1. Scope of application 

1.1 The provider of the portal for healthcare professionals "springermedicine.com" is Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, Heidelberger Platz 3, D-14197 Berlin, Germany, telephone: +49 6221 345-0, email: info@springermedicine.com, Commercial Register: Local Court Berlin-Charlottenburg HRB 167094 B, Managing Directors: Fabian Kaufmann, Dr. Cécile Mack, Dr. Hendrik Pugge (hereinafter referred to as "Springer"). 

1.2 The following Terms and Conditions apply to all products (physical products, e.g. journal subscriptions), digital content (e.g. online subscriptions and individual specialist articles) and services offered and provided by Springer on and via the internet portal "springermedicine.com" (hereinafter referred to as the "Portal") and its subpages. 

1.3 The following Terms and Conditions apply exclusively. Possible deviating contractual terms and conditions of the user shall only apply if they have been confirmed by Springer. 

2. Services 

2.1 Springer provides "springermedicine.com", a specialist portal aimed at European healthcare professionals (physicians, pharmacists, dentists, veterinarians) and other persons who legally trade in prescription-only medicines.

In the portal, various specialist medical publications and information, newsletters, specialist reports, forms and other text, audio, video and image material can be obtained online as part of a subscription. The content and information is offered partly free of charge (cf. section 5.), partly against payment (cf. section 6.). 

The portal also offers online continuing education courses free of charge or against payment, individually or as part of a subscription, with or without the possibility to collect CME points, including the assessment of learning success displaying the correct answers (cf. section 6.4.). 

Furthermore, an online subscription is available to the user which, depending on the subscription model selected, provides either online access to all medical journals available, or to news and other content, or to courses, or to the archive and the community or to content defined by topic (cf. section 6.3.). 

In the portal, digitised journals and books can be accessed after prior conclusion of a contract against payment or – in the case of temporarily free content – after registration, which is without charge. Apart from content of general nature, access to the portal is restricted to the persons named in section 3.1. In order for a user to obtain access, it must first be verified via the central registration and login platform of Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA (hereinafter referred to as the "Authentication Service") that the user is a member of the group of persons referred to in section 3.1. After that they can then also access the content ordered on “springermedicine.com” online. 

The details of the services offered by Springer in each case are described in detail on the website at www.springermedicine.com.

2.2 Using the services provided by Springer or placing orders with Springer requires an internet connection as well as permission to use Javascript in the browser in the most current version. In addition, the latest version of the Adobe Reader program from Adobe Systems Inc. or another program for viewing and saving PDF documents is required in order to obtain articles and journals in the PDF format. The user is responsible for establishing these technical requirements. Any costs incurred in this regard shall be borne by the user. 

3. Identification, registration, access to the portal, access data 

3.1 Identification; registration 

With the exception of information of a general nature, access to the portal is restricted to physicians, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists and other persons who are authorised to trade in prescription-only medicinal products). The use of most of the services offered on "springermedicine.com" therefore requires the prior verification and registration of the user as well as the assignment and activation of the necessary access data, in particular a password.

Upon registration, the user represents that they are a member of one of the above-mentioned authorised groups of persons.

Springer uses a central authentication service for registration. The contractual relationship for the use of the authentication service is subject to separate terms of use. These can be found at the bottom of this page.

3.2 Access to the portal, use of access data 

3.2.1 The user gains access to the restricted areas of the portal "springermedicine.com" and its services by entering the access data assigned to them via the authentication service into the login form. Springer nevertheless reserves the right to deny users access even if registration has been completed via said authentication service. 

3.2.2 The assigned access data – as well as the provided services themselves – are exclusively intended for personal use by the respective user and may not be shared with third parties, including family members or colleagues. With respect to the authentication service, Springer also has the right to carry out a central blocking of a user’s access data for the authentication service. Furthermore, the User is also liable to Springer for all consequences of third-party use, insofar as the user is responsible for the misuse of the access data. In particular, the user is already responsible for the misuse if he/she has enabled the unauthorised use of the access data even negligently. Liability does not end until the user has informed Springer of the unauthorised use and, if necessary, changed the password. 

3.3 Termination and withdrawal of the right of access 

3.3.1 In the event of any breach of these General Terms and Conditions and Terms of Use by the user, in particular in case of 

• giving incorrect information when registering,
• unauthorised disclosure of the access data, in particular the password, and/or
• misuse of the services offered in the "springermedicine.com" portal, 

Springer reserves the right to block the user temporarily or permanently, also independently of the authentication service, without stating reasons and/or to withdraw the user's right of access with immediate effect with a period of notice at Springer's discretion and/or to terminate the contractual relationship for cause with immediate effect. 

3.3.2 If the user's right of access was temporarily or permanently withdrawn or has expired, the user can also no longer use the services of the "springermedicine.com" portal provided in the restricted area. This also applies to all participating portals of Springer. 

3.3.3 Furthermore, the right of access shall expire automatically as soon as the user no longer belongs to the authorised groups of persons as per section 3.1. The user is obliged to inform the customer service of the authentication service without delay of any relevant changes with respect to the user’s profession or occupation which will occur or have already occurred. 

