Master Terms of Service & Legal Framework

1. PREAMBLE & OPERATIVE PROVISIONS

1.1 Identification of Parties & Operating Entity

These Master Terms of Service ("Master Terms" or "Agreement") constitute a legally binding, legally enforceable contract entered into by and between the individual, corporate entity, or legal organisation accessing, querying, or utilizing the platform ("Participant", "User", or "Declarant") and Asrix Prime Berhad (operating as Asrix Mindgate), a company incorporated under the laws of Malaysia (hereinafter referred to as "Asrix", "Company", "We", "Us", or "Platform"). These Master Terms govern all platform access, account creation, API interaction, cryptographic preservation workflows, and comparative evaluation services provided by Asrix.

1.2 Purpose & Scope

Asrix Mindgate operates strictly as an automated submission-preservation, cryptographic timestamping, and prior-art comparison service. The platform provides automated, multi-vendor artificial intelligence evaluations against configured global prior-art repositories and generates cryptographic, timestamped, publicly searchable registry entries. These Master Terms establish the overarching legal, operational, and technical architecture governing platform usage, system security, fee structures, data privacy baselines, dispute protocols, and liability allocations.

1.3 Binding Acceptance & Click-Wrap Architecture

By accessing, browsing, executing API requests, creating an account, or submitting data to Asrix Mindgate, the Participant hereby covenants, warrants, and agrees to be bound unconditionally by all provisions of these Master Terms. In accordance with applicable electronic commerce and digital signature legislation, individual content submissions require the explicit execution of a submission-specific, versioned click-wrap Participant Agreement at the precise point of upload, creating a immutable audit trail of acceptance.

2. DEFINITIONS & INTERPRETATION

2.1 Defined Terms Matrix

2.2 Technical & Cryptographic Document Standards

Every official document generated by the platform shall conform strictly to the following architectural specifications:

• Document Numbering Scheme: Mindgate Private Patent Disclosure Documents shall bear a unique, standardized identifier formatted as AMD-YYYY-NNNNNNN-K, where AMD designates Asrix Mindgate Disclosure, YYYY represents the four-digit calendar year, NNNNNNN represents a unique seven-digit sequential integer, and K represents the structural Kind Code:

  • P — Private Record (Hash-only preserved; raw content remains confidential off-chain).

  • D — Published Disclosure (Publicly accessible disclosure document with metadata and text).

  • R — Revised Version (Versioned update linked cryptographically to the original sequence number).

• Digital Key Signatures & Timestamping Standards: All downloadable PDF certificates and disclosure documents are rendered tamper-evident through the application of Ed25519 asymmetric digital key signatures, PAdES (PDF Advanced Electronic Signatures) compliance standards, and an RFC 3161 trusted timestamp issued by a recognized Timestamp Authority (TSA).

2.3 Rules of Interpretation

• Headings: Section headings, clause titles, and table headers are included strictly for organizational convenience and shall not affect the legal interpretation or construction of these Master Terms.

• Number and Gender: Words importing the singular shall include the plural and vice versa; words importing any gender shall include all genders.

• Statutory References: References to any statutory provision, Act, or regulation shall be construed as referring to that provision as amended, re-enacted, or extended from time to time, specifically incorporating the Malaysia Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (PDPA) and its 2024 Amendments.

3. SCOPE OF SERVICE, CLAIMS DISCIPLINE & MANDATORY DISCLAIMERS

3.1 Characterisation of Service

Participant explicitly acknowledges and agrees that Asrix Mindgate is strictly a submission-preservation, cryptographic timestamping, and AI-driven prior-art comparison platform. The platform certifies three conditions only:

1. That a named Claimant submitted specific content (identified uniquely by its SHA-256 cryptographic hash) at an immutable Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) timestamp;

2. That an automated evaluation against configured public repositories yielded a stated comparative similarity result at that moment in time; and

3. That the resulting cryptographic record was permanently anchored to a public ledger or blockchain.

3.2 Explicit Disclaimers of IP Grant and Verification

Asrix Prime Berhad and Asrix Mindgate explicitly declare, and Participant acknowledges, that the Platform:

• Does NOT grant, register, validate, issue, examine, or evidence government patents, registered trademarks, statutory copyrights, utility models, or statutory IP rights.

