SEO Client Terms

This Client Agreement (“CA”) is made up of these Client Terms (the “Terms”) and the Order Form. The Order Form sets out further definitions and commercial terms for these Terms and the identity and details for N3S and of you.

1. The Project and Timing

1.1. N3S will provide the following subject to and conditional on the provisions of this CA for Your Site and its search engine optimisation (for one website not any additional sub-websites or redirected websites) and its main domain:

a)  the Initial Services (up to initial Approval) to plan, research and develop the strategy for search engine optimisation services for Your Site and any related services or items agreed by you and N3S; and

b)  the Ongoing Services, according to the Package selected by you and any additional services agreed by you and N3S.

1.2. N3S will commence the Initial Services from the Start Date or after you have paid the Setup Cost if later.

1.3. N3S sent you in its Proposal an indicative project timeline. However, this does not imply any specific timing for your Initial Services. You and N3S will agree together (and adapt for changes and specific circumstances) indicative timing for the Initial Services.

1.4. Timing for Ongoing Services and responses from N3S under them is set out in the relevant Package (or if no timing is set out, then within a reasonable time from your contact). Included hours within Ongoing Services are indicative (averaged over 3 calendar months as needs require) and are a limit not a minimum.

1.5. For all Services, N3S will use reasonable endeavours to provide services within any agreed timescales, subject to delay caused by factors not controlled by N3S. Time is not of the essence for the delivery of any Services.

1.6. All Services and any related correspondence or materials will be provided only in the Language.

1.7. N3S may assume that instructions and decisions from your personnel about Your Site and the Services are binding and authorised without the requirement for further input.

2. Client Responsibilities

2.1. You acknowledge that N3S’s ability to provide the Services depends on your full and timely co-operation (which you will provide), as well as the accuracy and completeness of information and data you provide to N3S. You will:

 a)  provide N3S with access to, and use of, all information, data and documentation reasonably required by N3S for the performance of its obligations under this CA including as examples only access to management of Your Site and its Contents and to its domain management and any related account or management tool or service;

b)  provide timely decisions, instructions and approvals requested by N3S, as examples including only in relation to keywords or phrases, strategy and approach, Contents for Your Site or for any blogs, acceptance or anything needed to provide or amend the Services or Future Changes;

c)  provide Your Materials to N3S to the extent and by the deadlines and in the formats agreed or specified by N3S to enable N3S to provide the Services.

2.2. You are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of Your Materials in accordance with clause 5.

2.3. N3S’s Services do not include provision of Contents for Your Site (unless explicitly included in the Specification) nor for any related legal documents. You are responsible for all business, legal, tax, accounting and other aspects of your business, Your Materials and of any Contents or anything offered or marketed through Your Site or through anywhere that Your Site links to or is associated with. All legal risk or non-compliance with legislation from Contents or from any wording that you provide or fail to provide, even if guided or provided by N3S to N3S, is yours alone. N3S does not take any responsibility for the compliance of Your Site, its Contents or Your Materials with any legislation or with any business requirements other than as set out explicitly in this CA.

2.4. It is your responsibility, factoring in the limitations and exclusions of liability in this CA, to take out and maintain insurance to the extent appropriate to cover any potential liability arising from Your Site including as examples only any liability that may arise as a result of Vulnerabilities, Contents or Your Materials or with any products or services that you offer or sell from Your Site.

2.5. You will comply at all times with all applicable international, national, regional or local legislation, laws and legal requirements including as examples only regulations, directives, laws, statutes, statutory regulations and byelaws, legal controls, legally applicable emergency or alarm measures in each case applying to Your Site, Your Materials or to any Contents or anything that you offer or market on or through Your Site.

2.6. You agree to and accept the terms of license and use (if any) and any acceptable use policy or other policies in relation to the Online Tools as notified by N3S or referred to in the Online Tools or any related website.

