Article 1 Purpose
These terms and conditions for researchers seeking purchase-type support complement the terms and conditions.
Article 2 Registration
- The terms and conditions for researchers seeking purchase-type support establish the methods for researchers, including NPOs and the like, to register with and use the service.
- By applying to register with the service, researchers agree to abide by all the terms and conditions for researchers seeking purchase-type support
- Researchers who apply for registration can register if they pass separate screening by the organization.
- The organization may not accept registration of researchers to whom any of the following apply.
a. If all or some of the information provided when applying is false, incorrect, or incomplete
b. Researchers who do not fit the organization’s registration criteria
c. Persons who have been in violation of the terms and conditions for researchers seeking purchase-type support in the past and been deregistered, or related parties
d. Members of antisocial forces, or related parties
e. Persons otherwise deemed inappropriate by the organization - The organization may deregister and refuse use of this service to registered researchers to whom any of the following apply, at the discretion of the organization. The organization will bear no responsibility whatsoever for damages to the subscriber arising from the following.
a. If the terms and conditions for researchers seeking purchase-type support are violated
b. If the registration information is found to be false
c. Researchers who no longer fit the registration criteria
d. Researchers who neglect to submit reports pursuant to the provisions of article 5 and who ignore warnings to do so
e. If false reports are made
f. If the organization breaks up, its activities are stopped or become difficult
g. Persons who have been deregistered in the past, or related parties
h. Members of antisocial forces, or related parties
i. Persons otherwise deemed inappropriate for ongoing registration by the organization
Article 3 Registration of projects
- Researchers can only post projects on this site that they are running themselves.
- When posting on the site, researchers must notify the organization of the project description using the enquiry form. The organization will screen projects based on their abstracts, and present them on the site as content if they are compliant. In this case, the organization may direct that content be amended appropriately. Projects or returns that include the following cannot be posted .
a. Matter that infringes the law
b. Work for which the copyright is not held, work for which permission for use has not been received, and other work for which the proper usage rights are not held
c. Items that require a license for legal sale, living creatures such as animals and insects, or other illegal products
d. Other matter deemed inappropriate by the organization
Article 4 Purchase of products
- Researchers who post projects on the site concerning their own research activities can sell one or more types of return (products or documents, the right to participate in events and so on sold for a fixed amount of support). Supporters can purchase these to support researchers’ projects.
- If the cumulative total for the applications for purchase of returns from supporters reaches the target amount set by the researcher in the set period, a purchase is established. In this case, without cutting solicitation in the middle, the researcher will solicit supporters until the date set for expiration is reached.
- If the project is achieved, the researcher must provide the return in principle within 180 days of the end of the project period. The researcher must provide the supporters with the return by an appropriate method, on their own responsibility and at their own expense. The return should accord with the philosophy of purchase-type crowdfunding.
- Researchers are responsible for warrantying the products they offer against defects.
- If the amount of target funding is not reached within the period set for the project, the project is not established, no payment is made by supporters to the researcher, and supporters’ credit cards are not charged.
- It is desirable for researchers to conduct independent and proactive PR activities in order to get projects off the ground.
- At the end of the project period, the organization will receive the agreed amount of the sales on behalf of the researcher from the billing company by the end of the month following the month in which the end of the project period falls, and will pay the universities to which the researcher belongs on the 10th of the following month (if the 10th is a Saturday, Sunday or National Holiday, the first working day of the next week). The relevant university must pay the researcher without delay. The organization will remit the funds directly to researchers who do not belong to universities.
- If a researcher is deregistered in accordance with Article 2, or for some other good reason, the organization may refuse payment of donations , and may demand the return of donations already paid.
- Besides the provision of the preceding paragraph, supporters and researchers must resolve any problems concerning return of donations directly themselves, and the organization will bear no responsibility in this regard.
- Amounts of donations agreed on this system may change due to problems with supporters’ credit card payments and the like.
- In addition to applying to purchase products, supporters can provide additional support without requiring any return . Any additional amount provided falls under the terms and conditions for donation-type crowdfunding.
Article 5 Reporting obligations
Researchers must submit reports concerning use of the donations to the organization in the format established by the organization by the respective dates specified by the organization. If the organization has any doubts about the content of the reports, the organization can demand a more detailed investigation.
Article 6 System user fees
- When researchers receive the payment specified in Article 4 paragraph 7, they shall pay 20% of the final achieved amount that was agreed to the organization, as system user fees comprising the organization’s administration fee and a billing fee. However, the administration fee may be changed through consultation between the two parties.
- The system user fees in the preceding paragraph shall be paid to the researcher after deducting the amount corresponding to the amount billed for system user fees from the final achieved amount, in order to reduce the administration work and bank transfer fees for both parties.
Article 7 Reporting obligations
Researchers shall inform the organization immediately if the following grounds apply.
a. If the activities are suspended, or dispersed, or procedures to that end are started
b. If it becomes apparent that tax deductions on donations no longer apply
c. If there are any other changes to the organization or administration of the organization
Article 8 Handling of confidential information
- Researchers have a duty of confidentiality and rigorous management of information exchanged with the organization and designated confidential so that it is not leaked to third parties.
- Researchers shall rigorously manage the personal information of supporters and handle it with due care.
- In the event or the possibility of a leak of information related to the paragraphs 1 and 2 above , the relevant parties shall notify the organization immediately. The matter will be handled on the overall responsibility of the researcher, and the researcher shall compensate the organization for any damages.
Supplementary provisions
- The terms and conditions for researchers seeking purchase-type support were enacted on October 17, 2016.
- Revised on December 13, 2016
- Revised on January 13, 2017
