The Virtual Gas Science Museum -- Rules for Usage

Thank you for visiting the Virtual Gas Science Museum. The Museum is intended for use by anyone. Before using it, however, we would like you to read the following information. Also, please be aware that the content of these rules may be changed, appended, or deleted at any time without prior notice. Please read the most current version before each use of the Museum. Furthermore, each service offered by the Virtual Gas Science Museum contains notices, cautions, and guidelines. Please be aware that these are also part of the Rules for Usage. The information below together with the notices, cautions, and guidelines for each service constitute the complete Rules for Usage.

1. Definition of Services
   The services offered by the Virtual Gas Science Museum consist of information concerning gas energy, a question corner, and participation in ranking activities to determine popular characters and other items, all of which are provided free of charge. The term "service" thus refers to all of the information that is, or previously was, contained on this Web site.
   
   
2. Interruption of Services
   Osaka Gas Co., Ltd., the operator of the Virtual Gas Science Museum (hereafter called "the operator"), reserves the right to interrupt these services at any time without prior notice, in order to maintain the system server, cope with power interruptions, etc. The operator shall assume no responsibility for the interruption of services.
   
   
3. No Responsibility for the Access Environment
   The operator shall assume no responsibility of any kind for the environment necessary to access the Virtual Gas Science Museum, nor for the methods that are used to access it.
   
   
4. Service Quality
   The operator shall offer no guarantees of any kind that the information, products, etc., obtained from the Virtual Gas Science Museum by the user shall satisfy the expectations of the user, nor shall the operator guarantee the results of accessing the Virtual Gas Science Museum nor the absence of problems or software "bugs."
   
   
5. Changes in Service Content
   The operator reserves the right to change, append, delete, interrupt, or discontinue the services of the Virtual Gas Science Museum at any time without prior notice. The operator shall assume no responsibility for these actions.
   
   
6. Disclaimer
   The user agrees that the operator shall assume no responsibility of any kind to compensate the user for the use of the services nor for the inability to use the services, nor for the writing of data or unauthorized access by other users, nor for the modification or deletion of data, nor for any damages that are incurred in connection with the services. Furthermore, should the user cause any damage to a third party in connection with the services, the user shall be obliged to compensate monetarily or otherwise for those damages.
   
   
7. Prohibited Actions
   The operator prohibits the user from conducting any of the following actions in connection with his or her use of the Virtual Gas Science Museum.
   
   

   (1) Actions that infringe upon the intellectual property rights (patent rights, practical utility rights, design rights, trademark rights, copyrights, etc.) or other personal rights, and any actions that violate laws or ordinances.

   (2) Actions in violation of public order and morals.

   (3) Actions that constitute crimes or that are linked to crimes.

   (4) Actions that cause damage to a third person's property or that infringe on a third person's privacy, actions that constitute slander or libel or that discredit confidence in or the reputation of a third person, actions that harass or threaten a third person, and actions that cause psychological harm to a third person.

   (5) Actions that constitute discrimination based on race, nationality, or religion, and actions that may be linked to such discrimination.

   (6) The unauthorized writing or transmission, by e-mail or any other means, of information that is protected by law.

   (7) The unauthorized use of a third person's name, making untruthful claims to represent or to be an agent of an organization or a company, intentionally misinforming others with respect to an organization or a company or using the name of an organization or a company without proper authority, or otherwise misinforming others in this regard.

   (8) Falsely claiming to be associated with or to be acting in cooperation with an organization or a company, or otherwise misinforming others in this regard.

   (9) Actions related to pre-election activities, election activities, or other activities that infringe upon laws concerning public elections.

   (10) Actions taken for monetary gain, or for the purpose of commercial advertising or promotion, or actions intended to entice people to chain-letter, pyramid or other such schemes.

   (11) Actions that impede the smooth operation and activities of the Virtual as Science Museum, and activities that harm public confidence in the Virtual Gas Science Museum or its good name.

   (12) The use of information, content, data, etc. obtained from the Virtual Gas Science Museum for any purpose other than personal or family use. The transfer to another computer or storage of that information, content, data, etc., in any storage medium and subsequent transfer to a third person. The use of that information, content, data, etc. in any form whatsoever for purposes other than personal use, including reproduction, transmission, sale, lending, or publishing, and the act of causing or encouraging a third person to do so.

   (13) Uploading or sending by any means, including e-mail, a program or content that interferes with, damages, restricts or alters the Virtual Gas Science Museum or the equipment, facilities, software, network, etc., of any user of the Virtual Gas Science Museum, or the act of leading others to a place where such a program or content exists.

   (14) Collecting or accumulating the personal information of other users, or causing a third person to collect or accumulate such information. (Including the act of trying to collect or accumulate such information, or trying to cause a third person to collect or accumulate such information.)

   
   
8. Links
   Since the operator has no control over Web sites that are connected by links to the Virtual Gas Science Museum, the operator shall assume no responsibility for those Web sites. The operator shall also assume no responsibility for the content, advertisements, products or services that are available for use on those Web sites. Furthermore, the operator shall assume no responsibility to compensate for damages (direct or indirect) that may be incurred due to the content, advertisements, products or services that are available for use on those Web sites, or due to any connection with them.
   
   
9. Cookie Use
   Use of the Virtual Gas Science Museum shall imply agreement by the user for the operator to employ a computer identification system called a "cookie" in order to record the Web site's access conditions as a means of enhancing the use of the Virtual Gas Science Museum services and determining the usage condition of the Museum (e.g., the number of users accessing the site). The operator shall disclose nothing more than the tabulated or statistical results of this record to third parties.
   
   
10. Contacting the Operator
    When it is necessary for a user to contact the operator concerning the Virtual Gas Science Museum, he or she shall contact the relevant section by e-mail. In principle, the operator shall not receive telephone calls or visits.
    
    
11. Contacting Users
    The operator shall select the most appropriate method for contacting users, from e-mail, telephone or postal mail.
    
    
12. User Privacy
    In order to protect the privacy of all users, the operator shall handle personal information as follows.
    

    (1) The operator shall not collect personal information without receiving prior approval from the user. Any information received from the user in response to a service shall not be used for any purpose other than that service.

    (2) The operator shall exercise strict care in handling all personal information received from the user in connection with a service.

    (3) With the exception of item (4) below, the operator shall not disclose any personal information to a third party other than tabulated or statistical results.

    (4) When sending a product to the winner of a contest or giveaway campaign, the minimum amount of personal information necessary to send the item (e.g., name and address) may be disclosed to the company or service which handles the shipping.

    (5) The Virtual Gas Science Museum contains links to other Web sites as a part of its services, but the operator cannot and shall not attempt to exercise any control over the Web sites connected by these links. Users are recommended to refer to the rules of the relevant Web site to learn that site's policy on personal information.

    
    
13. Copyright
    The copyright for all services of the Virtual Gas Science Museum is either held by the operator, or is covered by permission from the copyright owner.
    
    
14. Agreement with These Rules of Usage
    Use of the Virtual Gas Science Museum shall imply that the user agrees with all of the terms and conditions of these Rules of Usage.
    
    
15. Legal Jurisdiction
    Any claims or legal actions that might arise between the Virtual Gas Science Museum and a user with regard to the services of the Virtual Gas Science Museum, or with regard to these Rules of Usage, shall be under the primary jurisdiction of the Osaka Summary Court or Osaka District Court.