3. Initial Services

3.1. Once N3S has completed the initial research and plan for the strategy for search engine optimisation Services for Your Site, it will send to you information about the proposed plan for the Services (the “Strategy Plan”). The information may be sent by any format at N3S’s discretion including video, orally or in writing. You are responsible for reviewing the Strategy Plan and any related details such as keywords and strategy and notifying N3S of any issues or otherwise of your approval.

3.2. After receiving the Strategy Plan for Your Site as referred to in sub-clause 3.1, you may instruct any Edits to the extent included in the Specification and N3S will repeat the submission to you for approval.

3.3. If you do not send a response about any approval within 5 Working Days (or longer if agreed with N3S) or if you implement or use any part of the Strategy Plan (or the Future Changes if applicable) other than for test purposes then you are deemed to have approved the Strategy Plan.

3.4. After actual or deemed approval in accordance with either sub-clause3.2 or 3.3 (“Approval”), you authorise N3S to proceed without further notice to implement the Strategy Plan and commence the Ongoing Services.

3.5. The procedures in this clause 3 will be repeated as needed following any Future Changes.

4. Ongoing Services

4.1. To the extent set out in the relevant Package, N3S will after Approval and during the Term (subject to you being in compliance with this CA including payment terms):

a)  provide the Ongoing Services aimed at optimising the visibility of Your Site in Search Engines. You acknowledge however that the Search Engines are third parties outside the control of N3S and that they have rules and algorithms that change frequently and may block or give priority to certain countries, websites, domains whether for payment, political or any other reasons. Therefore, N3S cannot guarantee initial or ongoing position in the search results of any Search Engines and may need to communicate to you and implement any Edits required by a Search Engine or any third party.

b)  organise access for you to the Online Tools for managing Your Site and its Strategy Plan and keywords, with the Third Party Products tools and software being at N3S’s discretion but with N3S having no responsibility or liability for the availability, uptime or reliability of any of these;

c)  suggest to you any updates, amendments, replacements or additions to Your Site or its Contents or the Strategy Plan that are advisable or required (at N3S’s discretion and without obligation to monitor or make any such suggestions), in each case, subject to clause 6; you will be fully responsible for any consequences if you decide not to make changes after any such suggestion by N3S;

d)  make available to you (which may be by access to remote support and information including through Online Tools) reasonable amounts of support, help, guidance and consultation (or refer you to an appropriate adviser) in relation to the Ongoing Services;

4.2. The Ongoing Services Fee only covers the amount of support set out in the relevant Package at the time, and only remote support. If N3S (at its option) agrees to any request by you for help requiring extra time, or assistance away from N3S’s office, you will pay additional fees for that help as agreed with N3S (or otherwise at the Default Rate). If applicable, you will also pay N3S's reasonable related expenses such as travel, food and accommodation.

5. Site Content and Your Materials

5.1. N3S will include or incorporate in Your Site any of Your Materials, Contents and N3S Materials as instructed by you but in each case only to the extent (if at all) included explicitly in the Specification.

5.2. To the extent not explicitly included in the Services, you will populate, upload, control, monitor, update, add to, change or modify Your Materials and the Contents of Your Site yourself, even if guided by N3S as part of the Services.

5.3. N3S’s Services relate to Search Engine optimisation but not to operation or Contents of Your Site. You, and not N3S, are responsible for ensuring that Your Materials and the Contents of Your Site do not contain Vulnerabilities and do not infringe applicable laws, regulations or third party rights nor include material which is obscene, indecent, pornographic, seditious, offensive, defamatory, liable to incite racial hatred or terrorism, threatening, menacing, blasphemous or in breach of any third party Intellectual Property Rights or in breach of any site use policy on the website of the Online Tools or referred to from their terms (“Inappropriate Content”).

5.4. You are responsible for Your Site and all Contents (including their legality and any legal consequences from them) even if N3S (if included in the Services) arranges for any Contents to be written. You acknowledge that any Contents arranged by N3S are focused only on the Services and search engine optimisation and are written without legal advice or focus on any other aspects. Therefore, you will check all Contents and are responsible for them and will notify N3S of any changes that you require as a result.

