Terms and conditions

These terms of use refer to the following additional terms, which also apply to your use of our site:

• Our privacy policy, which sets out the terms on which we process any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us. By using our site, you consent to such processing and you warrant that all data provided by you is accurate.

• Our cookie policy, which sets out information about the cookies on our site.

By using our site, you confirm that you accept these terms of use and that you agree to comply with them. If you do not agree to these terms, you must not use our site.

If you purchase goods from our site, our terms and conditions of supply will apply to the sales.

We amend these terms from time to time. Every time you wish to use our site, please check these terms to ensure you understand the terms that apply at that time. 

We may update and change our site from time to time and we may suspend or withdraw our site.

We do not guarantee that our site, or any content on it, will always be available or be uninterrupted. We may suspend or withdraw or restrict the availability of all or any part of our site for business and operational reasons.

You are also responsible for ensuring that all persons who access our site through your internet connection are aware of these terms of use and other applicable terms and conditions, and that they comply with them.

Our site is directed to people residing in the United Kingdom. We do not represent that content available on or through our site is appropriate for use or available in other locations.

You must keep your account details safe.

If you choose, or you are provided with, a user identification code, password or any other piece of information as part of our security procedures, you must treat such information as confidential. You must not disclose it to any third party.

We have the right to disable any user identification code or password, whether chosen by you or allocated by us, at any time, if in our reasonable opinion you have failed to comply with any of the provisions of these terms of use.

If you know or suspect that anyone other than you knows your user identification code or password, you must promptly notify us at digital@versusarthritis.org.

We are the owner or the licensee of all intellectual property rights in our site, and in the material published on it.  Those works are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All such rights are reserved.

You may print off one copy, and may download extracts, of any page(s) from our site for your personal use and you may draw the attention of others within your organisation to content posted on our site.

You must not modify the paper or digital copies of any materials you have printed off or downloaded in any way, and you must not use any illustrations, photographs, video or audio sequences or any graphics separately from any accompanying text.

Our status (and that of any identified contributors) as the authors of content on our site must always be acknowledged.

You must not use any part of the content on our site for commercial purposes without obtaining a licence to do so from us or our licensors.

The content on our site is provided for general information only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely. You must obtain local professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.

We've made every effort to make sure that the content on our site is correct at time of publication, but we cannot guarantee its accuracy at the time you access it or that it is relevant to your particular circumstances. If you would like further information or if you have any concerns about your diagnosis, treatment or if you need a diagnosis then you should discuss this with your doctor, rheumatology nurse or pharmacist.

Although we make reasonable efforts to update the information on our site, we make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content on our site is accurate, complete or up to date.

Where our site contains links to other sites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your information only. Such links should not be interpreted as approval by us of those linked websites or information you may obtain from them.

We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources.

• We do not exclude or limit in any way our liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or the negligence of our employees, agents or subcontractors and for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

• To the extent permitted by law, we exclude all conditions, warranties representations or other terms which may apply to our site or any content on it.

• We will not be liable for any loss or damage (including loss of data), whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, even if foreseeable, arising under or in connection with:
  - use of, or inability to use, the site or any information contained on it; or
  - use of or reliance on any content or information displayed on our site; or
  - the provision of, or our failure to provide, any products, services or events ordered or made available through our site (unless stated otherwise in any relevant additional terms and conditions).

• Different limitations and exclusions of liability will apply to liability arising as a result of the supply of any products to you, which will be set out in our terms and conditions of supply.

• Please note that we only provide our site for domestic and private use. You agree not to use our site for any commercial or business purposes, and we have no liability to you for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity.

Any content you upload to our site will be considered non-confidential and non-proprietary. You retain all of your ownership rights in your content, but you are required to grant us a limited licence to use, store and copy that content and to distribute and make it available to third parties.

We also have the right to disclose your identity to any third party who is claiming that any content posted or uploaded by you to our site constitutes a violation of their intellectual property rights, or of their right to privacy.

You are solely responsible for securing and backing up your content.

Where you are invited to submit any content to the website (including any text, personal details, photographs, graphics, video or audio) and we make clear that you are consenting for us to use this content publicly, you are granting Versus Arthritis and its Trading Company a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use your content on the website, and for any other uses as we may require in any and all media (currently or in future). This includes, without limitation, the right to sub-license to third parties acting on behalf of Versus Arthritis or its Trading Company via any and all media (whether existing now or invented in the future) and in accordance with privacy restrictions set out in Versus Arthritis' privacy policy. If you do not want to grant to Versus Arthritis’ the rights set out above, please do not submit your contribution.  You may withdraw your consent for future use of personal data at any time.  If you do this we will endeavour to withdraw active references from our website but will retain references in formal historic publications.

