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Membership TermsTerms and Conditions

TERMS

Signs I/O Membership Terms and Conditions

These Signs I/O Membership Terms and Conditions (these “Terms and Conditions”) set out the terms of use for the services for members (the “Service”) on the Signs I/O website (the “Website”), which is operated by General Incorporated Association Shikaku (“us”). These Terms and Conditions apply to the relationship between us and any user who registers with the Service as a member (“you” or “Member”) regarding the use of the Service.

Chapter 1 General Provisions and Service

Article 1. Scope of Application and Separate Terms

  1. You will review these Terms and Conditions when you register as a Member, and use the Service after agreeing to them. Guidance for browsing the Website is set out in the Site Policies, and the handling of personal information is set out in the Privacy Policy.
  2. If we establish separate terms or special provisions for a specific service (the “Separate Terms”; for example, the Online Conversation Service Terms and the Introductory Class Qualification Exam Terms), we will show you their scope and content before you use that service. Matters set out in the Separate Terms take precedence over these Terms and Conditions to the extent that they relate to that service.
  3. An individual agreement with a company, school or organization takes precedence over these Terms and Conditions and the Separate Terms within the scope of that agreement. Merely updating explanatory materials or screens later does not change an agreement that has already been formed.
  4. We will not suspend your ordinary use of other services for Members solely because you have not agreed to Separate Terms.

Article 2. Details of Service

  1. We provide video seminars and educational materials for learning sign language, proficiency tests, the Introductory Class Qualification Exam, events and seminars, online conversation, and other services. You can check the available content, and whether it is free or paid, in the description of each service. The part of the Service that we provide for a fee is the “Paid Service,” and a Member who has entered into an agreement for the Paid Service is a “Paid Member.”
  2. The acquisition of sign language and learning outcomes vary from person to person, and we do not guarantee any particular outcome.
  3. We may add, change or discontinue services. If we make a change to the content or terms of use of the Paid Service that is disadvantageous to Members, we will notify you in advance of the content of the change and the date on which it takes effect, and will handle any necessary refunds in accordance with laws and regulations and the terms of each service. Discontinuation of a service is governed by Article 16.
  4. Problems may occur in your use of the Service depending on your device and communication environment. Responsibility and the handling of refunds depend on the cause, the terms of each service, and laws and regulations.

Article 3. Copyrights and Scope of Use

  1. Rights in educational materials, videos, images, text, exam questions, programs and other content (the “Content”) belong to us, our instructors or other lawful rights holders. We do not monopolize the rights in general sign language expressions themselves.
  2. You may use the Content within the scope permitted when it is provided, such as for your own learning. If a corporate agreement or similar agreement permits a different scope of use, that agreement applies.
  3. Except where permitted by laws and regulations or with the permission of the rights holder, you may not reproduce the Content without permission, distribute it to a third party, transmit it to the public, sell it, or make copies that infringe rights.
  4. If there is a violation, we may make claims under laws and regulations and take the action described in Article 12. This does not categorically prohibit citation and other uses that are permitted by laws and regulations.

Article 4. Rules of Use and Environment

  1. You may not do any of the following:
    • unauthorized access, impersonation, or sharing or assigning an account;
    • providing false material information;
    • harassing, infringing the rights of, or defaming others;
    • interfering with the operation of the Service;
    • cheating in a proficiency test or the Introductory Class Qualification Exam (such as having another person take the test for you, receiving help from a third party, or recording or sharing questions or answers; details are set out in the Separate Terms); or
    • acts that violate laws and regulations or are contrary to public policy.
  2. You may not record, tape or distribute the Content or online conversations without permission, or share them with a third party without permission. Safety-management recording of online conversations is different from this prohibition: we explain its purpose and scope, and confirm any separate consent required before we do it.
  3. You prepare, and bear the cost of, the devices, communication lines, software and other items necessary for use. Please check the Supported Environment, and enable the cookies, JavaScript and function-specific permissions that are required.