5.5. You will indemnify N3S against all damages, losses and expenses arising as a result of any action or claim against N3S or any of the N3S Network that Your Materials or the Contents constitute Inappropriate Content.

5.6. You will fully indemnify N3S (except in respect of death or personal injury resulting from N3S’s negligence) in respect of all N3S’s losses, costs, liabilities, fees, expenses, and of damages awarded to any third party in contract or in tort (including negligence) arising directly or indirectly from any claims against N3S (or any related companies or individuals or N3S Network) by third parties (including your clients, suppliers or personnel) that relate to your business, Your Site, Your Materials or to Contents.

6. Edits and Future Changes

6.1. If you wish N3S to change or add to the Specification, Strategy Plan or any Ongoing Services or documentation or to add further services or training related to these or if you substantially change Your Site after the date of this CA, you will notify any such change (“Future Change”) to N3S in writing. This clause also applies to any changes suggested by N3S to you for any reason, which are subject to your decision and instruction.

6.2. N3S will notify you if it cannot perform or deliver the Future Change (which may be for technical or business reasons).

6.3.For any accepted Future Change that falls within the definition of being an Edit, N3S will confirm in writing if it is included within the Specification or Services at the time of request. If N3S does not confirm this or for any Future Changes that do not fall within the definition of being an Edit, you will pay additional fees to N3S for the services to deliver the Future Change.

6.4. At N3S’s discretion, any Future Changes may be subject to a new contract for services, especially for extensive changes. If not, (and therefore included under this CA), the Specification will be deemed to include the Future Changes from the date that N3S accepts the request. All clauses of this CA that applied to the Initial Services (as examples only including those relating to approvals and payment) will also apply to Edits or Future Changes. The definition of Ongoing Services is also deemed to be amended to include any amended ongoing services.

6.5. The additional Fees for Future Changes and for any related changes to the Ongoing Services will be as agreed by you and N3S. If you instruct N3S to proceed with the Future Changes without having agreed explicit fees for them, then the fees will be at the Default Rate.

7. Fees and Payment

7.1. You will pay to N3S the Setup Cost for the Initial Services and the Ongoing Service Fees for the Ongoing Services and any other Fees in the amounts and in compliance with the prices and payment terms referred to in this CA, in each case including those in the Order Form, but as amended from time to time in accordance with this CA.

7.2. For the avoidance of doubt, neither the Fees nor the Services include any paid adverts or promotions or paid-for search results to any Search Engine.

7.3. You will pay directly or reimburse to N3S (if agreed) fees for any Third Party Products used in relation to the Services.

7.4. All amounts, fees and charges referred to in this CA and in any prices or fees for supplies or services from time to time from N3S are exclusive of Sales Tax unless stated otherwise. You must in addition pay any applicable Sales Tax at the then prevailing rate.

7.5. All sums due to N3S must be paid in the Currency. All sums due must be paid in a quantity such that the net sum received by N3S is equal to the sum receivable from a client in the N3S Location, even if in fact you have to deduct any withholding taxes or other sums.

7.6. You will not withhold or make any deductions from or set off any sums against any amounts due to N3S on any grounds other than any set off arising directly from N3S’s intentional breach of this CA, fraud or undisputed liquidated sums owing from N3S to you. You acknowledge that this restriction on deduction or set off is reasonable in the context of the parties’ commercial relationship.

7.7. Without prejudice to any other rights of N3S, if you do not pay any sum due to N3S on time you will pay to N3S compensation and interest on the overdue unpaid sums at the statutory rates set out at the relevant time in accordance with The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 in England, as amended and supplemented by subsequent regulations. These rates apply whether or not that law would otherwise apply to you or to the debt or to the N3S Location.

7.8. Until N3S receives any overdue payment from you, N3S may also without notice at its sole discretion suspend its Services under this CA and / or access to the Online Tools and / or provision or arrangement of services or supplies to you. Any such suspension will be without any liability from N3S to you or any third party (including your customers or users of Your Site). You will be solely liable for the consequences of any such suspension.

