Terms of Service

Article 1 (Definitions)

In these Terms, the following terms have the meanings set out below.

• “The Service” means “cotobo,” a work-support web application provided by Tomoki Kawashima (“the Operator”) for teachers who give one-on-one instruction, such as online language lessons.
• “Teacher” means an individual or business that registers for and uses an account on the Service.
• “Student” means a person who receives one-on-one instruction from a Teacher and who, at the Teacher’s discretion, uses the Service’s student-facing page (the “Portal”).
• “Student Information” means information about a Teacher’s students — such as name, contact details, and learning history — that the Teacher enters or registers in the Service.
• “Content” means lesson notes, teaching materials, fee settings, and any other information that a Teacher or Student enters or stores in the Service.

Article 2 (Accounts)

• Anyone wishing to use the Service must register using true and accurate information.
• Teachers are responsible for managing their own login credentials — including their email address and password — and may not lend or share them with any third party.
• Any action taken through a registered account is deemed to have been taken by the Teacher who owns that account.
• If a Teacher becomes aware of any unauthorized use of their account, they must notify the Operator promptly.

Article 3 (Prohibited Conduct)

When using the Service, Teachers must not do any of the following:

• Violate any law or public order and morals
• Infringe the intellectual property, privacy, or other rights of the Operator or any third party
• Gain, or attempt to gain, unauthorized access to the Service’s systems
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise analyze the Service
• Interfere with, or risk interfering with, the operation of the Service
• Use Student Information a Teacher has entered for any purpose beyond providing instruction
• Engage in any other act that the Operator deems inappropriate in light of providing the Service

Article 4 (Handling of Student Information and Content)

• Before registering Student Information in the Service, the Teacher is responsible for obtaining any necessary consent from the student (or, if the student is a minor, from a parent or guardian) and for complying with applicable data protection law. The Teacher acknowledges that, with respect to Student Information, the Teacher is the data controller (a “personal information handling business operator”) under Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information.
• With respect to Student Information a Teacher enters into the Service, the Operator acts as a data processor and handles it only to the extent necessary to enable the Teacher’s use of the Service. Except as required by law, the Operator will not use Student Information for any purpose beyond the Teacher’s instructions.
• Responsibility for the content of any Content lies with the Teacher or Student who entered it.

Article 5 (Position of the Service — Non-Involvement in Lesson Contracts)

• The Service provides tools that support a Teacher’s work — recording lessons, managing schedules, creating invoices, tracking finances, and the like. The lesson contract between a Teacher and a Student, lesson fees and any other exchange of money between them, and any disputes arising from these matters, are strictly between the Teacher and the Student. The Operator is not a party to any of these matters and bears no responsibility for them.
• The Service’s invoicing and finance features assist Teachers with their own record-keeping and document preparation. The Operator does not process payments, transfers, or collections between a Teacher and a Student.
• Totals, currency conversions, exchange rates, and other figures shown by the Service are reference information based on data the Teacher has entered and on external data; the Operator does not guarantee their accuracy or completeness. Tax filings and other tax or accounting matters are the Teacher’s own responsibility and judgment; the Operator provides no tax, legal, or accounting advice.
• The Operator has no involvement in, and bears no responsibility for, the quality, content, or outcomes of any lesson.

Article 6 (Beta Disclaimers)

• The Service is provided as a beta version that is still under development. The Operator makes reasonable efforts regarding the Service’s availability, the completeness of its operation, and the integrity of data, but does not guarantee any of these. The Service is provided “as is.”
• Unforeseen bugs, maintenance, server outages, and similar events may temporarily make the Service unavailable or cause some data to be lost. Teachers are encouraged to back up important data — such as lesson records and finance data — themselves, including by using the export features (e.g. CSV downloads) the Service provides.

Article 7 (Limitation of Liability)

• Except where caused by the Operator’s willful misconduct or gross negligence, the Operator is not liable for any damages incurred by a Teacher or Student arising from the use, or inability to use, the Service.
• Even where the Operator is liable for damages, the amount of such liability is capped at the total Service fees the Teacher actually paid to the Operator during the 12 months preceding the occurrence of the damage.
• Where the Consumer Contract Act or other mandatory law applies, this Article applies only to the maximum extent permitted by that law.

Article 8 (Changes to and Termination of the Service)

• The Operator may change the content of the Service, or discontinue providing it, after giving Teachers advance notice.
• If the Operator discontinues the Service, it will make reasonable efforts to provide a way for Teachers to export their own data (such as lesson records and finance data).

Article 9 (Governing Law and Jurisdiction)

• These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Japan.
• Any dispute between a Teacher or Student and the Operator relating to the Service is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Tokyo District Court as the court of first instance.

Article 10 (Contact)

For questions about these Terms, please contact cotobo@proton.me.