Article 5. Posts and Secondary Use

  1. Rights in comments and other content you post remain with you or the lawful rights holder. You grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display, distribute and store your comments on the Website within the scope of publication you select, and to make reproductions, public transmissions and technical format changes to the extent necessary for that purpose.
  2. If we reasonably determine that a comment infringes the rights of others, or is defamatory or otherwise contrary to Article 4, we will hide or delete it to the extent necessary. Except in urgent cases, we will tell you the reason.
  3. If we use your comments for publicity, advertising, academic presentations or similar purposes separately from the use under paragraph 1 (including publication or provision as “user voices” both on and outside the Website, in our publicity materials or social media, on other websites, in magazines and newspapers, and at academic conferences and symposiums; “Secondary Use”), we will, in advance, state the purpose, the destination and medium, the manner of display (real name, display name or anonymous) and the publication period, and obtain your permission by a method that leaves a record, such as email. You are free to choose whether to give permission, and you will not be disadvantaged if you do not. If proofreading is needed, such as correcting typographical errors, without changing the content, we will state that and obtain your permission.
  4. Permission for Secondary Use is limited to the scope we state. You may withdraw your permission for the future, and we will stop the publication within a reasonable period, except for printed materials that have already been distributed.
  5. The video and content of online conversations, non-public evaluations, reports and inquiries are not included in the comments and other content covered by this Article. We handle personal information contained in them in accordance with the Privacy Policy. For information relating to online conversation, the Online Conversation Service Terms and the Addendum on the Handling of Personal Information in Online Conversations also apply.

Chapter 2 Paid Service

Article 6. Application, Payment and Refunds

  1. You apply for the Paid Service after checking its content, quantity or period, total amount, timing and method of payment, timing of provision, and terms for cancellation. Details of the terms are shown on each application screen and in the Information Required under the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions of Japan.
  2. You pay the charge by the deadline and by the method shown. Cancellation of an application when payment cannot be confirmed is governed by the terms shown in advance.
  3. Even if you cancel, withdraw or do not use the Paid Service for your own convenience, we do not pro-rate the charges you have paid or refund the charges for the remaining period. This does not apply in the following cases:
    • where cancellation, rescission or a refund is permitted by laws and regulations;
    • where there was a duplicate payment or an incorrect charge;
    • where we were unable to provide the service for a reason attributable to us; or
    • where the Separate Terms or the application terms of the relevant service provide otherwise.
  4. Purchases of points for online conversation, return of points and cash refunds are handled separately, and the Online Conversation Service Terms apply.
  5. If we change charges, we will notify you of the affected service, the new amount and the date of application a reasonable period (in principle, at least 30 days) in advance. For automatic renewal plans, we will provide a period during which you can stop renewal before the first renewal date to which the new charge applies. We do not change the charge for a period that has already been paid.

Article 7. Term and Renewal

  1. The term, start date and renewal date of the Paid Service are shown at the time of application and on the agreement screen.
  2. An automatic renewal plan renews for each period shown unless you complete the prescribed cancellation procedure, and payment is made at the initial application and at each renewal.
  3. Unless the agreement provides otherwise, a fixed-term plan ends when its term expires.
  4. If payment at renewal cannot be completed, we may contact you and ask you to pay again. If it is still not completed, we may decline to renew the Paid Service or suspend its use. We do not charge for a period for which the agreement is not renewed and the service is not provided. Failure to complete payment alone does not extinguish payment obligations that have already validly arisen.
  5. The handling of the term, refunds and similar matters in the event of interruption of the Service or non-performance depends on the cause, the terms of each service, and laws and regulations.

Article 8. Cancellation of the Paid Service

  1. For an automatic renewal plan, you can stop the next renewal from My Page during the contract term. You can continue to use the Paid Service until the end of the contract term after you stop renewal, and we will not charge for the next period.
  2. Before the end of the contract term, you may be able to cancel the stop of renewal from My Page and resume automatic renewal.
  3. Cancelling an automatic renewal plan (stopping the next renewal) and withdrawing as a Member are separate procedures. Withdrawal is governed by Article 11.
  4. We do not confuse the cancellation of online conversation reservations or the handling of points with the terms for cancelling a Premium membership agreement.

Chapter 3 Members

Article 9. Member Registration and Minors

  1. When you register as a Member, please register accurate information about yourself and an email address at which you can be contacted. You can use the Service as a Member from the time we accept your registration by the prescribed method and notify you that you may start using it.
  2. If you are under 18, please use the Service with the consent of your parent or other legal representative. If we learn that you are under 18, or if a check under the Separate Terms is required for a Paid Service, online conversation or another service, we may ask you to confirm the consent of your legal representative.
  3. We may ask you to confirm information to the extent necessary to verify your identity.
  4. If there is a reasonable ground, such as a relationship with an anti-social force, unauthorized use, a serious past violation, or a material false statement, we may refuse your registration or restrict your use.