• Does NOT verify, confirm, authenticate, or adjudicate legal ownership, inventorship, title, or entitlement to any submitted content.

• Does NOT opine on, warrant, or deliver legal conclusions regarding patentability, legal validity, commercial registrability, legal originality, or non-infringement.

3.3 Statutory Risk Mitigation & Global False Representation Provisions

To mitigate international statutory exposure regarding false patent marking and unauthorized representation of intellectual property rights, Participant warrants and agrees that they shall not misrepresent platform deliverables. Participant is hereby put on formal notice of global statutory restrictions:

• United States: Falsely marking or advertising unpatented articles as patented is subject to civil penalties under 35 U.S.C. § 292.

• United Kingdom: Representing an unpatented item as patented constitutes an offence under Section 110 of the Patents Act 1977.

• Malaysia: Unauthorised claims of patent rights or false representations regarding patent applications constitute offences under Sections 63–66 of the Patents Act 1983.

• Australia: False claims of patent status attract statutory penalties under Section 178(2) of the Patents Act 1990 and the Australian Consumer Law.

• European Union / India / China: Unauthorized assertions of patent protection violate EU Directive 2005/29/EC (Annex I), India Patents Act 1970 (Section 120), and China Patent Law / Anti-Unfair Competition Law (specifically prohibiting misleading usage of terms like 专利保护 for unexamined records).

3.4 Mandatory Certificate Notice & Claims Discipline

Every public webpage, public registry view, downloadable PDF certificate, and Mindgate Private Patent Disclosure Document shall prominently display the following compulsory statutory notice on every page:

"This page is a public cryptographic record establishing prior art and a verifiable timeline of authorship. It is not a patent, patent-pending application, or statutory IP grant."

3.5 Field Labeling Rules & Restricted Terminology

To preserve strict claims discipline and prevent misleading commercial impressions:

• All user interfaces, public registry views, and PDF deliverables shall label the submitting party field strictly as "Claimant ID" accompanied by the prominent, non-severable statement "ownership not verified".

• Participants are strictly prohibited from utilizing terms such as "validated", "protected", "certified original", "IP owner", "patent pending", or "protected by a Mindgate patent" in connection with platform deliverables across any commercial, marketing, or public domain disclosures. Participants may accurately state that a work is a "registered private patent with Mindgate" or a "timestamped prior-art submission".

3.6 Low-Score Protocol & Public Registry Display

A cryptographic certificate is generated for every processed submission regardless of its score, including submissions evaluated at an Originality Score of zero (0). For any submission evaluated at an Originality Score equal to or less than thirty ($\le 30$), the resulting public registry record and downloadable PDF certificate shall feature a prominent red callout banner formatted as follows:

Substantially similar to prior art

This banner shall be rendered with visual prominence equal to or greater than the Claimant ID field to prevent low-scoring records from being presented misleadingly as evidence of novelty or patentability.

4. CONTRACTUAL ARCHITECTURE & ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

4.1 Multi-Tier Agreement Hierarchy

The legal framework governing the relationship between Asrix Prime Berhad and the User is structured across a binding three-tier legal hierarchy:

1. Participant Agreement (Submission-Specific): A versioned, click-wrap contract executed per submission governing priority claims, declarant warranties, public licensing choices, and submission-level dispute escalation.

2. Master Terms of Service: Platform-wide terms governing baseline platform access, system security, API terms, fee structures, data protection, and general liability allocations.

3. Platform Documentation & Materials: Technical FAQs, operational guidelines, and user documentation published on the platform.

4.2 Order of Precedence Clause

In the event of any irreconcilable conflict, ambiguity, or inconsistency between the legal instruments comprising this framework, the order of priority shall be strictly applied as follows:

1. First, the versioned, submission-specific Participant Agreement (governing specific submission records, priority claims, author warranties, public licences, and submission dispute escalation);

2. Second, these Master Terms of Service (governing general platform usage, API queries, account administration, fee schedules, system security, liability caps, and data protection baselines);

3. Third, official Platform documentation and marketing materials (which carry no independent contractual weight).

5. DATA PROTECTION, PRIVACY & DUAL-TIER RETENTION FRAMEWORK

5.1 Statutory Baseline & PDPA / GDPR Distinction

Asrix Prime Berhad processes personal data in compliance with the Malaysia Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (PDPA) and its 2024 Amendments. Participant acknowledges the explicit statutory distinction governing data privacy frameworks:

• Malaysia PDPA Framework: The PDPA grants Data Subjects specific rights regarding Access (Section 30), Correction (Section 34), and sets the Retention Principle (Section 10), but does not enact a general statutory "Right to Erasure".

