Terms & Conditions

This page concerns the MSP Challenge simulation platform only.

In this page you will learn about:

• Our Copyright and License
• Our R&D Code of Conduct
• Our privacy policy
• Our use of cookies

Copyright and Licence

Breda University of Applied Sciences and any additional, individual code contributors are together the holders of all copyrights and any other rights of intellectual property of the MSP Challenge Simulation Platform. Full credits of involved developers, partners and funders are available on this MSP Challenge Community wiki.

The MSP Challenge Simulation Platform, all its Editions (including but not limited to the North Sea Edition, Baltic Sea Edition, Clyde Marine Region Edition) and their source codes are provided under the GNU General Public License Version 3 (GPL-3.0-only) license: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.en.html.

In short, this means that you may freely copy, distribute and modify the software as long as you track changes and their dates in source files. Any modifications to the software, including the source code, must also be made available under this GPL-3.0-only license along with build and install instructions if relevant. Further conditions apply, see the license text.

The required additional software applications have their own copyright holders and licenses that allowed Breda University of Applied Sciences to use and distribute them in an unaltered state as part of the platform and its editions. A full overview of these applications is available on this MSP Challenge Community wiki.

All original geographical information systems (GIS) data also have their own copyright holders and licenses that allowed Breda University of Applied Sciences to use them to create derivative works. We do not distribute the originals; a full overview of these sources is available on this MSP Challenge Community wiki.

R&D Code of Conduct

As the platform's custodian, Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas) has a strong research & development interest. We therefore uphold a simple R&D Code of Conduct in addition to GPLv3 license:

1. We request platform users to inform BUas about their use. Please get in touch through http://www.mspchallenge.info.
2. We request platform users to consider further developing the platform together with us.
3. We request platform users to publish together with us about the platform’s design, development and application in areas as varied as marine sciences, marine simulation, fishing and ecology, educational science, design and game sciences, and evaluation.
4. In their internal or external communications, we strongly request platform users to acknowledge not only copyright holders (as stipulated by GPLv3), but also those people who took important initiatives, paid hefty bills, and simply put their time, heart and soul into this platform since the early days. To do this, users can refer to or copy over the complete overview of copyright holders and those who deserve credit that is available on this MSP Challenge Community wiki.

Note: as MSP Challenge is open source, platform users can also contribute code. We have a separate instructions page including basic 'house rules' for those who want to do that.

Privacy notice

Downloading, installing and/or using parts or the whole of the MSP Challenge Simulation Platform requires a registered account. This can be obtained freely at the MSP Challenge Authoriser: https://auth2.mspchallenge.info.

You will be asked to provide the following personal information:

• First and last name
• E-mail address
• IP address

This personal information is stored in the MSP Challenge Authoriser database hosted on a server located in the Netherlands and will be only accessible by you and by the different applications that make up the platform. Storing this personal information serves two purposes:

1. The MSP Challenge Simulation Platform is the result of research and development carried out at and by Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas), the Netherlands, in collaboration with its partners and funders. BUas provides the platform for free and open source, but wants to know who is using it and how, so that it may continue to improve the platform, publish about its impact, and stay in touch with end users about all of this.
2. BUas does not distribute the obtained and adjusted geodata that is required to actually use this platform, because of the shared copyright involved. Through this account procedure BUas can refrain from redistributing this geodata, but still provide access to it for users when they need it. As a result BUas logs any provision of geodata with the user’s account when a user requires it.

To be clear, we are thus *not* using your personal information for any other purpose than listed above, and we are *not* providing your personal information to any other parties unless obliged by law.

Should you choose to create an account, you will always have the ability to update your personal information by logging in on the MSP Challenge Authoriser and going to the ‘Edit Account Info’ page.

After one year of inactivity we will delete your account and thus your personal information, with two weeks’ notice by e-mail.

You will of course also have the right to freely delete your account yourself at any time, thereby deleting your personal information from the database. Again, you will be able to do this yourself by logging in on the MSP Challenge Authoriser and selecting the option ‘Delete Account’. Of course you will then no longer be able to use the platform.

We note that your past platform use data will never be deleted, even if your account has been deleted (by you or by inactivity). However, since we won’t have your account and personal information anymore, this data will have become anonymised. So from that point on, no-one will be able to determine from this platform use data that it concerned you.

Should you have complaints or questions about privacy, you can contact Breda University of Applied Sciences through e-mail at fg@buas.nl.

Cookie notice

1. Introduction

This information sheet serves to inform you about our website’s (“Website”) Cookie Policy so that you may better understand the use of cookies during your navigation and provide your consent thereto.