Article 10. Account and Registered Information

  1. Please manage your login information appropriately and do not let a third party use it. Keep your registered information accurate and up to date.
  2. If you suspect unauthorized use or a leak of information, please contact us promptly and cooperate with any necessary reset.
  3. We treat operations made with your authentication information as operations by you, but if you report unauthorized use, we will confirm the circumstances. The mere fact that the authentication information matched does not impose unconditional liability on you.
  4. You may not assign or transfer to a third party your rights or obligations under these Terms and Conditions, or your status as a Member.

Article 11. Withdrawal

  1. We accept withdrawal through the contact form or info@signs.io. After confirming that you are the Member, we complete the withdrawal by deactivating your account. After withdrawal, you cannot use your account.
  2. If you request to withdraw while you have an automatic renewal plan, we will explain the status of automatic renewal, how to cancel it (stop the next renewal), and that depending on the date of withdrawal you may no longer be able to use the remainder of the contract term. If you wish to use the Service until the end of the contract term, you may choose a withdrawal date on or after the last day of the contract term. We deactivate your account after confirming that automatic renewal has been stopped, so that you are not charged after withdrawal.
  3. Before your withdrawal is finalized, we will explain how unused points, confirmed reservations, and incomplete transactions and refunds will be handled. For online conversation, the provisions of its Separate Terms also apply.
  4. Withdrawal is carried out by deactivating your account. To have your personal information deleted, please make a separate request to the contact point set out in the Privacy Policy. Records necessary for contracts, accounting, dispute response and similar purposes may be retained for limited purposes, and not everything is deleted immediately.
  5. Your use of the Member services ends upon withdrawal, but obligations that have already arisen, necessary refunds and settlements, and claims permitted by laws and regulations remain. Article 3, the provisions on prohibited acts in Article 4, the scope of Secondary Use permitted under Articles 5.3 and 5.4, Article 15 and Article 17 remain in effect after withdrawal.

Article 12. Restriction of Use and Termination

  1. If there is a serious violation of these Terms and Conditions, unauthorized use, non-payment of charges, a safety problem or a similar matter, we may, after confirming the circumstances and impact, restrict your use or terminate the agreement to the extent necessary.
  2. In principle, we will notify you of the reason and accept inquiries. If there is an urgent risk, such as harm to a third party or a leak of information, we may impose the restriction first.
  3. The handling of the Paid Service, points, reservations and similar matters that accompany a restriction depends on the cause, the Separate Terms or agreement, and laws and regulations. The existence of a violation alone does not uniformly cause you to lose all rights or the charges you paid.

Chapter 4 Miscellaneous Provisions

Article 13. Personal Information

  1. We handle personal information relating to Member registration, use, payment, inquiries and similar matters for the purposes and within the scope set out in the Privacy Policy, and take necessary security management measures.
  2. Information specific to online conversation, recordings, parental consent and similar matters are explained in detail in the “Addendum on the Handling of Personal Information in Online Conversations.”
  3. We send emails for advertising, email newsletters, campaigns and other promotional purposes after clearly showing their content and delivery settings on the registration screen and obtaining any required consent. The delivery setting is enabled by default, but you may turn it off at registration or at any time afterwards. Each email explains how to unsubscribe, and we do not resume promotional emails after you unsubscribe unless you choose to resume them. We send communications necessary for providing the Service, such as those about contracts, renewals, payments, withdrawal, safety management and changes to these Terms and Conditions, separately from, and regardless of, whether you have stopped promotional emails.

Article 14. Notification

  1. We notify you of necessary information by email to your registered email address, display on the Website and other means. Please keep your contact information up to date and make sure you can receive emails from us.
  2. An email notification is deemed to have reached you when it would ordinarily have reached you after it is sent to your registered email address, and a notification displayed on the Website takes effect when it is posted. However, this does not apply if it did not reach you for a reason on our side, or if we learn that it did not reach you.
  3. We do not treat your lack of response to a notification, or the absence of an objection, alone as forming a new agreement or obtaining consent.

