Terms of Use

These Terms of Use, along with any specific terms when applicable, govern the interactions of any visitor on this Website and any functionally related websites (“User”).

1.1. Any use of this website and any functionally related websites ("Verification Academy Website") operated and administered by the Verification Academy entity specified on the Website imprint ("Verification Academy"), is subject to these Terms of Use. These Terms of Use may be amended, modified or replaced by other terms and conditions, e.g. for the purchase of products and services.

1.2. In the case of web offers aimed at companies or public enterprises, such companies or enterprises are represented by the User and must assume that the User has appropriate knowledge and acts accordingly.

2.1. This Verification Academy Website contains specific information and software, as well as - as the case may be - related documentation, for viewing or downloading.

2.2. Verification Academy may stop the operation of the Verification Academy Website in full or in part at any time. Due to the nature of the internet and computer systems, Verification Academy cannot accept any liability for the continuous availability of the Verification Academy Website.

3.1. Some pages of the Verification Academy Website may be password protected. In the interest of safety and security of the business transactions, only registered Users may access said pages. Verification Academy particularly reserves the right to deny registration to any User. Verification Academy particularly reserves the right to make certain sites, which were previously freely accessible, subject to registration. Verification Academy is entitled, at any time and without obligation to give reasons, to deny the User the right to access the password-protected area by blocking its User Data (as defined below), in particular if the User

• uses false data for the purpose of registration;
• violates these Terms of Use or neglects its duty of care with regard to User Data;
• violates any applicable laws in the access to or use of the Verification Academy Website; or
• did not use the Verification Academy Website for a longer period.

3.2. For registration the User shall give accurate information and, where such information changes over time, update such information (to the extent possible: online) without undue delay. The User shall ensure that its e-mail address, as supplied to Verification Academy, is current at all times and an address at which only the User can be contacted. For the avoidance of doubt, the e-mail address must be linked to a specific person (e.g. - john.smith@company.com). Generic or role-based e-mail addresses linked to groups or functions (e.g. - info@company.com) may not be used.

3.3. Upon registration the User will be provided with an access code, comprising a User ID and a password ("User Data"). On first access the User shall promptly change the password received from Verification Academy into a password known only to the User. The User Data allows the User to view or change its data or, as applicable, to withdraw its consent to data processing.

3.4. The User shall ensure that User Data is not accessible by third parties and is liable for all transactions and other activities carried out under its User Data. At the end of each online session, the User shall log-off from the password protected websites. If and to the extent the User becomes aware that third parties are misusing its User Data the User shall notify Verification Academy thereof without undue delay in writing, or, as the case may be, by e-mail.

3.5. After receipt of the notice under paragraph 3.4, Verification Academy will deny access to the password-protected area under such User Data. Access by the User will only be possible again upon the User's application to Verification Academy or upon new registration.

3.6. The User may at any time request termination of its registration in writing, provided that the deletion will not violate the proper performance of contractual relationships. In such event Verification Academy will remove all user data and other stored personally identifiable data of the User as soon as these data are no longer needed.

4.1. Separately agreed to license terms, for example software downloads or services offered over the Website, shall prevail over these Terms of Use. 4.2 – 4-5 are only applicable in case no specific license terms have been agreed upon.

4.2. The use of any information, software and documentation made available on or via the Verification Academy Website is subject to these Terms of Use or, in case of updating information, software or documentation, subject to the applicable license terms provided by or previously agreed with Verification Academy.

4.3. Verification Academy grants User a non-exclusive and non-transferable license, which may not be sublicensed, to use the information, software and documentation made available to the User on or via the Verification Academy Website to the extent agreed, or in the event of no such agreement to the extent of the purpose intended by Verification Academy in making same available.

4.4. If not otherwise specifically agreed, software made available to User will be provided in object code. There shall be no right for the source code to be made available. This shall not apply to source code related to open source software, which license conditions take priority over these Terms of Use in the case of transfer of open source software and which conditions require the making available of the source code. In such case Verification Academy shall make the source code available in return for the payment of costs.

