Terms and Conditions

Article 1 - Definitions

1.1 The following terms are capitalised in these Terms and Conditions, both in the singular and in the plural. These terms have the following meanings:

Agreement: The agreement between the Parties regarding the provision of the Service;
Neat Software: All intellectual property rights and associated rights includ The company with limited liability Neat Software B.V. and registered at Justus van Schoonhovenstraat 1 (2613 NX) in Delft with the Chamber of Commerce under number 94286272;
Client: A natural person or legal entity that has concluded, or will conclude, an Agreement with Neat Software;
IP Rights: All intellectual property rights and associated rights including but not limited to copyrights, trademark rights, patent rights, design rights, trade name rights, database rights and related rights, as well as rights to know-how and performances on a par with these rights, in each case whether registered or unregistered and including applications for registration, and all rights or forms of protection having equivalent or similar effect anywhere in the world;
Neat Software IP: IP Rights (i) proprietary to Neat Software prior to the commencement of the Agreement, (ii) owned by a third party to which Neat Software have the valid and necessary license prior to, during or outside of the Services but required for the proper use of the Services or (iii) which have arisen, obtained or developed by Neat Software in the course of or in connection with the provision of the Services and which relate to generic aspects of the Services, that are not Client IP, including results of the Services that are designed to cater a wide range of (potential) customers of Neat Software and/or adequately contribute to further development or deployment by Neat Software;
Parties: Neat Software and the Client;
Personal data: Each piece of information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person within the meaning Article 4(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation;
Schedule: An appendix to the Terms and Conditions with specific provisions relating to the Services to be provided;
Services: The services to be provided to the Client by Neat Software pursuant to the Agreement, including, if applicable, results of the services.
Terms and Conditions: These Neat Software terms including all applicable annexes;

Article 2 - General

2.1 The Terms and Conditions apply to and form an integral part of all offers and quotations of Neat Software, Agreements and any other legal acts related thereto between the Parties or its legal successor. In addition to these Terms and Conditions, the specific Schedule(s) to the Terms and Conditions that have been agreed between the Parties also apply.

2.2 If the Terms and Conditions state that an act must be carried out in writing, this is deemed to refer to email as well.

2.3 Any deviations from the Terms and Conditions are only valid if they have been agreed explicitly in writing by the Parties and they only apply to the specific agreement for which they were agreed.

2.4 The Terms and Conditions will always prevail over any purchasing or other terms and conditions used by the Client. The applicability of any purchase or other terms and conditions of the Client is expressly rejected.

2.5 Once these Terms and Conditions have been applied to a legal relationship between Parties, the Client is deemed to have agreed in advance to the applicability of these Terms and Conditions to any Agreements concluded or to be concluded thereafter.

2.6 If and to the extent that any provision in these Terms and Conditions is declared to be null and void or is annulled, the other provisions in the Terms and Conditions will remain in full force. In that case the Parties will consult to determine a new provision to replace the provision that is null and void or that has been annulled, thereby taking the purport of the void or annulled provision into account as far as possible.

2.7 In the event of any conflict between the provisions of an Agreement and the Terms and Conditions, the provisions of the Agreement will take precedence. In the event of a conflict between the Terms and Conditions or the Agreement on the one hand and a specific annex on the other hand, the provisions of the specific annex(es) will take precedence.

2.8 Electronic communication between the Parties will be deemed to have been received on the day it was sent, unless proof to the contrary is furnished.

Article 3 - Quotations and formation of the Agreement

3.1 Quotations and other offers made by Neat Software are without obligation and should be regarded as an offer to form an Agreement, unless Neat Software has indicated otherwise in writing.

3.2 Offers and quotations lose their validity four weeks after their date, unless otherwise indicated in writing.

3.3 The Client warrants that the details disclosed by it to Neat Software, on which Neat Software has based its offer, are correct and complete. If those details should prove not to be correct or complete, Neat Software is entitled to modify the offer or Agreement.