8. Confidentiality

8.1. Each party will protect the Confidential Information of the other party against unauthorised disclosure by using the same degree of care as it takes to preserve and safeguard its own confidential information of a similar nature, being at least a reasonable degree of care.

8.2. You and N3S will keep and maintain the other party’s Confidential Information in strict confidence, stored securely, and will not (other than as part of the Services) make or allow access to or copies of any part of it without the other party’s prior written consent.

8.3. You and N3S will only use Confidential Information for purposes related to the Services and will not disclose or copy (unless with the other party’s prior written consent) any Confidential Information to anyone other than (to the extent necessary) personnel, affiliates, professional advisers, funding providers or (for N3S) members of the N3S Network. This includes you not disclosing log-in or access details for any part of the Online Tools to any third party nor permitting anyone to use them other than N3S, you and your personnel in accordance with this clause 8.

8.4. This clause 8 applies at all times (or, for any information, until it ceases to be Confidential Information). Despite this clause 8, you or N3S may disclose the following if limited to what is strictly necessary and if the other party is given as much prior notice as legally possible:

a)  information that the party is legally required to disclose by applicable law or authority of competent jurisdiction or whose disclosure is protected by law;

b)  information properly in the party’s possession (with full right to disclose) prior to receipt from the other party;

c)  information received from a third party permitted to disclose it;

d)  information that is in the public domain other than by breach of this CA or other legal agreement.

9. Warranties and Exclusions

9.1. Each of the parties warrants to the other that it has full power and authority to enter into and perform this CA.

9.2. N3S will perform the Services with reasonable care and skill.

9.3. This CA sets out the full extent of N3S’s obligations and liabilities in respect of the supply of the Services. All conditions, warranties or other terms concerning the Services which might otherwise be implied into this CA or any collateral contract (whether by statute or otherwise) are expressly excluded.

9.4. N3S does not warrant that:

a)  your use of the Services or the Search Engine optimisation of Your Site will be uninterrupted or error-free; or

b)  the Services or Your Site will be free from Vulnerabilities;

c)  the Services or Your Site will comply with any specific cyber security requirements requested by you or resulting from legal or other requirements as a result of the nature of your business or services;

d)  Your Site or its Contents will comply with legislation (this is your responsibility subject to your own legal advice).

10. Limitation of Liability and Third Party Products

10.1. Nothing in this CA operates to exclude or limit N3S’s liability for any liability which cannot be excluded or limited under any applicable law including any liability for death or personal injury caused by its negligence or for fraud.

10.2. N3S has no responsibility or liability for Third Party Products. N3S acts only as your agent in arranging for you to use or receive Third Party Products. The suppliers of any such products or services have sole responsibility to you for their products or services and for any downtime or unavailability of these. You acknowledge and agree that they are responsible and not N3S.

10.3. Third Party Products are supplied in accordance with the supplier’s standard terms, available on their website.

10.4. N3S has no responsibility or liability for the failure of any links to or from Your Site to or from external websites or applications, nor for any third party applications, software, databases or websites that have been integrated into Your Site.

10.5. N3S will not be liable to you for any damage to software, services or devices nor damage to or loss of data, loss of profit, anticipated profits, revenues, anticipated savings, goodwill or business opportunity, or for any indirect or consequential loss or damage.

10.6. Subject to clause 10.1 and in view of the insurance for Your Site that you are responsible for, N3S’s aggregate liability in respect of claims based on events in any 12 calendar months arising out of or in connection with this CA or any collateral contract, whether in contract or tort (including negligence) or otherwise, will in no circumstances exceed the total Fees payable by you to N3S under this CA in those12 calendar months.

11. Intellectual Property Rights

11.1. All Intellectual Property Rights in Your Materials are and will remain (as between you and N3S) entirely owned by and the property of you.

