IMPORTANT NOTE:  

1. Application: 

1.1. Upon submission of your application and/or participation in this competition, you and your participating team (hereinafter collectively referred to as "you") hereby agree to accept and be bound by the terms and conditions set forth in the registration form. If you disagree with these terms, please do not participate in this competition. The organisers of the 2024 University of Hong Kong International Techno-Entrepreneurship Challenge are HKU Institute for China Business (HKU ICB) and HKU Techno-Entrepreneurship Core (TEC)  (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Organiser”) .  The Organiser reserves the right to decide whether to approve your application. 

1.2. The Organiser will approve or reject your application for any reason at its discretion, without admitting any liability for you. 

1.3. Upon submission  of your application and/or business plan, you declare and warrant that you have the ownership, rights, and/or interests in the submitted business plan, and that the information contained therein is accurate and complete. You further declare that the submission of the document does not infringe upon any contracts or third-party rights, including but not limited to patents, copyrights, trade secrets, proprietary or confidential information, trademarks, publicity, or privacy rights. In addition, you must have the right to use the intellectual property rights related to the technology or innovation proposed for further business development. The Organiser reserves the right to request proof of intellectual property rights from you at any time. If you become aware that any information or materials provided to the Organiser are no longer complete, up-to-date, or accurate, you must immediately notify the Organiser by email at icbmain@hku.hk. 

1.4. The Organiser can make any decisions regarding the competition at its absolute discretion, and its decisions shall be final and binding. 

1.5. All participating teams must comply with all the competition rules. The Organiser has the right to disqualify any participating team that fails to comply with the competition rules. 

1.6. Participants are prohibited from making any political, violent, discriminatory, illegal, infringing, hateful, sexually suggestive statements, comments, or any information materials through the competition, or making any statements, comments, or any information materials that demean, defame, or harm the reputation of any sponsors or partners of the competition or the event. 

2. Competition Event: 

2.1. Upon submission of the business plan, participating teams agree to share their data with the Organiser for promotional and communication purposes within the investment community. For highly confidential and proprietary data, participating teams should specifically indicate to the Organiser for special handling of such data. 

2.2. Photographs and videos taken during the competition event may be used for promotion and media coverage by the Organiser. Depending on the circumstances, the events may be conducted in person, online, or in a hybrid format. 

2.3. The Organiser reserves the right to change the event dates and formats due to unforeseen circumstances and will provide updates/consultation to the applicants when necessary. 

2.4. Photographs and videos taken during the competition event may be used for promotion and media coverage by the Organiser. Depending on the circumstances, the competition event may be conducted in person, online, or in a hybrid format. You acknowledge and agree that the Organiser has the right to record the competition event (in any format) and broadcast, stream, or transmit the competition event in any manner (including but not limited to live streaming), allowing the public to attend, view, and/or watch the competition event (including the finals and/or any preliminary rounds), either free of charge or for a fee. You have no right to edit, object to, or request the removal of these recordings or broadcasts, and you do not possess any rights, ownership, or interests in the recordings or broadcasts, in any form. All intellectual property rights subsisting in these recordings or broadcasts are owned by the Organiser and are the property of the Organiser. You shall have no claim to any compensation received by the Organiser from the public or any income derived by the Organiser from distribution, broadcasting, or licensing. 

2.5. You shall bear all costs and expenses incurred concerning your application and/or participation in this competition event. 

2.6. The competition event projects may be subject to change. The Organiser may change or cancel the events at any time (for any reason) and may refuse, restrict, or cancel registrations (including confirmed registrations) at any time. The Organiser shall not be liable for any direct or indirect costs, losses, or expenses arising from such changes or cancellations of the event. 

3. Code of Conduct: 

3.1. You agree to conduct yourself respectfully during the competition event and any related activities to create a safe and supportive environment. You agree not to engage in disruptive speech or behavior that interferes with the progress of the event or hinders the participation of others. You will comply with all applicable laws and agree not to engage in any form of speech or action that is harassing, offensive, discriminatory, or threatening, including remarks or actions related to race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or disability. The Organiser may require participants engaging in such remarks or actions to immediately leave the event or related activities. If you witness such speech or behavior, please promptly contact the Organiser's staff for appropriate action. You agree: 

3.1.1. Not to violate or infringe upon any rights of the Co-Organiser(s); 

3.1.2. Not to engage in any activities that disrupt, disturb, or adversely affect the Organiser's event or other participants of the Organiser's event; 

3.1.3. Not to engage in any harassing, destructive, insulting, offensive, threatening, indecent, defamatory, obscene, dishonest, discriminatory, unethical, or intimidating behavior; 

3.1.4. Not to make any derogatory, defamatory, or detrimental statements or comments about any member of the Organiser or the reputation of the Organiser's event, or to publish any such information; 

3.1.5. To comply at all times with any requirements or restrictions regarding your access to the premises and all rules and procedures issued by the Organiser regarding the Organiser's event; 

3.1.6. Not to copy, modify, reproduce, download, republish, sell, or distribute any Organiser's content (in whole or in part) or create derivative works based on it; 

3.1.7. Not to install, upload, or transmit (or allow the installation, uploading, or transmission of) any virus, instructions, code, technology, or equipment that may disrupt, disable, damage, shut down, monitor, or provide unauthorized access to the website; 

3.1.8. Not to take any action or allow any Co-Organiser(s) to take any action that would allow unauthorized access, monitoring, alteration, or use of the Organiser's or any Co-Organiser's computer systems or networks; and 

3.1.9. To use the website and any Organiser's content only for the purposes expressly permitted by these terms and conditions. 