4. Conclusion of contract, termination of contract, personal use 

4.1 Conclusion of contract, termination of contract 

4.1.1 On the "springermedicine.com" portal, various information and products can be accessed as part of a subscription or other contract. The presentation of information or products on the portal does not constitute a binding offer to conclude a contract, but an invitation to the user to submit an offer. The user makes a binding offer to conclude a contract by selecting the respective service, information or product and – if applicable, after entering their access data – by clicking the corresponding button to order "Order with costs" or to activate the service. Until this point in time, the user can go back in the order process and, if necessary, correct their input or cancel the order process by closing the browser window. Springer confirms receipt of the order immediately by email or, in the case of an order for a free test product, by a product-related activation message on the website. The confirmation of receipt by email or the display of the message on the website does not yet constitute acceptance of the order. 

4.1.2 The contract between Springer and the user is concluded when Springer declares acceptance by (i) activating the relevant information or content for the user, (ii) making it available to the user by download or (iii) confirming acceptance to the user by email. Springer reserves the right to reject the user's offer without giving reasons. 

4.1.3 Subscription contracts have the minimum term specified for the respective product on the portal. Upon expiry of the subscription, access to all content which is part of the subscription shall expire. The user shall no longer be able to use any CME content provided against a fee after that point in time Both parties’ right to extraordinary termination for cause remains unaffected.

4.1.4 Any notice of termination must be given in writing (email). Please send any notice of termination, for example, by post to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, attn: Springer Nature Customer Service Center, Tiergartenstr. 15-17, 69121 Heidelberg, for example, by email to: leserservice@springer.com. 

4.1.5 Springer offers users with current subscription contracts (both print and online subscriptions) the option of changing to a higher-value subscription at any time (e.g. from e.Med Internal Medicine to e.Med Interdisciplinary). This change ("upgrade") shall result in an increased scope of services and an increased price in the new subscription contract. In the event that a customer wishes to change to a higher-value subscription, the customer has the right of immediate termination. At the same time as the current subscription contract is terminated, the customer must conclude a contract for the higher-value subscription selected with a new contract term (maximum 1 year). Payments already made for the terminated subscription will be refunded as a credit. In addition, Springer offers its customers with current subscription contracts (both print and online subscriptions) the option of concluding a subscription contract with a lower value during the contract term of the existing subscription (e.g. from e.Med Interdisciplinary to e.Med Internal Medicine) and at the same time terminating the current subscription in due time with effect at the end of the contract term. However, the change to the new subscription ("downgrade") will only take place at the end of the contract term of the existing subscription. An immediate change to a less extensive subscription is not possible before the expiry of the agreed contract term. The details regarding the product, the prices and the other contractual conditions can be found in the product detail pages on the website.

4.1.6 Assistant physicians in continuing training must submit their professional certificate within 3 weeks after conclusion of the contract in order to benefit from special price offers (in any). Otherwise, assistant physicians in continuing training shall pay the normal price. The professional certificate can be sent by post to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, attn: Springer Nature Customer Service Center, Tiergartenstr. 15-17, 69121 Heidelberg or by email to leserservice@springer.com. 

4.1.7 Springer will store the orders placed after the conclusion of the contract. For this purpose, it is necessary for personal data to be deposited with Springer for the purpose of processing the contract. Further information on data protection can be found in section 14. 

4.2 Personal use   

Just as access data is provided exclusively for the user personally (cf. section 3.2.2), content or products that can be obtained in the restricted login area of the "springermedicine.com" portal are intended exclusively for the user personally. Access to such content and areas of the "springermedicine.com" portal may not be made available to third parties, including employers or colleagues. 

5. Free services; newsletters 

5.1 Access to content 

Springer also provides the user with free content and information on the portal "springermedicine.com" both in the open area and in the restricted area, which is only accessible after appropriate identification and registration with the user's access data. Details of the free services are provided on the website and in the explanations there. 

5.2 Email newsletters 

5.2.1 The user is offered one or more free email newsletters on the portal "springermedicine.com" from Springer and, where applicable, from publishers cooperating with Springer. The email address provided by the user during registration will be used to receive a newsletter. 

5.2.2 In addition to editorial content and industry news, the newsletters may also contain advertising from Springer or third parties. 

5.2.3 Each newsletter contains a link to unsubscribe from the newsletter. In the event of technical or other problems, technical support for unsubscribing is available to users at the address info@springermedicine.com. 

6. Paid digital content, individual contracts, subscriptions, online training, right of withdrawal 

6.1 Individual and subscription contracts for digital content 

Certain digital content or products on "springermedicine.com" are subject to a charge. Among other things, specialist journals and articles in digitised form or other digitised content (photos, videos, etc.) are offered as part of a subscription contract, if necessary also for individual retrieval. Individual subscriptions and online access to individual specialist articles or to a publication, to a journal or to a group of individual specialist articles, if offered, are not dependent on the existence of a subscription contract. Online access to books in electronic form and the contributions or chapters contained in these books are only possible as part of a subscription contract. The details of the respective product can be found on the website.

6.2 Trial subscription 

Depending on the offer, access to digital content may also be ordered initially free of charge as a trial subscription. Access to the content visible in the portal and the offer will be initially activated free of charge for a certain period of time. The trial subscription expires automatically at the end of the defined period. Free access to digitised content will no longer be possible after the expiry date. There is no right of free access to content. If the user is satisfied by the trial subscription, they can conclude a paid subscription contract after the trial subscription has expired (cf. section 4.1). 

