Terms of Service

Introduction

Welcome to East Coast Development Center ("ECDC", "we", "us", or "our"). These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of our website (ecdc.my) and services. By accessing or using our services, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

If you do not agree with these Terms, please do not use our website or services.

1. Definitions

• "Services" refers to ECDC's venture studio program, events, workshops, resources, and all related offerings.
• "User", "You" refers to any individual or entity accessing our website or services.
• "Portfolio Company" refers to startups accepted into ECDC's venture studio program.
• "Partner" refers to universities, corporations, or government agencies collaborating with ECDC.

2. Eligibility

To use our services, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have the legal capacity to enter into binding contracts
• Not be prohibited from using our services under applicable laws

By using our services, you represent and warrant that you meet these eligibility requirements.

3. Use of Our Website and Services

3.1 Permitted Use

You may use our website and services for lawful purposes only, including:

• Browsing information about ECDC and the East Coast Malaysia startup ecosystem
• Applying to our venture studio program
• Registering for events and workshops
• Accessing educational resources and materials
• Contacting us for inquiries or partnerships

3.2 Prohibited Use

You agree not to:

• Use our services for any illegal or unauthorized purpose
• Violate any applicable laws or regulations
• Infringe upon the rights of others, including intellectual property rights
• Transmit viruses, malware, or other harmful code
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems or networks
• Impersonate ECDC, our staff, or other users
• Scrape, harvest, or collect information from our website using automated means without permission
• Interfere with or disrupt the operation of our services

4. Venture Studio Program

4.1 Application Process

Application to ECDC's venture studio program does not guarantee acceptance. We reserve the right to accept or reject applications at our sole discretion.

4.2 Equity Agreement

Accepted portfolio companies will enter into an equity partnership with ECDC in exchange for mentorship, technical support, and resources to MVP stage. Specific terms will be outlined in a separate equity agreement.

4.3 Program Terms

Portfolio companies must:

• Actively participate in the program and engage with ECDC mentors
• Provide accurate and truthful information about their startup and progress
• Comply with ECDC's code of conduct and ethical guidelines
• Inform ECDC of significant business developments (fundraising, pivots, acquisitions)

4.4 No Investment Guarantee

ECDC does not provide cash investment to portfolio companies. We provide mentorship, technical support, and resources. ECDC does not guarantee that portfolio companies will raise funding or achieve success.

5. Intellectual Property

5.1 ECDC's IP

All content on our website—including text, graphics, logos, images, videos, and software—is the property of ECDC or its licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from our content without our prior written consent.

5.2 User-Submitted Content

When you submit content to ECDC (e.g., application materials, feedback, ideas), you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, and distribute that content for the purposes of operating our services.

You retain ownership of your content and represent that you have the right to grant us this license.

5.3 Portfolio Company IP

Portfolio companies retain full ownership of their intellectual property. ECDC does not claim ownership of any IP created by portfolio companies, except for the equity stake outlined in the separate equity agreement.

6. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

6.1 No Warranties

Our services are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

We do not warrant that:

• Our services will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free
• The information provided on our website is accurate, complete, or current
• Portfolio companies will achieve success or raise funding

6.2 Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, ECDC shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising from your use of our services.

In no event shall ECDC's total liability exceed the amount you paid to ECDC (if any) in the 12 months preceding the claim.

7. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless ECDC, its officers, directors, employees, and partners from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of our services
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of another party
• Your content or startup activities

8. Third-Party Links and Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services. We do not endorse or assume responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of third-party sites. You access third-party sites at your own risk.

9. Privacy

Your use of our services is also governed by our Privacy Policy. Please review our Privacy Policy to understand how we collect, use, and protect your information.

10. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to our services at any time, with or without notice, for any reason, including but not limited to:

• Violation of these Terms
• Fraudulent or illegal activity
• Harm to ECDC's reputation or other users

Upon termination, your right to use our services will immediately cease. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination (e.g., intellectual property, disclaimers, limitation of liability) will continue to apply.

11. Modifications to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Terms on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date.

Your continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.

12. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

12.1 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Malaysia, without regard to its conflict of law principles.

12.2 Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of our services shall be resolved through good faith negotiation. If negotiation fails, disputes shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Malaysia.

13. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect. The invalid provision will be replaced with a valid provision that most closely reflects the original intent.

14. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any separate agreements (e.g., equity agreements for portfolio companies), constitute the entire agreement between you and ECDC regarding your use of our services.

15. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us:

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Acknowledgment

By using ECDC's website and services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy.