Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using Sopal Australia (Sopal) (the "Service"), you accept and agree to be bound by the terms and provision of this agreement ("Terms of Service"). If you do not agree to these terms, you should not use this Service.

These Terms of Service apply to all users of the Service, including visitors, registered users, and any other users of the Service.

Any disclaimers, terms, conditions, or notices appearing elsewhere on the Sopal website or platform are incorporated by reference into these Terms of Service and form part of the agreement between you and Sopal.

2. Service Description

Sopal is a search platform that provides access to publicly available adjudication decisions under the Building Industry Fairness (Security of Payment) Act 2017 (Qld) and related Queensland legislation.

What We Provide

• Search functionality across adjudication decisions
• Document viewing and download capabilities
• Filtering and sorting tools
• AI-powered analysis and question-answering features (SopalAI)
• Due date calculation tools
• Interest calculation tools

What We Do Not Provide

• Legal advice or interpretation
• Creation or modification of decisions
• Guarantees of completeness or accuracy
• Real-time updates of new decisions

3. User Obligations

By using Sopal, you agree to:

• Use the Service lawfully: Comply with all applicable laws and regulations
• Respect intellectual property: Not infringe on copyrights or other intellectual property rights
• Maintain security: Keep any access credentials secure and confidential
• Use reasonable resources: Not overload or abuse our systems
• Provide accurate information: When submitting feedback or contacting us
• Protect confidentiality: Not submit confidential or sensitive information through AI features

4. Prohibited Uses

You may not use Sopal for any of the following purposes:

Technical Abuse

• Automated data scraping or bulk downloading without permission
• Attempting to gain unauthorised access to our systems
• Introducing viruses, malware, or other harmful code
• Reverse engineering or attempting to derive source code

Content Misuse

• Republishing decisions without acknowledging the original source
• Modifying or misrepresenting decision content
• Using content for defamatory or harassing purposes
• Commercial exploitation without appropriate licensing

Legal Violations

• Any illegal activity or violation of applicable laws
• Breach of privacy or confidentiality obligations
• Violation of court orders or legal restrictions

5. Content and Accuracy

Content Sources

The adjudication decisions available through Sopal are:

• Public documents published by relevant Queensland authorities
• Reproduced in their original form without modification by Sopal
• Subject to the original copyright and licensing terms (if any)
• May contain errors or omissions from the original publication process

Accuracy and Completeness

While we strive to provide accurate and complete information:

• We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any content
• Decisions may not be available immediately upon publication
• Technical issues may affect search results or document access
• Users should verify information against official sources when critical
• AI-generated responses may contain errors and should not be relied upon as authoritative

6. Intellectual Property

Adjudication Decisions

The adjudication decisions accessible through Sopal are public documents originally published by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC). Unless otherwise indicated, these materials are made available by the QBCC under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0).

• Sopal does not claim ownership of adjudication decisions.
• All rights in the decisions remain with the State of Queensland and the QBCC.
• When using, reproducing or sharing decisions obtained through Sopal, you must provide appropriate attribution to the QBCC as the source of the material, in accordance with the CC BY 4.0 licence.
• This licence does not apply to QBCC's logos, trademarks, or to material that is expressly excluded from the Creative Commons licence (such as some images, video or multimedia).

By using Sopal, you acknowledge that adjudication decisions are provided for research and informational purposes only, and you agree to comply with the applicable licence terms. Sopal is not responsible for any misuse of these materials by users.

Sopal Platform

• The Sopal platform, including its search functionality, user interface, and proprietary features, is owned by Sopal Australia.
• You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the platform for its intended purposes.
• You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works based on the platform without permission.

7. Disclaimers

Sopal is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to:

No Warranties

• Accuracy: We do not warrant the accuracy of search results or document content
• Availability: We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free service
• Completeness: We do not warrant that all decisions are included or current
• Fitness for Purpose: We do not warrant suitability for any particular use
• AI Responses: We do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of AI-generated content

Third-Party Content

Sopal may contain links to third-party websites or reference third-party content. We are not responsible for the accuracy, legality, or content of external sites or resources.

8. Limitation of Liability

In no event shall Sopal's total liability to you exceed $100 AUD. This limitation applies to all claims, whether based on contract, tort, strict liability, or any other legal theory.

Excluded Damages

We are not liable for:

• Lost profits or business opportunities
• Data loss or corruption
• Legal costs or professional fees
• Decisions made based on platform content or AI responses
• Service interruptions or technical issues
• Reliance on calculation tools or AI-generated analysis

9. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Sopal, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, or debt, and expenses (including attorney's fees) arising from:

• Your use of the Service
• Your violation of these Terms of Service
• Your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property rights
• Any content you submit or transmit through the Service
• Your reliance on information, calculations, or AI responses provided by the Service

10. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your access to Sopal immediately, without prior notice, for any reason, including breach of these Terms of Service.

Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your right to use the Service ceases immediately
• We may delete any content or data associated with your use
• Provisions regarding liability, indemnification, and dispute resolution survive

11. Governing Law

These Terms of Service are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Queensland, Australia. Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of Sopal shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Queensland.

Dispute Resolution

Before initiating formal legal proceedings, we encourage users to:

• Contact us directly to resolve issues informally
• Provide clear details of any concerns or disputes
• Allow reasonable time for us to investigate and respond

12. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Service at any time. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last updated" date
• Material changes will be prominently posted on the platform
• Your continued use constitutes acceptance of the modified terms
• If you disagree with changes, you should stop using the Service

13. Contact Information