6.3 Online subscription 

6.3.1 Conclusion of contract, duration of contract and termination of contract 

6.3.2.1 Unless otherwise agreed, a subscription contract shall have an initial term of 12 months from the conclusion of the contract and the term shall be extended for an indefinite period if the subscription is not terminated by one of the contracting parties with one month’s notice to the end of the initial term or at any time after the end of the initial term. In the event of an upgrade (cf. section 4.1.5), the customer shall have the right to terminate the contract immediately and a new subscription with an initial term of 12 months shall be concluded. In the case of a downgrade (cf. section 4.1.5), the new, less extensive subscription shall have an initial term of 12 months, which starts after the end of the outstanding term of the existing contract. With regard to the conclusion of the contract, the terms of any subscriptions and the termination of the contract, section 4.1 of these Terms and Conditions shall apply accordingly. 

6.3.2.2 Both parties’ right to give notice of immediate termination for cause shall remain unaffected. 

6.3.2.3 Any notice of termination must be given in writing (including email). Please send any notice of termination, for example, by post to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, attn: Springer Nature Customer Service Center, Tiergartenstr. 15-17, 69121 Heidelberg by email to: leserservice@springer.com. The licence fee has to be paid for 12 months in advance. After termination of the contract, any overpayments shall be refunded. If Springer offers the user free trial access, this shall end automatically after the expiry of the aforementioned period. 

6.4 Online training 

6.4.1 The training courses may only be completed by the registered user in person. The user may neither use support by third parties nor have a third party complete the course as a stand-in.

If the user did not pass a course, it can be repeated once. 

The points obtained for a successfully completed course are awarded exclusively for the user and are not transferable to third parties. 

6.4.2 After successful completion of a course, the user shall receive a certificate by email. Provided that the user has deposited their continuing education number and agreed to the transfer, the course results will be shared with the relevant state medical association to enable electronic crediting of the acquired points (EIV). The user is responsible to check if the acquired points have been credited to them. 

6.4.3 With regard to the conclusion of the contract, section 4.1 of these Terms and Conditions shall apply accordingly. 

6.5 Right of withdrawal for contracts for the provision of services

6.5.1 Consumers have a statutory right of withdrawal. A consumer is any natural person who is acting for purposes which are predominantly outside their trade, business, craft or profession. The right of withdrawal does not apply to contracts for the delivery of newspapers, periodicals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts.

Instructions on withdrawal

Right of withdrawal You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason. The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day of the conclusion of the contract. To exercise the right of withdrawal, you must inform us (Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, attn: Springer Nature Customer Service Center, Tiergartenstr. 15-17, 69121 Heidelberg, telephone: +49 6221 3450 or by email to: leserservice@springer.com) of your decision to withdraw from this contract by an unequivocal statement (e.g. a letter sent by post or email). You may use the attached model withdrawal form, but it is not obligatory. To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired. Effects of withdrawal If you withdraw from this contract, we shall reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (with the exception of the supplementary costs resulting from your choice of a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us), without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract. We will carry out such reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.  If you requested to begin the performance of services during the withdrawal period, you shall pay us an amount which is in proportion to what has been provided until you have communicated your withdrawal from this contract to us, in comparison with the full coverage of the contract.

You may use the following model withdrawal form, but it is not obligatory.

Model withdrawal form

(If you wish to withdraw from the contract, please complete and return this form).  To Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, attn: Springer Nature Customer Service GmbH, Leserservice, Tiergartenstr. 15, 69121 Heidelberg, or by email to: leserservice@springer.com I/We (*) hereby give notice that I/we withdraw from may/our contract of sale of the following goods (*)/for the provision of the following service (*), Ordered on (*)/received on (*)  Name of consumer(s)  Address of consumer(s)  Signature of the consumer(s) (only in the case of notification on paper) Date (*) Delete as appropriate.

6.6 Right of withdrawal for contracts for the delivery of digital content

Consumers (cf. section 6.5.1) have a statutory right of withdrawal. 

The right of withdrawal shall expire ahead of time if performance of the contract has begun with your prior express consent and your acknowledgment that you thereby lose your right of withdrawal and you have received a confirmation of the contract and said consent and acknowledgement via email. 

Instructions on withdrawal

Right of withdrawal You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason. The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day of the conclusion of the contract. To exercise the right of withdrawal, you must inform us (Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, attn: Springer Nature Customer Service Center, Tiergartenstr. 15-17, 69121 Heidelberg, telephone: +49 6221 3450 or by email to: leserservice@springer.com) of your decision to withdraw from this contract by an unequivocal statement (e.g. a letter sent by post or email). You may use the attached model withdrawal form, but it is not obligatory. To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired. Effects of withdrawal If you withdraw from this contract, we shall reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (with the exception of the supplementary costs resulting from your choice of a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us), without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract. We will carry out such reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.

You may use the model withdrawal form (cf. section 6.5.1), but it is not obligatory.

7. Prices and terms of payment 

7.1 Insofar as Springer's services are subject to a charge, the prices notified on the website at the time of the order apply. All prices are inclusive of the applicable statutory value added tax and as a rule exclusive of any shipping costs, unless shipping costs are stated as being included in the price. 