4.5. Information, software and documentation may not be distributed by the User to any third party at any time nor may it be rented or in any other way made available. Unless such is allowed by mandatory law, the User shall not modify the software or documentation nor shall it disassemble, reverse engineer or decompile the software or separate any part thereof. The User may make one backup copy of the software where necessary to secure further use in accordance with these Terms of Use.

4.6. The information, software and documentation are protected by copyright laws as well as international copyright treaties as well as other laws and conventions related to intellectual property. The User shall observe such laws and in particular shall not modify, conceal or remove any alphanumeric code, marks or copyright notices neither from the information nor from the software or documentation, or any copies thereof.

5.1. Notwithstanding the particular provisions in § 4 of these Terms of Use, information, brand names and other contents of the Verification Academy Website may not be changed, copied, reproduced, sold, rented, used, supplemented or otherwise used in any other way without the prior written permission of Verification Academy.

5.2. Except for the rights of use and other rights expressly granted herein, no other rights are granted to the User nor shall any obligation be implied requiring the grant of further rights. Any and all patent rights and licenses are expressly excluded.

5.3. Verification Academy may, without charge, use any data, ideas or proposals stored by a User on the Verification Academy Websites for the development, improvement and sale of all its offerings.

6.1. In accessing or using the Verification Academy Website the User shall not

Violate any laws or regulations, or rights of others such as any criminal acts, including corruption or bribery, export control and sanctions violations, money laundering or terrorism financing or violate any antitrust laws, including by agreements or concerted practices preventing, restricting or distorting competition (e.g. price fixing, market or customer allocation, limitation of technical development, portfolio alignment) or by sharing of competitively sensitive information;

Be harmful to others, or to the reputation of Verification Academy, including by offering or disseminating fraudulent goods, services, schemes, or promotions, make-money-fast schemes, ponzi or pyramid schemes, phishing, farming, or other deceptive practices;

• violate any intellectual property right or any other proprietary right;
• upload any contents containing a virus, so-called Trojan Horse, or any other program that could damage data;
• transmit, store or upload hyperlinks or contents to which the User is not entitled, in particular in cases where such hyperlinks or contents are in breach of confidentiality obligations or unlawful; or
• distribute advertising or unsolicited e-mails (so-called "spam") or inaccurate warnings of viruses, defects or similar material and the User shall not solicit or request the participation in any lottery, snowball system, chain letter, pyramid game or similar activity.

6.2. Use Restrictions

The User shall not:

• Transmit, store or upload hyperlinks or contents to which the User is not entitled, particularly where such hyperlinks or contents breach confidentiality obligations or are unlawful;
• Resell, transfer, sublicense, loan, lease or publish Verification Academy Websites or online platforms, or use them in the operation of a business process outsourcing or other outsourcing or time-sharing service (unless expressly permitted by Verification Academy);
• Reverse engineer, disassemble, decompile, modify, create derivative works, merge, tamper with, or attempt to discover the source code of Verification Academy Websites or the underlying technology;
• Engage in text or data mining. This includes, but is not limited to, any automated scraping, reproduction, or extraction of content, information, or data from the Verification Academy Website for the purpose of analysis, and for developing, training, or improving any artificial intelligence or machine learning systems;
• Access or use Verification Academy Websites to avoid use limitations, monitoring, or fees, or for the purpose of conducting performance tests, building competitive products, or copying features or user interfaces;
• Interfere with the proper functioning or security of any Verification Academy systems.

6.3 Security Requirements

The User shall:

• Take reasonable precautions against security attacks, viruses, and malicious code on systems, hardware, software, or services used to connect to and/or access Verification Academy Websites and online platforms;
• Not perform any penetration test of or on Verification Academy Websites or the underlying technology without obtaining Verification Academy's express prior written consent;
• Not use devices to access or use Verification Academy Websites that do not comply with industry standard security policies (e.g., password protection, virus protection, update and patch level).

6.4 Monitoring, Enforcement, and Reporting

Verification Academy may monitor the User's compliance with and analyze any violation of these Terms of Use.