Article 15. Liability

  1. If loss or damage is caused to the other party for a reason attributable to us or to you, the responsible party is liable in accordance with laws and regulations.
  2. Except in the case of intent or gross negligence on our part or on the part of our representatives or persons we use to perform our obligations, our liability for damages to you is limited to direct and ordinary loss or damage actually incurred by you, and its total amount is capped at the amount of the fees you paid to us for the service that caused the loss or damage. However, this monetary cap does not apply if you have not paid any fees for that service.
  3. Refunds of service charges and other returns or settlements are handled separately from damages, in accordance with the terms of each service and laws and regulations, and the monetary cap in the preceding paragraph does not apply to them.
  4. We are not liable for damages if we are unable to provide the Service due to natural disaster, power failure, communications failure, a failure of an external service or any other reason not attributable to us. The handling of the term of the Paid Service, refunds and other returns or settlements is governed by Article 7.5, Article 16 and the Separate Terms. This Article does not limit liability or rights that cannot be limited under the Consumer Contract Act or other laws and regulations.

Article 16. Interruption and Termination of Service

If we interrupt the Service for maintenance, failure, disaster or another reason, we will notify you in advance where possible. If we plan to terminate the Service, we will in principle, at least one month in advance, notify you of the termination date and how we will handle unperformed agreements and remaining balances (such as the Paid Service and unused points). In an emergency, we will also endeavor to notify you promptly, and will make necessary refunds and settlements in accordance with the individual terms and laws and regulations.

Article 17. Governing Law, Jurisdiction and Partial Invalidity

  1. These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of Japan. We will consult in good faith regarding any dispute, and if litigation is necessary, the Tokyo District Court or the Tokyo Summary Court will be a non-exclusive court of agreed jurisdiction for the court of first instance. This does not affect your right to bring an action in another court that has jurisdiction under laws and regulations.
  2. If any part of these Terms and Conditions is held invalid or unenforceable under laws and regulations, the remaining parts remain in effect.

Article 18. Revision of Terms and Conditions and Application

  1. We may revise these Terms and Conditions under Article 548-4 of the Civil Code of Japan in the following cases:
    • where the revision conforms to the general interests of Members; or
    • where the revision does not conflict with the purpose of the agreement and is reasonable in light of the necessity of the revision, the appropriateness of the revised content, the content of the provision that the terms may be revised, and other circumstances.
  2. For a revision under the preceding paragraph, we will notify you of the revised content and the effective date, by email to your registered email address, display on the Website or another appropriate method, a reasonable period before the effective date (in principle, at least 30 days before for a revision that is disadvantageous to Members).
  3. For a revision that requires individual consent under laws and regulations, such as one that has a significant effect on your rights and obligations or imposes a new obligation on you, we will obtain consent from the Members concerned. Browsing the Website or continuing to use it does not replace explicit consent where consent is required.
  4. A revision of Separate Terms applies only to the relevant service and form of use, in accordance with those Separate Terms and laws and regulations. We do not uniformly require all Members to consent again merely because the version of a document differs.

Supplementary Provisions

  1. Effective date: October 1, 2026
  2. Application to existing Members: These Terms and Conditions also apply to existing Members within the scope designated for application, after the revision procedures, advance notice and any necessary individual consent under Article 18. Charges and contract terms for agreements for the Paid Service formed before the effective date, and the charges, required points, usage counts, cancellation terms and other conditions of confirmed reservations, remain as agreed when they were formed. New limitations of liability do not apply retrospectively to claims arising from events before the effective date. For a Paid Service for which you completed the cancellation procedure (stopping renewal) before the effective date, the end date is the last day of the contract term that we have notified and provided to you, and the entry into force of these Terms and Conditions does not shorten it. This revision alone does not change existing Members' promotional email delivery settings.
  3. Transitional measure for company, school and organization programs: This revision accompanying the official launch of online conversation for individuals does not automatically change the terms of agreements for existing company, school and organization programs. Consent that is currently valid is maintained as a transitional measure. This version update alone will not cause a request for renewed consent to be displayed, new reservations to be blocked, or consent to be treated as incomplete. We will not prevent the confirmation, entry or conversation of a confirmed reservation solely because consent to the new version has not been given. If, in the future, consent is required for a significant change that will also apply to the common terms or to corporate programs, we will confirm who is affected and notify them separately. This transitional measure is not treated as consent to any future change.
  4. Transitional measure for comments already in Secondary Use: Comments and other content already in Secondary Use based on lawful permission before the revision may remain in use within the scope of that permission. If you request it, we will stop the publication within a reasonable period in accordance with Article 5.4. Article 5.3 applies to any new Secondary Use on or after the effective date. This transitional measure does not expand the scope of prior permission.

Established: June 25, 2019 Revised: April 1, 2021 Last revised: October 1, 2026