TERMS AND CONDITIONS

KPLR-IP Law, LLC

Effective Date: September 3, 2026 Version: 3.0

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the website located at kplr-ip.com and the legal services provided by KPLR-IP Law, LLC ("KPLR," "the Firm," "we," "us," or "our").

These Terms do not govern the Recall Engine study applications. Recall Engine is an educational product, not a legal service, and it is governed by a separate agreement — the Recall Engine Terms of Service, available at kplr-ip.com. Using Recall Engine does not make you a client of the Firm.

By accessing this website, submitting a consultation request, or engaging the Firm, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. Where a separate written engagement agreement applies to a specific matter, that document controls to the extent it conflicts with these Terms.

1. Definitions

(a) "Legal Services" means the attorney services described in these Terms.

(b) "Client" means a person or entity that has entered into a written engagement agreement with the Firm for Legal Services.

(c) "AI Tools" means artificial intelligence and machine-learning platforms, large-language-model services, AI-assisted legal research tools, and AI-assisted drafting or productivity software used by KPLR in the provision of Legal Services.

(d) "Cloud Services" means third-party cloud storage, file synchronization, backup, and productivity platforms used by KPLR to create, store, transmit, and manage client files and Firm records, including Microsoft OneDrive and the Microsoft 365 suite.

(e) "Rules of Professional Conduct" or "RPCs" means the Washington Rules of Professional Conduct, the District of Columbia Rules of Professional Conduct, and the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct (37 C.F.R. Part 11), as applicable to the matter.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction) to engage the Firm. By contacting us, you represent that you meet this requirement and that all information you provide is accurate.

3. No Attorney-Client Relationship Through the Website

(a) Accessing this website, submitting a consultation request, or otherwise communicating with KPLR does not create an attorney-client relationship.

(b) An attorney-client relationship is formed only upon mutual execution of a written engagement agreement and, where required, payment of any applicable advance deposit.

(c) Information transmitted before an engagement is established may not be treated as confidential or privileged. Do not send confidential or sensitive information through this website or by unsolicited email.

4. Scope of Representation and Availability

(a) Representation begins only upon mutual execution of a written engagement agreement.

(b) Legal Services are limited to the scope defined in your engagement agreement. Additional work requires separate written authorization.

(c) KPLR will respond to client communications within a reasonable time consistent with the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct. For matters with imminent deadlines or requiring urgent action, you must notify KPLR at the earliest possible opportunity. KPLR is not responsible for delays attributable to your failure to provide timely instructions, approvals, or information.

5. Matters Expressly Outside the Scope of Any Engagement

Unless expressly included in a signed engagement agreement, the Firm's representation does not include, and the Firm renders no opinion or advice regarding:

(a) freedom-to-operate, clearance, or right-to-use analyses;

(b) patentability, validity, enforceability, or infringement opinions;

(c) prior art searching beyond that expressly agreed in writing;

(d) tax, accounting, securities, employment, immigration, or export-control advice;

(e) monitoring, docketing, maintenance, annuity, or renewal obligations after the conclusion of a matter; or

(f) appeals, oppositions, inter partes proceedings, litigation, or enforcement.

The absence of an opinion on any of the foregoing is not a determination that no risk exists. You should not infer from the Firm's silence that any product, process, filing, or course of conduct is free from third-party rights or legal risk.

6. Identity of the Client

(a) Where the Client is an entity, the Firm represents the entity only. The Firm does not represent, and no attorney-client relationship exists with, the entity's individual officers, directors, members, shareholders, employees, inventors, founders, contractors, parents, subsidiaries, or affiliates, unless a separate written engagement agreement expressly provides otherwise.

(b) Communications between the Firm and an individual associated with an entity Client are made on behalf of the entity, and the entity controls any resulting privilege.

(c) If the interests of an individual and the entity diverge, the Firm may be required to withdraw from representing one or both, and the individual should obtain separate counsel.

7. Conflicts of Interest

(a) The Firm maintains a conflicts-checking system and will run a conflicts check before accepting a matter. Accurate and complete information from you regarding adverse parties, affiliates, and related entities is necessary for that check to be meaningful.