7.2 Unless otherwise agreed, the fee is due for payment in advance when the goods are ordered or the services are activated. In the case of a subscription contract Springer reserves the right to offer the user a choice of different billing periods on the website. Billing will take place in accordance with the payment method selected by the user (invoicing). However, Springer is not obliged to offer the user different methods of payment. 

7.3 The user will receive an invoice for the publications ordered in electronic form to the email address specified by the user. If the user also wishes to receive a paper invoice, Springer may charge a separate fee for this. 

7.4 If the user fails to meet their payment obligations, Springer is entitled to withhold its services, in particular to block access to the respective service. After settlement of the outstanding claims, the service will resume or access will be reinstated. Springer reserves the right to make further claims, in particular claims for compensation for damage caused by default and for any out-of-court legal steps, as well as the right to give note of immediate termination for cause if the statutory requirements are met. 

8. Rights to content 

8.1 The content of the "springermedicine.com" portal, i.e. in particular articles and journals, training documents, photos, videos etc. (hereinafter referred to as "content") is protected by copyright or ancillary copyright. The user is entitled, exclusively for their own purposes, to make such reproductions that are necessary for the use of the contents in accordance with the contract. 

If the user wishes to make more than one permanent reproduction or more than one physical copy of a piece of content (e.g. by copying onto mobile data carriers or by printing or copying) or if the user wishes to save and/or print not only certain individual pieces of content or extracts thereof, but entire online editions, series, sections or other summaries of teaching material or content, the prior written consent of Springer is required. 

8.2 The user is not granted any further rights to the content. In particular, the user shall not be entitled to reproduce, distribute, perform, make publicly available or broadcast and/or publish or exploit adaptations of the contents beyond the statutory limitations and exceptions. This applies in particular to the granting of access for third parties to any stored content, disseminating content in a network (Internet, intranet etc.) and the provision of information to third parties for commercial purposes. Springer reserves the use of content for text and data mining. Text and data mining is therefore only permitted to the extent that this is permitted by an express contractual agreement or statutory provision.

9. Comment function 

In the portal, users may have the opportunity to comment on content (such as specialist articles, news or similar) by entering text. In this case, the following provisions apply. 

9.1 Access to the comment function 

Springer reserves the right to make the use of the comment function dependent on the existence of a subscription, but nevertheless Springer will not charge a fee for its use. 

9.2 Rights of Use to the User Content 

9.2.1 Springer restricts itself to operating the comment function and technically enabling the exchange of experience between colleagues by providing the comment function. The individual user can post comments and, if applicable, personal data contained therein (hereinafter collectively referred to as "User Content") in the form of a comment in the portal. 

9.2.2 However, Springer requires the following rights to User Content in order to operate the comment function: 

9.2.3 By publishing the user content the user grants Springer in perpetuity transferable, non-exclusive, worldwide unlimited rights of use to the User Content to the extent necessary for the operation of the commentary function. In particular, the user grants Springer the right to make the respective User Content technically available for retrieval in connection with the commentary function and to carry out the acts of reproduction necessary for this purpose (storage on Springer's servers etc.). In addition, the user grants Springer the right to make the User Content available to the public and to communicate it to the public in other ways in connection with the functions of the commentary function. This also includes the right to carry out corresponding acts of use in connection with the respective current additional functions, such as news feeds (where applicable in various formats), other subscription services (push services) or retrieval services (pull services), as well as the use of the User Content on technically optimised versions of the commentary function on mobile end devices or within mobile apps. The rights granted are always limited to the functions and features of the commentary function. 

9.2.4 The commentary function thrives on the active participation and the content posted by the users, which are interlinked and possibly build on each other. The granting of the rights of use pursuant to section 13.2.3 is therefore irrevocable and shall survive any termination of the user agreement. User content which the user has posted in the comment function may therefore remain available even if the user is no longer a contractual partner of Springer. 

9.2.5 Notwithstanding the above section 9.2.4, Springer reserves the right to delete User Content pursuant to section 9.5. 

9.3 General rules for the use of the comment function 

The comment function enables an open exchange of experiences and opinions between users, which Springer as a matter of principle does not control. Only insofar as Springer is obliged to do so by law or by the authorities will it examine individual contents, remove them if necessary and take further measures. It is all the more important that users generally commit themselves to respectful interaction and mutual consideration. This also includes tolerance and openness towards those with different opinions as well as the willingness to resolve conflicts constructively if necessary. In the context of the comment function, the user undertakes in particular to observe the following rules of use: 

9.3.1 Stalking, i.e. the deliberate and repeated (persistent) following or harassment of other users, is prohibited in the comments function. Bullying of any kind and in any form is also prohibited in the comments function. No user may constantly or repeatedly and regularly harass, psychologically torment or psychologically injure other users or third parties. Should Springer become aware of cases of stalking or bullying, it will inform the prosecution authorities if necessary. 

9.3.2 Likewise inadmissible are disparaging or deliberately untrue claims about other users, about Springer or third parties and their respective products or services. 

