1.
These Terms and
Conditions explain the contractual Agreement between you and any organization
you represent (collectively, "you" or the "Customer") and Econnexis, Inc.,. ("Econnexis"), governing your use of Econnexis's
online service and any related software you may install on your computer (the
"Service in which Econnexis Inc. licenses you
the software for a term and hosts the application for you. This Agreement is
effective as of the first date you commence use of the Econnexis
Inc. system. In the event that you are already utilizing the Econnexis Inc. system, these terms are effective with your
continued use after posting at www.Econnexis.com. Additional conditions apply
as part of Content Policy. By signing the sales contract or executing the registration
process, you are indicating that you expressly accept the following terms and
conditions in this legal agreement (the "Agreement") between you and
any organization you represent (collectively, "you" or the
"Customer") and Econnexis, Inc.,. ("Econnexis"), governing your use of Econnexis's
online service and any related software you may install on your computer (the
"Service"). If you are entering into this Agreement, you represent
that you are authorized to accept the terms of this Agreement on behalf of
yourself or the organization you represent. If you do not have such authority,
or if you do not agree with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, you
must not sign the sales contract or click on the "EXECUTE
CONTRACT" button and must close the electronic contract, and you
may not use the Service.
2.
License
grant & restrictions
Econnexis hereby grants you, during the Term of this
Agreement, the non-exclusive, non-transferable, worldwide right to use the
Service, solely for your own internal business purposes, subject to the terms
and conditions of this Agreement. All rights not expressly granted to you are
reserved by Econnexis and its third party licensors
or suppliers (collectively, the "Licensors"). You shall not (i) license, sublicense, sell, resell, transfer, assign,
distribute or otherwise commercially exploit or make available to any third
party the Service or the content provided by or on behalf of Econnexis through the Service (the “Content”) in any way;
(ii) modify or make derivative works based upon the Service or the Content;
(iii) create Internet "links" to the Service or "frame" or
"mirror" any Content on any other server or wireless or
Internet-based device; or (iv) reverse engineer or access the Service in order
to (a) build a competitive product or service, (b) build a product using
similar ideas, features, functions or graphics of the Service, or (c) copy any
ideas, features, functions or graphics of the Service. You agree that Econnexis may publish, modify and amend any and all content
appearing within Econnexis.com, and its subdomains like dental.econnexis.com and all other internet domains or content
feeds owned, managed, or controlled by Econnexis,
including Content consisting of promotions, advertisements and listings for
non-competing local businesses, or products and services offered by Econnexis.
3.
Ownership
of intellectual property rights and Customer Data
You acknowledge and agree that, subject to the license grants contained in this
Agreement, Econnexis, or its licensors, retains all
right, title and interest, including all related intellectual property rights,
in and to the Econnexis technology, the Content and
the Service and any suggestions, ideas, enhancement requests, feedback,
recommendations (collectively, Feedback) or other information provided by you
or any other party relating to the Service. You retain all right, title and
interest to any and all patient or customer data, including consumer review
data, captured by the Econnexis system
("Customer Data") or provided to Econnexis,
subject to Econnexis's right to use such Customer
Data to provide the Service to you. This Agreement is not a sale and does not
convey to you any rights of ownership in or related to the Econnexis
Service, Econnexis technology, Econnexis
Content, or Econnexis intellectual property except
for the limited licenses granted to you under this Agreement. Any and all
software, algorithms, applications, source codes, structures, sequences,
routines, sub-routines and related programming, engineering or technological
matter developed or created by Econnexis or its
licensors (and all copyrights, patents, trademarks and other proprietary rights
related thereto) shall remain the sole, exclusive and perpetual property of Econnexis or its licensors. Econnexis
works with third parties to offer its customers additional products and
services from time to time. Econnexis collects anonymized, aggregate data in order to provide such
additional product and services to you and you agree to permit us to use such anonymized, aggregate data. The trademarks, trade names,
service names or logos associated with the Service (collectively, the
"Marks") are trademarks of Econnexis or its
licensors, and no right or license is granted to use them. You hereby
acknowledge Econnexis or its licensors' perpetual and
exclusive ownership of and title to the Marks and the goodwill attaching
thereto. You agree not to use or attempt to register any Mark that is
confusingly or deceptively similar to the Marks.
4.
