PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR USE OF AND ACCESS TO OUR SERVICES (DEFINED BELOW) ARE SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ALL OF THE FOLLOWING, YOU MAY NOT USE OR ACCESS THE SERVICES IN ANY MANNER.

Terms of Use

Published: 01.09.2025  

Effective Date: 15.09.2025

For users who register on or after 01.09.2025, these Terms apply upon acceptance.

Welcome to Aqora. Please read on to learn the rules and restrictions that govern your use of our website(s), products, services and applications (the “Services”). These Terms are designed to cover both (i) skills-based Competitions and leaderboards and (ii) hosting and sharing of Datasets, Workspaces, and Algorithms.

These Terms of Use (the “Terms”) are a binding contract between you and AQORA QUANTUM S.A.S. (“Aqora,” “we,” “us,” “our”). Aqora Quantum is a société par actions simplifiée, SIREN 981522204, headquartered at 58, rue d’Hauteville, 75010 Paris, France. Alexandre Krajenbrink serves as President and Elvira Shishenina as General Director.

You must agree to and accept all of the Terms, or you don’t have the right to use the Services. Your use of the Services in any way means that you agree to all of these Terms, and these Terms will remain in effect while you use the Services. These Terms include this document as well as the Privacy Policy, Copyright & Takedown Policy, Dataset, Workspaces & Algorithm Policy, Acceptable Use Policy, Community Guidelines, Competition Rules where applicable, API Terms (for developers), and any Service-specific policies we publish. In these Terms, “include/including” means “including but not limited to.”

Will these Terms ever change?

We’re constantly improving the Services, so these Terms may change. If we change them, we’ll notify you by placing a notice on https://aqora.io, emailing you, or using other reasonable means. Changes will not apply retroactively and will become effective no sooner than 14 days after posting, except changes addressing new functions or legal reasons, which are effective immediately. If you don’t agree to updated Terms, stop using the Services. Using the Services after changes take effect means you agree to them. No other amendment is effective unless in writing and signed by you and us.

What about my privacy?

We take privacy seriously. See our Privacy Policy at https://aqora.io/privacy-policy. Where we act as a processor for enterprise or organization spaces, a Data Processing Addendum (DPA) is available on request.

Definitions and Scope

• Dataset: A collection of data with metadata, documentation, and license files.

• Algorithm: Code, configurations, documentation, and related artifacts intended for execution or reuse (e.g., libraries, notebooks, scripts, pipelines).

• Workspace: An interactive application or execution environment (apps, demos, notebooks, agents) that may run user-provided code.

• Public Asset: Any Dataset, Workspace, or Algorithm made publicly accessible.

• Private Asset: An asset restricted to the uploader or a limited audience.

• Organization Account: A shared account administered by one or more Maintainers.

• Maintainer: A user who administers an asset or Organization Account.

• Benchmark/Leaderboard: Tasks, metrics, and result listings for comparing submissions.

• Hidden Test Set: Evaluation data not visible to participants.

• Judging Criteria: Weighted set of criteria used by a jury of experts to assess and score submissions to a competition.

What are the basics of using Aqora?

You may need to create an account and select a password and username (“Aqora User ID”). You promise to provide accurate, complete, and updated registration information. You may not use a name you don’t have the right to use or another person’s name with intent to impersonate. You may not transfer your account without our prior written permission. You may not control more than one active Aqora account or User ID. Organization Accounts must designate at least one Maintainer.

If you’re not of legal age to form a binding contract, see “Our Commitment to Children’s Privacy” in the Privacy Policy and contact support for parental consent information.

If you agree to these Terms on behalf of an organization, you represent you’re authorized to bind it; “you/your” then refer to that organization. Each individual still needs their own Aqora User ID; no sharing a single User ID.

Use the Services—including competitions, datasets, workspaces, and algorithms—only for lawful research, educational, or professional purposes. If your use is prohibited by law, you aren’t authorized to use the Services. Protect your account and password; you are responsible for activities under your account.

Are there additional restrictions on use?

You represent, warrant, and agree you will not contribute content or use the Services in a manner that:

• Violates the Acceptable Use Policy or any posted Service policy.

• Is harmful, threatening, harassing, defamatory, obscene, or otherwise unlawful or objectionable.