9.3.3 As a portal operator Springer cannot and will not check the legality of User content in advance. Every user is obliged not to post any content that is illegal in any way. On the one hand, this applies to all content that is relevant under criminal law, but on the other hand it also applies to content that can only be prosecuted under civil law. In particular, the following User Content is inadmissible:

• User Content that violates medical confidentiality or applicable data protection law (i.e., for example, personal data of patients and their courses of illness),
• User Content that violates the relevant professional rules, provisions on advertising medicinal products, or competition law,
• User Content which depicts or describes children or young people in unnaturally sexually accentuated postures, which is pornographic, in particular if it deals with acts of violence, the sexual abuse of children or young people or sexual acts of people with animals, as well as content which for other reasons violates laws for the protection of young people. This also applies to User Content that only refers to or hints at such content and/or objectives;
• User Content that is insulting, slanderous or otherwise defamatory and/or has racist or xenophobic tendencies;
• User Content that would violate the right to protection of privacy and intimacy and/or otherwise violate the general right of personality and/or threaten or otherwise put pressure on others in any undue way;
• User Content that infringes trademark rights (trademarks, company names, titles) or other industrial property rights (e.g. design rights, utility model rights or patents) of third parties (e.g. product piracy); and/or
• User Content that infringes the copyright or neighbouring rights of third parties (e.g. plagiarism of third-party scientific works). 

9.3.4 In principle, the user may provide references (e.g. URLs) to third-party information on the internet. In doing so, however, the user must always ensure that the content that can be accessed on the linked Internet pages does violate the provisions of this section 9. 

9.3.5 The comment function is exclusively for the exchange of experience and opinions between colleagues in the medical field. Use of the comment function to advertise products or services is not permitted. This applies in particular to the offering of goods or services of any kind against payment or the invitation to submit a corresponding offer. 

9.3.6 Users are prohibited from using automatic or manual procedures by means of which data from the comment function can be extracted, stored, edited, changed, shared or misused in any other way. It is also prohibited to hack into the profiles of other users. 

9.3.7 It is always prohibited to publish, send or otherwise disclose personal data of other users or third parties (e.g. names, telephone numbers, email addresses) unless the user concerned has expressly consented to this. 

9.3.8 Users may not bring in viruses, trojan horses and similar scripts and programs or other malicious code by means of the comment function. 

9.4 Warranty, liability, indemnification obligation of the user 

9.4.1 The user warrants to Springer that the user is entitled and able to grant the rights to the extent provided for in section 9.2.3. Furthermore, the user warrants that they will not post any User Content as a comment which violates the provisions of section 9.3 and that that will not commit any of the acts prohibited therein. 

9.4.2 The user is solely responsible for all User Content posted as comments, in particular texts, and for the existence of any necessary rights required for this. 

9.4.3 The User undertakes to indemnify Springer and its representatives and employees against any liability and all costs, including lawyers' fees for legal defence as well as possible and actual costs of legal proceedings as well as any administrative fines set or to be set by a court, if a claim is made against Springer, its representatives and/or employees by third parties because the user has infringed the rights of third parties or the rights of persons represented by them in culpable breach of their obligations under sections 9.2 and 9.3. The same applies if the claim results from otherwise unlawful User Content, as well as in cases where the claim is made by a consumer protection organisation or an authority. Springer will inform the user immediately of the claim and will give the user the chance to defend the asserted claim, insofar as this is possible and reasonable. The user, on the other hand, is obliged to immediately provide Springer with all information available to the user concerning the matter in question. 

9.4.4 Any further claims for damages by Springer shall remain unaffected. 

9.5 Violations of the provisions for the use of the comment function 

Springer reserves the right to delete inadmissible content according to these Terms and Conditions for the use of the commentary function, to prevent/reverse prohibited actions as well as to warn affected users after violations of these Terms and Conditions for the use of the commentary function and/or to temporarily or permanently block the user's access data (cf. section 3.3) and to require them to comply with their obligations. Warnings and blockings shall be communicated to the user concerned in writing (including email) without delay. 

10. Obligations of the user 

10.1 With regard to the offers and content on "springermedicine.com", the user is obliged to respect the copyright and neighbouring rights of Springer and all other rights holders. Marks, logos and copyright notices may not be removed or altered. 

10.2 The user may, for example, post ratings and comments on "springermedicine.com" subject to section 9. When using dialogue-oriented content on "springermedicine.com", the user undertakes to restrict themselves to the professional exchange of opinions, not to impersonate another person and to refrain from making advertising statements and to show consideration for the interests of other participants. 

11. Data backup 

It is the responsibility of the user to regularly secure data and information relevant to the user against loss, damage and alteration at a technical level appropriate to the importance of the data. This applies in particular to acquired CME certificates of participation. 

12. Warranty 

12.1 Consumers (cf. section 6.5.1) have statutory warranty rights in the event of defective products, digital content and digital services. Claims arising from that warranty become statute-barred within two years after the goods have been received or the digital product was provided, in case of the continuous provision of a digital product not earlier than 12 months after the end of the term of provision.

12.2 If the user is not a consumer, the following shall apply: A statutory warranty period is reduced to one year, with exception of claims for damages as a result of injury to life, limb or health, guarantees assumed by Springer or intent or fraudulent concealment of a defect on the part of Springer. In addition, the user must inspect the service immediately after delivery/provision. If this reveals a defect, the user must notify Springer of this in writing (e.g. email) without delay. If such a defect only becomes apparent later, the user must give notice of the defect immediately after its discovery. If the complaint is not made in good time thereafter, warranty rights can no longer be asserted. 