• GDPR Framework: For Data Subjects protected under the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Article 17 provides a formal Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten").

• Cross-Border Transfers: Where personal data is transferred internationally, Asrix enforces statutory cross-border safeguards and contractual Data Processing Agreements (DPAs).

5.2 Off-Chain vs. On-Chain Architecture

To reconcile immutable ledger technology with statutory data privacy rights, the platform enforces strict structural segregation:

• Off-Chain Encrypted Tier: Raw uploaded files, text, personal identifiable information (PII), names, corporate handles, and access tokens are stored off-chain in S3-compatible object storage and relational databases encrypted using AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit.

• On-Chain Anchoring Tier: Only anonymised SHA-256 Merkle root hashes representing batched submission records are anchored to public ledgers (e.g., OpenTimestamps/Bitcoin or Ethereum Layer 2). No PII, raw submission text, or unencrypted data ever touches the blockchain.

5.3 Dual-Tier Data Retention Schedule

5.4 Cryptographic Shredding & Erasure Workflow

Upon receipt of a valid statutory data correction/rectification request under Section 34 of the PDPA, or a valid erasure request under GDPR Article 17:

1. All off-chain personal identifiers, names, contact details, and metadata associated with the record are permanently deleted or cryptographically shredded by purging off-chain decryption keys.

2. Public registry views and downloadable PDF certificates dynamically update to display an anonymized Claimant ID (e.g., Claimant-Anonymised-[Hash]).

3. The on-chain Merkle root hash remains intact, valid, and fully anonymized, proving historical existence without exposing personal data.

5.5 DataCite DOI Integration & Tombstone Architecture

For published disclosure documents assigned a DataCite Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

• Permanent Resolution: The DOI remains permanently resolving to the official landing page in accordance with DataCite governance rules.

• Tombstone Page Architecture: If content is removed, withdrawn, or ordered erased, the landing page transitions to an immutable tombstone notice displaying historical metadata, original publication timestamp, anonymized author identifier, and the reason for withdrawal.

• Technical Response Codes: Web UI requests for withdrawn content return an HTTP 200 landing page with the tombstone notice. Programmatic API queries return an HTTP 410 (Gone) response code. For court-ordered legal removals, the system returns an HTTP 451 (Unavailable For Legal Reasons) status code.

6. CONFIDENTIALITY, AI ENGINE PIPELINE & PUBLICATION PORTAL FRAMEWORK

6.1 Confidentiality by Default & Abstracted Repository Queries

Submissions are private and strictly confidential by default. Unpublished content is encrypted and never exposed on the public registry unless the Claimant explicitly selects public disclosure. When querying external prior-art repositories, the platform extracts short, abstracted keyword queries. Raw submission text is never transmitted to external search repository APIs.

6.2 Multi-Vendor AI Engine Pipeline & Security Protocols

Prior-art evaluations and review notes are executed across a three-stage AI engine pipeline (LLM 1 Analyst, LLM 2 Independent Validator, and LLM 3 Adjudicator) subject to rigorous security standards:

• Zero-Retention DPAs: All third-party AI vendors operate under signed contractual Data Processing Agreements mandating zero data retention and an absolute prohibition on using submitted data for model training.

• Model Version Pinning: AI model versions are explicitly pinned and logged within every generated evaluation report to ensure auditability.

• Prompt-Injection Defense: Prompts enforce strict data-isolation boundaries, treating all submitted text and retrieved search results strictly as untrusted data, never as executable instructions.

6.3 Opt-In Publication Portal & AI Review Notes Framework

Where a Participant explicitly opts into public disclosure via the Publication Portal, the publication is evaluated by three independent AI models against a standardized rubric (evaluating Originality, Methodological Rigour, Evidence, Clarity, Significance, and Reproducibility) to generate a Mindgate Review Note and score:

• Mandatory Subtitle Requirement: Every published review note, web view, and downloadable PDF must prominently feature the mandatory subtitle:

"Automated review by three independent AI models. Not human peer review."

