ResearchBuddy AI Virtual Lab — Terms of Service

Last updated: October 9, 2025

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern the use of ResearchBuddy AI’s virtual lab (the “Lab”) by Supervisors, Students, Collaborators, and other Participants (each a “Member” and collectively the “Members”). By joining, accessing, or participating in the Lab, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not join or participate.

1. Definitions

  • ResearchBuddy AI/ the Company: ResearchBuddy AI and its affiliates that operate the Lab.
  • Lab: the virtual research environment, programs, groups, tools, meetings, and services provided by ResearchBuddy to support research from conception to publication.
  • Supervisor: a Member who leads a Lab, accepts and supervises Students, and is responsible for mentoring and oversight of research projects.
  • Student: a Member who joins a Lab to carry out research under a Supervisor.
  • Project: a specific research activity, idea, dataset, experiment, or manuscript developed within the Lab.
  • Confidential Information: non-public research, technical, or communication materials shared within the Lab.

2. Eligibility & Registration

  1. Members must register using accurate details and keep their contact information current.
  2. Supervisors must represent that they have the qualifications to supervise and that they will comply with all applicable laws and ethical standards.

3. Code of Conduct & Ethical Compliance

  1. All Members must act ethically and respectfully. Harassment, discrimination, academic dishonesty, or research misconduct (fabrication, falsification, plagiarism) are prohibited.
  2. Research involving human subjects, animals, or controlled materials must comply with local ethics and legal regulations.
  3. Members must follow ResearchBuddy’s community guidelines and project-specific rules set by Supervisors.

4. Confidentiality

  1. Members must keep all Lab discussions, drafts, and data confidential and not share them externally without written consent from all relevant co-owners.
  2. Confidential Information does not include information that is public or independently developed without Lab access.

5. Intellectual Property (IP) & Collective Ownership

  1. Collective Ownership of Lab Outputs. All ideas, data, code, manuscripts, and research outcomes developed within the Lab are collective intellectual property jointly owned by the Supervisor(s) and Members who contributed to that work. ResearchBuddy AI does not claim exclusive ownership but acts as the facilitating platform.
  2. Protection of Collective IP. No Member may sell, publish, modify, license, or distribute any Lab output—fully or partially—without the written consent of all co-owners (Supervisors and contributing Members). Any attempt to do so will be treated as IP theft and grounds for immediate removal and legal action.
  3. Collective Decision Rights. Supervisors and Lab Members can jointly decide how to publish, commercialize, or continue the research. They do not need ResearchBuddy’s permission to make decisions about their collectively owned work.
  4. Acknowledgment Requirement. All outputs and publications arising from Lab work must acknowledge the affiliation and contribution of ResearchBuddy AI (e.g., “This research was conducted under ResearchBuddy AI Virtual Lab”). For substantial platform or technical assistance, ResearchBuddy may be listed as an institutional affiliation or group author where journal policy allows.
  5. Pre-existing IP. Material developed before joining the Lab remains the property of the Member who created it unless explicitly shared and agreed upon as Lab IP.
  6. External Collaborators. External participants can be added to a project only with Supervisor and Member consensus and must sign an agreement consistent with these IP terms.

6. Publication & Authorship Rules

  1. Approval for Publication. No Member may unilaterally submit or publish any work involving Lab materials or ideas without written consent from all co-owners. Drafts must be shared among all contributors for review and authorship confirmation before submission.
  2. Authorship Order. Authorship should follow contribution level, agreed upon collectively by all contributors and the Supervisor. Disputes will be resolved through documented contribution review.
  3. Acknowledgment of ResearchBuddy. Every publication must include acknowledgment of ResearchBuddy’s support and virtual lab infrastructure.
  4. No Idea Misappropriation. Members cannot take ideas, concepts, or research directions from the Lab and publish or develop them independently. Any such act is considered theft of collective IP and will trigger termination and possible legal consequences.

7. Data & Record Keeping

  1. Members must maintain accurate and transparent records of their research.
  2. Raw data and experiment results are part of collective IP. Members cannot export or publish datasets individually without full team consent.

8. Platform & Resource Use

  1. ResearchBuddy provides communication tools, document management, and AI research support. Members must use them responsibly.
  2. Sharing login credentials or unauthorized use of platform resources is prohibited.

9. Supervisor Responsibilities

  1. Ensure ethical compliance, maintain clear contribution records, and guide the team fairly.
  2. Prevent conflicts, ensure fairness in authorship, and mediate internal disputes.

10. Member Responsibilities

  1. Maintain integrity, confidentiality, and respect.
  2. Do not attempt to individually claim ownership of collective research.
  3. Communicate honestly and contribute transparently.

11. Breach & Remedies

  1. Breaching confidentiality, misusing Lab IP, or unilateral publication constitutes serious misconduct.
  2. Consequences include immediate suspension, removal from the Lab, revocation of platform access, and legal action.
  3. Members agree that ResearchBuddy or co-owners may seek injunctions or legal remedies to prevent misuse.

12. Dispute Resolution

  1. Internal disputes among Members or Supervisors must first go through good-faith mediation under ResearchBuddy’s oversight.
  2. If mediation fails, disputes will be resolved under the laws of Bangladesh through arbitration.

13. Privacy & Data Protection

ResearchBuddy will handle Member data in accordance with its Privacy Policy and only as needed to manage the Lab.

14. Termination

  1. ResearchBuddy may suspend access for misconduct, legal violations, or misuse of the platform.
  2. Termination does not dissolve collective IP rights; co-owners remain protected by these Terms.

15. Amendments

ResearchBuddy may update these Terms. Continued participation after notice means acceptance of the new Terms.

16. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Bangladesh.

Acknowledgment

By joining a ResearchBuddy Lab, you acknowledge and agree that:

  • All Lab outputs are collectively owned by the Supervisors and contributing Members.
  • No individual may publish, modify, sell, or distribute Lab IP without unanimous consent of co-owners.
  • ResearchBuddy AI must always be acknowledged for its platform and institutional contribution.
  • These Terms exist to protect collective research ownership and prevent any Member from stealing or exploiting Lab work individually.

For any questions or IP authorization requests, contact: admin@researchbuddy.ai

End of Terms

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