Customer
responsibility and passwords; Third-party software
You are solely responsible for any and all activity occurring under your user
accounts and shall abide by all applicable local, state, national and foreign
laws, treaties and regulations in connection with your use of the Service,
including those related to data privacy, international communications and the
transmission of technical or personal data. You also will choose a password and
a user name. You are entirely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality
of your password and account. You agree to notify Econnexis
immediately of any unauthorized use of your account or any breach of security. Econnexis will not be liable for any loss that you may
incur as a result of someone else using your password or account, either with
or without your knowledge. You warrant and represent that: (i)
the content to be transmitted by or on your behalf does not constitute SPAM;
(ii) the content to be transmitted by or on your behalf is not illegal,
threatening, hateful, vulgar, obscene, libelous or defamatory and does not and
will not infringe upon any trademark, patent, copyright, trade secret or other
proprietary, publicity or privacy right of any third party; and (iii) you have
complied and will comply with all applicable laws and regulations respecting
your execution and performance of this Agreement. Thereby you comply with
HIPPAA laws while configuring and sending out emails and text messages as they
are not encrypted by the system. The Econnexis
Service receives data from third-party software systems, which you will
designate in the process of setting up the Econnexis
Service. If you elect to change, upgrade or materially alter the third party
software system from which Econnexis receives data, Econnexis does not guarantee that all Customer Data or
Service functionality will be preserved. You are responsible for communicating
any changes in data structure, management system, or hardware upgrades that may
impact Econnexis's ability to receive and process
Customer Data. In addition, you are responsible for providing Econnexis with accurate instructions and information
regarding the third party systems and databases with which the Service will
interface, and you bear all responsibility for incomplete, inaccurate or
otherwise faulty information regarding third party systems and databases
belonging to you as conveyed to Econnexis in
connection with set up or maintenance of the Service.
5.
Client
data and account information
Econnexis does not own any Customer Data, information
or material that you submit to the Service in the course of using the Service.
Except in accordance with this Agreement or as required by law, Customer Data
in identifiable form will not be disclosed, sold, assigned, licensed or
otherwise disposed of by Econnexis to any third
party. You, not Econnexis, shall have sole
responsibility for the accuracy, quality, integrity, legality, reliability,
appropriateness, and intellectual property ownership or right to use of all
Customer Data, and, except as provided in this Agreement or as required by law,
Econnexis shall not be responsible or liable for the
deletion, correction, destruction, damage, loss or failure to store any
Customer Data, or for the improper or erroneous upload or extraction of any
Customer Data. Econnexis reserves the right to
withhold, remove and/or discard Customer Data without notice for any breach,
including, without limitation, your non-payment as specified in this Agreement.
Upon termination for cause, your right to access or use Customer Data immediately
ceases, and, Econnexis shall have no obligation to
maintain or forward any Customer Data.
6.
Limited
liability
In no event shall Econnexis, its parent,
subsidiaries, officers, directors, employees, licensors, partners, distributors
or affiliates be liable for: (i) any indirect,
incidental, unforeseeable, special, punitive or consequential damages; (ii) any
damages for loss of profits, loss of earnings or loss of business
opportunities, even if Econnexis has been advised or
warned by you of the possibility of such damages; (iii) costs of procurement or
substitute goods or services; (iv) loss of data or other of your content
resulting from delays, non-deliveries, misdeliveries,
security breaches to, service interruptions to, or errors or omissions
respecting the service or the operation of Econnexis
or its licensors' networks; or (v) losses or liabilities due in whole or in
part to inadvertent, premature or unauthorized release or disclosure of
information by you via Econnexis or its licensors'
networks. the total cumulative liability of Econnexis
together with its parent, subsidiaries, offices, directors, employees,
licensors, partners and affiliates to you or any third parties in any
circumstance arising out of or relating to this agreement or the service is
limited to the amount of fees you pay to Econnexis in
the twelve (12) months prior to the action giving rise to liability. The
foregoing limitations will apply even if Econnexis
has been notified of the possibility of such damages and notwithstanding the
failure of the essential purpose of any limited remedy. no action or claim
relating to this agreement shall be made against Econnexis
or its parent, licensors, subsidiaries, officers, directors, employees,
partners or affiliates by you or on your behalf more than twelve (12) months
after the event giving rise to such action or claim.
7.
Indemnity
You agree to indemnify and hold Econnexis (including
its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, agents, and
employees, contractors, sub-contractors, licensors, and partners) harmless from
any claim or demand, including reasonable attorney's fees, made by any third
party due to or arising out of your breach or alleged breach of this Agreement
or the documents it incorporates by reference, or your violation of any law or
the rights of a third party (including without limitation any negligent,
willful, tortious or illegal conduct by you affecting a third party).
8.
Term
Unless otherwise agreed by Econnexis, this Agreement
will be in force for a term of one (1) month (“Term”) beginning on the
Subscription Start Date, and will AUTOMATICALLY RENEW each month.
If you choose not to renew, you must notify Econnexis
in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to the Renewal Date, in which case,
you will continue to have access to the Econnexis
Service and you will be billed until the end of the then current Term.
9.
Termination
Any breach of your payment obligations or unauthorized use of the Econnexis Technology, Content or Service, or Breach of the
Public Review Policy (defined below) will be deemed a material breach of this
Agreement. Econnexis, in its sole discretion, may
terminate your password, account or use of the Service if you breach or
otherwise fail to comply with this Agreement. In addition to any other rights
granted to Econnexis herein, Econnexis
reserves the right to suspend or terminate this Agreement and your access to
the Service if your account becomes delinquent, if you violate the Econnexis Public Review and Comment Policy, the Econnexis Terms of Use, or otherwise engage in fraudulent
or unlawful activities. In addition, Econnexis may
terminate a free account at any time in its sole discretion. You agree and
acknowledge that Econnexis has no obligation to
retain the Customer Data, and may delete such Customer Data, if you have
materially breached this Agreement, including but not limited to failure to pay
Service Fees, and such breach has not been cured within fifteen (15) days of
notice of such breach.