3.4 An Agreement is formed by written confirmation (including email) from the Client of an unmodified valid quotation and/or offer made by Neat Software.

Article 4 - Performance of the Agreement and delivery

4.1 Neat Software will execute the Agreement to the best of its knowledge and ability and in accordance with the requirements of good craftsmanship and on the basis of the state of the art known at that time. The Agreement has the character of a duty to perform to the best of its ability, unless and to the extent that Neat Software has explicitly promised a result in writing and the result in question is also described in the Agreement with sufficient detail. Any agreements on a service level agreement are only binding and only concern duties to achieve a result insofar as agreed in writing.

4.2 Neat Software shall enable the Client to access and use the Services as agreed upon in the Agreement. In the Agreement, the Parties will determine the delivery term and delivery dates as well as the place and manner in which the Services will be delivered and/or provided. The duration of an assignment depends on various factors and circumstances, such as the quality of the data and information disclosed by the Client and the cooperation of the Client and relevant third parties. The aforementioned delivery terms are therefore not strict deadlines, unless the Parties have explicitly agreed otherwise in writing. In the event that a delivery term or other term is exceeded, or is likely to be exceeded, the Parties will consult with each other as soon as possible in order to take suitable measures.

4.3 If it has been agreed that the Agreement will be performed in phases, Neat Software is authorised to postpone the commencement of the Services that from part of a subsequent phase until the Client has approved the results of the prior phase in writing.

4.4 Neat Software is not obliged to follow instructions that alter or add to the content or scope of the agreed Services; if such instructions are followed, the activities concerned will be paid in accordance with Neat Software's usual rates and Neat Software will notify the Client of this.

4.5 Neat Software is entitled to have the Agreement carried out by third parties wholly or in part, or to engage third parties for the performance of the Agreement.

4.6 The Services are deemed to have been accepted between the Parties if the Client has not provided detailed written reasons for not accepting the Services within five (5) working days after delivery of the Services concerned. If these have not been accepted and it appears that the Services do not or not completely meet the agreed specifications, or that clear and recognisable characteristics that the Client could reasonably expect are missing, Neat Software will replace or adapt the Services within a reasonable period of time, at the discretion of Neat Software. If the Client again does not accept the Services, the Parties will go through the acceptance procedure again. This procedure will be repeated each time if, during the renewed acceptance test, the Client again demonstrates why the Services are not accepted.

4.7 The risk of loss, theft, misappropriation or damage to items of property, products, information/data, documents or programs created or used in the context of the performance of the Agreement passes to the Client when the Client or an auxiliary person, servant or agent of the Client has taken actual possession of the goods.

Article 5 - Prices and terms of payment

5.1 All prices are exclusive of value added tax (VAT) and other government levies.

5.2 Unless explicitly agreed otherwise, price indications, estimates, budgets and/or cost estimates issued by Neat Software are merely for information purposes, and no rights or expectations may be derived from them. Only if the Parties have so agreed, Neat Software is obliged to inform the Client when a cost estimate or estimate will be exceeded.

5.3 The Parties will set down in the Agreement the date or dates on which Neat Software will charge the fee for Services to the Client. In the absence of a specific arrangement, Neat Software will invoice the fee for the Services to the Client on a monthly basis. The Client will pay invoices in accordance with the terms of payment stated on the invoice. In the absence of a specific arrangement, the Client will pay within fourteen (14) days after the invoice date.

5.4 Agreed payment terms for the Client are mandatory. If the Client does not pay the amounts due on time, the Client will owe statutory interest on the outstanding amount without any demand or notice of default being required. If after a demand or notice of default the Client still fails to pay the claim, Neat Software may refer the debt for collection, in which case the Client will be obliged to pay, in addition to the total amount due, all judicial and extrajudicial costs, including costs of external experts.

5.5 Neat Software is entitled to retain and/or suspend Services which are still under Neat Software’s control if the Client fails to fulfil its payment obligation (in a timely manner), until the Client has fulfilled its payment obligation, irrespective of whether the payment arrears relate to the Services which Neat Software still retains and/or suspends or other services.