(b) The Firm represents multiple clients, including clients in the same or adjacent technical fields. Subject to the Rules of Professional Conduct, you agree that the Firm may represent other current or future clients in matters unrelated to your matter, including matters adverse to you or your affiliates, provided that (i) the matter is not substantially related to any matter the Firm has handled for you, and (ii) the Firm does not use or disclose your confidential information in connection with that representation.

(c) Nothing in this Section waives any conflict that may not be waived in advance under the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct, and nothing in this Section constitutes consent to a conflict for which informed consent, confirmed in writing, would be required at the time.

(d) Advocating a legal position for one client that is adverse to a position advocated for another client in an unrelated matter is not, by itself, a conflict of interest.

8. Jurisdictional Limitations on Practice

(a) Daniel M. Sweeney is admitted to practice law in the State of Washington and the District of Columbia and is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

(b) Practice before the USPTO in patent matters is a federal practice and is not limited by state boundaries. In any jurisdiction where the Firm is not admitted to practice law, the Firm's practice is limited to federal patent and trademark matters before the USPTO and to matters otherwise permitted under the rules governing multijurisdictional practice.

(c) Any office location listed by the Firm in a jurisdiction where its attorneys are not admitted is maintained solely for federal practice before the USPTO and for administrative purposes, and does not constitute an offer to practice the law of that jurisdiction.

9. Categories of Legal Services

The Firm offers, among other services:

(a) Business law, including contract drafting and review (service agreements, employment contracts, NDAs, and vendor agreements), business disputes, licensing agreements, and demand letters and pre-litigation advocacy.

(b) Intellectual property law, including patent prosecution (U.S. and international), trademark and copyright registration, IP licensing, due diligence and technology transfer, cease-and-desist and demand correspondence, and litigation preparation and litigation.

(c) Miscellaneous legal services, including regulatory compliance, specialized consulting, and international transactions and licensing.

10. Client Obligations in Intellectual Property Matters

In connection with patent prosecution and other IP matters, the Client bears the following obligations, in addition to any set forth in the applicable engagement agreement:

(a) Duty of Disclosure. Each individual associated with the filing and prosecution of a patent application, including inventors, the Client, and their agents, has a duty of candor and good faith to the USPTO under 37 C.F.R. § 1.56. You must promptly disclose to KPLR all information known to be material to patentability, including prior art, prior publications, prior public use, prior sales or offers for sale, and prior disclosures. Failure to disclose material information may render a resulting patent unenforceable due to inequitable conduct. KPLR is not responsible for consequences arising from information you failed to disclose, whether or not intentionally.

(b) Inventorship. You represent that the inventors identified in any patent application are the true, correct, and only inventors of the claimed subject matter. Incorrect inventorship can render a patent invalid or unenforceable. You must promptly notify KPLR of any question or dispute regarding inventorship.

(c) Statutory Deadlines. Patent rights are subject to strict and often non-extendable statutory deadlines. Under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1), an invention that was patented, described in a printed publication, in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date may be barred from patenting. The limited exceptions in 35 U.S.C. § 102(b)(1) provide only a one-year grace period for certain disclosures originating with the inventor, and many foreign jurisdictions provide no grace period at all. Other critical deadlines include PCT national-phase entry deadlines, Paris Convention priority deadlines, and USPTO response deadlines during prosecution. KPLR will docket deadlines arising from known facts and filings, but is not responsible for deadlines arising from facts or events you have not disclosed. You are responsible for promptly notifying KPLR of any public disclosure, publication, sale, or offer for sale of your invention, and of any prior filing, domestic or foreign.

(d) Accuracy of Technical Information. You represent that all technical, factual, and legal information you provide in connection with IP matters is accurate, complete, and not misleading to the best of your knowledge. KPLR relies on your representations in preparing, filing, and prosecuting applications and other IP submissions.

(e) International Matters. For international patent or trademark filings, foreign counsel, foreign filing fees, and translation costs may be required and will be charged as reimbursable expenses. KPLR does not guarantee the availability of rights in any foreign jurisdiction.

(f) Post-Issuance Obligations. Maintenance fees, annuities, renewals, declarations of use, and similar post-issuance obligations are the Client's responsibility unless the Firm has expressly agreed in writing to docket and handle them.

