Terms & Conditions

§ 1 Definitions

Terms and Conditions (T&Cs): The Platform Operator's General Terms and Conditions for Customers and Reviewers. Order Confirmation: Confirmation that a Customer's order has been accepted. Order: An order for a Service placed by a Customer via the Platform. Reviewer: A natural person with full legal capacity who has reached the age of 18, or a legal entity or partnership, offering scientific reviews of texts on the Platform. Service: A service offered by a Reviewer to Customers via the Platform. Service Fee: The price specified by the Reviewer on the Platform for a particular Service. Service Agreement: A contract concluded through the use of the Platform under which a Reviewer provides a Service to a Customer. Acknowledgement of Receipt: An automatically generated notification by which the Platform Operator confirms receipt of a Customer's Order. Commercial Customer: A Customer who uses the Platform in the course of a commercial or self-employed professional activity. Customer: A natural person with full legal capacity who has reached the age of 18, or a legal entity or partnership, ordering one or more Services from Reviewers through the Platform. User Account: An account established by the Platform Operator for a Customer or Reviewer for the entry and administration of user data. User Agreement: The agreement between the Customer or Reviewer and the Platform Operator regarding the registration and the establishment and maintenance of a User Account. Platform: The website www.sci-check.de. Platform Operator: Sci Check GmbH. Platform Services for Customers: The services provided by the Platform Operator to Customers via the Platform, in particular the transmission of Customer Orders to Reviewers. The Service Agreements concluded between Reviewers and Customers through the Platform, as well as the Services provided by Reviewers to Customers, do not constitute services provided by the Platform Operator.

§ 2 Company Information and Contact Details of the Platform Operator

Company: Sci Check GmbH Address: Greifswalder Str. 21, 10405 Berlin E-mail: info@sci-check.com Telephone: +49 (0)30 8452156-0

§ 3 Applicability of these Terms and Conditions

(1) These Terms and Conditions apply to the Platform Services provided to Customers and Reviewers. They apply exclusively to the contractual and legal relationships between the Platform Operator and the Customer, and between the Platform Operator and the Reviewer. (2) These Terms and Conditions do not apply to contracts or legal relationships between Customers and Reviewers. The legal relationship between a Customer and a Reviewer is governed exclusively by the respective Service Agreement concluded between them.

§ 4 Use of the Platform by Customers; Minors

(1) The Platform may be used by Customers and Reviewers. (2) The right of Customers and Reviewers to use the Platform exists only within the limits of the current state of technology. (3) Minors (persons under the age of 18) may not conclude contracts through the Platform or order or offer Services. They may use the Platform only with the involvement of a parent or legal guardian.

§ 5 Access to these Terms and Conditions, Acceptance, Amendments, and Deviating Terms

(1) Customers and Reviewers may view the current version of these Terms and Conditions on the website www.sci-check.de, print them, and save them in a reproducible format on their devices. (2) By placing an Order through the Platform, or by accepting an Order as a Reviewer, the respective Customer or Reviewer declares acceptance of these Terms and Conditions. Any person who does not agree to these Terms and Conditions and/or who does not qualify as a Customer or Reviewer within the meaning of these Terms and Conditions may not use the Platform as a Customer or Reviewer, place Orders, or offer Services. (3) The Platform Operator reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time with future effect, provided that such amendments are reasonable for the Customer or Reviewer. The amended Terms and Conditions shall be communicated to the Customer or Reviewer by e-mail, or in writing, no later than four weeks before they enter into force and shall also be published on the Platform. If the Customer or Reviewer does not object to the amended Terms and Conditions within four weeks after receiving notification of the amendment, and/or continues to use the Platform without objection, the amended Terms and Conditions shall be deemed accepted. The Platform Operator shall specifically inform the Customer or Reviewer of the amendments made and of the legal consequences of failing to object. (4) Any terms and conditions of a Customer or Reviewer that conflict with or deviate from these Terms and Conditions shall not be binding on the Platform Operator unless expressly acknowledged by the Platform Operator in writing.