• Permanence & Immutability of Notes: Mindgate Review Notes are permanent, versioned, and cannot be edited, hidden, or deleted by the author. Author responses may be published alongside the note. Exceptions allowing removal or redaction are restricted strictly to valid court orders, law enforcement mandates, or severe provable privacy breaches.

• Human Editor Escalation Queue: If the evaluation score spread across the three AI models exceeds 25 points, or if verbatim quotation checks fail, the review note is automatically routed to a human editor queue for administrative review prior to publication.

6.4 Commercial Marketing Restrictions & Badge Usage Rules

Participants displaying Mindgate Originality Scores, ratings, or badges in commercial marketing must adhere to strict contractual limits:

• Ratings and badges must be displayed unmanipulated, alongside the full score scale, calculation date, and volume.

• Badges and certificates must never be presented as government endorsements, official patent grants, or statutory clearances.

• All digital badges must link back directly to the live registry record. Scraping or using rating metrics outside the authorized ecosystem is strictly prohibited.

6.5 Disclaimer of AI Report & Review Warranties

Automated similarity reports, Originality Scores, cited matches, and Mindgate Review Notes are provided strictly on an "AS-IS" basis. Asrix Prime Berhad explicitly disclaims all warranties regarding search completeness, repository availability, or scoring accuracy. AI evaluations represent automated machine comparisons and do not constitute legal advice, patentability opinions, or clearance assessments.

7. PARTICIPANT REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES & INDEMNIFICATION

7.1 Mandatory Participant Warranties

The Participant uploading content hereby warrants, represents, and covenants to Asrix Prime Berhad that:

1. Legal Entitlement: Participant possesses all necessary legal rights, title, licenses, and authorizations to submit the content to Asrix Mindgate.

2. Non-Infringement: The submission, cryptographic preservation, and potential public disclosure of the content does not knowingly infringe, misappropriate, or violate any third-party patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, or confidentiality obligation.

3. Identity & Accuracy: All information provided regarding Claimant ID, corporate registration, and user credentials is true, accurate, and current.

7.2 Mandatory Participant Indemnification Obligations

Participant agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Asrix Prime Berhad, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, and licensors from and against any and all third-party claims, liabilities, losses, damages, penalties, fines, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorney fees) arising out of or relating to:

• Any breach of Participant's warranties or covenants under these Master Terms or a Participant Agreement;

• Any third-party claim alleging that submitted content infringes intellectual property or privacy rights;

• Any improper or unlawful commercial use of issued certificates, disclosure documents, or AI ratings (including false patent marking or misleading advertising actions); or

• Defamation claims resulting from submitted content or unauthorized attempts to manipulate AI review outputs.

8. COMMERCIAL TERMS, FEES & REFUND POLICY

8.1 Fixed Fee Schedule & Operational Limits

Processing and preservation services are provided at a non-negotiable fixed fee of USD 1,000 per submission, charged up front via Stripe Checkout or credit card. Billed submissions are subject to strict technical operational limits:

• Maximum Text Volume: 200,000 characters of text per submission;

• Maximum File Count: 10 files per submission;

• Maximum File Size: 20 MB per individual file.

Payment purchases the automated evaluation and cryptographic preservation service, not a favorable result. Submissions evaluated at low Originality Scores are fully processed, certified, and non-refundable.

8.2 Exhaustive Refund Rules & Pipeline Failure

Refunds are strictly governed by the following exhaustive rules:

1. Pipeline Failure (100% Refund): A full refund of USD 1,000 is issued if and only if the system experiences an unrecoverable pipeline failure resulting in the total inability to deliver a certificate and report.

2. Publication Refusal under Schedule 2 (50% Refund): For opt-in publication submissions, if content is refused publication following human moderation under Schedule 2 (Prohibited Content), the submitter receives a 50% refund (USD 500) while the underlying private cryptographic submission certificate remains fully valid. Exactly one refund is permitted per submission.

3. Non-Refundable Circumstances: No refunds shall be issued for low Originality Scores, unwanted similarity citations, user change-of-mind, or revised submissions (resubmissions alter the SHA-256 hash and require a new submission and fee).

