METASEARCH END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT (EULA) Last updated: [DATE] This End User License Agreement governs the installation and use of MetaSearch. By installing, activating, or using MetaSearch, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and accepted the terms of this agreement. 1. SOFTWARE PURPOSE MetaSearch is a Windows desktop application designed to help users access scientific, medical, academic, and institutional information sources more efficiently. MetaSearch does not use artificial intelligence to generate, summarise, rank, interpret, or provide answers to search queries. MetaSearch sends user-defined searches to the external sources selected by the user. Search results and content remain provided and controlled by those third-party sources. 2. LICENSE GRANT Subject to compliance with this agreement, the user is granted a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and revocable license to install and use MetaSearch for lawful professional, academic, research, or personal purposes. The purchase or activation of MetaSearch grants a right to use the software. It does not transfer ownership of the software, its source code, design, documentation, trademarks, or other intellectual property. 3. PRICING AND EXTERNAL SUBSCRIPTIONS MetaSearch is licensed at a fixed price. MetaSearch does not charge users according to the number of searches performed, the number of sources selected, or the volume of use. There are no per-search charges or usage-based billing fees imposed by MetaSearch. Access to certain external databases, publications, websites, or services may require a separate personal or institutional subscription. Such subscriptions are not included with the MetaSearch license and remain the sole responsibility of the user. MetaSearch does not provide, sell, sublicense, or grant access to third-party subscription content. It only facilitates access to external sources selected by the user. 4. TRIAL VERSION MetaSearch may be provided as a fully functional trial version for a limited period. At the end of the trial period, some features may become unavailable or restricted unless a valid license is activated. Attempting to reset, extend, bypass, or otherwise circumvent the trial period or license-verification system is prohibited. 5. PERMITTED AND PROHIBITED USE The user may use MetaSearch only in accordance with applicable laws, professional obligations, institutional rules, and the terms imposed by external sources. The user may not: - copy, sell, rent, sublicense, redistribute, publish, or commercially exploit MetaSearch without prior written permission; - reverse-engineer, decompile, disassemble, modify, or attempt to obtain the source code of MetaSearch, except where such restriction is prohibited by applicable law; - bypass, disable, interfere with, or attempt to circumvent license verification, technical restrictions, or security mechanisms; - share a personal license with unauthorised users or install it on more devices than permitted by the applicable license; - use MetaSearch to perform unlawful, abusive, automated, or excessive activity against external websites, databases, or services; - use MetaSearch in a manner that infringes intellectual-property rights, database rights, privacy rights, contractual restrictions, or the terms of service of third parties. 6. PRIVACY AND DATA PROTECTION MetaSearch does not collect, store, sell, rent, or share the content of search queries with third parties. MetaSearch does not use advertising networks, marketing trackers, analytics platforms, cookies, commercial data brokers, or profiling systems. MetaSearch has no commercial partners that receive user data for advertising, marketing, or profiling purposes. License verification is performed through the MetaSearch licensing server. For license activation, validation, administration, fraud prevention, and technical support, the following information may be processed: - first name; - last name; - email address; - a cryptographic hash derived from the machine identifier; - MetaSearch version; - license status and license type; - license activation and expiry information; - information required to determine whether a license is valid for the device being used; - related technical information strictly necessary for license management and support. The raw machine identifier is not intended to be stored when only its cryptographic hash is required. A cryptographic hash or other pseudonymised identifier may still qualify as personal data where it can be associated with an identifiable individual. It is therefore handled as protected license-management data. MetaSearch does not transmit patient records, medical files, clinical notes, health information, or the content of search queries to the licensing server. MetaSearch does not perform behavioural analysis, advertising profiling, automated decision-making, or tracking of users across websites or applications. Personal data is processed only for specified purposes and is limited to information reasonably necessary for license administration, security, and support. 7. THIRD-PARTY SOURCES MetaSearch provides access to third-party websites, databases, search engines, repositories, publishers, and institutional services. These external sources are independent from MetaSearch and remain subject to their own: - terms of use; - privacy policies; - subscription requirements; - access restrictions; - availability; - content-selection methods; - technical limitations. MetaSearch does not control, endorse, guarantee, host, reproduce, or assume responsibility for third-party content. The inclusion of a source in MetaSearch does not imply a commercial partnership, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement. 8. MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC DISCLAIMER MetaSearch is a research-assistance and information-access tool. It does not provide medical advice and does not replace professional medical judgement, diagnosis, treatment decisions, clinical responsibility, peer review, institutional procedures, or official guidance. MetaSearch does not determine whether information obtained from an external source is accurate, complete, current, clinically appropriate, or applicable to a particular patient or situation. Users remain solely responsible for evaluating, interpreting, comparing, and verifying all information obtained through external sources. Healthcare professionals remain fully responsible for their own clinical decisions and for compliance with applicable professional and ethical obligations. 9. USER RESPONSIBILITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY Users must not enter personally identifiable patient information, confidential medical data, or other protected information into external search services unless they are authorised to do so and the use complies with applicable law and professional obligations. Users remain responsible for complying with: - applicable privacy and data-protection laws; - medical-confidentiality requirements; - professional and ethical obligations; - institutional policies; - third-party contractual terms; - intellectual-property and database-right restrictions. 10. AVAILABILITY AND UPDATES MetaSearch may be updated, modified, corrected, expanded, restricted, or discontinued. Individual external sources may change their websites, search interfaces, access rules, URLs, APIs, or technical behaviour without notice. As a result, a particular source may temporarily or permanently stop functioning through MetaSearch. Reasonable efforts may be made to maintain compatibility, but uninterrupted access to MetaSearch or to every external source is not guaranteed. 11. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES MetaSearch is provided "as is" and "as available", to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. No express or implied warranty is given regarding: - uninterrupted or error-free operation; - compatibility with every computer or external service; - availability of any third-party source; - completeness, reliability, accuracy, or suitability of search results; - fitness for a particular medical, scientific, academic, or commercial purpose. 12. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the developer and distributor of MetaSearch shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or similar damages arising from: - the use of or inability to use MetaSearch; - reliance on information obtained from external sources; - clinical, scientific, academic, or professional decisions; - interruption, modification, restriction, or disappearance of a third-party source; - loss of data, revenue, opportunity, reputation, or productivity; - unauthorised use or compromise of the user's computer, email account, or license credentials. Nothing in this agreement excludes or limits liability where such exclusion or limitation is prohibited by applicable law. 13. TERMINATION The user's right to use MetaSearch may be suspended or terminated if the user materially breaches this agreement, circumvents license controls, redistributes the software without permission, or uses it unlawfully. Upon termination, the user must stop using MetaSearch and remove all unauthorised copies. Provisions concerning intellectual property, third-party services, disclaimers, liability, privacy, and user responsibility remain applicable where legally appropriate after termination. 14. CHANGES TO THIS AGREEMENT This agreement may be updated to reflect changes to MetaSearch, its licensing model, applicable law, security requirements, or third-party services. The version supplied with the installed software or published with the relevant release applies to that release, unless applicable law requires otherwise. 15. CONTACT Questions concerning MetaSearch, licensing, privacy, or this agreement may be sent to: support [at] pirson [dot] me 16. ACCEPTANCE By installing, activating, or using MetaSearch, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and accepted the terms of this agreement.