§ 6 Operation and Purpose of the Platform; Responsibility for Content, Services, and Compliance

(1) The Platform is operated by the Platform Operator. (2) The purpose of the Platform is to provide a marketplace on which Reviewers offer their Services to Customers, provided that the respective Service, the offer thereof, and the published content do not violate applicable law, third-party rights, or these Terms and Conditions. (3) The Platform Operator does not itself offer any Services through the Platform. (4) Subject to these Terms and Conditions, each Customer and Reviewer is responsible for ensuring that all content published or uploaded by them on the Platform, as well as the Services they offer, do not violate any applicable laws or the rights of third parties. Each Reviewer is responsible for fully complying with all laws and regulations applicable to their Services. (5) As a general rule, the Platform Operator does not review the Services offered or content published by Customers or Reviewers for legality, accuracy, or completeness. Such content does not represent the opinions of the Platform Operator. (6) The Platform Operator may make the use of the Platform or individual functions subject to certain conditions and/or to the submission of specific evidence. (7) The Platform Operator shall make every reasonable effort to ensure that the Platform is continuously available and that transmissions are error-free. However, uninterrupted availability cannot be guaranteed. (8) The Platform Operator may temporarily restrict or suspend its Services where this is necessary or appropriate for reasons of security, system integrity, capacity limitations, maintenance, or other measures required to ensure or improve the proper operation of the Platform. In doing so, the Platform Operator shall give due consideration to the legitimate interests of Customers and Reviewers.

§ 7 Fees and Remuneration

(1) The Platform Operator does not charge Customers any fee for the general use of the Platform. However, for the use of Services obtained through the Platform, Customers shall pay the fees published on the Platform at the time the respective Service is obtained, such fees constituting the Service Fee pursuant to § 11. (2) The Platform Operator does not charge Reviewers any fee for using the Platform. (3) For each review completed on time and without justified objection, the Reviewer shall receive a remuneration individually agreed per peer review.

§ 8 Registration, Customer Account, User Agreement, and Login Credentials

(1) Use of the Platform as a Customer or Reviewer requires registration and the creation of a User Account. (2) Registration and the creation of a Customer Account are subject to approval by the Platform Operator. (3) Upon approval by the Platform Operator, a User Agreement shall be concluded between the Platform Operator and the Customer or Reviewer. (4) Customers and Reviewers shall have no legal entitlement to the conclusion of a User Agreement. The Platform Operator reserves the right to reject any application without stating reasons. (5) Registration and the creation of a User Account are permitted only for Customers and Reviewers. Minors may neither register nor create a User Account. (6) Customers and Reviewers are obliged to keep the login credentials for their User Account confidential and to protect them against unauthorized access. If they become aware of, or suspect, that an unauthorized third party has obtained knowledge of their login credentials, they shall immediately change those credentials. If this is not possible, they shall immediately inform the Platform Operator. (7) The Platform Operator reserves the right to block or change login credentials if the Customer or Reviewer has breached the confidentiality and/or notification obligations or if there are indications that unauthorized third parties have obtained the login credentials. In such cases, the Platform Operator shall inform the Customer or Reviewer without undue delay. (8) Paragraphs (6) and (7) shall apply accordingly where an authorized representative has access to the login credentials. (9) Despite implementing appropriate security measures, the Platform Operator cannot exclude the possibility that incorrect contact details may have been stored or may have changed in the meantime. (10) A User Account is non-transferable. (11) Upon termination of the User Agreement, the User Account and the data provided by or generated through use of the Platform shall be deleted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Platform Operator may retain such information where legally required or where it has a legitimate interest. Aggregated data shall continue to be retained after termination. Information regarding the processing of personal data is set out in the Privacy Policy.

§ 9 Right of Withdrawal and Withdrawal Information for Consumers

(1) Where a Customer or Reviewer uses the Platform as a consumer, they shall have a statutory right of withdrawal with respect to the agreement governing the use of the Platform and, where applicable, any User Agreement concluded with the Platform Operator. (2) In all other respects, the right of withdrawal shall be governed by the following:

Withdrawal Information for Consumers

Right of Withdrawal You have the right to withdraw from this contract within fourteen days without giving any reason. The withdrawal period shall be fourteen days from the date on which the contract was concluded. To exercise your right of withdrawal, you must inform us of your decision to withdraw from this contract by means of a clear statement (for example, by letter sent by post, or e-mail). You may use the attached model withdrawal form for this purpose, although its use is not mandatory. To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning the exercise of your right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired. Consequences of Withdrawal If you withdraw from this contract, we shall reimburse all payments received from you without undue delay and, in any event, no later than fourteen days from the day on which we receive notification of your withdrawal. Reimbursement shall be made using the same means of payment that you used for the original transaction unless expressly agreed otherwise. Under no circumstances will you incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement. If you requested that the Platform Services and/or our Services under the User Agreement should commence during the withdrawal period, you shall pay us an appropriate amount corresponding to the proportion of the Services already provided up to the time you informed us of your exercise of the right of withdrawal in relation to the total scope of the Services provided for under the contract. END OF WITHDRAWAL INFORMATION

Model Withdrawal Form

(Complete and return this form only if you wish to withdraw from the contract.) To: Sci Check GmbH, Greifswalder Str. 21, 10405 Berlin — I/We (*) hereby give notice that I/we (*) withdraw from my/our (*) contract for the provision of the following Service (*) — Contract concluded on (*) — Name of consumer(s) — Address of consumer(s) — Signature of consumer(s) (only if this form is submitted on paper) — Date (*) Delete as appropriate. END OF MODEL WITHDRAWAL FORM

(3) The right of withdrawal shall not exist, or shall expire, where the Platform Operator has fully performed its Services and the Customer or Reviewer has acknowledged prior to placing the Order and expressly agreed that the Platform Operator may commence performance before the expiry of the withdrawal period and that the right of withdrawal shall be lost upon complete performance. (4) Withdrawal from the agreement between the Customer or Reviewer and the Platform Operator shall have no effect on any Service Agreements concluded between the Customer and a Reviewer. (5) Any right of withdrawal that a Customer may have against a Reviewer with respect to a Service Agreement shall be governed exclusively by the statutory and contractual provisions applicable to that Service Agreement and, where applicable, the Reviewer's own withdrawal information. (6) As a general rule, any declaration of withdrawal relating to the conclusion of a Service Agreement must be addressed by the Customer directly to the respective Reviewer.

§ 10 Submission and Use of Data; Customer Reviews of Reviewers

(1) Customers and Reviewers warrant that all information provided by them, in particular during registration and when ordering Services, is accurate and sufficient for the relevant purpose. They undertake to notify the Platform Operator without undue delay of any future changes that are clearly relevant. (2) Commercial Customers are additionally obliged to supplement their registration details with all information required by law. The foregoing shall apply accordingly where a user changes from non-commercial to commercial use. (3) Customers and Reviewers may use the contact details of other Customers or Reviewers obtained through the Platform solely for pre-contractual and contractual communication with the respective party and for the performance or reversal of the respective Service Agreement. Such contact details may not be used for any other purpose and may not be sold to third parties. (4) Customers may publish publicly accessible reviews of Reviewers on the Platform. Such reviews are not verified by the Platform Operator and may be inaccurate or misleading. Customers undertake to provide only truthful statements in their reviews. Reviews must remain objective and must not contain abusive or defamatory criticism. (5) Any misuse of the review system is prohibited. In particular, it is prohibited to submit reviews of oneself or have third parties submit such reviews, to include matters unrelated to the performance of the relevant Order in a review, to use reviews for purposes other than facilitating the offering of Services through the Platform, or to coerce other Customers or Reviewers by threatening to submit or withhold a review. The Platform Operator may remove any reviews that violate the foregoing provisions.

§ 11 Service Fee

The Service Fee shall be understood as the final price, including any applicable value-added tax (VAT) and, where applicable, any other price components.

§ 12 Service Agreements

(1) Service Agreements are concluded exclusively between the Reviewer and the Customer. (2) The Platform shall expressly identify the Reviewer offering the respective Service to the Customer. (3) The Platform Operator is not a party to any Service Agreement, nor does it act as a representative, vicarious agent, or intermediary of either contracting party, nor is it otherwise involved in the contractual relationship. (4) The Platform Operator assumes no responsibility for the conclusion and/or performance of Service Agreements. This also applies to any reversal or rescission of such Service Agreements. (5) The Platform Operator likewise assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information exchanged between Customers and Reviewers in connection with a Service Agreement.