To ensure compliance with these Terms of Use, Verification Academy may take action against any content or resource that violates these Terms of Use or any other agreement Verification Academy has with the User for use of the Verification Academy Websites or where Verification Academy is permitted or required by law or a competent authority. This may include removing, restricting, limiting, or disabling access to content or requesting the User to modify the content. Verification Academy may also suspend or terminate the User's account if the User repeatedly or seriously infringes third-party rights, violates any law or regulation, these Terms of Use, or where Verification Academy is permitted or required to do so by law or a competent authority.

Information on how to report any violation of these Terms of Use, including any content the User believes to be illegal, can be found on the Digital Services Act information page on the Verification Academy Website, available under https://www.siemens.com/global/en/company/about/compliance/eu-digital-services-act.html and on the DMCA information page, available under https://verificationacademy.com/dmca/. In addition, the User may report any suspected or actual violations of law or company policy at Siemens or in Siemens' supply chain via the protected reporting channels available under https://www.siemens.com/global/en/company/about/compliance/reporting-channels.html.

When Verification Academy receives notice of any violation of these Terms of Use, Verification Academy will manually review the reported activity. Verification Academy may suspend the handling of notices and complaints from a User for a reasonable period of time and after having issued a warning if the User frequently submits notices or complaints that are manifestly unfounded. When making such decisions, Verification Academy will assess, on a case-by-case basis and in a timely, diligent, and objective manner, the potential misuse and will consider all relevant facts and circumstances apparent from the information available to Verification Academy.

Verification Academy may report any activity that Verification Academy suspects violate any law or regulation or forward any report as required by law to a competent authority or other appropriate third parties. Verification Academy may also share the User's content if a party claims that the User's use of the Verification Academy Website or the User's content violates third party's rights or any law or regulation.

6.5 Indemnification

The User shall indemnify and hold harmless Verification Academy, its affiliates, subcontractors, and their representatives against any third-party claims, damages, and necessary costs (including reasonable attorney's fees) and compensate Verification Academy for all losses and expenses arising from the User’s intentional or negligent violation of these Terms of Use, applicable laws, or the rights of third parties in connection with the use of any Verification Academy Website or online platform, or the User’s content uploaded thereto. This indemnification obligation does not apply to users who are consumers, i.e., natural persons acting for purposes outside their trade, business, or profession.

6.6. Verification Academy may deny access to the Verification Academy Website at any time, in particular if the User breaches any obligation arising from these Terms of Use.

8.1. Insofar as any information, software or documentation is made available at no cost, any liability for defects as to quality or title of the information, software and documentation especially in relation to the correctness or absence of defects or the absence of claims or third party rights or in relation to completeness and/or fitness for purpose are excluded except for cases involving willful misconduct or fraud.

8.2. The information on the Verification Academy Website may contain specifications or general descriptions related to the technical possibilities of individual products which may not be available in certain cases (e.g. due to product changes). The required performance of the product shall therefore be mutually agreed in each case at the time of purchase.

9.1. The liability of Verification Academy for defects in relation to quality and title shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of § 8 of these Terms of Use. Any further liability of Verification Academy is excluded unless required by law, e.g. under the Act on Product Liability or in cases of willful misconduct, gross negligence, personal injury or death, failure to meet guaranteed characteristics, fraudulent concealment of a defect or in case of breach of fundamental contractual obligations. The damages in case of breach of fundamental contractual obligations is limited to the contract-typical, foreseeable damage if there is no willful misconduct or gross negligence.

9.2. Although Verification Academy makes every endeavor to keep the Verification Academy Website free from viruses, Verification Academy cannot make any guarantee that it is virus-free. The User shall, for its own protection, take the necessary steps to ensure appropriate security measures and shall utilize a virus scanner before downloading any information, software or documentation.

9.3. §§ 9.1 and 9.2 do not intend nor imply any changes to the burden of proof to the User's disadvantage.