12.3 Customer service (availability, contact details)

Our customer service is available from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. 
info@springermedicine.com

13. Liability

13.1 Special provisions for free services, discussion forums and expert advice and data loss 

13.1.1 Where users post User Content in discussion forums or give advice as experts in a particular field, this is exclusively information for which the relevant users are responsible. In this respect Springer merely makes the medium technically available and is not responsible for the accuracy, correctness or reliability of such User Content. In particular, Springer shall not be not liable for any loss or damage incurred by the user as a result of relying on such information. 

13.1.2 If damages to the user result from the loss of data, Springer shall not be liable insofar as the resulting damage would have been avoided by making appropriate, regular and complete backups of all relevant data by the user (cf. section 11.). 

13.2 General liability provisions 

13.2.1 Otherwise Springer shall be liable for damages to the user caused intentionally or by gross negligence, which are the result of the non-existence of a guaranteed quality of the subject-matter of performance, which are based on a culpable breach of material contractual obligations (so-called cardinal obligations), which are the result of culpable injury to health, body or life or for which liability is provided for under strict liability for defective products, in accordance with the statutory provisions. 

13.2.2 Cardinal obligations are those contractual obligations the fulfilment of which is essential for the proper performance of the contract and the observance of which the contractual partner may regularly rely on, and the breach of which endangers the achievement of the purpose of the contract on the other side. 

13.2.3 In the event of a breach of a cardinal obligation, liability - insofar as the damage is only due to slight negligence and does not affect life, limb or health - shall be limited to such damage as may typically and foreseeably be expected to occur in the context of the provision of services such as the contractual services. 

13.2.4 In all other respects, liability - irrespective of the legal grounds - of both Springer and its vicarious agents and assistants is excluded. 

14. Data protection 

Springer treats the user's data confidentially and respects the relevant data protection regulations. All information on the subject of data protection can be found in the privacy policy.

15. Changes to the Terms and Conditions 

15.1 Springer reserves the right to amend the General Terms at any time. The new Terms and Conditions will be sent to the user by email. The new Terms and Conditions are deemed to be agreed if the user does not object to their application within 30 days of receipt of the email. The objection must be in writing (including email). Springer will point out the possibility to object to the amended Terms and Conditions in the email, the deadline and the consequences of the user's failure to object. If the user objects, each party has the right to terminate the relevant agreement by giving notice with immediate effect. 

15.2 However, the possibility of amending the Terms and Conditions does not exist for changes that restrict the content and scope of the core usage options of the "springermedicine.com" service to the detriment of the user, nor for the introduction of new obligations for the user not previously determined in the Terms and Conditions. 

16. Out-of-court dispute resolution

Springer does not participate in a dispute resolution procedure before a consumer arbitration board. However, in accordance with EU Regulation No. 524/2013, we are obliged to point out that the European Commission provides a platform for online dispute resolution, which can be accessed at http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/. 

17. Final provisions 

17.1 The contractual relationships with the user as well as these General Terms and Conditions of Use and their interpretation shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany. If the User is a consumer, cogent statutory provisions which cannot be derogated by contract according to the law of the state in which the User has his habitual residence shall also apply, provided that they offer the user more extensive protection. 

17.2 If the user is a merchant, a legal entity under public law or a special fund under public law or if the User has no permanent place of residence in Germany, the place of jurisdiction for legal disputes arising from or in connection with this contract shall be Berlin, Germany. If the user is a merchant, a legal entity under public law or a special fund under public law or if the user does not have a permanent residence in Germany, the place of performance for all rights and obligations arising from the contractual relationship with the user shall also be Berlin, Germany. 

17.3 If individual provisions of these Terms and Conditions are or become invalid and/or unenforceable, the validity of the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected. 

17.4 Springer's products and services are primarily aimed at English-speaking customers. The Terms and Conditions are therefore only available in English. Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH does not provide for separate contractual texts. Springer does not file the contract, and it will not be accessible for the user.

Last revision: 6 October 2022

General Terms and Conditions of Use of the Single Sign-on authentications service of Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA

To be able to use the restricted content and restricted offerings of the participating specialist publishing houses of the Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA, users first need to register an account and wait for the necessary login details to be sent and activated. Access to the specialist information on the portals is restricted, e.g. by requirements of the legislator – specifically, in the case of springermedicine.com, to the groups of persons specified in Sec. 10 Para. 1 of the German Act on the Advertising of Medicinal Products [Heilmittelwerbegesetz – HWG], or by the requirement to have a paid for subscription. To ensure compliance with this requirement, it needs to be verified that the user is a member of one of the groups of persons entitled to be given access to the restricted information.

By offering its registration service (hereinafter referred to as the “Single Sign-on authentications service” or “SSO authentications service“), Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA offers a single platform from where users can obtain the necessary login data for all participating portals of the specialist publishing houses of the Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA. After registration, the SSO authentications service is available to the participating portals and to users as a single tool for logging in to the various participating specialist portals.

1. Scope of application

1.1 These General Terms and Conditions of Use shall apply to the use of the Single Sign-on authentications service and all other services offered and provided by Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA here under. The SSO authentications service is provided by Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA, represented by the General Partner Springer Nature Management AG, itself represented by its Managing Directors Frank Vrancken Peeters, Dr. Ulrich Vest, Marc Spenlé, Steven Inchcoombe, Rachel Jacobs and Carolyn Honour, of Heidelberger Platz 3 in D-14197 Berlin.