§ 13 Formation of Contracts via the Platform; Cancellations, Rescheduling, Amendments; Non-Circumvention

(1) The offers and presentations of Services by Reviewers on the Platform are always non-binding and do not constitute binding offers to conclude a Service Agreement but merely non-binding invitations for Customers to place Orders. (2) An Order placed by a Customer constitutes a binding offer to the Reviewer to conclude a Service Agreement. The Order is placed by means of a corresponding listing on the Platform. By submitting such listing, the Customer agrees that the review prepared by the Reviewer may be published by the Platform Operator together with the Customer's name, title, and rating. (3) The Acknowledgement of Receipt does not constitute acceptance of the Customer's contractual offer. It merely serves to inform the Customer that the Order has been received by the Platform Operator. (4) The Platform Operator shall automatically forward the Order to potential Reviewers or make the Customer's request available to Reviewers registered on the Platform by means of a listing. (5) A Service Agreement is concluded only when the Customer receives an Order Confirmation or, where no prior Order Confirmation has been sent, when the Reviewer performs the ordered Service for the Customer. (6) Unless otherwise specified in the Order, a Reviewer is entitled to accept an Order within seven days of its submission. (7) The Order Confirmation shall form an integral part of the Service Agreement. (8) Upon receipt of the Order Confirmation, the Customer shall examine it without undue delay for factual accuracy. (9) Orders may be cancelled, rescheduled, or amended at any time before the Customer receives an Order Confirmation. Once the Customer has received an Order Confirmation, cancellations, rescheduling, and amendments shall only be possible with the consent of both the Platform Operator and the Reviewer. (10) A Customer who has placed an Order through the Platform may not cancel that Order in order to book the cancelled Service directly with the Reviewer. If the Customer breaches this prohibition, the Platform Operator may exercise its rights under §§ 15 and/or 16. Any further claims of the Platform Operator, including claims for damages (including loss of profit), shall remain unaffected. (11) Upon receipt of the review, the Customer shall notify any objections through the Platform within one month of receiving the review. If no objections are raised within this period, the review shall be deemed accepted by the Customer as being free from defects or complaints.

§ 14 Payment and Payment Processing

(1) Upon conclusion of a Service Agreement, the Customer's payment obligation towards the Platform Operator arises in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. (2) The Customer may use the online payment methods offered on the Platform to make payment to the Platform Operator. (3) The Platform Operator reserves the right not to offer certain payment methods in individual cases following a risk assessment. (4) Any fees charged by the provider of the Customer's selected online payment method shall be borne by the Customer, provided that such fees were specifically disclosed to the Customer before the online payment was executed.

§ 15 Sanctions

(1) If there are concrete indications that a Customer or Reviewer has violated statutory provisions, third-party rights, or these Terms and Conditions, or if the Platform Operator has another legitimate interest (in particular, to protect Platform users against fraudulent conduct), the Platform Operator may take any measures available to it under applicable law and/or contract. Such measures include, in particular: • Issuing a warning to the Customer or Reviewer; • Restricting the use of the Platform; • Deleting reviews and/or other content; • Temporarily suspending the Customer's or Reviewer's User Account; • Permanently suspending the Customer's or Reviewer's User Account; • Temporarily or permanently refusing further Orders from a Customer or further acceptance of Orders by a Reviewer. (2) When determining which measures to take, the Platform Operator shall also give due consideration to the legitimate interests of the Customer or Reviewer, including whether there are indications of fault. (3) The Platform Operator may permanently suspend a User Account or permanently refuse further Orders where there is good cause. Good cause shall exist in particular where the Customer or Reviewer: • has repeatedly been the subject of complaints by one or several Customers or Reviewers, and permanent suspension is appropriate for the protection of other Customers or Reviewers; • transfers their User Account to a third party, provides a third party with their login credentials, or otherwise grants a third party access to their User Account; • causes significant harm to one or more Customers or Reviewers; • provides false contact details; • violates § 13 (10), sentence 1, of these Terms and Conditions; or • repeatedly breaches statutory provisions, third-party rights, or these Terms and Conditions. (4) Following permanent suspension, the Customer or Reviewer shall have no right to restoration of the suspended User Account or any further use of the Platform. (5) Where a User Account has been permanently suspended, the Customer or Reviewer may no longer use the Platform through any other User Account, may not register again, and may not place further Orders in their own name or on behalf of another person. (6) Any suspension shall have no effect on the validity of Service Agreements already concluded.