9.4 Where User is located in the United States of America, the following deviating warranty and liability provision applies and, notwithstanding any other provision of these Terms of Use, supersedes all other provisions relating to liability and warranty for such User:

Verification Academy make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of the Verification Academy Website’s content. Except as specifically provided in these Terms of Use, the Verification Academy Website is provided to User “as is”. Verification Academy make no other representation or warranty, either express or implied. Verification Academy do not warrant the accuracy, completeness, performance, currency, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose of the Verification Academy Website or the method of delivering that information to User. Verification Academy disclaims all responsibility for cases involving any loss or claim of any kind resulting from, arising out of, or any way related to (a) errors in or omissions in the Verification Academy Website, including technical inaccuracies and typographical errors, (b) any third party websites or content therein directly or indirectly accessed through links in any of the Verification Academy Website’s content, (c) the unavailability of the Verification Academy Website, (d) any use of the Verification Academy Website, (e) any use of any equipment or software in connection with the Verification Academy Website, or (f) any reliance on the information contained in the Verification Academy Website, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall Verification Academy, or its or their respective officers, directors, employees, shareholders, agents, or representatives, be liable to User or any other person for any special, indirect, incidental, exemplary, punitive, or consequential damages or loss of goodwill in any way arising from or relating to the use of or inability to use the Verification Academy Website, even if Verification Academy has been notified of the possibility of such damages. In no event may User bring any claim or cause of action against Verification Academy more than one (1) year after such claim or cause of action arises.

10.1. If the User transfers information, software and documentation provided by Verification Academy to a third party, the User shall comply with all applicable sanctions, embargoes and (re-) export control laws and regulations, and, in any event, with those of the European Union, the United States of America and the Federal Republic of Germany (collectively “Export Regula­tions”). The User shall not access or use the Verification Academy Website from any location prohibited by or subject to comprehensive sanctions under the Export Regulations (e.g., Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the non-government controlled areas of Ukraine) or grant access to any individual or entity on a relevant sanctioned party list.

10.2. Prior to any such transfer to a third party the User shall in particular check and guarantee by appropriate measures that

• The User’s transfer, use, or distribution of such information, software and documentation, the brokering of contracts or the provision of other economic resources in connection with them will not be in violation of any Export Regulations, also taking into account any prohibitions to circumvent these (e.g., by undue diversion);
• Such information, software and documentation provided by Verification Academy are not intended or provided for prohibited or unauthorized non-civilian purposes (e.g., armaments, nuclear technology, weapons, or any other usage in the field of defense and military);
• The User has screened all direct and indirect parties involved in the receipt, use, transfer, or distribution of the Goods and Services against all applicable restricted party lists of the Export Regulations concerning trading with entities, persons and organizations listed therein.

10.3. If required to enable authorities or Verification Academy to conduct export control checks, the User, upon request by Verification Academy, shall promptly provide Verification Academy with all information pertaining to the particular end-user, the particular destination and the particular intended use of information, software and documentation provided by Verification Academy, as well as any export control restrictions existing.

10.4. Verification Academy shall not be obligated to fulfill these Terms of Use if such fulfillment is prevented by any impediments arising out of national or international foreign trade or customs requirements or any embargoes or other sanctions.

11.1. Verification Academy may revise, add, or remove parts of these Terms of Use from time to time. Continued use of the Verification Academy Website after such changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms of Use.

11.2. The place of jurisdiction shall be Munich, Germany, except where User is located in the United States of America, in which case all disputes arising from or in connection with these Terms of Use shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Delaware, USA. Each party hereby irrevocably submits itself to the personal jurisdiction of the relevant court of the State of Delaware for any such disputes.

11.3. The individual pages of the Verification Academy Website are operated and administered by the Verification Academy entity specified on the Website imprint. The pages comply with the law applicable in the country where the responsible entity has its business residence. Verification Academy makes no representation that information, software and/or documentation on the Verification Academy Website are appropriate or available for viewing or downloading at locations outside such country. If Users access Verification Academy Website from outside such country, they are exclusively responsible for compliance with all applicable local laws. Access to Verification Academy Website's information, software and/or documentation from countries where such content is unlawful is prohibited. In this case and where User seeks to do business with Verification Academy, the User should contact the Verification Academy representative for the particular country for country specific business.

11.4. These Terms of Use and all disputes arising from or in connection with them shall be governed by:

• the laws of Germany (excluding its conflict of laws principles), or
• if User is located in the United States of America, by the laws of the State of Delaware, USA.

The application of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sales of Goods (CISG) of 11 April 1980 is excluded.

