory statutory provisions require otherwise.
For auxiliary persons and third parties engaged (e.g. AI providers, payment service providers), the Provider is liable within the limits permitted by law only for its own fault in selecting them.
11. Data protection
Details on the processing of personal data can be found in the privacy policy, which forms part of these Terms.
12. Changes to the Terms
The Provider may adjust these Terms with effect for the future. Material changes will be announced by email or within the service. If the User does not object within 30 days and continues to use the service, the amended Terms are deemed accepted. Where the User has a mandatory right to object, this will be pointed out separately.
13. Final provisions
If individual provisions of these Terms are or become invalid or unenforceable, the validity of the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected. The invalid provision shall be replaced by a provision that comes as close as possible to the economic purpose of the invalid provision.
Side agreements must be made in text form (email is sufficient). The User may assign rights and obligations under this contract only with the Provider’s written consent.
14. Governing law and jurisdiction
These Terms and all legal relations between the Provider and the User are governed exclusively by Swiss law, to the exclusion of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) and of conflict-of-laws rules.
The exclusive place of jurisdiction is Lucerne, Switzerland. Mandatory places of jurisdiction in favour of consumers remain reserved.