• Accesses the Services in automated ways other than through our published APIs and export tools, including scraping pages, bypassing rate limits or access controls, removing or altering attribution, or bulk-downloading Content.

• Performs text and data mining (TDM) or any systematic or bulk extraction of Content except as expressly permitted by our published APIs or in a written agreement with us. To the extent permitted by law, Aqora opts out of TDM under Articles 3–4 of the EU DSM Directive and any analogous provisions, via these Terms and any machine-readable signals (e.g., robots.txt or meta-tags); you must honor such signals.

• Uploads Datasets containing personal data without a valid lawful basis, required notices/consents, and documentation; or that fails to honor valid data-subject requests (see Dataset, Workspaces & Algorithm Policy).

• Processes or uploads special-category data (e.g., health, biometric, genetic) without a clear legal basis and documented safeguards.

• Uploads, processes, or stores Protected Health Information (PHI) or otherwise uses the Services in a HIPAA-regulated manner. Aqora does not intend the Services to be HIPAA-compliant and does not act as a Business Associate absent a separate written BAA executed by Aqora; do not use the Services for PHI unless such BAA is in place.

• Executes or uploads Workspaces/Algorithms that contain malware, attempt privilege escalation, perform unauthorized network scans, or degrade/circumvent service limits; or that mine cryptocurrency or run unrelated distributed computing workloads.

• Decompiles, disassembles, or reverse engineers the Services or any component thereof, except to the limited extent such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law (e.g., for interoperability under EU law) and then only after providing prior written notice to security@aqora.io and allowing reasonable time for us to assist.
  
  

We may impose or adjust rate limits, quotas, and execution constraints and may throttle, suspend, or terminate access that threatens service stability or violates these Terms. We may remove any content at any time, for any reason, without notice.

APIs and Fair Use

Access to APIs and hosted execution is subject to quotas and rate limits. Automated collection is permitted only via our published APIs under their terms.

You may not resell, sublicense, or otherwise provide paid or free third-party access to the Services or any non-public Content (including cached copies) in a way that replicates or competes with the Services. Building or training models or services that aim to replace core Aqora functionality using bulk exports or Content from the Services is prohibited unless we have given prior written permission.

You may not use the Services to build competing datasets of private or gated content, nor to deanonymize, fingerprint, or exfiltrate hidden test sets or private assets.

What are my rights in Aqora?

Materials available through the Services—including text, graphics, data, articles, photos, images, Algorithms, Datasets, Workspaces, and user submissions (collectively, “Content”)—are protected by IP laws unless shared under an open license. You must abide by all notices and restrictions and won’t exploit Content not owned by you without the owner’s consent or in a way that violates others’ rights.

Where users share Algorithms or Workspaces under open licenses (e.g., OSI-approved licenses for code) or Datasets under ODC/Creative Commons (or equivalent) licenses, you agree to abide by those licenses, including attribution and preservation of notices. If no license is selected, the content is all rights reserved.

You understand Aqora owns the platform itself. You won’t exploit the Services except as expressly allowed. You’re encouraged to build upon and reuse community assets consistent with their licenses.

Licensing Framework for Datasets, Workspaces, and Algorithms

(a) Upload Requirements. Uploaders can attach an appropriate license: OSI-approved for Algorithms/Workspace code; ODC/CC (or equivalent) for Datasets. Uploaders warrant they have rights to upload and license the asset and metadata.

(b) Irrevocability & Versioning. Licenses granted on Public Assets are non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, and irrevocable for copies already obtained, subject to license terms. License changes apply prospectively.

(c) Compatibility & Attribution. You are responsible for ensuring downstream compatibility among dataset and code licenses and for preserving license files, attribution, and dataset/algorithm cards in derivatives and forks.

(d) No Confidentiality of Public Assets. Public Assets and Competition Entries are not confidential. Do not upload secrets or regulated data unless permitted and properly licensed.

(e) Removal; Minimal Retention. If we remove Public Assets for legal or policy reasons, we may retain minimal records to meet legal obligations and preserve auditability and platform integrity.

Who is responsible for what I see and do?