10. Billing & pricing
Econnexis charges and collects in advance for use of
the Service. No refunds will be available for fees you have paid unless you
were billed in error. Econnexis will automatically
renew and bill your credit card or issue an invoice to you (a) every month for
monthly licenses and fees, (b) every quarter for quarterly licenses and fees,
(c) each year on the subsequent anniversary for annual licenses, or (d) in an otherwise
mutually agreed upon manner. The renewal charge will be equal to the
then-current license fee in effect at the time of renewal. The pricing during
any automatic Renewal every month will renew at the then current rate for the
same set of features. Econneixs will give you notice
of a pricing increase at least thirty (30) days before the end of that prior
Term, in which case the pricing increase will be effective upon Renewal and
thereafter in the new Term. Fees for other services will be charged on an
as-quoted basis, including but not limited to:
1)
Econnexis Connect for Facebook.
Econnexis Connect for Facebook is an add-on service
subject to a separate monthly subscription fee, as well as certain installation
fees, as quoted on our website, and which are subject to change from time to
time. Econnexis Connect for Facebook services require
a valid Econnexis subscription to be in place. By
electing to subscribe to Econnexis Connect for
Facebook, you agree to pay all monthly subscription fees through the remainder
of the Term of your Econnexis Agreement, billed in
accordance with our normal monthly billing procedures. Your subscription to Econnexis Connect for Facebook will automatically renew at
the then current rate, along with any renewal of your Econnexis
subscription, unless you provide us with written notice of cancellation not
less than thirty (30) days prior to the end of the then-current Term. Econnexis bears no responsibility for, and makes no
warranty as to, the content published on your Facebook pages, or any other
matter related to your use, or that of others, of Facebook, its applications,
features and functions.
2)
Taxes.
Unless otherwise stated, the Econnexis fees do not
include any taxes, levies, duties or similar governmental assessments of any
nature, including but not limited to value-added, sales, use or withholding
taxes, assessable by any local, state, provincial, federal or foreign
jurisdiction, plus interest, penalty and additions thereon (collectively,
"Taxes"). You are responsible for paying all Taxes applicable to your
purchase or use of Econnexis products or services. If
Econnexis has the legal obligation to pay or collect
Taxes (or an amount in respect of Taxes) for which you are responsible under
this paragraph, the appropriate amount shall be invoiced to and paid by you,
unless you provide Econnexis with a valid tax
exemption certificate authorized by the appropriate taxing authority. Econnexis is responsible solely for taxes based on its
income.
11. Econnexis guarantee; limitations
Subject to the provisions of this Section, Econnexis
shall work with you to create an “Appointment Guarantee Plan” for your
business. This plan is custom to each office because of various external
factors involved. Econnexis reserves the right to
deny the “Appointment Guarantee Plan” at its sole discretion at any time.
12. Credit card authorization
By submitting your credit/debit card ("Bank
Card") data to Econnexis, you authorize Econnexis in its complete discretion to submit a financial
transaction(s) to your issuing bank for settlement. You agree that once Econnexis has approved or declined your transaction, Econnexis has fully performed under the terms of this
Agreement. You agree to contact Econnexis in the
event that you desire to cancel any recurring charge, prior to the next billing
cycle. Should you fail to contact Econnexis, you
agree to indemnify and hold Econnexis harmless from
any losses or damages that you suffer as a result of a recurring charge. Econnexis may be contacted at: contact@Econnexis.com or Econnexis,
Inc., 1280 Ames Ave, #203, Milpitas, CA 95035. If you think that there is an
error on your account, including an incorrect amount or unauthorized
transaction, you agree to contact Econnexis prior to
the next billing cycle. Upon proper notification, Econnexis,
in its sole discretion may issue a credit to your Bank Card.
13. Representations & warranties
Each party represents and warrants that it has the
power and authority to enter into this Agreement. Econnexis
represents and warrants that it will provide the Service in a manner consistent
with generally accepted industry standards. You represent and warrant that you
have not falsely identified yourself or your corporate entity, or provided any
false information to gain access to the Service, and that all Bank Card and
other billing information that you have provided is correct. The service is
provided "as is" and "as available". except as explicitly
set forth above, Econnexis is not providing any
warranties and representations regarding the service, content or technology,
and Econnexis and its parent, licensors,
distributors, partners and affiliates (collectively, the “affiliates”) disclaim
all warranties and representations of any kind with regard to the service,
content and technology, including any implied warranties of merchantability,
non-infringement of third party rights, freedom from viruses or other harmful
code, or fitness for any particular purpose. further, Econnexis,
its parent, any third parties acting on its behalf, and its affiliates will not
be liable for any delay, difficulty in use, inaccuracy of information, computer
viruses, malicious code or other defect in the service, or for any other
problems experienced by you due to causes beyond Econnexis's
or its parent, any third parties acting on its behalf, or its affiliates’
control.
