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Website T&Cs

The terms and conditions of our website

Access to and use of this site and related sites is provided by the Association of Optometrists (AOP) and is subject to the following terms and conditions:

1. By using the AOP website, www.aop.org.uk, including Optometry Today and the AOP Community, you agree to be legally bound by these terms, which shall take effect immediately on your first use of the site. If you do not agree to be legally bound by all the following terms, please do not access and/or use the site.

2. The AOP may change these terms at any time by posting changes online. Please review these terms regularly to ensure you are aware of any changes made by the AOP. Your continued use of the sites after changes are posted means you agree to be legally bound by these terms as updated and/or amended. 

Use of AOP websites

3. You may not copy, reproduce, republish, download, post, transmit or otherwise use AOP or Optometry Today site content in any way except for permitted use (see definitions). You also agree not to adapt, alter or create a derivative work from any site content except for permitted use. Any other use of site content requires the prior written permission of the AOP.

4. You agree to use AOP websites only for lawful purposes and in a way that does not infringe the rights of, restrict or inhibit anyone else's use and enjoyment of AOP sites. Prohibited behaviour includes harassing or causing distress or inconvenience to any person, transmitting obscene or offensive content or disrupting the normal flow of dialogue within this site.

Liability

5. The AOP endeavours to ensure that AOP site content, including Optometry Today, is accurate. However, site content is for general guidance only and is provided without any representations or any kind of warranty made (whether express or implied by law), including the implied warranties of satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, compatibility, security and accuracy.

6. The AOP will not be liable for any damages, including indirect or consequential damages, or any damages arising from use or loss of use, data or profits, whether in contract, negligence, arising from or in connection with the use of this site, the AOP Community and site contents.

7. The AOP does not warrant that functions contained in the contents of this site and the community site will be uninterrupted or error free, that defects will be corrected, or that this site, AOP Community or the server that makes it available are free of viruses or bugs.

8. The AOP is not liable for any content, discussions or private messages sent within the AOP Community, AOP locum register or comments added to the site elsewhere.

Intellectual property

9. The names, images and logos identifying the AOP or third parties and their products and services are subject to copyright, design rights and trade marks of the AOP and/ or third parties. Nothing contained in these terms shall be construed as conferring by implication, or otherwise any licence or right to use any trademark, patent, design right or copyright of the AOP or any other third party.

Contributions to this site

10. Where you are invited to submit any contribution to AOP websites you agree, by submitting your contribution, you do so at your own discretion. You retain ownership of the content you post but grant the AOP the right to use the content on our platforms and in any format. If you do not want to grant to the AOP the rights, please do not submit your contribution to AOP websites.

11. Further to paragraph 10, by submitting your contribution to AOP websites, you:

11.1 warrant that your contribution:
11.1.1 is your own original work and that you have the right to make it available to the AOP for all the purposes specified above
11.1.2 is not defamatory
11.1.3 does not infringe any law
        11.2 agree to indemnify the AOP against all legal fees, damages and other expenses that may be incurred by the AOP as a result of your breach of the above warranty

Links to other sites

12. This site contains links to other related internet sites. You might find these links useful, though as they are outside of the AOP’s control, we cannot take responsibility for their content nor should links be taken as an endorsement of any kind. We have no control over linked pages’ availability. We do not endorse any other organisations, products, websites or services mentioned on this site unless otherwise stated on the relevant pages. We cannot be held responsible for any advice or recommendations obtained from these links and anyone accessing these links from our website does so on this understanding.

General

13. If any of these terms are determined to be illegal, invalid or otherwise unenforceable by reason of the laws of any state or country in which these terms are intended to be effective, then to the extent and within the jurisdiction in which that term is illegal, invalid or unenforceable, it shall be severed and deleted from these terms and the remaining terms shall survive, remain in full force and effect and continue to be binding and enforceable.

14. These terms shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

Definitions

15. In this agreement, unless the context otherwise requires:

  • "Account information" or "Account details" means your username and password.

  • "Permitted use" means use within the business included within your current membership/ subscription to AOP, but does not include disclosure to persons who are not members of AOP

  • "Site content" means the content of all AOP websites, including data, information, names, images, pictures, logos and icons regarding or relating to the AOP and its products and services (or to third party products and services)

Guidelines for using the AOP community (online forums)

The AOP Community website is for our members to engage in a professional and friendly manner in an environment where all contributions are welcome. By participating in the AOP Community you implicitly agree to follow the standards and guidelines as laid out below.

The AOP is committed to creating a non-discriminatory, respectful and supportive online community for our members.