Last updated: 27 October 2025

3.1. Use of a Verification Academy Offering is governed by the applicable Verification Academy agreement documents presented during the order process (“Verification Academy Terms”). In the event of a conflict between these Terms of Use and the Verification Academy Terms, the Verification Academy Terms will control as to each party’s rights and responsibilities related to the Verification Academy Offering itself, while these Terms of Use will control as to the use of the online platform or marketplace.

3.2. Use of a Third-Party Offering is governed by the terms and conditions provided by the third-party seller ("Third-Party Terms”), not the Verification Academy Terms. By ordering a Third-Party Offering, the User enters into a direct agreement with the third-party seller. Verification Academy is not a party to, and has no responsibility or liability under, any Third-Party Terms. The User acknowledges that:

• Verification Academy is not responsible for compliance with the Third-Party Terms;
• Verification Academy does not guarantee any Third-Party Terms are adequate for the User's needs;
• Verification Academy is under no obligation to test, validate, or otherwise review the Third-Party Offering;
• Verification Academy does not assume any obligation or responsibility with regard to the use of the Third-Party Offering, its support or any other related services or products, whether or not they are designated by Verification Academy as “certified” or otherwise; and
• Verification Academy is not responsible for any dispute between the User and the third-party seller, but Verification Academy may elect to assist in resolving any dispute. If Verification Academy elects to assist, the User agrees to co-operate with Verification Academy to resolve the dispute.

3.3. The Verification Academy Terms or Third-Party Terms applicable to an ordered Offering are referenced via links during the order process. Verification Academy recommends that the User saves or prints the applicable terms; Verification Academy does not save these terms for the User.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, the following process shall apply:

The presentation of Offerings on a platform or marketplace does not constitute a binding offer. Only the User's order constitutes a binding offer to the relevant seller to purchase the Offering. Prior to placing a binding order, the User will be presented with a summary of the order and will have the opportunity to identify and correct any input errors using the technical means provided. The User may cancel the ordering process at any time before the order becomes binding. When the User places an order, an email may be sent confirming the receipt of the order. This order receipt confirmation does not constitute an acceptance of the User's offer. A contract is only concluded if the order is accepted by the seller, which is typically confirmed with another email detailing the particulars of the order or by the provisioning of the Offering.

By entering payment information, the User represents that it is an authorized user of the payment method and that the associated information is accurate. The User authorizes Verification Academy or its payment service provider to:

• charge the full amount due for the Offerings to the selected payment method;
• charge the amount due for any automatic renewals of a subscription to which the User has agreed; and
• return to the payment method any funds due to the User resulting from a purchase.

Except for the rights of use expressly granted to the User in these Terms of Use, all right, title and interest (including intellectual property rights) in the online platform or marketplace are reserved by Verification Academy. All right, title and interest (including intellectual property rights) in the Offerings are reserved and retained by their respective seller (whether Verification Academy or a third-party) and its licensors.

Last updated: 27 October 2025

The User shall not:

• use AI Services beyond the scope of access granted;
• permit any other users to access or use AI Services to develop, train, or improve any other AI, including a competing or similar product or service;
• use web scraping, web harvesting, web data extraction, or any other method to extract data from AI Services;
• use AI Services to create content or use content in a manner that the User knows or should know infringes, misappropriates, or otherwise violates any intellectual property rights or other rights of any person, or that violates any applicable law, regulation, or rule.

AI Services are not intended for use in High-Risk contexts. Verification Academy will not be liable for any claims, damages, losses, costs, or liabilities arising from the use of our AI Services in High-Risk contexts, and the User will indemnify and hold Verification Academy harmless against any such claims.

"High-Risk contexts" means situations where AI Services are used to inform or make decisions that require enhanced safety measures or risk management features, such as fail-safe or fault-tolerant systems. This includes contexts where failure or malfunction may reasonably be expected to result in death, personal injury, property or environmental damage, or significant impacts on fundamental rights. High-Risk contexts include, but are not limited to, critical infrastructure, healthcare, transportation safety, biometric identification, education and employment decisions, law enforcement, migration, justice, and democratic processes, as well as any other high-risk AI practices defined or prohibited by applicable laws and regulations.

Verification Academy may modify these terms at any time.

Last updated: 16 March 2026