14. Email compliance
Econnexis uses third party email service which has
worked to achieve email compliance. You agree to comply with all elements of
CAN-SPAM and safe sender email practices. This includes but is not limited to
including unsubscribe links, your full contact information in all
correspondence, and not releasing private and/or confidential information. You
may only use email services for those customers with
whom you have an existing business relationship and which have indicated that
they accept correspondence from you. You may not attempt to spoof sender
domains, send spam or other offending email practices including those covered
in the Section titled “Customer responsibility and passwords;
third-party software” of this Agreement. Because of carrier
technologies, Econnexis makes no expressed or implied
warranty of individual message receipt. Econnexis is
not liable for any issues that arise associated with the content that you
provide or unforeseen liabilities of it being delivered.
15. Text message compliance
Econnexis automates text message communications, but
you are responsible for the content and the destination of the text message.
You must ensure that the recipients of those communications have provided prior
express written consent to receive them. The prior express written consent must
identify that you may be sending text messages related to your goods and
services using automated technology and that your customer affirmatively agrees
to receive such messages. The prior express consent must include your
customers’ written or electronic acceptance. Specifically, by entering a cell
phone number into your management system or the Econnexis
system and not opting such cell phone out of the Econnexis
text message feature, you are directing Econnexis to
automatically send text message reminders and other communications to such cell
phone and certifying that the user of such cell phone consents to the receipt
of those messages. You are responsible for all liability for any failure to
receive consent or failure to opt users out of the text message feature.
Additionally, you may not attempt to spoof sender domains, send spam or other
offending text message practices including those covered in the Section
titled “Customer responsibility and passwords; third-party software” of
this Agreement. Econnexis makes no expressed or
implied warranty of individual message receipt. Standard text message rates
apply for all text message services. Econnexis shall
not be liable for any issues that arise associated with the content that you
provide or unforeseen liabilities of it being delivered. You shall be solely
liable to comply with applicable laws and regulations within your jurisdiction
in connection with telecommunication (e.g., email and text) messages that you
send to your customers.
16. Listing services
Econnexis may offer a complimentary listing service
(the "Listing Service") under which your business information and
customer reviews (collectively, the "Business Information") are
submitted to search engines, indexes and web sites, as well as to the Econnexis service." You agree to participate in the
Listing Service, and allow Econnexis to make this
data available and provide registration services third party sites. It is up to
third party sites to accept the submissions, and Econnexis
makes no warranty as to such sites' willingness to do so. For so long as you
continue to subscribe to the Service, Econnexis will
make a good faith attempt to ensure accuracy and confidentiality of the
information we provide to third party sites under the Listing Service. We have
no control of third party web sites or resources that are provided by companies
or persons other than that of Econnexis. Additional
tools may be available from the third parties to provide additional updates to
your information, but if you use such services, Econnexis
is not liable for any claim arising out of the combination of such services
with the information provided by the Listing Service. If you no longer have an
active subscription, Econnexis may remove you from
the listing. In addition to the terms set forth in this Agreement, you agree to
abide by the terms set forth in our Public Review Policy, as the same may be
amended from time to time by Econnexis, the terms of
which are available at www.Econnexis.com. Econnexis may
terminate your participation in the Listing Service, or this Agreement, at any
time in the event that Econnexis determines that you
are not in compliance with the Public Review Policy. Upon termination of this
Agreement by either party, the Business Information and any consumer reviews
may remain in any data feeds provided to third parties under the Listing Service
but is subject to removal at any time as determined by Econnexis.
You may request explicit removal of the Business Information from such data
feeds in writing. Upon request, at any time during your active subscription to
the Service and up to the date of any termination of this Agreement, Econnexis will provide you with an electronic copy of your
Business Information, including consumer reviews.
17. Governing law; venue; waiver of class action
a. Governing
law. This Agreement will be interpreted, construed, and enforced in all
respects in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without
reference to its choice of law principles to the contrary.
b. Venue. You will not commence or prosecute any action, suit, proceeding or
claim arising under or by reason of this Agreement other than in the state or
federal courts located in San Francisco, California. You irrevocably consent to
the jurisdiction and venue of the courts identified in the preceding sentence
in connection with any action, suit, proceeding, or claim arising under or by
reason of this Agreement.
c. Dispute and waiver of class action. Any dispute or claim relating in any way
to the econnexis service or this agreement will be
resolved by binding arbitration, rather than in court, except that you may
assert claims in small claims court if your claims qualify. The Federal
Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of this provision;
the arbitrator shall apply California law to all other matters. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary, any party to the arbitration may at any time seek
injunctions or other forms of equitable relief from any court of competent
jurisdiction. We each agree that any and all disputes must be brought in the
parties' individual capacity and not as a plaintiff or class member in any
purported class or representative proceeding. by
entering into this agreement and agreeing to arbitration, you agree that you
and econnexis are each waiving the right to file a
lawsuit and the right to a trial by jury. in addition,
you agree to waive the right to participate in a class action or litigate on a
class-wide basis. you agree that you have expressly
and knowingly waived these rights.