Versus Arthritis will not be responsible, or liable to you or any third party, for the content or accuracy of any materials posted by you or any other user of the website.

Where content is made available publicly, Versus Arthritis will not be responsible, or liable to you or any use or misuse of data by a third party unaffiliated to Versus Arthritis where data is obtained through copying from or linking to our public website.

We invite you to share your name and/or story on social media channels including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to show that you are a supporter of our challenge to defy arthritis.  Where you accept this, you are choosing to share your contribution on your personal social media channels.

Upon sharing, your contribution to your chosen social media channel(s) is governed by the terms and conditions of your chosen channel(s) not those of Versus Arthritis.

If you choose to share your name and/ or story via email, you are agreeing to forward on your contribution and information about the campaign to your personal contacts.  From this point, your contribution and any personal data are governed by your chosen email provider.  You should be certain that the recipient will not be offended or feel harassed by your contacting them.

We are not liable for any misuse of use of data within that chosen social media channel or email channel. Please see our Privacy Notice to read how we look after your data.

As well as the general terms and conditions, the conditions below apply to AVA, our arthritis virtual assistant:

• AVA is a chatbot, and uses machine learning (a technology that allows a machine to learn from the data that it’s given and to improve itself) to understand and respond to questions that people ask as part of a conversation. Versus Arthritis regularly train AVA and review the information that it gives to make sure that they give suitable responses.
• AVA gives general information and not tailored medical advice. By using the chatbots, you’re confirming that you understand the limits of this information. If you’d like more information, if you have any concerns about your diagnosis or treatment, or if you need a diagnosis, you should speak to a healthcare professional.
• We try to make sure that the information AVA give is correct when it’s published. We can’t guarantee that the information given during your conversation is up to date.
• The information that AVA give is relevant for people in the UK. If you live outside of the UK, you can still use them but the guidance in your country may be different. You should speak to a local healthcare professional for relevant information for your country.
• Versus Arthritis believes that everyone has the right to be safe from abuse and harm. Anyone can be abused online or in the real world, and some people may have thoughts about harming themselves. If you’re concerned about someone who’s being abused or are thinking about harming yourself, AVA isn’t the best source of information on how to get help and support. Instead, please read our commitment to keeping adults and children safe. In an emergency, call 999.
• AVA may suggest exercises that you can do. Get advice and support from a healthcare professional or fitness instructor if you have any concerns about starting a new exercise plan. By choosing to do these exercises, you accept that Versus Arthritis can't be held responsible in the unlikely event that you hurt yourself.
• AVA may give you information about drugs. This is general information only and won’t list all of a drug’s uses and side effects. If you need specific advice about drugs, please contact your doctor or pharmacist.

How Versus Arthritis manages data

For information about Versus Arthritis and your rights, please see our privacy notice.

We do not guarantee that our site will be secure or free from bugs or viruses.

You are responsible for configuring your information technology, computer programmes and platform to access our site. You should use your own virus protection software and check all content that you download from our site before using it.

You must not misuse our site by knowingly introducing viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs or other material that is malicious or technologically harmful. You must not attempt to gain unauthorised access to our site, the server on which our site is stored or any server, computer or database connected to our site. You must not attack our site via a denial-of-service attack or a distributed denial-of service attack. By breaching this provision, you would commit a criminal offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. We will report any such breach to the relevant law enforcement authorities and we will co-operate with those authorities by disclosing your identity to them. In the event of such a breach, your right to use our site will cease immediately.

You may link to our home page, provided you do so in a way that is fair and legal and does not damage our reputation or take advantage of it.

You must not establish a link in such a way as to suggest any form of association, approval or endorsement on our part where none exists.

You must not establish a link to our site in any website that is not owned by you.

Our site must not be framed on any other site, nor may you create a link to any part of our site other than the home page.

We reserve the right to withdraw linking permission without notice.

If you wish to link to or make any use of content on our site other than that set out above, including linking directly to our content or publications please contact digital@versusarthritis.org.

These terms of use, their subject matter and their formation (and any non-contractual disputes or claims) are governed by English law. We both agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.