Any content posted or transmitted through the Services is the sole responsibility of the person from whom it originated. You access content at your own risk. We aren’t liable for errors or omissions or for damages you might suffer in connection with content or your interpretations of it. We cannot guarantee user identities. Uploaders of Datasets and Algorithms warrant lawful sourcing, required consents/notices, and no violation of privacy, publicity, or contractual restrictions.

Third-party links/services are not controlled by Aqora. You accept the risks of third-party sites and should review their terms and privacy policies. Your dealings with third parties are solely between you and them.

If there’s a dispute between users or with a third party, Aqora is under no obligation to become involved. By using the Services, you release Aqora from claims arising out of such disputes. If you are a California resident, you expressly waive California Civil Code §1542, which states: “A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor.”

What are the rules for competitions on Aqora?

Subject to these Terms and any contract with Aqora, a user may post a skills-based Competition with rules describing eligibility, datasets, metrics, timing, and prizes (“Competition Rules”). Competitions exclude games of chance. Competitions are open worldwide except where prohibited by law or sanctions and may have additional geographic or age restrictions.

Host obligations. Hosts must conspicuously display an objective Metric or Judging Criteria and apply it impartially. Hosts (including users from the Host’s organization) may not compete for prizes in their own Competitions. We may provide templates for Competition Rules without warranty; Hosts are solely responsible for legal compliance.

Prize funding & disbursement. Unless expressly stated otherwise, prize funds must be deposited with Aqora before Competition launch. Aqora (or its payment partner) will disburse prizes to winners, subject to KYC/AML, tax, and sanctions screening. Unawarded funds are returned to the Host without applicable fees.

Taxes; withholding; integrity. Participants are responsible for taxes. We may withhold amounts as required by law and may deny or claw back prizes obtained by fraud or rule violations. Hidden test sets may be used. Test-set leakage, multiple accounts, or other manipulations are prohibited. We may audit, re-score, or disqualify entries to preserve integrity.

Employer policies/eligibility. Participants are responsible for compliance with employer policies and third-party restrictions.

Teams and eligibility. A participant may join at most one team per Competition. Teams may merge during a Competition if permitted by the Competition Rules; the merged team assumes responsibility for all prior entries by the merging teams. Unless all team members unanimously request a different split in writing, prizes are distributed in equal shares to each member of the winning team.

Host participation and cancellation. Hosts (and any users from the Host’s organization) may not compete for prizes in their own Competitions. A Host may not cancel a live Competition without our prior written consent; if cancellation is approved, the Host remains responsible for any participant reliance costs specified in the Competition Rules.

Sanctions/territory restrictions. Competitions and prize payments are not available to persons or entities located in, organized under the laws of, or ordinarily resident in jurisdictions subject to comprehensive sanctions, including (as of the Effective Date) Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, or to any person on applicable sanctions lists (e.g., EU consolidated lists, OFAC SDN List, UK sanctions lists). This list may change as laws change.

Workspaces

Users may create or upload Workspaces (apps, demos, notebooks, agents) that execute code. You are responsible for the security, licensing, and lawful use of your code and content. We may sandbox, limit, or terminate executions to protect the platform. Benchmarks/leaderboards may evaluate Workspaces subject to published rules.

User Submissions and Licenses

Anything you post, upload, share, store, or otherwise provide is your “User Submission.” To operate the Services, you grant Aqora rights to host, reproduce, transmit, adapt (for technical reasons), display, and distribute your User Submissions. For Personal or Limited-Audience submissions, we exercise those rights only to serve you or your chosen audience.

For Public Assets, you also grant other users rights under the license you attach; if none, all rights reserved applies and others may not reuse beyond exceptions permitted by law.

Competition Entries. By submitting an entry, you grant Aqora the rights necessary to evaluate, display, and—where Competition Rules so provide—host as a Dataset for research reproducibility. If you accept a prize, any additional licenses or transfers in the Competition Rules apply.

Dataset & Personal Data Governance

Do not upload Datasets containing personal data unless you have a lawful basis and have complied with applicable law (e.g., transparency, minimization, purpose limitation). Special-category data requires explicit legal justification. Document provenance and permissions in the dataset card.

PII takedown & data-subject requests. We provide a notice-and-action channel for alleged privacy violations and data-subject requests (erasure, access, objection). We may restrict or remove access to Datasets that appear non-compliant.

