Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account, clicking 'I Agree,' or otherwise accessing or using the Dental Ownership Collective platform ('Platform'), you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ('Terms') and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference. These Terms apply to all visitors, registered learners, faculty members, and any other users of the Platform.

If you are accessing the Platform on behalf of an organization, you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

2. Description of Services

2.1 Platform Overview

Dental Ownership Collective ('DOC' or 'Collective') is a self-paced online education platform providing courses, video content, live events, community discussion, and coaching resources designed to help licensed dental professionals explore and pursue dental practice ownership. The Platform operates on a freemium model: select content is available at no cost, with additional features and content available through paid subscriptions.

2.2 Sponsorship

The Platform is partially supported by sponsorship arrangements. Sponsorships help offset operating costs and allow us to offer free access to select content. Sponsorship does not mean all content reflects sponsors' commercial interests. DOC educational content is intended to be objective and independent. Sponsors may be identified on the Platform as 'Sponsored by [Sponsor Name].'

Sponsors may be added to or removed from the Platform at any time. All current sponsors are disclosed on the Platform's About page.

2.3 No Clinical or Legal Advice

Content provided on the Platform is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing on the Platform constitutes legal, financial, tax, clinical, or professional advice. Always consult a qualified licensed professional before making decisions related to practice ownership, financing, legal structure, or clinical matters.

3. Eligibility and Account Registration

3.1 Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years of age to use the Platform. The Platform is designed for licensed dental professionals or dental students in the United States, but registration is not limited to these individuals. By registering, you represent that you meet these requirements.

3.2 Account Creation

To access most features of the Platform, you must create an account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to update that information as necessary to keep it accurate.

3.3 Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. You agree to notify us immediately at legal@dentalownership.com if you suspect any unauthorized use of your account. We are not liable for any loss resulting from unauthorized account access that occurs through no fault of ours.

3.4 One Account Per Person

You may not create more than one account. Accounts are personal and non-transferable.

4. Platform Access and Use

4.1 License

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Platform and its content for your personal, non-commercial educational purposes.

4.2 Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable law or regulation
• Reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell, or exploit any portion of the Platform or its content without our express written permission
• Post or transmit content that is defamatory, harassing, threatening, obscene, or otherwise objectionable
• Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Platform or its related systems
• Use automated tools, bots, scrapers, or similar technology to access the Platform
• Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the Platform
• Upload or transmit viruses or other malicious code
• Use the Platform to advertise or solicit business without our prior written consent

4.3 Faculty and Coach Conduct

Faculty and coaches agree to provide accurate information in their profiles and communications, to engage professionally with learners, and not to use the Platform to solicit learners for paid services outside the Platform unless explicitly authorized in writing by us.

5. Content

5.1 Platform Content

All content provided by us on the Platform, including videos, text, quizzes, templates, graphics, and other materials ('Platform Content'), is owned by or licensed to Dental Ownership Collective and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works of Platform Content without our express written permission.

5.2 User-Generated Content

The Platform allows users to post messages, questions, replies, and other content in community discussion spaces and messaging features ('User Content'). You retain ownership of User Content you create, but by posting it, you grant Dental Ownership Collective a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute your User Content in connection with the Platform.

You represent and warrant that your User Content does not infringe any third-party rights and complies with these Terms. We reserve the right, but are not obligated, to remove any User Content that we determine, in our sole discretion, violates these Terms or is otherwise objectionable.

5.3 Feedback

If you provide us with any feedback or suggestions regarding the Platform, you grant us the right to use that feedback without restriction or compensation to you.

6. Referral and Affiliate Program

6.1 Program Overview

We may offer a referral program through which registered users ('Referrers') can invite others to join the Platform using a unique referral link or code. Dental schools, coaching organizations, and other institutional partners may participate through an affiliate program governed by a separate affiliate agreement.

