Terms of Service

Effective Date: January 10, 2025

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using CanLII Search ("the Service", "the Tool"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you disagree with any part of these terms, you do not have permission to access the Service.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: This tool generates AI-suggested Boolean search queries. All outputs are suggestions only and must be verified. The Service does not provide legal advice, and the operators are not responsible for search results or legal outcomes based on using this tool.

2. Data Processing and Storage Location

⚠️ IMPORTANT DATA PROCESSING NOTICE

ALL data processing and storage occurs in the United States:
  • Your searches are sent to US servers for AI processing
  • Your account data is managed by US-based systems
  • Your usage history is stored in US data centers
  • US laws apply to your data (not Canadian or EU laws while stored)

What This Means for You

🇨🇦 Canadian Users:

  • Your data leaves Canada and is processed in the US
  • We comply with PIPEDA requirements for notice and consent
  • US government agencies may access your data under US law
  • You can request data deletion under PIPEDA

🌍 International Users:

  • This tool is built for Canadian legal research
  • Your local privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA, etc.) do not apply
  • Data protection follows Canadian standards (PIPEDA)
  • By using this service, you accept US data processing

Jurisdiction and Disputes

This service operates under Canadian law. Any disputes will be resolved in Ontario, Canada courts. However, your data resides in the US and is subject to US legal processes while stored there.

3. Description of Service

CanLII Search is a tool that converts natural language queries into Boolean search strings compatible with CanLII.org. The Service uses artificial intelligence (OpenAI's GPT models) to generate search suggestions based on your input.

4. Use License and Restrictions

Permitted Use:

  • Personal and professional legal research
  • Educational purposes
  • Generating Boolean queries for CanLII.org searches

You agree NOT to:

  • Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any laws
  • Attempt to reverse engineer, decompile, or hack the Service
  • Use automated systems or software to extract data from the Service (scraping)
  • Overwhelm the Service with excessive requests or traffic
  • Impersonate others or provide false information
  • Use the Service to harass, abuse, or harm others
  • Resell or commercialize the Service without permission
  • Violate the intellectual property rights of others

5. Account Terms

Account creation is optional but provides additional features. If you create an account:

  • You must provide a valid email address
  • You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account
  • You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized access
  • You are responsible for all activities under your account
  • We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms

6. Accuracy and Limitations

No Legal Advice: This Service does not constitute legal advice. The Boolean queries generated are algorithmic suggestions and may not capture all relevant case law or legislation. Always verify results and consult with qualified legal professionals for legal matters.

The Service:

  • Provides automated Boolean query suggestions based on AI processing
  • Does not guarantee accuracy, completeness, or relevance of search results
  • May produce errors, omissions, or inappropriate suggestions
  • Should not be relied upon as the sole source for legal research
  • Is not a substitute for professional legal judgment

7. Intellectual Property

The Service, including its original content, features, and functionality, is owned by The Chatbot Genius and is protected by international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

Your search queries and the Boolean outputs generated remain your property. However, by using the Service, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, store, and analyze your queries solely for the purpose of improving the Service.

8. Privacy and Data Collection

Your use of the Service is subject to our Privacy Policy. By using the Service, you acknowledge that:

  • All searches are logged and stored for service improvement
  • Your search queries are sent to OpenAI for processing
  • We collect usage data through Firebase Analytics
  • Email addresses (if provided) are used for authentication and service communications

9. Third-Party Services

The Service integrates with third-party services including:

  • OpenAI: For AI-powered query generation
  • Firebase: For authentication, database, and analytics
  • CanLII.org: The destination for your generated queries

These third-party services have their own terms and privacy policies. We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or services provided by third parties.

10. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

AS-IS SERVICE: The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

We do not warrant that:

  • The Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
  • The results obtained will be accurate, reliable, or complete
  • The Service will meet your specific requirements
  • Any errors in the Service will be corrected

Limitation of Liability: In no event shall The Chatbot Genius, its officers, directors, employees, or agents be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including without limitation, loss of profits, data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses resulting from your use of the Service.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless The Chatbot Genius and its affiliates, officers, agents, employees, and partners from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys' fees, made by any third party due to or arising out of your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of another.

12. Service Modifications

We reserve the right to:

  • Modify or discontinue the Service at any time without notice
  • Change features, functionality, or pricing
  • Impose limits on certain features or restrict access
  • Terminate or suspend your access for any reason

13. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your access to the Service immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason, including breach of these Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease.

14. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Canada, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any legal action or proceeding shall be brought exclusively in the courts of Ontario, Canada.

15. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. If we make material changes, we will notify users through the Service or via email. Your continued use of the Service after such modifications constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

16. Entire Agreement

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and The Chatbot Genius regarding the use of the Service, superseding any prior agreements.

17. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

18. No Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights.

Contact Information

For questions about these Terms of Service:

Email: thechatbotgenius1@gmail.com
Response Time: We aim to respond within 30 days