Processor/controller roles. For public community uploads, Aqora generally acts as an independent controller. For enterprise or organization private spaces, Aqora may act as a processor under a DPA.

EU Digital Services Act (DSA) Notice-and-Action

You may report allegedly illegal content via our notice-and-action mechanism. We will provide a statement of reasons for any restriction and offer an appeal process. Trusted flagger and authority contact points are available at https://aqora.io/legal. Single point of contact: legal@aqora.io.

Export Controls and Sanctions

You represent and warrant that you are not a restricted party and will not access or use the Services in violation of EU, French, UK, or U.S. export/sanctions laws (including EU Dual-Use Regulation, French control lists, OFAC/OFSI, EAR/ITAR). You will not upload controlled technical data or provide prohibited technical assistance.

U.S. Copyright (DMCA) Notice

We respond to notices of alleged copyright infringement consistent with 17 U.S.C. §512. To submit a DMCA notice, send a written communication that meets the requirements of §512(c)(3) to our Designated Agent:

Designated Agent (for notices only)
Legal Department (DMCA), Aqora Quantum S.A.S.
58, rue d’Hauteville, 75010 Paris, France
Email: legal@aqora.io

We may remove or disable access to allegedly infringing material and may terminate repeat infringers in appropriate circumstances. Counter-notifications may be submitted as permitted by §512(g). (If you expect substantial U.S. traffic, register your agent with the U.S. Copyright Office.)

U.S. Government End Users

The Services and related documentation are “Commercial Computer Software” and “Commercial Computer Software Documentation” as those terms are used in FAR 12.212 and DFARS 227.7202. They are licensed to U.S. Government end users only as commercial items with the same rights and restrictions granted to other users under these Terms.

Will Aqora ever change the Services?

We may add or remove features, adjust usage limits, and offer new content/services or discontinue old ones. We may make legally required or security updates, including automatic installations addressing significant safety risks. If a modification negatively affects your ability to access or use the Services, or if we discontinue a service, we will provide reasonable advance notice by email, including a description of the changes, timing, and your right to end your contract if the impact is more than minor. We will offer a means to export your content, except in urgent cases (abuse prevention, legal requirements, security/operability).

Does Aqora cost anything?

Some Services are free; others are paid (“Paid Services”). Payment terms presented during sign-up are part of these Terms. Trials must be used within the specified time; cancel before the end to avoid charges. Paid Services may be billed in EUR or other currency; prices may be VAT-exclusive and VAT may be charged where applicable. Invoices/receipts may be issued electronically.

What if I want to stop using Aqora?

If you’re not hosting an active Competition, you may stop using the Services at any time. See the Privacy Policy and licensing sections to understand how we treat information after you stop. We may terminate or suspend access at our discretion, including for breach. Account termination may result in destruction of Content associated with your account. Provisions that by nature survive termination (payment, indemnity, IP, liability limits, dispute terms) survive.

If you are hosting an active Competition, you must either complete it in full, or (with our prior written consent) arrange a transition plan that includes refunding any undisbursed prize funds and notifying participants.

Withdrawal (EEA Consumers)

You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason. The withdrawal period expires 14 days after conclusion of the contract. To exercise the right, inform us (Aqora Quantum, 58, rue d’Hauteville, 75010 Paris, France; withdraw@aqora.io) of your decision by an unequivocal statement (e.g., letter or email). You may use our model form below.

If you withdraw, we will reimburse payments received from you without undue delay and no later than 14 days after we are informed of your decision, using the same means of payment unless you agree otherwise.

Loss of withdrawal right for immediate performance. If you purchase Paid Services and request or accept immediate performance, you acknowledge the service begins immediately and you will lose the right of withdrawal once performance has begun.

Model withdrawal form (complete and return only if you wish to withdraw):

— To Aqora Quantum S.A.S., 58, rue d’Hauteville, 75010 Paris, France, withdraw@aqora.io
— I hereby give notice that I withdraw from my contract for the provision of the following service: _____________
— Ordered on: _____________
— Name of consumer: _____________
— Address of consumer: _____________
— Signature of consumer (only if notified on paper): _____________
— Date: _____________

EEA Consumer Legal Guarantee

If you are an EEA-based consumer, EU law provides a legal guarantee of conformity for digital content and services:

• One-time supply: we are liable for any lack of conformity discovered within two (2) years of supply.