To begin an arbitration proceeding, send a letter requesting arbitration and
describing your claim to Econnexis, Inc., in care of
our registered agent Corporation Service Company, 2711 Centerville Road,
Wilmington, DE 19808. Arbitration will be conducted by the American Arbitration
Association (AAA) before a single AAA arbitrator under the AAA’s rules, which
are available at www.adr.org or by calling 1-800-778-7879. Payment of
all filing, administration and arbitrator fees and costs will be governed by
the AAA's rules, but if you are unable to pay any of them, Econnexis
will pay them for you. In addition, Econnexis will
reimburse all such fees and costs for claims totaling less than $75,000 unless
the arbitrator determines the claims are frivolous. Likewise, Econnexis will not seek its attorneys’ fees or costs in
arbitration unless the arbitrator determines your claims or defenses are
frivolous. You may choose to have the arbitration conducted by telephone, based
on written submissions, or in person in the county where you live or at another
mutually agreed location. The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and not
appealable, and judgment on the arbitration award may be entered in any court
having jurisdiction thereof. This Section shall survive expiration, termination
or rescission of this Agreement.
18. Miscellaneous
a. If any provision of
this Agreement is found to be invalid or unenforceable, then the remainder of
this Agreement will have full force and effect, and the invalid provision will
be modified, or partially enforced, to the maximum extent permitted to
effectuate the original objective.
b. This Agreement will bind and inure to the transferee of a party’s business,
and will be enforceable in the event of a change in ownership or control.
c. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with
respect to the subject matter hereof and merges and supersedes all prior
agreements, understandings, negotiations, and discussions. Neither of the
parties will be bound by any conditions, definitions, warranties,
understandings, or representations with respect to the subject matter hereof
other than as expressly provided herein.
d. Failure by either party to enforce any term of this Agreement will not be
deemed a waiver of future enforcement of that or any other term in this
Agreement or any other agreement that may be in place between the parties.
e. Econnexis reserves the right to modify the terms
of this Agreement from time to time, at its sole discretion; and your continued
use of the Econnexis Service or products constitutes
your acceptance of such modified terms.
f. The section headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes
only and will not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this
Agreement.
g. This Agreement is not intended to confer any right or benefit on any third
party, and no action may be commenced or prosecuted against a party by any
third party claiming as a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement or any of
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. No oral explanation or oral
information by either party hereto will alter the meaning or interpretation of
this Agreement.
h. With respect to any acquisition or use of the Service by or for any unit or
agency of the United States Government (the “Government”), the Service shall be
classified as “commercial computer software” as that term is defined in the
applicable provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (the “FAR”) and
supplements thereto, including the Department of Defense (DoD)
FAR Supplement (the “DFARS”). The Service was developed entirely at private
expense, and no part of the Service was first produced in the performance of a
Government contract. If the Service is supplied for use by the DoD, the Service is delivered subject to the terms of this
Agreement and either (i) in accordance with DFARS
227.7202-1(a) and 227.7202-3(a), or (ii) with restricted rights in accordance
with DFARS 252-227-7013 (c)(l)(ii)(OCT 1988), as applicable. If the Service is
supplied for use by a Federal agency other than the DoD,
the Service is restricted computer software delivered subject to the terms of
this Agreement and (i) FAR 12.212(a); (ii) FAR
52.227-19; or (iii) FAR 52.227-14(ALT III), as applicable. The
manufacturer/Service provider is Econnexis, Inc., 120
Ames Ave, #203, Milpitas, CA – 95035.
i. You acknowledge that the Service is subject to the
U.S. Export Administration Regulations (15 CFR, Chapter VII) and that you will
comply with these regulations. You will not export or re-export this Service,
directly or indirectly, to: (1) any countries that are subject to U.S. export
restrictions; (2) any end user who has been prohibited from participating in
U.S. export transactions by any federal agency of the U.S. government; or (3)
any end user who you know or have reason to know will utilize them in the
design, development or production of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.
You further acknowledge that this Service may include technical data subject to
export and re-export restrictions imposed by U.S. law.
j. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. You agree to fully comply with the provisions
of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and/or the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (“OECD”) prohibiting
foreign bribery and improper payments. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, you represent and warrant that you have not and shall not at any
time during the Term of the Agreement pay, give, or offer or promise to pay or
give, any money or any other thing of value, directly or indirectly, to or for
the benefit of: (i) any government official,
political party, or candidate for political office; or (ii) any other person,
firm, corporation or other entity, with knowledge that some or all of that
money or other thing of value will be paid, given, offered or promised to a
government official, political party or candidate for political office, for the
purpose of obtaining or retaining any business, or to obtain any other unfair
advantage, in connection with Econnexis’s business.
Further, you agree to maintain complete and accurate books and records for
compliance with this sub-section titled “Foreign Corrupt Practices Act” in
the event Econnexis has reason to suspect or is
placed on notice that you are in violation of this sub-section, or as required
by law.