11.2. Other than in relation to Your Materials, all Intellectual Property Rights in the Online Tools, the N3S Materials and any related documentation or training materials including all rights in anything written or prepared by or on behalf of N3S in relation to the Services such as source code, design, functionality, contents, related software, macros or executables are and will remain entirely owned by and the property of N3S or its licensor including in relation to anything created or developed under your instructions.

11.3. If any rights referred to as being owned by one party under sub-clauses 11.1 or 11.2 (the “Owned IPRs”) at any time are deemed to be owned by the other party, the other party will on demand promptly do all such acts and execute all such documents necessary to transfer such rights absolutely to the original party or to anyone specified by that original party.

11.4. Each party grants the other party a non-exclusive licence of its Owned IPRs in order to provide the Services and for Your Site subject to compliance with this CA. This right is not transferable or extendable even within group companies other than in accordance with clause 14.

11.5. Each party will indemnify the other party (the “Indemnitee”) against all direct damages, losses and expenses arising as a result of any action or claim against the Indemnitee that the indemnifier’s Owned IPRs (or in your case, any Contents of Your Site) infringe any Intellectual Property Rights of a third party, other than infringements referred to in sub-clause 11.7.

11.6. The indemnities in clause 11.5 are subject to the following conditions:

a)  the Indemnitee promptly notifies the indemnifier in writing of the claim;

b)  the Indemnitee makes no admissions or settlements without the indemnifier’s prior written consent;

c)  the Indemnitee gives the indemnifier all information and assistance that the indemnifier reasonably requests;

d)  the Indemnitee allows the indemnifier control over any litigation, proceedings, disputes and settlement of any action or claim.

11.7. The indemnities in clause 11.5 may not be invoked to the extent that the action or claim arises out of the indemnifier’s compliance with any designs, specifications or instructions of the Indemnitee.

11.8. If in either party’s opinion it becomes advisable at any time during the Term to modify, discontinue use or replace any item, material, content, code or functionality due to any potential risk of infringement of Intellectual Property Rights of any third party, then the other party will co-operate to implement any resulting changes as quickly as reasonably possible after notification.

12. Data Protection

12.1. You and N3S will control and process any personal data relating to or arising from the Services, this CA or Your Site in compliance with Data Protection Requirements. N3S’s Privacy Policy provides details on its use of your data. You and N3S will use all reasonable efforts to assist each other to comply with the Data Protection Requirements in relation to the Services or Your Site.

12.2. Both you and N3S will arrange and maintain registration throughout the Term with any data protection or privacy authority or body (as an example in the UK being the information commissioner) legally required for the creation, processing, use or transfer of personal data.

12.3. You and N3S acknowledge that for the purposes of the Data Protection Requirements in relation to any personal data obtained via Your Site and processed by N3S, you are the data controller and N3S is the data processor (in each case as defined in the Data Protection Requirements).

12.4. You will maintain and communicate to individuals any related notices, policies and information required by Data Protection Requirements.

12.5. N3S will, in relation to any personal data processed on your behalf in connection with the performance by N3S of its obligations under this CA:

a)  process that Personal Data only on your written instructions unless legally required to do otherwise;

b)  comply with N3S’s Privacy Policy (covering N3S’s role as a processor, security and other requirements);

c)  place similar obligations on any third-party processor or sub-contractor to the obligations on N3S in this clause 12.

12.6. If N3S processes personal data on your behalf, you consent to N3S appointing the N3S Licensor or any other member of the N3S Network as a third-party processor or sub-contractor. As between you and N3S, N3S will remain fully liable for all acts or omissions of any such third-party processor of personal data appointed by it.

12.7. Either party may, on not less than 30 days’ notice, add to the Data Protection Requirements or revise this clause 12 by replacing parts of it with standard clauses or similar terms forming part of a certification scheme recognised by applicable data protection legislation.

