terms of service

These are the terms of the service at tutkimusapu.fi. If you sign up as a member, you assure that you have read these terms of service, and you will comply with them as they are. The service provider is Suomen Tutkimusapu, Kaikukatu 2C, 00530 Helsinki, business ID 2613800-8. 1) Purpose of the service The service provider collects information from selected members as they use various web sites. The collected information is used to recognise consumer's usage patterns and preferences, which can be used to improve web sites. The data collection is automated and it is based on the service provider's hardware and software loaned to the member. The service provider compensates the member for contributed data with products or money as descibed elsewhere on the web site. Under no circumstances, the member is considered as an employee of the service provider. 2) Members and activating research group Some of the registered members and activated into the reseach group. The selection of the members for activation is random, and it is based on the needs of the service provider. The members will cannot protest the selection process or its outcome. The service provide has no obligation to reveal any details to the members or any third party of the selection process. The activated members will be contacted by the service provider. During the activation, the service provider mails the member the hardware that is used for data collection, after which the member can start actively using the service. 3) The collected information The service collects the personal data and the descriptive categorising data that the member himself gives to the service provider. In addition, programmatically collected data from activated members contains (a) the hardware configuration of the member's computer, and (b) web site usage patterns. The data is collected automatically with the member's own computer, and with a special hardware and software attached to the computer. The data is collected by observing the member's eye movement visually with the camera component of the special hardware. The software controlling the data collection analyses the observed gaze path and combines it with the content visibile on the member's web browser. The combined data is converted into a digital, numerical data and sent to the service provider's servers over the member's internet-connection. If the member takes part in special missions that are made public by the service from time to time, the member's web browser captures the browser window as video file during the special mission. The video file of the capture is sent to the service provider's servers as part of the other collected data. The captured video files are given to the service provider's customer who had ordered the special mission. During a special mission, the member might be asked for a permission to access his webcam in order to observe the member's facial expressions in order to analyse the member's feelings. If the member accepts the permission, the software controlling the data collection adds the numerical results of the analysis to the collected data set. The photo files taken by the webcam are not saved on the member's computer, and they are not sent to the network. 4) Members right to rewards The service provider compensates the active members for their data collection contribution with different products or money as stated on the web site. The service provider does not compensate the members costs or expenses in any other way, unless the service provider and a member so agree in advance, case by case. 5) Service providers right to the collected data The service provider has a perpetual, geographically and by its use an unlimited right to utilise all the data that it has collected from the members, as far as the identity of the member is not revealed to the third parties. 6) Member's responsibility for his own hardware and software In order for the member to participate in data collection, he needs to have a suitable computer, operating system installed and an internet-connection. The member is solely responsible for costs of acquiring and mainting them. The service provider is not responsible to the member for any damages, even if the damages are caused by the service provider's hardware or software malfunctioning. The member may not use the service provider's hardware or software on any such computer environment, nor store any documents or files on the computer, which, if damaged or lost, would cause the member financial damages other than the costs of replacing the damaged hardware or software itself. The member is responsible to keep timely data backups of the computer used with the service provider's hardware and software. 7) Member's responsiblity for service providers hardware The service provider lends hardware for data collection to the members who are activated into the research group, together with its software. The member must handle the hardware with care, so that the hardware is not damaged, lost or it does not get stolen. If the hardware is damaged, lost or stoled, and it is due to the member's negligence or intentional act, the member is responsible for compensating the damages caused to the service provider. The damages are defined as the costs of replacing the hardware at the time of the damage. 8) Termination The service provider has the right to terminate the service entirely, or on any individual member's part, by giving a notice of the termination at the service web site, or by sending email to the member or members concerned. The member can terminate the service at any time by giving a notice to the service provider by email, or following the instructions at the web site. When the service is terminated, the service provider will remove all personal data of the member without unnecessary delay so, that the member cannot be identified from the data. When the service is terminated, members with the service provider's hardware have to return the hardware back to the service provider without unnecessary delay. The hardware is returned by post, or in other ways agreed by the parties. 9) Applicable laws These terms of service and the business between the service provider and the member is governed by the laws of Finland as applicable. Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to these terms of service, or the breach, termination or validity thereof, shall be finally settled by arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the Finland Chamber of Commerce.