11. Fees, Consultations, and Billing

(a) Fees are charged on an hourly, flat-fee, capped-fee, or contingency basis (contingency by separate written agreement only), as set forth in the applicable fee schedule or engagement agreement. Current rates are provided to prospective clients in writing prior to engagement. All fees must be reasonable under the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct.

(b) A consultation fee may apply to initial consultations as set forth in the applicable fee schedule unless waived in writing. Where charged, the consultation fee is the agreed price of the consultation itself and is earned when the consultation is provided. Consultation fees are payable in advance of scheduling and are refundable only if the consultation does not occur. Where the Firm is subsequently engaged, the consultation fee may be credited against fees for the matter if the engagement agreement so provides.

(c) Estimates are non-binding unless confirmed in writing as a fixed or capped fee.

(d) Billable time includes, without limitation, legal research, drafting and editing, client communications and strategy, government filings and docketing, and case reviews, updates, and administrative processing.

(e) Payment is due within seven (7) days of invoice unless otherwise agreed in writing. Late balances accrue simple interest, not compounded, at one percent (1%) per month (twelve percent (12%) per annum), or the maximum rate permitted by applicable law, whichever is less. Non-payment may result in suspension of services or withdrawal from representation, subject to the Firm's obligations under the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct.

12. Fee Disputes

(a) If you dispute a fee, notify the Firm in writing within thirty (30) days of the invoice date, identifying the disputed entries and the basis for the dispute. The Firm will respond in writing and will attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute.

(b) Nothing in these Terms limits your right to submit a fee dispute to any fee-arbitration or mediation program administered by the Washington State Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar, or any other bar association with jurisdiction, to the extent such a program is available to you. Where such a program applies, it takes precedence over Section 29 with respect to that fee dispute.

13. Advance Fee Deposits and Trust Accounts

(a) Advance deposits may be required and are held in trust under WA RPC 1.15A and D.C. Rule 1.15.

(b) Funds are drawn only as services are rendered; remaining balances are refundable at the conclusion of the matter. The Firm will provide an accounting of trust funds upon request and at the conclusion of the matter.

14. Reimbursable Expenses

(a) Clients must reimburse reasonable expenses, including government fees, expert fees, foreign associate fees, translation costs, legal research, and courier or travel costs.

(b) Where feasible, KPLR will provide advance notice of significant third-party charges.

15. Authorization to Act on Client's Behalf

Where engaged, you authorize KPLR to sign, file, and submit legal documents and correspondence on your behalf, including with the USPTO, the U.S. Copyright Office, courts and tribunals, opposing parties, and government agencies, as necessary to fulfill the scope of representation.

16. Use of Affiliated Professionals

(a) KPLR may collaborate with outside professionals (attorneys, agents, engineers, or experts) and may use legal research, productivity, and document-management tools at its discretion.

(b) You consent to limited confidential disclosures to such affiliates solely as needed to assist with your matter, and KPLR will use commercially reasonable care to maintain confidentiality and professional compliance. Use of AI Tools is separately addressed in Section 17. Use of Cloud Services is separately addressed in Section 18.

17. Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools

KPLR uses AI Tools in connection with the delivery of Legal Services. These tools assist with tasks such as legal research, document drafting, summarizing, proofreading, prior art searches, and document review. The use of AI Tools allows KPLR to work more efficiently and is one way KPLR keeps its fees competitive without compromising the quality of its legal work.

(a) Attorney Review. All AI-assisted work product is reviewed by a licensed attorney before delivery to you or use on your behalf. KPLR does not transmit AI-generated output to clients or file AI-generated content with any government agency without prior attorney review and approval. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you acknowledge that AI Tools may generate errors, omissions, hallucinations, or imprecise output that, despite attorney review, may not be caught in every instance.

(b) Confidentiality and Data Handling. You consent to your matter information being processed by AI Tools solely as necessary to assist with your representation. KPLR selects AI Tools that offer appropriate data-handling and confidentiality protections, and will use commercially reasonable care to avoid unnecessary disclosure of your confidential information.