9. GOVERNING LAW, REGISTRY DISPUTES & ARBITRATION

9.1 Governing Law

These Master Terms, all Participant Agreements, and any non-contractual obligations arising out of or in connection with them shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Malaysia.

9.2 Inter-Participant Rebuttable Priority Presumption

As between platform Participants who have accepted these Master Terms and executed a Participant Agreement, the earliest valid, timestamped platform declaration creates a rebuttable presumption of priority regarding identical or substantially similar concepts. This priority presumption:

• Is non-binding on third parties who have not accepted these Master Terms;

• Does not apply against earlier third-party prior art; and

• Is void and invalid if the declaration was obtained by misusing or misappropriating another party's confidential work.

9.3 Registry Dispute Marker Protocols

If a third party submits a written ownership dispute regarding a registered record:

• Asrix Prime Berhad shall mark the public registry UI and downloadable PDF certificate as "DISPUTED".

• On-chain cryptographic hashes, SHA-256 fingerprints, and UTC timestamps shall remain entirely unaltered.

• Asrix Prime Berhad acts solely as a neutral evidence provider and shall not adjudicate substantive title or ownership.

9.4 Dispute Escalation Ladder & AIAC Arbitration (New York Convention)

Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to this contract, including platform usage, priority claims between participants, or service delivery, shall be resolved through the following escalating dispute ladder:

1. Direct Notice & Asrix Evidence Package: The initiating party serves formal written notice, whereupon Asrix issues an official Asrix Evidence Package (containing signed PDF certificates, cryptographic audit logs, report hashes, and Merkle proofs).

2. Formal Mediation: Parties enter good-faith mediation administered by an independent dispute resolution institution.

3. Expedited Online Arbitration: If unresolved by mediation, the dispute shall be finally settled by online expedited arbitration administered by the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in accordance with the AIAC Arbitration Rules. The language of arbitration shall be English. Arbitral awards rendered under this provision shall be enforceable internationally across signatory states pursuant to the United Nations Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (New York Convention).

9.5 Limitation of Liability & Financial Cap

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Asrix Prime Berhad, its directors, officers, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, punitive, or loss-of-profit damages, including loss of novelty or patent application invalidation.

The total aggregate financial liability of Asrix Prime Berhad for all claims arising out of or related to platform access or service delivery shall be strictly capped at the lesser of total fees paid by the User to Asrix Prime Berhad in the preceding twelve (12) months OR USD 1,000.

10. SCHEDULES & REPOSITORY COVERAGE

10.1 Schedule 1: Public Repositories & API Search Coverage Matrix

Rule of Coverage Transparency: Any repository or web database requiring web scraping without an official API, or where access is unconfigured, is explicitly excluded from automated matching and marked explicitly as "not machine-checked" in generated reports.

10.2 Schedule 2: Prohibited Content Policy, Refusal Matrix & Administrative Appeal Workflow

Asrix Prime Berhad strictly refuses to publish or process content falling within the following defined categories:

• Illegal Content: Material violating criminal statutes, statutory bans, or trade sanction lists.

• Hate Speech & Racial Harassment: Material promoting violence, hatred, or systematic discrimination against protected groups.

• Harm to Minors: Explicit material involving or causing severe physical or psychological harm to minors.

• Defamation & Unverified Accusations: Material containing unverified legal conclusions, criminal allegations against named individuals, or personal attacks.

• Severe Public Risk: Technical or biological instructions designed to cause widespread harm to humankind.

Refusal Workflow & Administrative Appeal: Content flagged under Schedule 2 undergoes mandatory human moderation. Upon refusal, the submitter receives written notice detailing reasons, a 50% refund (USD 500), retains the private preservation certificate, and is granted exactly one (1) administrative appeal to present written counter-arguments to a human editor.

11. ACCEPTANCE & EXECUTION BLOCK

11.1 Digital Signature & Acceptance Affirmation

By clicking "I Agree", processing payment through Stripe, querying platform APIs, or uploading data to Asrix Mindgate, the Participant explicitly affirms that they have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Master Terms of Service.

This digital action constitutes a legally binding execution under applicable electronic signature laws and registers a permanent, cryptographic acceptance record within the Asrix Mindgate audit registry.