GeoEspace Terms and Conditions of Use

Introduction

Welcome to GeoEspace. These Terms and Conditions of Use (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the GeoEspace platform (the “Platform”) operated by GeoEspace Corporation (“GeoEspace”, “we”, “our”, or “us”). By registering for an account or using our Platform, you agree to these Terms, which form a binding contract between you (“User”, “Freelancer”, “Client”, or “you”) and GeoEspace. These Terms apply to all users, including freelancers and clients. If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you must not use the Platform

1. Definitions

• Freelancer: A geologist, mining expert, Environmental professional, Petroleum Expert, Professional Driller, Engineer, Electrician, and Technician offering services through GeoEspace
• Client: A company, individual, or organization using GeoEspace to find and contract Freelancers.
• User Account: The account created by any user on the Platform.
• User Content: All information submitted by Users, including project details, résumés, reviews, and messages.
• Project: A specific engagement or task posted by a client and accepted by a Freelancer.
• Platform Services:All tools, services, and technologies offered by GeoEspace, including matching services and payment processing
• User Contract: A legally binding agreement between a Client and a Freelancer regarding a specific Project.

2. Scope of Service

GeoEspace connects qualified freelancers in geology, mining, and environmental sciences with Clients seeking expert services. We facilitate introductions, provide a secure workspace, collect and hold payments, and manage reviews. GeoEspace is a party to the User Contract and assumes liability for the performance of Freelancers or Clients.

3. Account Registration and Eligibility

• You must be at least 18 years old or the age of majority in your jurisdiction.
• You agree to provide accurate, complete, and updated information.
• GeoEspace may refuse to open or maintain accounts at its sole discretion.
• Corporate accounts must be managed by an authorized representative.
• GeoEspace must ask you to provide your certificate Licence, or Passport to verify your identity.

4. Freelancer Evaluation and Certification

All Freelancers undergo a five-level evaluation process:

Only top-performing professionals (top 5%) are accepted and certified by GeoEspace.

5. User Conduct

While using the Platform, you agree not to:

• Violate any applicable laws or regulations.
• Post false or misleading information, otherwise, you will be suspended definitely on the platform.
• Engage in fraudulent behaviour or intellectual property infringement.
• Circumvent or manipulate GeoEspace's fee system.
• Communicate outside the Platform with the intent to avoid fees (see Section 10).

Violations may result in account suspension or termination.

6. Project Contracts and Payment Terms

• All Projects must be initiated and accepted on the Platform.
• All companies which contact freelancers outside the platform to make a contract will be suspended automatically from the Platform for 5 years.
• All freelancers who contact the company for the contract will be suspended immediately and definitively from the platform.
• Payments from Clients are held by GeoEspace and released to Freelancers based on milestones or project completion, as agreed.
• Clients and Freelancers are solely responsible for the content and scope of their User Contracts.
• GeoEspace retains a transaction fee of 20% from Clients and 0 % from Freelancers.

7. Trial Period and Freelancer Replacement

Clients benefit from a one-week trial period for one Freelancer at the beginning:

• If unsatisfied, the Client may cancel at no cost, request a replacement, or request a refund.
• If satisfied, the Project continues under the agreed terms and clients will pay all the times the freelancer works or starts on his project.
• GeoEspace collects feedback after the trial to ensure quality and satisfaction.

8. Reviews and Ratings

Clients rate Freelancers based on:

• Assiduité (attendance)
• Qualité du travail (work quality)
• Rapidité d'exécution (execution speed)
• Respect
• Commentaire général (written feedback)

Only Clients can view other Clients' reviews.

9. Fees, Charges, and Refunds

• Refunds are available for uncompleted or unsatisfactory work if the company paid any money, subject to review.
• All payments are in the US ($) unless otherwise specified.
• Clients are responsible for applicable taxes in their jurisdiction.

10. Non-Circumvention Clause

Users agree not to:

• Engage a Freelancer outside the Platform for a period of 24 months after first contact.
• Circumvention incurs a penalty equal to 70% of the total project value or CAD $50,000 whichever is greater, the client needs to take this clause carefully.