5.6 During the term of an Agreement, Neat Software is authorised to increase the prices for its Services each year with effect from 1 January in conformity with the price index figure for the preceding calendar year as published by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) (consumer price index for ‘all households’), plus a maximum of fifteen percent (15%). Neat Software is entitled to implement the cost increase at a later date if it finds this desirable from an administrative point of view.

5.7 Comments or complaints about invoices, bills and fee statements must be made known in writing within fourteen (14) days after receipt of the invoice, bill or fee statement concerned, failing which they will be deemed to have been accepted. Such complaints do not suspend the obligation to make payment.

5.8 Neat Software is entitled to send the Client interim invoices and/or to invoice on the basis of advance payments, to offset or to require security for compliance by the Client.

5.9 The Client agrees to digital invoicing by Neat Software.

Article 6 - Changes to the assignment and/or extra work

6.1 The Client accepts that the time schedule of the Agreement may be affected if the scope of the Agreement is expanded and/or altered while the Agreement is still being performed. If the interim alteration affects the agreed remuneration, Neat Software will notify the Client of this as soon as possible.

6.2 If on the basis of an alteration to the Agreement as a result of extra requests or wishes on the part of the Client, Neat Software must carry out extra work (additional work), this work will be charged to the Client on the basis of actual costs at the usual rates that apply at that time, unless explicitly agreed otherwise in writing.

6.3 Neat Software is entitled to carry out this additional work without the Client’s advance written permission to the extent that the costs entailed by this additional work are not more than ten percent (10%) of the originally agreed total payment.

6.4 If Neat Software reasonably foresees that the costs of extra work are more than ten percent (10%), Neat Software will inform the Client of this. In that case the Parties will consult to discuss the measures to be taken.

Article 7 - Duties of the Client

7.1 The Client will ensure that all data and/or information that Neat Software has indicated are necessary, or which the Client reasonably ought to understand will be necessary for the performance of the Agreement, including information about legislation or regulations to be complied with by Neat Software that applies specifically to the Client’s field of work, are disclosed to Neat Software in good time and will cooperate with Neat Software to the extent that the latter requires.

7.2 If data needed for the performance of the Agreement is not disclosed to Neat Software in good time, Neat Software is entitled to suspend performance of the Agreement and/or to charge to the Client the extra costs arising from the delay at the usual rates that apply at that time.

7.3 To the extent that in the context of the Agreement Neat Software discloses usernames and/or passwords, the Client is responsible for these usernames and/or passwords and is entirely and independently liable for any misuse made of the user names or passwords, unless such misuse is the result of intent or gross negligence on the part of Neat Software.

7.4 To the extent that Neat Software discloses usernames and/or passwords in the context of the Agreement, the Client is prohibited from disclosing these usernames and/or passwords to third parties without Neat Software’s consent.

Article 8 - Termination, premature termination and the consequences of these

8.1 An Agreement takes effect on the date stated in Article 3 for the period agreed in writing between the Parties and ends by operation of law on the date agreed by the Parties or when the provision of the Services has been completed.

8.2 Unless explicitly agreed otherwise, the Parties may not terminate the Agreement, entered for a definite period of time, prematurely.

8.3 Unless expressly agreed otherwise, the Parties may terminate the Agreement, which is concluded for an indefinite period of time, in writing with due observance of a period of notice of one calendar month.

8.4 Each of the Parties is entitled to dissolve the Agreement wholly or in part if the other Party is declared bankrupt/insolvent or is granted a suspension of payments, as well as if the other Party’s business is closed down or liquidated other than for purposes of reconstruction or merger of companies, or if the decisive control of the business of the other Party changes.

8.5 The Agreement may only be dissolved on the basis of attributable failure after a written notice of default has been sent that is as detailed as possible, with a reasonable term being set within which the failure can be remedied, unless these Terms and Conditions or the law provide otherwise.