§ 16 Termination of a User Agreement for Customers

(1) The Customer/Reviewer and the Platform Operator may terminate a User Agreement at any time by e-mail or in writing. (2) The right to block a Customer/Reviewer and the right to extraordinary termination for good cause shall remain unaffected. With regard to good cause, § 15 (3) sentence 2 shall apply accordingly. (3) If a User Agreement has been terminated by the Platform Operator, that Customer/Reviewer may no longer use the Platform, even with other User Accounts, and may not register again. (4) The termination shall not affect the validity of Service Agreements already concluded.

§ 17 Liability of the Platform Operator

(1) The Platform Operator shall be liable in accordance with statutory provisions for intent and gross negligence on the part of the Platform Operator, its legal representatives, and its vicarious agents. (2) The Platform Operator shall be liable, in principle, for simple negligence in the breach of essential contractual obligations, i.e., obligations whose breach endangers the purpose of the contract or whose fulfilment is essential for the proper execution of the contractual relationship and on whose fulfilment the Customer/Reviewer regularly relies and may rely. In such cases, liability shall be limited to the typically foreseeable damage. (3) Any further liability of the Platform Operator is excluded. (4) To the extent that liability of the Platform Operator is excluded or limited, this shall also apply to the personal liability of its legal representatives and vicarious agents. (5) The above limitations of liability shall not apply in the case of injury to life, body, or health, in the case of a defect after the assumption of a guarantee for the quality of a product, or in the case of fraudulently concealed defects. (6) Liability under the Product Liability Act shall remain unaffected.

§ 18 Indemnification

(1) The Customer/Reviewer shall indemnify the Platform Operator against all claims asserted by other Customers, Reviewers, or third parties against the Platform Operator due to the violation of their rights by: a) content published by the Customer/Reviewer on the Platform (e.g., in reviews); b) any other use of the Platform by the Customer/Reviewer. (2) In the cases of paragraph (1), the Customer/Reviewer shall also bear the costs of necessary legal defence of the Platform Operator, including all court and legal fees at the statutory rate. (3) Paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not apply if the Customer/Reviewer is not responsible for the infringement. (4) In the event of any claim against the Platform Operator pursuant to paragraph (1), the Customer/Reviewer is obliged to provide the Platform Operator without undue delay, truthfully, and completely with all necessary information for examining and defending against the claims.

§ 19 Place of Jurisdiction and Choice of Law

(1) The exclusive place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising out of or in connection with a contract governed by these Terms and Conditions shall be Berlin (Germany), provided that the Customer/Reviewer is a merchant within the meaning of the German Commercial Code, a legal entity under public law, or a special fund under public law. The above sentence shall also apply if the Customer/Reviewer does not have a general place of jurisdiction in Germany, relocates their domicile or habitual residence outside Germany after conclusion of the contract, or if their domicile or habitual residence is unknown at the time legal action is filed. (2) In the cases referred to in paragraph (1), the Platform Operator shall also be entitled to bring legal action against the Customer/Reviewer at their place of residence or registered office. (3) The contracts governed by these Terms and Conditions, as well as these Terms and Conditions themselves, shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, excluding private international law and the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods.

§ 20 Final Provisions

(1) Should individual provisions of these Terms and Conditions be or become wholly or partially invalid, not effectively incorporated into the contract, or void, the validity of the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected. The statutory provisions shall replace any non-incorporated or invalid provisions. If no such statutory provisions are available or if they would lead to an unreasonably burdensome result, the parties shall enter into negotiations to agree on a valid provision that comes as close as possible to the economic intent of the invalid provision. (2) All declarations made within the framework of a contract concluded with the Platform Operator and/or the use of the Platform must be made in written form or text form (e.g., by e-mail), unless otherwise stipulated in these Terms and Conditions.