Freelancers must not accept off-platform work from Clients found on GeoEspace. Breaching this clause may result in permanent suspension and legal action.

11. Non-Circumvention Clause

All content uploaded to the Platform remains the property of the User.

• Clients and Freelancers agree to maintain confidentiality and not disclose any sensitive or proprietary project information.
• Intellectual property created under a Project is transferred according to the User Contract

12. Platform Access and Limitations

GeoEspace may:

• Limit or suspend accounts for suspected fraud or abuse.
• Modify or discontinue services at any time with or without notice.
• Investigate suspicious activity and require identity verification.

13. Disputes and Resolution

• Disputes between Users must first be handled via GeoEspace's internal mediation process.
• If unresolved, GeoEspace may intervene as a neutral party, or refer parties to binding arbitration in Canada.
• GeoEspace's dispute decisions are final and binding within the Platform.

14. Termination of Accounts

• Users may delete their accounts at any time
• GeoEspace may suspend or terminate accounts for violations of these Terms, fraudulent behaviour, or inactivity.
• Upon termination, any pending funds may be withheld or returned based on platform rules and applicable law.

15. Limitation of Liability

To the extent permitted by law:

• GeoEspace disclaims any liability for loss of profits, data, or indirect damages.
• GeoEspace does not guarantee project outcomes or platform availability.
• Users agree to use the Platform "as is" and at their own risk.

16. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless GeoEspace, its affiliates, officers, and employees from any claims, damages, or liabilities arising from your use of the Platform or breach of these Terms.

17. Privacy and Data Handling

• GeoEspace stores data securely on Amazon AWS servers
• Personal data is handled in compliance with applicable privacy laws.
• By using the Platform, you consent to the collection and processing of your data as described in our Privacy Policy.

18. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada. Any legal action or proceeding shall be exclusively brought before the courts in Ontario.

19. Amendments

GeoEspace may amend these Terms at any time. Continued use of the Platform constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

Authorization to Access and Use GeoEspace Site and Content

Subject to your compliance with these Terms and Conditions ("T&Cs"), you are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable right to access and use the GeoEspace platform and its content solely for evaluating and using GeoEspace's freelance and staffing services in geology, mining, and environmental sciences. You may only link to the platform or its content as explicitly permitted in writing by GeoEspace Corporation.

Ownership and Usage Restrictions

All rights, titles, and interests in and to the GeoEspace website, platform, and associated content (collectively, the "Site and Content") remain the exclusive property of GeoEspace Corporation. You agree not to:

• (a) Sell, sublicense, rent, lease, assign, distribute, or otherwise make the Site or Content available to any third party;
• (b) Use the Site or Content in violation of applicable laws, including data privacy and export control laws;
• (c) Interfere with or disrupt the Site's operation, security, or integrity;
• (d) Attempt to gain unauthorized access to restricted areas of the Site, including circumventing security protocols, encryption, or accessing source code;
• (e) Use any scraping, crawling, or automated technology (e.g., bots, spiders, deep-link tools, or manual data harvesting methods) to extract or monitor any part of the Site or Content;
• (f) Impersonate another individual or misrepresent your identity, including through headers or other digital identifiers.

Limited License for Public Content

You may download, display, and print a single copy of publicly available content from the Site for your own personal, non-commercial use only. This use is allowed only if:

• The material remains unmodified
• All copyright, trademark, and proprietary notices are preserved.
• The content is not redistributed or published elsewhere.

You must access the Site and its Content only through interfaces provided and authorized by GeoEspace.

Responsibility for User Data

You are solely responsible for any data, materials, documents, files, or other content ("User Data") that you upload, submit, or store on the GeoEspace platform. By posting such content, you affirm that:

• You have all necessary rights to share and use the data;
• The data is accurate, lawful, and does not infringe third-party rights;
• GeoEspace is not liable for loss, corruption, or unauthorized access to such content.

Reservation of Rights

GeoEspace and its licensors retain all intellectual property rights related to the Site and Content, including but not limited to copyrights, trademarks, service marks, patents, trade secrets, and proprietary know-how. These T&Cs do not convey any rights or licenses to you under any GeoEspace intellectual property, whether by implication, estoppel, or otherwise.