8.6 If the Agreement is dissolved, anything that Neat Software has delivered and/or carried out as well as the related payment obligation will not be undone unless the Client proves that Neat Software is in default with regard to the material part of those services. Amounts invoiced by Neat Software before dissolution in connection with anything Neat Software has already properly performed or delivered in performing the Agreement will continue to be owed in full with due observance of the provision in the preceding sentence and will become immediately due and payable at the time of dissolution.

8.7 If the Agreement is dissolved, terminated, or expired (for whatever reason), all rights granted (including licenses) to the Client will cease to have effect. The Client will no longer be authorised to make use of the Services or access, use and modify Neat Software IP.

8.8 Articles that, by their nature, are intended to continue to apply after the end of the Agreement will remain fully effective after the Agreement is terminated.

Article 9 - IP Rights

9.1 Neat Software IP shall vest in Neat Software or its licensors. Neat Software shall grant or procure the 9.1 grant to Client of a non-exclusive and non-transferable limited right to access and use the Neat Software IP and all such licenses reasonably necessary for Client to access and use the Neat Software IP solely for Client's internal business operations and subject to the terms of the Agreement. In addition and to the extent explicitly permitted in the Agreement, Neat Software may grant the Client a non-exclusive and non-transferable limited right to modify the Neat Software IP.

9.2 The licenses granted to the Client are subject to the condition that the Client does not (and does not allow any affiliate or third party to) (i) create any modification (within the meaning of Article 10(2) Dutch Copyright Act) for use other than by the Client and Client’s affiliate(s) or (ii) use the modifications for the purpose of creating products or developing services similar or competitive to those of Neat Software. The Parties agree to make their best reasonable efforts to facilitate the tracing and evidencing of any modifications to Neat Software IP. In the event of disagreement between the Parties, the burden of proof shall rest with the Client to prove that modifications are Client IP.

9.3 Client IP shall vest in the Client. Neat Software shall assign and procure the assignment of any and all Client IP in the course of or in connection with the provision of the Services with full title guarantee and free from third party rights to the Client absolutely. The Client shall subsequently grant Neat Software a non-exclusive, worldwide, free of charge licence to access, use and modify the Client IP to such extent as is reasonably necessary to enable Neat Software to provide the Services. To the extent that Neat Software subcontracts performance of the Services, it shall procure that all Client IP that arise from the work of its subcontractor shall be assigned to the Client absolutely.

9.4 The Client is not permitted to remove or alter any identifiers concerning Neat Software IP from the results of the Services.

9.5 The Client hereby grants Neat Software a non-exclusive, royalty-free license for the term of the Agreement to use Client’s name and logo in any media, provided that Neat Software complies with any branding guidelines provided to it by the Client when using Client’s name and logo.

9.6 Neat Software reserves the right to implement technical protective measures at its reasonable discretion into the Services. The Client is not permitted to circumvent these technical protective measures or to offer means to do so.

9.7 Neat Software indemnifies the Client from a claim or legal action against the Client by any third-party related to the allegation that (the use of) Neat Software IP infringes any third-party IP Right. The Client indemnifies Neat Software from a claim or legal action against Neat Software by any third-party related to the allegation that (the use of) IP Rights owned or licensed by the Client (including Client IP) infringe any third-party IP Rights. The indemnities under this Article 9.7 are given under the condition that the indemnified Party must:

i) Promptly give the indemnifying Party notice of a claim under the indemnity (“Claim”),
ii) not make any admission of liability, agreement or compromise in relation to the Claim without the prior written consent of the indemnifying Party,
iii) at the indemnifying party’s request, provide reasonable assistance in resolving the Claim, including without limitation, providing copies of documentation and correspondence relevant to the Claim; and
iv) permit the indemnifying Party to take conduct of the Claim.

9.8 The indemnifications mentioned above in Article 9.7 do not apply if the claimed infringement is connected with:

i) materials made available by the claiming Party; and/or
ii) changes the claiming Party has made, or has had third parties make, to the Services; and/or
iii) with regard to the indemnity by Neat Software, structure or function of (result of the) Services which was explicitly specified or insisted on by the Client or dictated by the Client’s specific requirements or instructions.