KPLR uses AI Tools under account settings and contractual terms that disable the use of submitted data for training, fine-tuning, or otherwise improving the provider's models. Where a provider offers a training opt-out, zero-retention configuration, or enterprise or business tier with equivalent protections, KPLR elects it. KPLR does not knowingly use consumer-grade or free AI Tools that reserve training rights over submitted data in connection with client matters.

KPLR will not input your personally identifiable information or trade secrets into publicly available AI tools without your prior written consent. You acknowledge that KPLR relies on the representations, terms of service, and technical controls of its AI providers, that AI platform providers may process data in accordance with their own terms, and that KPLR's obligation is to exercise commercially reasonable judgment in tool selection, configuration, and use.

(c) No Guarantee. AI Tools are used to assist, not replace, attorney judgment. Use of AI Tools does not alter KPLR's professional obligations or your rights under the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct.

(d) Updates. The specific AI Tools used by KPLR may change over time. KPLR will inform you of material changes to its AI practices upon request.

18. Cloud Storage and File Management

(a) Use of Cloud Services. KPLR stores and manages client files, correspondence, and work product using Cloud Services, principally Microsoft OneDrive and the Microsoft 365 suite. You consent to the storage, synchronization, backup, and transmission of your matter information through these Cloud Services.

(b) Provider Safeguards. KPLR uses Cloud Services under business or enterprise-tier accounts that provide encryption in transit and at rest, access controls, and contractual confidentiality commitments. Client data stored in these Cloud Services is not used by the provider to train artificial intelligence or machine-learning models.

(c) Access. Access to your files is limited to KPLR personnel and, consistent with Section 16, affiliated professionals with a need to know.

(d) Limitations. No cloud platform is immune from outage, interruption, or unauthorized access. KPLR's obligations with respect to electronic security are governed by Section 24.

(e) Changes in Providers. The specific Cloud Services used by KPLR may change over time. KPLR will maintain substantially equivalent confidentiality and data-handling protections and will inform you of material changes upon request.

19. Professional Liability Insurance

KPLR maintains professional liability (malpractice) insurance covering its legal services practice in Washington and the District of Columbia.

20. No Guarantee of Outcome

(a) KPLR makes no guarantee regarding the outcome of any legal matter, including the grant of any patent, trademark, or copyright registration.

(b) Legal advice is based on applicable law and the information you provide. All final decisions, including whether to file, settle, or litigate, rest with the Client.

21. Termination of Representation

(a) You may terminate the representation at any time, with or without cause, subject to any approval required by a court or tribunal.

(b) KPLR may withdraw only as permitted or required by the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct (WA RPC 1.16; D.C. Rule 1.16; 37 C.F.R. § 11.116) and, where a matter is pending before a court, tribunal, or the USPTO, only with any required leave or approval (including 37 C.F.R. § 1.36 in patent matters).

(c) Upon termination or withdrawal, KPLR will take reasonable steps to protect your interests, including giving reasonable notice, allowing time to obtain other counsel, and surrendering papers and property to which you are entitled under the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct.

(d) You remain responsible for all fees and costs accrued through the termination date. The Firm's right to be paid does not condition the return of your file.

22. File Retention and Work Product

(a) At the conclusion of a matter, KPLR will retain your file for a minimum of five (5) years. Files relating to issued patents, pending applications, registered trademarks, or matters with continuing obligations will be retained for the life of the associated right plus six (6) years, or longer where required by law or the Rules of Professional Conduct. Before destroying any file, KPLR will make reasonable efforts to notify you at your last known address and afford you a reasonable opportunity to take possession of the file. Retained files remain subject to confidentiality obligations.

(b) KPLR retains copyright in its legal work product, including patent applications as drafted, unless specifically assigned in writing. Client is granted an irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free license to use all deliverables prepared for Client for all lawful purposes, including filing with government agencies, prosecuting and enforcing rights, assigning, and licensing to third parties. This license is not conditioned on payment and is not subject to revocation for non-payment. This license does not include the right to resell or commercially distribute KPLR's work product as legal templates or forms for the benefit of unrelated third parties.

(c) Nothing in this Section limits KPLR's obligation under the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct to surrender papers and property to which the Client is entitled.

23. Confidentiality

(a) Communications made within an attorney-client relationship are protected under attorney-client privilege and applicable law.

