Welcome to the i-lab community. This document sets forth Terms of Use applicable to users of i-lab facilities and resources. By using the i-lab, you agree to be legally bound by the following Terms of Use.

If any of these Terms of Use is unacceptable to you, do not use the i-lab.

• Use of the i-lab is by invitation of the Managing Director or the Dean of a Harvard school affiliated with the i-lab. The purpose of the i-lab is to provide space and support for Harvard students, faculty, staff, alumni and others engaged in new ventures, non-profit creation, product or service innovation, small business development, and related educational and research activities. Users should devote their time in the i-lab to pursuit of these activities in a mutually supportive community. We expect members of our community to behave responsibly and respectfully when using the i-lab, and to use the space and resources only for these intended purposes. We may terminate your use of the i-lab at any time in our sole discretion.

• The i-lab is an operating unit of Harvard University. All Harvard policies applicable to you apply to your work in the i-lab and your use of our facilities. Your use of i-lab facilities and resources to develop inventions, software, copyrighted works or unpatented materials will not, in and of itself, give Harvard any rights in those developments. If Harvard is otherwise entitled to rights in such a development under its Intellectual Property Policy – for example, because the development is made under a sponsored research agreement administered by Harvard or with other financial support from Harvard – the fact that you used i-lab facilities or resources to work on the development will not eliminate or diminish Harvard’s rights.

• Space at the i-lab is limited. Teams of entrepreneurs and innovators are invited to use our space for defined periods of time. Depending upon our needs and the nature of your work in this space, we may elect to charge you a fee as a condition to your continued use of the space. If we elect to do so, we will notify you in advance as to the terms that will apply, and we will require your written agreement to such terms as a condition to further use of the i-lab.

• You – not Harvard – are responsible for your venture or project. Your responsibilities include, among other things:

• Protecting any intellectual property that you or others involved with your project may develop and own. Note, for example, that certain disclosures of information about your ideas or inventions may adversely affect your ability to obtain patent protection in the future;
• Making suitable arrangements and entering into appropriate agreements setting forth the rights and obligations of you and your co-venturers, including any business founders, managers or inventors;
• Choosing appropriate advisors and service providers to assist your venture, and entering into appropriate agreements with them. These may include lawyers, accountants, software or website developers, product testers, and other consultants; and
• Resolving conflicts involving members of your team or other users of the i-lab without calling upon i-lab personnel to intervene or arbitrate disputes.

As you think about how best to establish your business and protect your intellectual property, and what formal agreements to put into place among venture founders, managers, inventors and other relevant parties, recognize that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach or set of documents. You are best served by consulting with legal counsel of your own choosing to help you determine how to address the issues relevant to your venture.

• The i-lab expects to have entrepreneurs-in-residence, advisors, mentors and service providers (collectively, “Advisors”) on the premises from time to time, whom you may choose to ask for assistance or advice on your work in the i-lab. These Advisors may include people from within or outside Harvard. Harvard does not warrant that their advice or assistance will be sound or suitable for your particular business or project. You are responsible for evaluating the needs of your venture and deciding whether or not to use these resources. Any use of Advisors you choose to make will be at your own sole risk; Harvard will have no liability for any advice, assistance or services that any Advisor provides or fails to provide or for the selection or supervision of any Advisor. While we do not permit Advisors to charge for routine assistance they may provide at the request of venture teams while on our premises, if you decide to retain an Advisor for additional services, you will be responsible for working out any fee or other arrangements related to those services – such arrangements are strictly between you and the Advisor. You should recognize that the advice and mentoring provided by Advisors in the i-lab may be influenced by the Advisors’ potential interest in a business relationship with you or your venture.

• The i-lab is an open, collaborative space. Harvard is not responsible for safeguarding your confidential information and will not be requiring i-lab staff, users or Advisors to enter into confidentiality agreements or to agree to protect confidential information as a condition of using the i-lab. You are responsible for protecting all information you wish to maintain, or are obligated to maintain, as confidential (“Your Confidential Information”). If you decide to disclose Your Confidential Information to others, including to Harvard faculty, staff or students who work on your projects (whether in the i-lab or not), you are responsible for securing any such individual’s agreement to keep that information confidential. Harvard will not be responsible for security breaches involving Your Confidential Information or for the failure of any individual to comply with an agreement not to disclose Your Confidential Information.

• Harvard is not responsible for safeguarding any computers, equipment, documents or other materials you may bring or leave in the i-lab. If you choose to bring or leave anything in the i-lab, you agree that Harvard will not be liable for any damage, theft or loss that may occur.

• The i-lab may make video or audio recordings of workshops or presentations that we will host from time to time. The recordings may be posted, streamed, broadcast, sold or otherwise publicly disseminated. By attending such a session, you consent to the use and dissemination of any such recording, without further obligation or liability to you.