Terms of Use - Harvard Health

Published: August 2023

Please read this Terms of Use Agreement ("Agreement") carefully before using www.health.harvard.edu ("Website"), an Internet site maintained by the Harvard Health Publishing ("Harvard") Division of Harvard Medical School. Your use of the Website is subject to your acceptance of this Agreement.

Harvard has created this Terms of Use Agreement to help demonstrate its commitment to privacy. This Statement describes Harvard' information gathering and dissemination practices for the Website.

The text, audio, images, photographs, graphics, descriptions, and other material provided on the Website are collectively referred to as the "Content."

You may use the Content only for personal and non-commercial purposes. You may not use Content without express prior written consent from Harvard Health Publishing in connection with: (1) the development of any software program, including, but not limited to, training a machine learning or artificial intelligence (AI) system; or (2) providing archived or cached data sets containing Content to another person or entity. You may not use robots, spiders, scripts, service, software or any manual or automatic device, tool, or process designed to data mine or scrape the Content or other data or information from the Harvard Health Publishing website, or otherwise use, access, or collect the Content, data, or information from the website using automated means. Harvard Health Publishing expressly reserves all rights in the Content, including without limitation the rights to reproduce, display, distribute, create derivative works from, and otherwise exploit the Content.

Posting Guidelines

HARVARD HEALTH PUBLISHING cannot review all Communications made on or through the Site. However, HARVARD HEALTH PUBLISHING reserves the right, but has no obligation, to monitor the Forums and edit, modify or delete any Communications (or portions thereof) which HARVARD HEALTH PUBLISHING in its sole discretion deems inappropriate, offensive or contrary to any HARVARD HEALTH PUBLISHING policy, or that violate this Agreement.

To help HARVARD HEALTH PUBLISHING maintain a safe and civil environment, you agree not to upload or distribute to, or otherwise publish through the Site or Forums any Communication which

(i) is for commercial purposes or otherwise advertises or solicits for the sale of goods or services;
(ii) is obscene, indecent, pornographic, profane, sexually explicit, threatening, or abusive;
(iii) constitutes or contains false or misleading indications of origin or statements of fact;
(iv) slanders, libels, defames, disparages, or otherwise violates the legal rights of any third party;
(v) causes injury of any kind to any person or entity;
(vi) infringes or violates the intellectual property rights (including copyright, patent and trademark rights), contract rights, trade secrets, privacy or publicity rights or any other rights of any third party;
(vii) violates any applicable laws, rules, or regulations;
(viii) contains software viruses or any other malicious code designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment;
(ix) impersonates another person or entity, or that collects or uses any information about Site visitors.

You further acknowledge that conduct prohibited in connection with your use of the Forums includes, but is not limited to, breaching or attempting to breach the security of the Site.

General Compliance with Laws

All users shall comply with all applicable laws, statutes, ordinances, and regulations regarding use of the Website.

Links from Other Websites / Intellectual Property Rights

Harvard generally welcomes links to its Website. You may establish a link to the Website, provided that the link does not state or imply any sponsorship or endorsement of your website or its contents by Harvard or by any group or individual related to or affiliated with Harvard. You must obtain Harvard's express written consent in order to use on your website any Content provided on Harvard's Website. Use of any Harvard University shield, crest or mark without express written permission is illegal. Please visit this link for information on our permissions policy.

Links to Other Websites / No Harvard Endorsement

Harvard may include links to other Internet sites solely as a convenience to users of its Website. Harvard does not necessarily endorse any such websites or the information, material, products or services contained on or accessible through such websites. Users access and use such websites, including information, material, products, and services therein, solely at the users' own risk. Harvard is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such other Internet sites.

Changes to the Privacy Statement

Harvard may make improvements or changes in the information, services, products, and other materials on www.health.harvard.edu, or terminate www.health.harvard.edu, at any time without notice. Harvard may modify this Agreement at any time, and such modifications shall be effective immediately upon posting of the modified agreement.

Disclaimers

Your use of the Website is at your own risk. Harvard makes no warranties or representations as to the Content and assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions therein. This site is for informational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. Individual circumstances vary so users should consult their physicians. Harvard also assumes no responsibility, and shall not be liable for, any damages to, or viruses that may infect, your computer equipment or other property on account of your access to, use of, or browsing in the Website or your downloading of any materials from the Website.

General

This Agreement shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be struck and the remaining provisions shall be enforced. Headings are for reference purposes only and in no way define, limit, construe, or describe the scope or extent of such section. Harvard's failure to act with respect to a breach by you or others does not waive Harvard's right to act with respect to subsequent or similar breaches. This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding and agreement between Harvard and users of the Website with respect to the subject matter hereof.

Contacting the Website

If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this Website, or your dealings with this Website, please contact hhp_info@hms.harvard.edu.

Revised March 2022