19. Following, applies only if you are subject to
the HIPAA Security and Privacy Rule.
Business Associate Agreement (“BAA”)
19.1 Status of the parties.
WHEREAS, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (“ARRA“) of 2009 (Pub. L.
111-5), pursuant to Title XIII of Division A and Title IV of Division B, called
the “Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health” (“HITECH”)
Act, provides modifications to the HIPAA Security and Privacy Rule
(hereinafter, all references to the “HIPAA Security and Privacy Rule” are
deemed to include all amendments to such rule contained in the HITECH Act, and
the HIPAA Final Omnibus Rule of 2013, and any accompanying regulations, and any
other subsequently adopted amendments or regulations), and the parties hereby
acknowledge and agree that, if subject to the HIPAA Security and Privacy Rule,
you are a covered entity (“Covered Entity”) and that Econnexis
is a business associate of Covered Entity under the HIPAA Privacy Regulations,
the HIPAA Security Regulations and the HITECH Standards, defined below.
19.2 Privacy and confidentiality.
The parties acknowledge that in carrying out its obligations under the
Agreement, Econnexis and its subcontractors,
employees, affiliates, agents, or representatives may have reason to access,
use, create, maintain or transmit PHI, as defined below, for or on behalf of
Covered Entity. Certain PHI may be transmitted by or maintained in electronic
media as Electronic PHI. Both parties agree to comply with any applicable federal
or state law governing the privacy and security of the PHI and Electronic PHI
including, without limitation, the HIPAA Privacy Regulations, HIPAA Security
Regulations, and the HITECH Standards, each as defined below.
19.3 Definitions.
a. "Breach" shall mean the acquisition, access, use, or
disclosure of Protected Health Information in a manner not permitted under 45
C.F.R. Part 164, Subpart E (the HIPAA Privacy Rule) which compromises the
security or privacy of the Protected Health Information. "Breach" shall
not include: (1) Any unintentional acquisition, access, or use of Protected
Health Information by a workforce member or person acting under the authority
of the Covered Entity or Econnexis, if such
acquisition, access, or use was made in good faith and within the scope of
authority and does not result in further use or disclosure in a manner not
permitted under the HIPAA Privacy Rule; or (2) Any inadvertent disclosure by a
person who is authorized to access Protected Health Information at the Covered Entity
or Econnexis to another person authorized to access
Protected Health Information at the Covered Entity or Econnexis,
respectively, or organized health care arrangement in which the Covered Entity
participates, and the information received as a result of such disclosure is
not further used or disclosed in a manner not permitted under the HIPAA Privacy
Rule; or (3) A disclosure of Protected Health Information where the Covered
Entity or Econnexis has a good faith belief that an
unauthorized person to whom the disclosure was made would not reasonably have
been able to retain such information.
b. "Electronic Protected Health Information" or "Electronic
PHI" means Protected Health Information that is transmitted by or
maintained in electronic media as defined in the HIPAA Security Regulations.
c. "HIPAA" means the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act of 1996, Public Law 104-191.
d. "HIPAA Privacy Regulations" means
the regulations promulgated under HIPAA by the United States Department of Health
and Human Services to protect the privacy of Protected Health Information,
including, but not limited to, 45 C.F.R. Part 160 and 45 C.F.R. Part 164,
Subpart A and Subpart E.
e. "HIPAA Security Regulations" means the regulations promulgated
under HIPAA by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to
protect the security of Electronic Protected Health Information, including, but
not limited to, 45 C.F.R. Part 160 and 45 C.F.R. Part 164, Subpart A and
Subpart C.
f. "HITECH Standards" means the privacy, security and security breach
notification provisions applicable to a Business Associate under Subtitle D of
the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act
("HITECH), which is Title XIII of the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5), and any regulations promulgated thereunder.
g. "Individually Identifiable Health Information" means information
that is a subset of health information, including demographic information
collected from an individual, that is; (1) created or received by a health care
provider, health plan, employer, or health care clearinghouse; and (2) relates
to the past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition of an
individual; the provision of health care to an individual; or the past,
present, or future payment for the provision of health care to an individual;
and (a) that identifies the individual; or (b) with respect to which there is a
reasonable basis to believe the information can be used to identify the individual.
h. "Protected Health Information" or "PHI" means
Individually Identifiable Health Information transmitted or maintained in any
form or medium that (i) is received by Econnexis from Covered Entity, (ii) Econnexis
creates for its own purposes from Individually Identifiable Health Information
that Econnexis received from Covered Entity, or (iii)
is created, received, transmitted or maintained by Econnexis
on behalf of Covered Entity. Protected Health Information excludes Individually
Identifiable Health Information in education records covered by the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act, as amended, 20 U.S.C. §1232g, records
described at 20 U.S.C. §1232g(a)(4)(B)(iv), and employment records held by the
Covered Entity in its role as employer.
i. "Security Incident" means the attempted
or successful unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification, or
destruction of information or interference with system operations in an
information system.
j. Any terms capitalized, but not otherwise defined, in this BAA shall have the
same meaning as those terms have under HIPAA, the HIPAA Privacy Regulations,
the HIPAA Security Regulations, and the HITECH Standards.