While using the AOP Community website you must not: 

  • Post or upload any material which may cause offence or is illegal. The result in doing so will be immediate and permanent removal from all areas of the community and possible legal action

  • Breach any terms and conditions as laid out here

  • Knowingly post false, inaccurate, misleading, defamatory, or libellous content

  • Post defamatory, slanderous, indecent, abusive, insulting harassing comments or messages. This will not be tolerated on the AOP Community. Harassment can be described as:

    • Unwanted conduct, as described in these terms and conditions

    • Demeaning individuals within the forums. In both cases, it is the recipient’s own response which is relevant; it does not matter that the author of the harassing post may intend it to be inoffensive

  • Directly attack other members of the community

  • Take any action that may undermine the feedback or ratings systems, if applicable 

  • Post spam 

  • Distribute viruses or any other technologies that may harm the community

  • Collect other members details without their prior consent 

  • Post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you 

  • Make comments on individuals, an individual's view point, products or companies unless they are objective and fair  

  • Incite hatred on the basis of race, religion, gender, nationality, sexuality or personal characteristic 

  • Call into account a person's professional standing, swear, or make obscene or vulgar comments 

  • Advertise products or services 

  • Falsely claim to represent a person or organisation 

  • Invade people's privacy by posting their private addresses, phone numbers, emails or other personal details 

  • Deliberately attempt to embarrass alarm, intimidate or annoy any other member of the AOP Community.

  • Post messages that are unrelated to the online forums

  • You must at all times remain civil and friendly and abide by the guidelines

  • AOP provides the AOP Community in good faith as a resource for you to network and debate with consideration to your fellow community members

  • If a post contravenes the forum rules it will be deleted from the forum(s) and returned to the participant by email with a warning, along with reference to the broken rule(s)

  • If a participant continues to breaks the rules after two warnings, they will be banned from using the AOP Community for a period of six months. Repeated violations will lead to a permanent ban

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying can be defined as "Using the Internet, cell phones or other devices are used to send or post text or images intended to hurt, embarrass or intimidate another person.”

Any posts making community members the subject of ridicule in forums, and posting false statements as fact aimed at humiliation will not be tolerated

Agreement 

In using our online community and private messaging you:

  • Acknowledge that all information (content), posted on any forum or private message is the sole responsibility of the person from which such content originated 

  • Understand that this means that you, and not AOP, are entirely responsible for all content that you upload, post, email or otherwise transmit via the forums 

  • Understand that AOP does not control the content posted via the forums and, as such, does not guarantee the accuracy, integrity or quality of such content 

  • Understand that under no circumstances will AOP be liable in any way for any content, including, but not limited to, any errors or omissions in any content, or for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of any content posted, emailed or otherwise transmitted via the forums 

The AOP will not be liable for any posts made or messages sent by members on the AOP Community. Members are responsible for their own words and uploads. 

AOP locum register

The AOP locum register is a free, national register for locum members to list their availability, and for employer members to search for a locum.

Please see the AOP locum register guidelines for usage and FAQs for terms and conditions of using the register as a locum or employer member.

Any misuse of the AOP locum register will be dealt with in accordance with the ‘Complaints and misuse of the websites’ section below.

Privacy

The AOP will not sell or distribute your personal information to third parties for any marketing without your explicit consent. The full privacy policy is available.

Username and passwords

Access to this site requires you to use an identity, a username, and password (together referred to as “Account Information”). You are entirely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your Account Information and for any and all activity that occurs under your account.

General

You are granted access to the AOP site conditional on your agreement to indemnify the AOP and not to hold it liable in any way for the results of any action you may take based on the material on this or linked sites.

The information on this website is applicable in the UK. Other countries may have different regulations. If accessing this website from outside the UK, check locally for information specific to that country.

We will not accept liability for any loss, damage or inconvenience arising as a consequence of any use of or the inability to use any information on this website.

You are responsible for protecting the security and integrity of your system and data. We make no claim that this website is free from viruses or other computer or data corrupting or damaging material.

Censorship

The AOP reserves the right to remove content that members find objectionable. This includes postings, attachments or other member created content.

Complaints and misuse of the website

Any member who complains to the AOP about harassment or notifies the AOP of violations of the terms and conditions of the website will be taken seriously and their complaint investigated by the in-house moderator. If violations are found to have occurred, where relevant, the content will be removed and the author will be suspended from the websites for a six month period. Following that period, reinstatement will be automatic. Only one warning will be given of infringement.

Following reinstatement after a six month suspension any further violations of the terms and conditions will result in immediate suspension. Members can re-apply after 12 months with the decision to be approved by the AOP. Repeated violations will result in permanent removal.

These terms and conditions may evolve and will be reflected on this page.