It is understood that by continuing to navigate on this Website you are consenting to the use of cookies, as specifically indicated in the notice on the front page (“Homepage”) reporting the existence of our Cookie Policy.

2. Who is the controller of your data?

When this policy mentions “we,” “us,” “our” or “Data Controller”, it refers to the website you are visiting right now.

3. What are cookies?

Cookies are small files which are stored on your computer, they hold a modest amount of data specific to you and allows a server to deliver a page tailored to you on your computer, hard drive, smartphone or tablet (hereinafter referred to as, “Device”). Later on, if you return to our Website, it can read and recognize the cookies. They are used to operate or improve the way our Website works.

4. Authorization for the use of cookies on our Website

In accordance with the notice of cookie usage appearing on our Website’s homepage and our Cookie Policy you agree that, when browsing our Website, you consent to the use of cookies described herein, except to the extent that you have modified your browser settings to disable their use. This includes but is not limited to browsing our Website to complete any of the following actions: closing the cookie notice on the Homepage, scrolling through the Website, clicking on any element of the Website, etc.

5. What categories of your data do we collect and use?

When you visit the Website (you as a "User") we collect the categories of personal data as follows:

Personal data collected during your sign-up and automatically from our Website. For more information about this we redirect you to our separate Privacy Notice (see above).

Information about your visits to and use of the Website, such as information about the device and browser you are using, your IP address or domain names of the computers connected to the Websites, uniform resource identifiers for requests made, the time of request, the method used to submit the request to the server, the size of the archive obtained as a response, the numerical code indicating the status of the response given by the server (correct, error, etc.) and other parameters relative to the operating system and the computer environment used, the date and time that you visited, the duration of your visit, and website navigation paths of your visit and your interactions on the Website including the Services and offers you are interested in. Please note that we may associate this information with your account. If you delete your account, this information will no longer be linked to you in our database.

Please see the following clause of this Policy for further information on the purposes for which we collect and use this information.

6. Types of cookies used on our Website

6.1. Types of cookies according to the managing entity

Depending on what entity manages the computer or domain from which the cookies are sent and processed, there exist the following types of cookies:

First party cookies: these are sent to your Device from a computer or domain managed by us and from which the service you requested is provided.

Third party cookies: these are sent to your Device from a computer or domain that is not managed by us, but by a separate entity that processes data obtained through cookies. We do not use or access these.

6.2. Types of cookies according to the length of time you stay connected:

Depending on the amount of time you remain active on your Device, these are the following types of cookies:

Session cookies: these are designed to receive and store data while you access the Website. These cookies do not remain stored on your Device when you exit the session or browser.

Persistent cookies: these types of cookies remain stored on your Device and can be accessed and processed after you exit the Website as well as when you navigate on it for a pre-determined period of time. The cookie remains on the hard drive until it reaches its expiration date.

6.3. Types of cookies according to their purpose

Although there are multiple types of cookies, we only use the following:

Technical cookies: these cookies are strictly necessary for the operation of our Website and are essential for browsing and allow the use of various features. Without them, you cannot log in and maintain a session.

Analytical cookies for statistical purposes and measuring traffic: these cookies gather information about your use of our Website, the pages you visit and any errors that may occur during navigation. These cookies do not gather information that may personally identify you. All information is collected in an anonymous manner and is used to improve the functioning of our Website through statistical information. Therefore, these cookies do not contain personal data.

7. Why do we use cookies?

A. To help create and maintain the contractual relation established for the provision of the Service requested by you in all its phases and by way of any possible integration and modification.

B. To help meet the legal, regulatory and compliance requirements and to respond to requests by government or law enforcement authorities conducting an investigation.

C. To help carry out anonymous, aggregation and statistical analyses so that we can see how our Website, products and services are being used and how our Website is performing.

8. How long are cookies retained?

Technical cookies-Max 3 years from the date of browsing on our websites

Analytical cookies-Max 1 year from the date of browsing on our websites

9. Cookie management

You must keep in mind that if your Device does not have cookies enabled, your experience on the Website may be limited, thereby impeding the navigation and use of our services.

There are a number of ways to manage cookies. By modifying your browser settings, you can opt to disable cookies or receive a notification before accepting them. You can also erase all cookies installed in your browser’s cookie folder. Keep in mind that each browser has a different procedure for managing and configuring cookies. Here’s how you manage cookies in the various major browsers:

Here’s how you manage cookies in the various major browsers:

• MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER / EDGE
• GOOGLE CHROME
• MOZILLA FIREFOX
• APPLE SAFARI

If you use another browser, please read its help menu for more information.

If you would like information about managing cookies on your tablet or smartphone, please read the related documentation or help archives online.