1.2 The contractual relationships between users and the participating specialist portals and their respective online offerings in which the SSO authentications service is or can be used may be governed, if applicable, by general terms and conditions of business, or general terms and conditions of use, of the respective service providers for the various specialist portals.

2. Services

2.1 For the purposes of the SSO authentications service offered by Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA, Single Sign-on (abbreviated “SSO”) means that after initial registration and authentication, users can log into, and access, all restricted services, areas and applications on all internet portals of the specialist publishing houses of the Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA, or other offerings (e.g. mobile apps) which use the SSO authentications service, using the same login details, without having to complete another registration process for each of those internet portals, as would otherwise be the case.

2.2 The SSO authentications service generates a unique user “identity” for each user which can be recognised and verified by all participating internet portals. This allows users, in addition, to have the data stored in their SSO account (e.g. their name and address and subscriptions purchased) used automatically, e.g. to access their subscribed journals without having to re-enter and re-verify the access data manually.

2.3 Moreover, the SSO authentications service allows certain information to be presented to users in a tailored and individual way. This makes the use of the participating portals more comfortable for users. For instance, users may be informed after logging in of whether new content has been added in their specific areas of interest.

2.4 The SSO authentications service allows users to manage their SSO account easily and through a single user interface using the “My Area” tool. In this way, users can, for instance, manage and correct the master data stored about them (e.g. their residential address), change their password and view information related to the contracts they entered into via the SSO authentications service.

2.5 Use of the SSO authentications service itself is free of charge for the user.

3. Identification and registration

3.1 To be able to use the SSO authentications service, users need to register an account.

3.2 If and when a user registers on an internet portal of a participating specialist publishing house access to which is restricted to users with a common interest in a particular subject area (e.g. if access is restricted to members of a certain professional group), or if and when a user visits such a portal for the first time, his or her eligibility to have access to it will be verified by asking him or her to fill in an additional form.

3.2.1 If the user registers via SSO for a platform with access restriction to medical specialists, by filling in this form, the user represents and warrants that he or she holds a medical licence or licence to practise as pharmaceutical chemist or is a member of any other of the eligible groups of persons listed on the additional form. Within ten days of registration, the user must then send appropriate proof of his or her eligibility (e.g. a copy of his or her doctor’s ID card or medical licence) to the customer service of Springer Medizin:

by email to: info@springermedicine.com

by post to: Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA, z. Hd. Kundenservice Springer Medizin, Heidelberger Platz 3, D-14197 Berlin

Further details of this are provided on the registration forms.

3.2.2 As an alternative to the procedure described in section 3.2.1, users may provide electronically verifiable proof of their eligibility via the registration form, e.g. their unique CPD number [einheitliche Fortbildungsnummer – EFN] or other registered professional ID code. If this number or code can be verified, no further proof of profession is required and Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA will be able to activate the user account immediately.

3.3 Moreover, the user represents and warrants that the personal information provided on his or her registration form, including, without limitation, his or her first and last name, postal address, date of birth and email address, is true and correct. In particular, users must not enter the details of others and are required to notify Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA without undue delay if there is any change in the personal information they supplied.

3.4 Completion and submission of the registration form by the user constitutes an offer to Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA to enter into the Agreement on Use of the SSO authentications service (hereinafter also referred to as the “User Agreement”). Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA will accept this offer, subject to the provision of section 3.10, by sending an email to the user’s email address confirming their successful registration, or by enabling the user to access the areas or content requiring registration once the registration form has been submitted. In either of these cases, the User Agreement shall be deemed to have been entered into.

3.5 Promptly after receipt of the registration form by Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA, the user will receive a confirmation email containing a unique link. By clicking this link, the user confirms that he or she received the email and that the address is really his or hers. This confirmation is required before users are able to use the SSO authentications service to log in or to use services of other internet portals immediately after successful registration.

3.6 There is, however, no entitlement for users to be granted access to the portals.

3.7 Contracts may be entered into in German or English.

3.8 We reserve the right to refuse registrations on a case-by-case basis without stating reasons.

4. Use of login details, access to portals

4.1 Users will be able to access restricted content and offerings of the participating internet portals by entering their login details, i.e. usually their email address and password, into the respective login form.

4.2 The login details are intended to be used only by the respective user personally. Users must not disclose their login details, in particular their password, to anyone (including family members and co-workers). Users must ensure that their login details, in particular their password, are kept confidential and secure at all times and are required to prevent any unauthorised use of the participating portals by third parties.

4.3 If a user becomes aware of or suspects any misuse of his or her login details, he or she shall notify Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA without undue delay. In the event of actual or suspected misuse of a user’s login details, Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA shall have the right to terminate his or her access to the internet portals of the specialist publishing houses of the Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA immediately. If a user is responsible for such misuse of access details, he or she shall be liable for all consequences of use by a third party. In particular, a user shall be deemed responsible already if he or she enabled the unauthorised use of his or her login details through negligence. The liability of the user ends only if and when he or she has notified the Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA customer service by email (sso-service@springer.com) of the unauthorised use of his or her login details and changed the password, if necessary.

4.4 section 4.3 shall apply mutatis mutandis if a user has selected the “Remain logged in” option while working on a public or shared computer and third parties thereby gain access to the internet portals.