4. Personal Data: 

Any personal data you provide will be processed under the Privacy Policy you provide when submitting your application or any subsequent revised version you have agreed to. The Organiser adheres to the University of Hong Kong's Privacy Policy Statement. You may obtain information related to the statement on the collection of personal data by emailing icbmain@hku.hk. Upon submitting your application or participating in the Organiser's event, you represent and agree to be bound by the Privacy Policy Statement. If you disagree with the Privacy Policy Statement, you must not submit your application or participate in the Organiser's event. You may unsubscribe from promotional emails at any time by emailing icbmain@hku.hk. 

5. Licence: 

5.1. To earn the opportunity to participate in the Organiser's event, you grant to the Organiser and its Co-Organiser(s) and the University of Hong Kong (HKU) a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable license to manage, organize, provide, conduct, fulfill, promote, advertise, and/or publicize the Organiser's event, and for any purposes permitted by these terms and conditions and in any media or technology, to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, publish, create derivative works from, incorporate into any content, translation, transmission of the Organiser and its Co-Organiser(s) and HKU, and the following content: 

5.1.1. Any data, materials, information, trademarks, trade names, or logos provided, uploaded, submitted, or presented by you to the Organiser or its service providers or through the website or any social media platforms related to the Organiser's event (in any form), or in any other manner related to the Organiser's event or during the Organiser's event; and 

5.1.2. Any photographs, images, recordings, videos, and/or audio files created, produced, live-broadcasted, played, or recorded by the Organiser or its service providers that are related to you, your employees, and/or your representatives in connection with the Organiser's event. 

5.2. You warrant and represent that you have all the rights, power, and authority necessary to grant the above license. You agree that you are responsible for protecting and enforcing your intellectual property rights, and the Organiser and its Co-Organiser(s) and HKU have no obligation to protect or enforce your intellectual property rights. 

5.3. You agree and have obtained all necessary authorizations from your employees and representatives to waive any moral rights in your content. 

5.4. The Organiser reserves the right (but shall have no obligation) to delete, pre-screen, review, label, filter, modify, or refuse any of your content at its sole discretion. 

5.5. HKU ICB Trademark Licence: You are hereby granted a non-exclusive trademark licence to use the name “HKU Institute for China Business” or the logos owned by HKU ICB (HKU ICB trademarks) provided that:  

5.5.1. Form of use: “With Support from HKU Institute for China Business,” where “With Support from” is exchangeable with “Support by” or the equivalent Chinese translation and “HKU Institute for China Business” is exchangeable with “HKU ICB” or “香港大學中國商業院” or “香港大学中国商业院” or a HKU ICB logo. 

5.5.2. Restriction: The use of HKU ICB trademarks shall be strictly limited to non-commercial purposes (including promotional events). You are not permitted to use HKU ICB trademarks to endorse or guarantee any transaction or commercial advertisement, or associate HKU ICB trademarks with any products.  

5.5.3. Rights Reserved: HKU ICB shall reserve the right to terminate the licence at any time and claim damages if you commit any breach(es) of the terms and conditions. 

5.5.4. Exemption of liability: HKU ICB shall not be liable for any damages, howsoever incurred to you or any third party caused by your activities of using HKU ICB trademarks. 

5.6. TEC Trademark Licence: You are hereby granted a non-exclusive trademark licence to use the name“Techno-Entrepreneurship Core” or the logos owned by TEC (TEC trademarks) provided that:  

5.6.1. Form of use:“With Support from HKU Techno-Entrepreneurship Core,” where “With Support from” is exchangeable with “Support by” or the equivalent Chinese translation and “HKU Techno-Entrepreneurship Core” is exchangeable with “TEC” or “香港大學科創中心” or “香港大学科创中心” or a TEC logo. 

5.6.2. Restriction: The use of TEC trademarks shall be strictly limited to non-commercial purposes (including promotional events). You are not permitted to use TEC trademarks to endorse or guarantee any transaction or commercial advertisement, or associate TEC trademarks with any products.  

5.6.3. Rights Reserved: TEC shall reserve the right to terminate the licence at any time and claim damages if you or your employee(s) commits any breach(es) of the terms and conditions. 

5.6.4. Exemption of liability: TEC shall not be liable for any damages, howsoever incurred to you or any third party caused by your activities of using TEC trademarks. 

5.7. HKU Trademark Restriction: Without the prior written consent from HKU, you shall not use the name “The University of Hong Kong”, or any variation, adaptation, or abbreviation thereof, or the name of any of HKU’s trustees, officers, faculty members, or agents, or any trademark owned by HKU, in any promotional material or other public announcement or disclosure.  