(b) Confidential Information includes technical, legal, and business information provided to KPLR in connection with a representation. KPLR will protect Confidential Information using commercially reasonable care, limit disclosure to those with a need to know, and notify you of any legally compelled disclosure unless prohibited by law or court order.

(c) The Firm's duty of confidentiality to a Client under the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct is broader than any contractual confidentiality obligation, applies to all information relating to the representation regardless of source, and continues indefinitely, including after the representation ends and after the death of the Client. No contractual exception, carve-out, or time limitation in these Terms, in any engagement agreement, or in any non-disclosure agreement reduces that duty.

(d) The Client's obligation not to disclose confidential materials received from KPLR survives for five (5) years following the termination of services or return of materials.

24. Cybersecurity

(a) KPLR employs commercially reasonable security measures to protect client information transmitted and stored electronically, including the Cloud Services described in Section 18 and the AI Tool configurations described in Section 17. No method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and KPLR cannot guarantee absolute security against unauthorized access, interception, or breach.

(b) You consent to KPLR communicating with you by email and other electronic means unless you instruct otherwise in writing. Notify KPLR immediately if you become aware of any suspected unauthorized access to communications with the Firm or to your confidential information.

(c) KPLR will notify you of any confirmed data breach involving your confidential information as required by applicable law.

25. Disclaimer of Warranties

Except as expressly stated in a written engagement agreement, this website and its contents are provided "as is," without warranties of any kind, express or implied. KPLR does not warrant any particular result or outcome in any legal matter, including the grant of any patent, trademark, or copyright registration.

26. Limitation of Liability

(a) KPLR does not prospectively limit its liability to any Client for malpractice. Any provision of these Terms or of any engagement agreement that could be read to do so is void and of no effect.

(b) With respect to informational content on this website used by persons who are not Clients, KPLR is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost data, or loss of goodwill.

(c) Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited under applicable law or the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct.

27. Export Control

You and KPLR agree to comply with applicable U.S. export-control laws and regulations, including ITAR and EAR, in connection with any matter involving controlled technology, technical data, or defense-related subject matter.

28. Force Majeure

KPLR is not liable for delay or failure to perform due to causes beyond its reasonable control, including natural disasters, acts of government, utility or network outages, cyberattacks, and public-health emergencies. This Section does not excuse any obligation under the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct.

29. Governing Law; Venue

(a) These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Washington and applicable federal law, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. For matters primarily handled under District of Columbia law, or for Clients who are residents of the District of Columbia, D.C. law applies to the extent required by the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct.

(b) Subject to Section 12(b), venue for any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Legal Services lies exclusively in Pierce County, Washington or the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, at KPLR's election. Each party consents to personal jurisdiction in those courts.

30. Assignment; Waiver; Severability; Entire Agreement

(a) These Terms may not be assigned by you without KPLR's prior written consent. KPLR may assign these Terms to a successor-in-interest upon written notice, subject to the applicable Rules of Professional Conduct with respect to any Client matter.

(b) Failure by KPLR to enforce any provision is not a waiver of its right to enforce that provision in the future.

(c) If any provision is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect. An invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable.

(d) These Terms, together with any applicable engagement agreement, constitute the entire agreement between you and KPLR regarding Legal Services, and supersede all prior understandings and communications on that subject. These Terms do not govern Recall Engine, which is governed by the separate Recall Engine Terms of Service.

31. Survival

Sections 1, 3, 5, 6, 10, 14, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, and this Section survive termination of any representation and any expiration of these Terms.

32. Updates to These Terms

(a) KPLR may update these Terms at any time. KPLR will provide at least fourteen (14) days' notice of material changes by posting the updated Terms on kplr-ip.com and, for active Clients, by email. The most recent version posted governs use of the website after the effective date of the update.

(b) No Retroactive Change to Existing Engagements. Updates to these Terms do not apply to any engagement for Legal Services in effect on the date of the update. Any change to the terms of an existing representation requires your separate written agreement. This subsection controls over subsection (a).

33. Acknowledgment and Contact

(a) By engaging KPLR, submitting a consultation request, or using this website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms and Conditions.

(b) Questions may be directed to KPLR-IP Law, LLC via the Contact Form at kplr-ip.com.

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