9.9 If it has been irrevocably established in court that the Services developed by Neat Software itself infringe IP Rights of third parties or if in the opinion of Neat Software there is a reasonable chance that such infringement may occur, Neat Software has the right, at its own discretion and at its own expense:

i) to obtain the right for the Client to continue to use the Services as agreed,
ii) to replace or change the Services in such a way that they no longer infringe, provided that their functionality remains substantially unchanged, or
iii) if the above options under (i) and (ii) are reasonably unenforceable, to (partially) terminate the Agreement and as a sole and exclusive remedy (proportionally) refund fees paid for such Services in advance by Client in respect of any period following such termination.

Article 10 - Privacy

10.1 If the Services involve the processing of Personal Data and Neat Software qualifies as a processor within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Client and Neat Software will conclude a data processing agreement in accordance with Article 28 paragraph 3 GDPR in which the processing of Personal Data by Neat Software is arranged in accordance with the relevant regulations.

10.2 The Client indemnifies Neat Software against all claims and legal actions of third parties, including but not limited to the Dutch Data Protection Authority (and other supervisory bodies) and the data subjects, in connection with attributable failure of the Client to comply with this Article, the data processing agreement as referred to in the Article. 10.1 and/or infringement by Neat Software of the GDPR and related legislation (including the GDPR Implementation Act).

Article 11 - Confidentiality

11.1 The Parties will treat all information they obtain from one another in any form whatsoever - written, verbal, electronic or physical - including but not limited to software, code, source code, programs, applications, client details, know-how, technical specifications, documentation (“Confidential Information”) as strictly confidential and will keep it secret.

11.2 The Parties will only use the Confidential Information for the purposes for which it was disclosed and in doing so, they will observe at least the same duties of care and safeguards that apply to their own internal confidential information. The Parties will only disclose the Confidential Information to employees to the extent necessary in the context of the Agreement and its implementation.

11.3 The duties to maintain secrecy with regard to the Confidential Information will not apply to the extent that the Party that received the information can demonstrate that the information concerned:

i) was already known to it when it was received;
ii) was already publicly known when it was received or became publicly known after receipt and this is not attributable to the receiving Party;
iii) was received in a lawful manner from a third party along with the right to communicate it to the public, free of any duty to maintain secrecy;
iv) must be disclosed pursuant to legislation or regulations or pursuant to a court order and the disclosing Party has informed the other Party of such a duty to communicate it to the public (as far as permitted); or
v) was made public with the approval of the Party disclosing it.

Article 12 - Personnel

12.1 During the term of the Agreement as well as 1 (one) year after the end of the Agreement, the Client will only employ or otherwise use, directly or indirectly, employees of Neat Software or other persons who are or have been involved in the performance of the Agreement on behalf of Neat Software, with the prior consent of Neat Software.

12.2 In the event of infringement of the provisions of Article 12.1 of one of the Parties, this Party will owe an immediately payable fine of EUR 25,000 (twenty-five thousand) per infringement, without prior notice of default being required and this without prejudice to the right of the other Party to claim full compensation for the damage it has suffered as a result of the infringement.

Article 13 - Liability

13.1 The total liability of Neat Software on account of an attributable failure in the performance of the Agreement or on any legal basis whatsoever, expressly including a failure in the performance of a warranty duty under the Agreement, as well as the maximum compensation in connection with an indemnification under the Agreement, is limited to the compensation of direct damage suffered by the Client (as defined in Article 13.2) up to the lesser of a) a maximum of the amount of the compensation stipulated for the performance of the Agreement, such that in the case of a continuing Agreement the stipulated compensation applies for one year; or b) a total maximum of EUR 500.000 (five hundred thousand euros).