• Continuous supply: we are liable for any lack of conformity that arises during the period of supply.

These rights apply in addition to any commercial guarantees. To make a guarantee claim, contact support@aqora.io.

Warranty Disclaimer

Neither Aqora nor its licensors or suppliers makes any representations or warranties concerning any content contained in or accessed through the Services (including Competitions, Datasets, Workspaces, or Algorithms), and we will not be responsible or liable for the accuracy, copyright compliance, legality, or decency of material. Products and services offered through the Services are provided “AS IS” without any warranty of any kind (unless expressly provided in writing by a designated third party).

THE SERVICES AND CONTENT ARE PROVIDED BY AQORA (AND ITS LICENSORS AND SUPPLIERS) ON AN “AS-IS” BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR THAT USE OF THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law (including for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for gross negligence or wilful misconduct). If you are a consumer, mandatory consumer protections apply.

Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT ALLOWED BY APPLICABLE LAW, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES AND UNDER NO LEGAL THEORY (INCLUDING TORT, CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE) WILL AQORA (OR ITS LICENSORS OR SUPPLIERS) BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON FOR (A) ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, LOSS OF GOODWILL, WORK STOPPAGE, ACCURACY OF RESULTS, OR COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, OR (B) ANY AMOUNT, IN THE AGGREGATE, IN EXCESS OF THE GREATER OF (I) €100 OR (II) THE AMOUNTS PAID BY YOU TO AQORA FOR THE SERVICES IN THE 12-MONTH PERIOD PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (C) ANY MATTER BEYOND OUR REASONABLE CONTROL. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain exclusions or limitations; those limits apply only to the extent permitted by law.

Indemnity

To the fullest extent allowed by law, you will defend, indemnify, and hold Aqora, its affiliates, officers, agents, employees, and partners harmless from and against claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) arising from or related to third-party claims concerning (a) your submissions (including Content, User Submissions, Datasets, Workspaces, Algorithms, or Competitions), (b) your use of the Services (including actions taken by a third party using your account), and (c) your breach of these Terms or applicable law.

Trademarks and Branding

You may not use Aqora’s names, logos, or marks without prior written permission. Do not create Organization Accounts or assets likely to cause confusion with Aqora’s branding or with other users’ brands.

Security and Vulnerability Disclosure

We welcome good-faith security research. Report vulnerabilities to security@aqora.io. If you (a) test only to the extent necessary to confirm a vulnerability, (b) avoid privacy violations, service degradation, data exfiltration, or physical/financial harm, and (c) promptly report with detailed steps and give us reasonable time to remediate, we will not pursue legal action under these Terms or applicable anti-circumvention laws for such research. This safe harbor does not extend to actions that are illegal or exceed what is reasonably necessary for research.

Assignment

You may not assign, delegate, or transfer these Terms or your rights or obligations, or your Services account, without Aqora’s prior written consent. We may transfer, assign, or delegate these Terms and our rights and obligations without consent.

About These Terms

These Terms control the relationship between Aqora and you. They do not create third-party beneficiary rights. If you do not comply with these Terms and we do not act right away, we are not waiving our rights. If any term is not enforceable, the rest remain in effect.

The laws of France, excluding conflict-of-laws rules, govern these Terms and the Services. Mandatory consumer protection and jurisdiction rules under your local law still apply where required. All claims will be litigated exclusively in the competent courts of Paris, France, and you and Aqora consent to personal jurisdiction in those courts (without prejudice to mandatory consumer venues).

Contacts

• Support: support@aqora.io

• Legal/DSA point of contact: legal@aqora.io

• Security: security@aqora.io

• Withdrawal (EEA): withdraw@aqora.io

• Copyright & Takedown: https://aqora.io/legal

• Acceptable Use Policy: https://aqora.io/aup

• Dataset, Workspaces & Algorithm Policy: https://aqora.io/datasets-algorithms-policy

• Community Guidelines: https://aqora.io/community-guidelines