13. Term and Termination

13.1. This CA will apply and be enforceable during the Term (and after wards to the extent set out in this CA).

13.2. Either you or N3S may terminate this CA at any time after the Initial Period End Date by giving at least 1 month’s notice to the other party, to end at the end of a calendar month. N3S will only do this if N3S is ceasing to offer the Services or is no longer able (due to its own licence or legislation, for example) to comply with its obligations under this CA or if for any reason you no longer fulfil N3S’s criteria for clients. Any termination by notice referred to in this sub-clause is without liability to the other party other than in relation to obligations or payments due for the period up to the termination date.

13.3. Either you or N3S may terminate this CA by written notice to the other party in any of the following circumstances:

a)  the other party commits a material breach of any term of this CA and the breach is irremediable or (if remediable) is not remedied within 10 Working Days of notice to do so;

b)  the other party fails to pay any amount due under this CA on the due date and remains in default for more than 5 Working Days after being notified to make such payment;

c)  the other party suspends or ceases carrying on its business or a substantial part of it or states its intention to do so;

d)  the other party does or purports to do any transfer or sub-licence of any of rights or licences granted under this CA other than in accordance with this CA;

e)  the other party goes into liquidation or a winding up order or resolution is made in respect of it or it is unable to pay its debts when they fall due or any distress or execution is levied on or a receiver, administrative receiver or encumbrancer is appointed over any part of its business or it applies for a court order for a moratorium or makes any arrangement, voluntary arrangement or composition with any or all creditors or a petition is approved for an administration order to be made in respect of it;

f)  the other party (or where more than one, any one of them) is unable or presumed unable to pay debts when they fall due or has a bankruptcy order made against them or an insolvency practitioner or receiver or similar official is appointed in relation to their affairs or over the whole or any part of their property or they enter into any arrangement, voluntary arrangement or composition with their creditors or any of them;

g)  anything analogous to or having a similar effect to anything described in any part of sub-clauses 13.3.e) or 13.3.f) occurs or is likely to occur in the reasonable opinion of the unaffected party in the near future in relation to the other party or its business in any jurisdiction.

13.4. From the date of termination of this CA for any reason:

a)  you will cease using the Online Tools;

b)  all licences granted by N3S and Services provided by N3S under this CA terminate immediately;

c)  you will pay to N3S all sums owing to N3S together with any accrued interest.

13.5. All provisions of this CA stated or intended to continue in effect after the end of the Term will continue to do so, for example clause8 and this clause13.

14. Assignment and Sub-Contracting

14.1. N3S may sub-contract, assign or novate this CA or any or all of its rights and obligations under this CA. For assignment, N3S will notify you and the assignee will take over N3S’s obligations under this CA from the assignment date, after which N3S will be discharged from all obligations under this CA. You will sign any novation agreement as specified by N3S (that will not change your obligations under this N3S) to replace the definition of N3S in this CA to refer to the assignee. Without limiting the rest of this sub-clause, if the licence agreement between N3S and the N3S Licensor ends, the N3S Licensor may by notice to you take over the role of N3S in this CA itself or with a replacement licensee.

14.2. This CA is personal to you. Due to criteria for the type of clients for whom N3S can provide Services, you will not assign, transfer, charge, sub-contract, sub-license, declare a trust over or deal in any other manner with any of your rights and obligations under this CA in each case without N3S’s prior written consent, which will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

15. Notices

15.1. All parties will send any notice, consent or demand or under this CA in writing in the Language. The recipient may assume it was sent with authority of the sender. If a communication is received on a day that is not a Working Day, it is deemed received on the next Working Day.

15.2. In addition to any means authorised by law any communication in writing may be given by:

a)  personally serving it on a party or hand-delivering it to the party’s current address for service (deemed received on service or hand-delivery);

b)  sending it to the party’s address for service by signed-for delivery (deemed received when receipt is signed by or on behalf of the recipient); or

c)  sending it by an electronic method that includes a valid digital or electronic signature (deemed received 24 hours after transmission or, if earlier, when the recipient received and opened it).

d)  emailing it with a system for delivery receipt notification to the recipient’s designated email address for notices at the relevant time (deemed received when the sender receives a delivery receipt for the email).