13.2 Direct Damage (“Direct Damage”) is exclusively taken to mean:

i) reasonable costs the Client would have to incur so for Neat Software's performance to conform with the Agreement; however, this alternative damage will not be reimbursed if the Agreement is dissolved by or on the demand of the Client;
ii) reasonable costs incurred by the Client because it was necessary to keep its old system or systems and the associated facilities operational longer because Neat Software did not deliver on a delivery date which was a binding deadline for it, less any savings that result from the deferred delivery;
iii) reasonable costs incurred to determine the cause and the scope of the damage, to the extent that this relates to direct damage in the sense meant in this Agreement;
iv) reasonable costs incurred to prevent or limit damage, to the extent that the Client demonstrates that these costs resulted in a limitation of Direct Damage in the sense meant in this Agreement.

13.3 Any liability of Neat Software for anything other than Direct Damage (“Indirect Damage”), including but not limited to consequential damage, loss and/or damage to data, loss of profits and loss of sales, is excluded.

13.4 The limitations referred to in the preceding paragraphs of this Article will not apply if and to the extent that the damage is the result of intent or wilful recklessness on the part of Neat Software or its management (“own acts”).

13.5 In all cases, Neat Software is only liable on account of an attributable failure to perform the Agreement if the Client immediately and in the form of a proper written notice informs Neat Software that it is in default, stating a reasonable term in which the attributable failure can be remedied, and after this term Neat Software continues to fail attributably to perform its duties, except in the event of permanent attributable failure. The notice of default must comprise a description of the failure that is as complete and detailed as possible, so that Neat Software is able to respond adequately.

13.6 The creation of any right to compensation is always conditional on the Client reporting the damage to Neat Software in writing a soon as possible after it has come about. Any claim for compensation against Neat Software will cease to exist simply by the passage of twelve (12) months after the claim arose.

13.7 The Client bears the full risk and responsibility for its use of the Services. Neat Software does not accept any liability for the use made by the Client of the Services. The Client indemnifies Neat Software against any claims of third parties arising from the Client’s use of the Services.

Article 14 - Force majeure

14.1 In the event of force majeure there is no attributable failure in the performance of the Agreement by the Parties.

14.2 Force majeure includes, among other things, disruptions in the supply of electricity, epidemics, pandemics, flu outbreaks, strikes, riots, government measures, fire, natural disasters, floods, failure on the part of the Parties’ suppliers, failure on the part of third parties enlisted by the Parties, disruptions in the internet connection, hardware malfunctions, malfunctions in networks, including telecommunication networks, and other unforeseen circumstances.

14.3 The affected Party by the force majeure event shall be entitled to a reasonable extension of the time for performing its obligations, provided that if the period of delay or non-performance continues for thirty (30) days, either Party may dissolve the Agreement without being obliged to reimburse any damage, to undo any work or to pay any compensation for such dissolution.

14.4 If Neat Software can still perform in part at the time of the force majeure, or if it has performed, it is authorised to perform this service and to invoice it separately, as if it concerned a separate Agreement.

Article 15 - Transfer of rights and duties

15.1 The Client may not transfer its rights and duties under the Agreement to a third party (including but not limited to its affiliated companies with which it forms a group within the meaning of Article 2:24b of the Civil Code and/or participates for more than 50%) without the prior written consent of Neat Software. This provision has consequences for the right of ownership in the sense of Article 3:83 paragraph 2 of Book 3 of the Civil Code. The Client hereby gives its prior consent for any transfer of the rights and duties from this Agreement by Neat Software to an affiliated company with which it forms a group within the meaning of Article 2:24b of the Civil Code and/or participates for more than 50%.

Article 16 - Settlement and mediation

16.1 If a dispute between the Parties may not be resolved to their satisfaction, before submitting the dispute to a court it will be submitted to the Parties’ authorised representatives to investigate the possibilities of a settlement, or to an independent mediator for mediation.

Article 17 - Applicable law and competent court

17.1 These General Terms and Conditions are governed exclusively by Dutch law.

17.2 The applicability of the Vienna Sales Convention (CISG) is expressly excluded.

17.3 Any disputes that arise between the Parties in the context of or in connection with this Agreement will exclusively be submitted to the competent court in the district of The Hague (‘Den Haag’).