6. Confidentiality: 

You acknowledge and agree that your content is not confidential and may be distributed and disclosed by the Organiser and its sublicensees. It may become publicly known (including, but not limited to, when the public attends the Organiser events or views any promotional or marketing materials). The Organiser shall not be responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your content, nor shall it assume any liability for it. You are obligated to ensure that you do not provide the Organiser with any proprietary or confidential information or materials. This provision does not affect the privacy policy. 

7. Intellectual Property: 

7.1. You acknowledge and agree that all rights, ownership, interests, and intellectual property related to the Organiser events, Organiser content, and the website belong to the Organiser or its third-party licensees. 

7.2. You do not have any rights, ownership, or interests in the Organiser events, the website, or the Organiser content (excluding your own content). 

7.3. Unless expressly stated in Section 5.5 and 5.6, you shall not use any trademarks, service marks, trade names, logos, or any other intellectual property owned by any member of the Organiser, and nothing in these terms and conditions shall be construed as granting you any rights to such trademarks, service marks, trade names, logos, or intellectual property. Without prior authorization from the respective co-Organisers, you shall not use any trademarks, service marks, trade names, logos, images, or content of any co-Organiser. You shall not use any trademarks, service marks, trade names, logos, images, or content in a manner that may or is intended to cause confusion with the owner or authorized users of such trademarks, service marks, trade names, logos, images, or content. 

8. Third-Party Materials: 

8.1. You acknowledge and agree that the Organiser has no obligation (but reserves the right at its discretion) to actively monitor or exercise control over any third-party materials. The Organiser does not endorse, validate, or otherwise certify any materials from any co-Organiser, including any materials that may be incorporated into Organiser content. 

8.2. The website may contain hyperlinks to other websites, content, or resources provided by third parties unrelated to the Organiser. You understand and agree that: 

8.2.1. The Organiser has no control over, does not monitor, and does not endorse such co-Organiser websites, content, or resources; and 

8.2.2. The Organiser makes no commitments or warranties regarding any such external websites, content, or resources (or any products, goods, or services promoted, mentioned, or provided on such external websites or resources). 

9. Assumption of Risk: 

You acknowledge and agree that your attendance and participation in the Organiser events are voluntary and at your own risk. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Organiser shall not be liable for any and all liabilities related to your attendance and participation in the Organiser events or your attendance at the venue. 

10. Disclaimer: 

10.1. Any content the Organiser provides is for your reference only and is not intended to be relied upon as advice. You assume all risks associated with your participation in the Organiser events, using Organiser content, and the website. 

10.2. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Organiser expressly disclaims all warranties and conditions, whether express or implied, including but not limited to warranties and conditions of merchantability, satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, compatibility, security, completeness, and accuracy, concerning the Organiser events, the website, and any Organiser content. 

10.3. Without prejudice to the foregoing general provisions, the Organiser makes no representations or warranties with respect to the following: 

10.3.1 The accuracy, quality, completeness, timeliness, sufficiency, reliability, or effectiveness of Organiser content; 

10.3.2 Whether the website or the Organiser events will meet your requirements or be free from defects, errors, omissions, or viruses; 

10.3.3 Whether your use of the website or Organiser content will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free; or 

10.3.4. Whether any defects, deficiencies, or errors on the website, Organiser content, or the Organiser events will be corrected. 

11. Legal Liability: 

The Organiser shall not be liable for any losses incurred by you, whether under contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, arising from adherence to these terms and conditions, participation in the Organiser’s events, use of websites, any provided content, or venues. Such losses include, but are not limited to, general, special, indirect, direct, exemplary, punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, such as loss of profits; loss of revenue; loss of time; loss of anticipated savings; loss of opportunity; loss of or damage to data; loss of use; loss of business; wasted expenses; loss of or damage to tangible property; business interruption; or loss of or damage to goodwill, regardless of whether the Organiser was aware or had been advised of the possibility of such losses.  

Regardless of whether it is based on these terms and conditions, or as a result of the Organiser's events, website, any content, or venues, and regardless of whether it is under contract, tort (including negligence), or any other circumstances, the Organiser shall not be required to bear any amount of compensation or any related liability. 

12. Governing Law: 

These terms and conditions (including their interpretation and any disputes arising therefrom) shall be governed by the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and shall be subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. 

13. Changes of Terms 

The Organiser may amend these terms and conditions from time to time for any reason, including based on feedback or changes made to the Organiser's services or events. The Organiser recommends that you regularly review these terms and conditions to stay informed of any updates. In the event the Organiser considers any changes to these terms and conditions to be reasonably significant, the Organiser will update the terms and conditions on the competition official website. By participating in the event, you agree to accept any changes to these terms and conditions, whether or not you have received notice from the Organiser. 

14. English Version Prevails 

In the event of any discrepancy between the Chinese and English versions of these terms and conditions, the English version shall prevail. 

15. Contact Us 

For any inquiries, notices, or requests regarding these terms and conditions, disclaimers, or privacy issues relating to the Organiser's website and services, please contact icbmain@hku.hk. 

Last Updated: 1 Mar, 2024