19.4 Confidentiality and Security Requirements.
a. Use or Disclosure. Econnexis agrees to not use
or further disclose Protected Health Information other than as expressly
permitted or required by this BAA or as required by law.
b. Safeguards. Econnexis agrees to use appropriate
safeguards to prevent any use or disclosure of the Protected Health Information
other than uses and disclosures expressly provided for by this BAA. Econnexis further agrees to use appropriate administrative,
physical and technical safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity and
availability of any Electronic Protected Health Information in accordance with
the HIPAA Security Regulations.
c. Mitigation. Econnexis agrees to mitigate, to the
extent practicable, any harmful effect that is known to Econnexis
of a use or disclosure of Protected Health Information by Econnexis
in violation of the requirements of this BAA.
d. Reporting. Econnexis agrees to report to Covered
Entity any suspected or actual Security Breach, or use or disclosure of
Protected Health Information in violation of this BAA by Econnexis
or by a third party to which Econnexis disclosed
Protected Health Information (“Subcontractors and Agents”), pursuant to the
sub-section titled “Subcontractors and Agents” of this BAA, of which it becomes
aware, promptly and in a reasonable manner. Upon written request, Econnexis further agrees to provide a report to Covered
Entity of any Security Incident of which it becomes aware.
e. Subcontractors and Agents. Econnexis agrees to
ensure that any agent, including a subcontractor, to whom it provides Protected
Health Information received from, or created or received by Econnexis
on behalf of, Covered Entity, agrees to restrictions consistent with this BAA.
f. Access. Upon receipt of a written request by Covered Entity for access to
Protected Health Information about an individual contained in a Designated
Record Set, Econnexis shall make available to Covered
Entity such Protected Health Information, promptly and in a reasonable manner,
for so long as such information is maintained in the Designated Record Set. In
the event any individual requests access to Protected Health Information
directly from Econnexis, Econnexis
shall forward such request to Covered Entity promptly and in a reasonable
manner. Any denials of access to the Protected Health Information requested
shall be the responsibility of Covered Entity.
g. Amendment. Upon receipt of a written request by or on behalf of Covered
Entity for the amendment of an individual's Protected Health Information or
record contained in a Designated Record Set, for so long as the Protected
Health Information is maintained in the Designated Record Set, Econnexis shall provide such information to Covered Entity
for amendment and incorporate any such amendments in the Protected Health
Information as required by 45 C.F.R. §164.526, promptly and in a reasonable
manner.
h. Audit and Inspection. Econnexis agrees to make its
internal practices, books, and records, including policies and procedures and
Protected Health Information, relating to the use and disclosure of Protected
Health Information and the security of Electronic Protected Health Information,
available to Covered Entity, or, at the request of Covered Entity, to the
Secretary of Health and Human Services (the "Secretary of HHS") or
any officer or employee of HHS to whom the Secretary of HHS has delegated such
authority for the purposes of the Secretary of HHS determining Covered Entity's
compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Regulations and the HIPAA Security
Regulations. Such information shall be made available promptly and in a
reasonable manner.
i. Documentation of Disclosures. Econnexis
agrees to document such disclosures of Protected Health Information, and such
information related to such disclosures, as would be required for Covered
Entity to respond to a request by an Individual for an accounting of
disclosures of Protected Health Information in accordance with 45 C.F.R.
§164.528.
j. Accounting. Upon receipt of written notice by or on behalf of Covered Entity
to Econnexis that Covered Entity has received a
request for an accounting of disclosures of Protected Health Information, Econnexis shall make available to Covered Entity, promptly
and in a reasonable manner, that information collected in accordance with the
sub-section titled “Documentation of Disclosures” of this BAA,
to permit Covered Entity to respond to the request in accordance with 45 C.F.R.
§164.528.
k. Compliance with the HITECH Standards. Notwithstanding any other provision in
the Agreement, Econnexis shall comply with the HITECH
Standards, as applicable to its activities and services.
19.5 Permitted uses and disclosures by Econnexis.
a. General Use and Disclosure Provisions. Except
as otherwise limited in this BAA, Econnexis may use
or disclose Protected Health Information in connection with its performance of
the services provided under the Agreement if such use or disclosure of
Protected Health Information would not violate HIPAA or the HIPAA Privacy
Regulations if done by Covered Entity or such use or disclosure is expressly
permitted under the Section titled “Specific Use and Disclosure
Provisions” of this BAA.
b. Specific Use and Disclosure Provisions. Except as otherwise limited in this
BAA, Econnexis may use and disclose Protected Health
Information for (i) the proper management and
administration of Econnexis or to meet its legal
responsibilities; provided, however, that such Protected Health Information may
be disclosed for such purposes only if the disclosures are required by law or Econnexis obtains reasonable assurances from the person to
whom the information is disclosed that it will be held confidentially and used
or further disclosed only as required by law or for the purpose for which it was
disclosed to the person, and the person notifies Econnexis
of any instances of which it is aware in which the confidentiality of the
information has been breached; or (ii) for data aggregation services, if to be
provided by Econnexis for the health care operations
of Covered Entity pursuant to any agreements between the parties evidencing
their business relationship, or as mutually agreed in writing by both parties.