4.5 The scope of access provided by the login details depends on the terms of use of the respective internet portal of the specialist publishing houses of the Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA. Moreover, the scope of access may differ depending on the professional group to which a user belongs.

4.6 Users are hereby informed that each of the internet portals of the specialist publishing houses of the Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA is operated by the company identified as provider of the portal concerned. Unless an offering is operated by Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA itself, Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA accepts no responsibility for the content offerings provided thereon.

5. Termination or withdrawal of access

5.1 In the event that a user breaches these General Terms and Conditions of Use, in particular if a user

• provides incorrect data during or after registration and/or
• discloses or shares his or her login details, in particular his or her password, without authorisation,

Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA reserves the right to disable the login details of that user temporarily or permanently and/or terminate his or her access with immediate effect or within a period to be determined at our discretion and/or to terminate the User Agreement by extraordinary termination without notice. If this is the case, the user concerned will not be allowed to re-register without the express prior consent of Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA.

5.2 Moreover, user access will terminate automatically as soon as a user ceases to be a member of any of the eligible groups of persons listed on the specialist portal concerned. Users are required to notify the customer service (using the contact details specified in section 3.3 above) without undue delay of any forthcoming or recent changes of their professional or employment status.

6. Termination of the User Agreement

6.1 The User Agreement is for an indefinite term. It may generally be terminated by either Party, for convenience, without notice (subject, however, to section 6.2) at any time. This shall be without prejudice to the right of either Party to terminate the User Agreement by extraordinary termination for good cause. Notice must be given in text form, i.e. at least by email.

6.2 However, termination of the User Agreement with immediate effect would result in the user becoming unable to log in and, depending on the respective offering of a participating internet portal, possibly also to access subscriptions he or she purchased, or other restricted areas of the internet portal otherwise accessible to him or her. Therefore, any termination of the User Agreement shall only take effect when the user has terminated or otherwise ended any subscriptions or other fixed-term agreements which may remain in place with the internet portals at the time in question or when such other agreements have expired. Therefore, we are also unable to delete the SSO account of the user until this has been done.

7. Data protection

Protecting the security and privacy of users’ personal data is of great importance to us. For full information on this, please refer to the SSO Privacy Policy.

8. Changes to these General Terms and Conditions of Use

8.1 Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA reserves the right to amend these General Terms and Conditions of Use at any time without stating reasons. Users will then be provided with the amended version of these General Terms and Conditions of Use by email. If the user does not object to them within 14 days of receipt of the email, the amended Terms shall be deemed accepted. The objection must be in text form. In its email, Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA shall specifically inform the user of the possibility to object, the time limit for objection and the legal consequences of the user remaining silent.

8.2 As an alternative to the procedure described in section 8.1, the amended General Terms and Conditions of Use may be presented to the user when he or she logs in using the SSO authentications service the next time. The amended General Terms and Conditions of Use shall be agreed through acceptance by the user when he or she logs in the next time. If the user does not object to them within one month of being presented with them for the first time, the amended Terms shall be deemed accepted. The objection must be in text form, i.e. at least by email. When presenting the amended Terms and Conditions of Use to the user, we shall specifically inform him or her of the possibility to object, the time limit for objection and the legal consequences of the user remaining silent.

8.3 If a user objects to the amended Terms, either Party shall have the right to terminate the Agreement on Use of the SSO authentications service by giving notice to the respective other Party with immediate effect.

8.4 However, the possibility to amend these General Terms and Conditions of Use shall not apply to amendments which restrict the scale and scope of use of the SSO authentications service available to the user to his or her disadvantage, nor to the introduction of new obligations of the user not previously provided for in these General Terms and Conditions of Use.

9. Final provisions

9.1 The contractual relationship with the user and these General Terms and Conditions of Use shall be governed by and construed solely and exclusively in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany. The application of German and/or European conflict of law rules and the UN Sales Convention is hereby excluded.

9.2 If the user is a merchant or does not have a permanent residence in Germany, the exclusive place of jurisdiction for any disputes arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be Berlin. Under the same conditions, Berlin shall also be the place of performance of all rights and obligations arising from the contractual relationship with the user.

9.3 If the user is a consumer, the mandatory consumer protection provisions applicable in the country where the user has his or her habitual residence shall apply in addition to the extent that they provide for more comprehensive protection for the user.

9.4 If any individual provision(s) of these General Terms and Conditions of Use become invalid and/or unenforceable, the validity of the remaining provisions shall not be affected thereby. By applying the German interpretative principle of construing incomplete contracts [ergänzende Vertragsauslegung], any invalid and/or unenforceable provision shall be replaced by such valid and enforceable provision as, taking into account the interests of both Parties, are most suitable to achieve the desired economic result. The same shall apply mutatis mutandis to any gaps in these General Terms and Conditions of Use which need to be filled. Sentences 2 and 3 of this section 9.3 shall not apply if the user is a consumer within the meaning of Sec. 13 of the German Civil Code [Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch – BGB].

9.5 Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA does not provide any specific contract for the SSO authentications service. Therefore, the substance of the contract entered into with Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA is made up of these General Terms and Conditions of Use combined with the identity of Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA and the user and the subject matter of the user relationship. In other words, Springer Nature AG & Co. KGaA does not store “the contract” entered into with each individual user.

Last amended: March 2019