Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account, logging into, or using Northstar, you ("User," "you," or "your") agree to be bound by these Terms and our Data Privacy Policy. This agreement constitutes a legally binding contract between you and PixelTech Phils. Inc. ("PixelTech," "we," "us," or "our"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must immediately cease all use of the Platform.

2. Eligibility and Scope of Services

Northstar is a digital platform designed for Maritime Higher Education Institutions (MHEIs), students, cadets, and authorized industry professionals. To use the Platform, you must:

• Be officially enrolled in, employed by, or associated with an MHEI or organization that holds a valid institutional subscription with PixelTech.
• Provide true, accurate, and complete registration and profile information.

3. Account Security and Responsibilities

• Credentials: You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your username, password, and institutional login credentials.
• Unauthorized Use: You must immediately notify your MHEI's administrator and PixelTech's support team if you suspect any unauthorized access to or breach of your account.
• Liability: PixelTech will not be liable for any losses or damages arising from your failure to protect your login details.
• Account Sharing: Account sharing is strictly prohibited.

4. Platform Features & Specific Disclaimers

A. Onboard Training (OBT) Monitoring & Regulatory Compliance

• Data Accuracy: Cadets are responsible for the timely and honest entry of sea projects, daily journals, and task logs.
• Institutional Ownership: The validation, approval, and eventual signing off on sea-time compliance rests entirely with your MHEI and its designated OBT Supervisor, in accordance with MARINA and STCW rules.
• Role of the Platform: Northstar serves as a digital monitoring platform and does not independently confer regulatory certifications or pass grades.

B. Health Radar Check-In

• Not an Emergency Response System: The Health Radar module is designed for proactive institutional wellness tracking and self-reported mood logging. Northstar is not a 24/7 crisis hotline or an emergency medical dispatch system.
• Emergency Protocol: If a student or cadet onboard or ashore experiences an immediate psychological or physical life-threatening emergency, they must immediately use the vessel's satellite communication systems to alert the Master/Medical Officer, or call local emergency maritime/shore services directly.

C. Sea Expert Mentoring & Board Exam Preparation

• No Guarantee of Passing: The mentoring sessions provided by seasoned Captains, Deck Officers, and Marine Engineers are intended for academic motivation, career guidance, and review support. PixelTech and its partners do not guarantee that a user will pass the MARINA Licensure Board Examination by using these services.
• Professional Conduct: Users must interact with industry experts with the highest level of professional courtesy and maritime discipline. Academic dishonesty, plagiarism, or sharing protected exam review materials inside or outside the platform is strictly prohibited.

D. Fees, Transactions, and Paid Sessions

• Paid Coaching: Certain mentoring sessions with Sea Experts require monetary payments. Fees for these sessions are detailed at the time of booking.
• Payment Processing: All payments, invoicing, and subsequent payouts to Sea Experts are processed securely via our third-party payment processor, Xendit. By initiating a paid session, you agree to comply with Xendit's operational transaction policies.
• Revenue Splits: Payments are distributed between the platform share and the expert share as defined within the system database.
• Refund Policy: Unless explicitly mandated by regional consumer protection guidelines or system errors verified by PixelTech, all completed bookings and paid mentoring transactions are non-refundable.

5. Intellectual Property Rights

• Platform Ownership: All source code, user interface designs, software architectures, algorithms, databases, branding, and logos associated with Northstar are the exclusive property of PixelTech Phils. Inc., protected under Philippine intellectual property laws and international treaties.
• User Content License: By uploading daily journals, sea projects, or feedback, you grant Northstar a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, store, transfer, and process this data solely to fulfill the educational, monitoring, and verification features of the Platform.
• Academic & Digital Certificates: Verification markers and system-generated digital certificates used to track your transcripts and graduation status remain part of the secure record environment maintained collectively by the issuing MHEI and PixelTech to ensure credential integrity.

6. Prohibited Conduct

When using Northstar, you agree not to:

• Submit false sea-time logs, forged documents, or falsified journal entries.
• Post or transmit defamatory, abusive, harassing, or inappropriate content toward peers, school administrators, or Sea Experts.
• Attempt to bypass, disable, or tamper with the Platform's security measures, including role-based access controls and system authentication protocols.
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, or scrape data from the Platform without prior written consent from PixelTech.

7. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable Philippine laws (including RA 10173 and consumer protection frameworks):

• Northstar is provided on an "as-is" and "as-available" basis.
• PixelTech makes no warranties that the Platform will be completely uninterrupted, bug-free, or compatible with satellite or low-bandwidth internet connectivity experienced on deep-sea transit routes, though we make reasonable commercial efforts to optimize for low-bandwidth environments.
• PixelTech shall not be held liable for institutional decisions made by MHEIs, shipping companies, or MARINA regarding your academic graduation, employment status, or licensing outcomes.

8. Suspension and Termination

• By PixelTech/MHEI: We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to Northstar if you violate these Terms, if your MHEI terminates its master service agreement, or if requested by legitimate law enforcement or regulatory order.
• Effect of Termination: Upon account termination, your access to non-public areas of the platform ceases. Graduation and training verification records stored within the main system application ledger remain intact to facilitate permanent institutional verification by your MHEI.

9. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

• Governing Law: These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of the Philippines.
• Amicable Settlement: Any legal action, dispute, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the use of Northstar shall be settled amicably through institutional negotiation.
• Venue: If an amicable settlement cannot be reached, the dispute shall be filed exclusively before the proper courts of Las Piñas City, Metro Manila, Philippines, to the exclusion of all other venues.

10. Modifications to the Terms

We reserve the right to modify or replace these Terms at any time to align with system upgrades or changing maritime regulations (e.g., MARINA circulars). If a revision is material, we will notify you via a Northstar dashboard notification or through your registered institutional email at least fifteen (15) days before the new terms take effect. Continuing to use the platform after modifications become effective means you accept the revised Terms.

11. Contact Information

For any legal inquiries, clarifications regarding these Terms, or technical account issues, please contact us at:

PixelTech Phils. Inc.
Email: dpo@pixeltechph.com
Address: Las Piñas, Metro Manila, Philippines