For purposes of this BAA, data aggregation services means the combining of
Protected Health Information received by Econnexis
under this Agreement with the protected health information received by Econnexis in its capacity as a business associate of
another covered entity, to permit data analyses that relate to the health care
operations of the respective covered entities.
c. Econnexis may disclose Data & Protected Health
Information to a Distributor, in connection with performance of the services
provided by Econnexis and Distributor. Here
Distributor is a third party whose application is being used by you.
19.6 Obligations of covered entity.
Covered Entity shall not request Econnexis to use or
disclose Protected Health Information in any manner that would not be
permissible under the HIPAA Privacy Regulations if done by Covered Entity or
that is not otherwise expressly permitted under the Section titled “Permitted
Uses and Disclosures by Econnexis” of this
BAA.
19.7 Term and termination of the BAA.
a. Term. This BAA shall be effective as of the date of the execution of the
Agreement and shall continue until the Agreement expires or terminates or this
BAA is sooner terminated in accordance with the provisions of the Section
titled “Termination for Cause” or the Section titled “Amendment” of
this BAA, whichever shall first occur.
b. Termination for Cause. Upon Covered Entity's knowledge of a material breach
by Econnexis, Covered Entity may, in its sole
discretion, either (1) provide Econnexis with notice
of and an opportunity to cure such breach and then terminate this BAA if Econnexis does not cure the breach within the time period
specified by Covered Entity, or (2) terminate this BAA immediately. In the
event that termination of this BAA is not feasible, Econnexis
acknowledges that Covered Entity has the right to report the breach to the
Secretary of HHS. Upon Econnexis's knowledge of a
material breach by Covered Entity of this BAA, Econnexis
may, in its sole discretion, either (1) provide Covered Entity with notice of
and an opportunity to cure such breach and then terminate this BAA if Covered
Entity does not cure the breach within the time period specified by Econnexis, or (2) terminate this BAA immediately. In the
event that termination of this BAA is not feasible, Covered Entity acknowledges
and agrees that Econnexis has the right to report the
breach to the Secretary of HHS.
c. Effect of termination. Subject to the following paragraph, upon termination
of this BAA for any reason, and upon written request of Covered Entity, Econnexis shall return or destroy all Protected Health
Information received from Covered Entity, or created or received by Econnexis on behalf of Covered Entity. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, it may not be feasible for Econnexis to
return or destroy all copies of the Protected Health Information. In such
cases, where such return or destruction is not feasible, Econnexis
shall extend the protections of this BAA to such Protected Health Information
and limit further uses and disclosures of such Protected Health Information
solely to those purposes as originally intended under this BAA, for so long as Econnexis maintains such Protected Health Information.
19.8 Miscellaneous.
a. Regulatory References. A reference in this BAA to a section in HIPAA,
the HIPAA Privacy Regulations or the HIPAA Security Regulations, or the HITECH
Standards means the section as in effect or as amended from time to time, and
for which compliance is required.
b. Amendment. Covered Entity and Econnexis agree that
amendment of this BAA may be required to ensure that Covered Entity and Econnexis comply with changes in state and federal laws and
regulations relating to the privacy, security and confidentiality of Protected
Health Information, including, but not limited to, changes under the HIPAA
Privacy Regulations, the HIPAA Security Regulations and the HITECH Standards. Econnexis agrees that Covered Entity may terminate this BAA
upon thirty (30) days written notice in the event that Econnexis
does not promptly enter into such amendment.
c. Survival. The respective rights and obligations of Econnexis
under the Section titled “Effect of Termination”, in this BAA,
shall survive the termination of this BAA.
d. Interpretation. Any ambiguity in this BAA shall be resolved in favor of a
meaning that permits Covered Entity to comply with applicable law protecting
the privacy, security and confidentiality of Protected Health Information,
including, but not limited to, HIPAA, the HIPAA Privacy Regulations, the HIPAA
Security Regulations and the HITECH Standards.
e. State Law. Nothing in this BAA shall be construed to require Econnexis to use or disclose Protected Health Information
without a written authorization from an individual who is a subject of the
Protected Health Information, or written authorization from any other person,
where such authorization would be required under state law for such use or
disclosure.
f. No Third Party Beneficiaries. Nothing expressed or implied in this BAA is
intended or shall be deemed to confer upon any person other than Covered
Entity, Econnexis, and their respective successors
and assigns, any rights, obligations, remedies or liabilities.
g. Primacy. To the extent that any provisions of this BAA conflict with the
provisions of any other agreement or understanding between the parties,
including without limitation the Agreement, this BAA shall control with respect
to the subject matter of this BAA.
If you have questions regarding this Agreement or wish to obtain additional
information, please send an e-mail to contact@Econnexis.com.
© 2015 eConnexis Inc. All rights reserved. Sept 11th, 2015