6.2 Referral Terms

• Referral links and codes are personal to each registered user and may not be sold, transferred, or publicly broadcast in paid advertising without our prior written consent
• We reserve the right to withhold, reverse, or cancel referral credits or rewards if we determine fraud, manipulation, or abuse has occurred
• Rewards, if any, will be described in the Platform's referral program documentation and are subject to change at any time
• We reserve the right to suspend or terminate the referral program at any time without notice

6.3 Affiliate Partners

Dental schools, coaching organizations, or other partners wishing to participate as formal affiliates must enter into a separate written Affiliate Agreement with Dental Ownership Collective. The existence of an affiliate relationship does not create an endorsement by DOC of that partner's services.

7. Sponsorship and Third-Party Relationships

7.1 Sponsor Disclosure

The Platform is sponsored. Sponsors are disclosed throughout the Platform with 'Sponsored by [Sponsor Name]' labeling. Sponsorship funds platform operations; sponsors do not control educational content unless content is explicitly labeled as 'Sponsor Content' or 'Sponsor Session.'

7.2 Data Sharing with Sponsors

By registering for the Platform, you acknowledge and consent to the sharing of certain registration data with Platform sponsors as described in our Privacy Policy. This includes your name, email address, US state, and track enrollment. You may opt out of sponsor data sharing by deleting your account, subject to our Privacy Policy.

7.3 Third-Party Tools

We use third-party services to operate the Platform, including but not limited to services for video hosting, authentication, email delivery, customer relationship management, cloud storage, and analytics. Your use of the Platform is subject to the privacy practices and terms of these third-party services. You may contact us for a current list of service providers.

7.4 Third-Party Links

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the content, accuracy, or practices of those websites and do not endorse them.

8. Paid Content

The Platform operates on a freemium model. Select content is available at no cost to all registered users. Additional content, features, and tools are available through paid subscription plans. Subscription pricing, billing terms, and included features are presented at the time of purchase and may be updated from time to time. Free content available at the time of your registration will remain accessible to you under the then-current terms.

9. Termination

9.1 By You

You may terminate your account at any time by using the account deletion feature in your profile settings. Deletion requests are processed within 30 days. Certain data may be retained as required by law or legitimate business purposes as described in the Privacy Policy.

9.2 By Us

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account, without notice, if we determine in our sole discretion that you have violated these Terms, engaged in fraudulent or abusive behavior, or if we discontinue the Platform. We may also terminate or restrict access to any portion of the Platform at any time for any reason.

9.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, your license to use the Platform ceases immediately. Sections of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, and 13) will survive.

10. Disclaimers

THE PLATFORM AND ALL CONTENT ARE PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND 'AS AVAILABLE' WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE PLATFORM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. WE MAKE NO WARRANTY REGARDING THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR RELIABILITY OF ANY CONTENT ON THE PLATFORM.

11. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, DENTAL OWNERSHIP ACADEMY AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, SPONSORS, AND LICENSORS 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 OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE PLATFORM, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CAUSE OF ACTION SHALL NOT EXCEED ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100.00).

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Dental Ownership Collective and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of or in any way connected with: (a) your access to or use of the Platform; (b) your User Content; (c) your violation of these Terms; or (d) your violation of any third-party right.

13. Dispute Resolution

13.1 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

13.2 Informal Resolution

Before filing any formal legal action, you agree to contact us at legal@dentalownership.com and attempt to resolve the dispute informally. We will attempt to resolve any dispute within 30 days of receipt.

13.3 Arbitration

If informal resolution fails, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Platform shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Commercial Arbitration Rules, and judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction.

YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION.

13.4 Exceptions

Either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction for matters involving intellectual property infringement or unauthorized access to the Platform.

14. General Provisions

14.1 Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will provide notice of material changes by posting the updated Terms on the Platform and updating the Effective Date above. Your continued use of the Platform after such notice constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

14.2 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any applicable affiliate or partner agreements, constitute the entire agreement between you and Dental Ownership Collective regarding the Platform and supersede all prior agreements.

14.3 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

14.4 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.

14.5 Contact

For questions about these Terms, contact us at: legal@dentalownership.com

Dental Ownership Collective