15.3. The valid address for service and other contact details for notices for the parties are as set out in the Order Form or as updated by notice at any time.

16. Miscellaneous

16.1. N3S may modify or replace these Client Terms from time to time by notification to you (which may be by link to a website setting out the replacement terms). No change will apply to you prior to the Initial Period End Date. Any change after that date will not apply until at least one month has passed since notification of the change, so that you have time to terminate in accordance with this CA if you do not agree with the change.

16.2. Other than as referred to in the Order Form and in sub-clause 16.1, no variations or modifications to this CA are effective except by written agreement duly signed by persons authorised on behalf of all parties, which in the case of N3S must include a director of N3S.

16.3. Either you or N3S may in its sole discretion give a whole or partial release, waiver, compound, compromise, indulgence or time (a “Waiver”) in respect of any of the other party’s obligations or liabilities, but no Waiver is effective unless in writing and signed by an authorised signatory. No Waiver affects the rights of the party giving the Waiver in respect of other liabilities or obligations or other rights relating to that obligation or liability.

16.4. Nothing in this CA makes you or N3S an agent, partner, employee or representative of the other party. Neither you nor N3S will represent or hold itself out as being any of these nor as having power or authority to incur obligations on behalf of or pledge the credit of the other party.

16.5. If any provision or wording within any provision of this CA is illegal, invalid, void, voidable or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, the affected wording will be deemed to be deleted in that jurisdiction but the enforceability of the CA in any other jurisdiction will not be affected and nor will the validity or enforceability of any other provision, wording or part of this CA.

16.6. No party to this CA will be liable for any delay or failure to meet obligations (other than a payment obligation) due to any cause outside its reasonable control (for example terrorist action, government controls, flood, fire, riots, war, epidemics) (“force majeure”), which it must notify to the other party as soon as possible. This sub-clause also applies if there are reasonable grounds to believe that such a situation is imminent even if it has not yet occurred. If performance of this CA is substantially prevented for 6 continuous months because of such a situation, either party may terminate this CA by written notice.

16.7. This CA does not create any benefit or rights enforceable by anyone not a party to it except that a transferee, assignee or successor in accordance with the terms of this CA is deemed to be a party.

16.8. The Proposal and any other information provided to you prior to or with this CA are for marketing and illustrative purposes only and have no legal effect. You acknowledge that you are not relying on anything not set out or explicitly incorporated into this CA.

16.9. This CA contains the entire agreement and understanding of the parties with respect to its subject matter.

17. Interpretation and Governing Law

17.1. In this CA, except where the context requires otherwise: defined terms are indicated by use of initial capital letters; words or phrases defined anywhere in this CA (including in the Order Form) have the same meaning throughout this CA; references to legislation, statutory provisions or regulations include any replacements, modifications, additions, consolidations or re-enactments in force at the relevant time whether before or after the date of this CA and include any applicable legislative provision having similar effect both in N3S Location and in your location, if different; words denoting any gender include all genders; words denoting the singular include the plural and vice versa; references to clauses, sub-clauses, component parts or Schedules are to those in this CA; headings are for convenience and do not affect interpretation; if there is more than one of you then each reference to you and each obligation on you shall apply jointly and severally to each of you.

17.2. Any reference to a prohibited action or restriction on any party also includes an obligation on that party not to permit, authorise or license anyone else to carry out the prohibited action or break the restriction. All obligations, prohibitions, restrictions and provisions of this CA are to be interpreted as meaning “to the extent permitted by and in accordance with all applicable legislation”.

17.3. If this CA has been translated into any language other than English, in the event of any uncertainty or conflict in interpretation or otherwise, the English language version of this CA shall prevail in all circumstances.

17.4. This CA and any dispute or claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of or in connection with this CA or its subject matter or formation shall be read, construed and governed by the laws of the N3S Location and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts in the N3S Location.

17.5. In this entire CA, unless the context requires otherwise: