Hoku Copyright © - All Rights Reserved

All original source code, content, files, data, images, graphics, logos, algorithms, methods, designs, systems, patent-pending technologies, patents, and other materials and information contained in Hoku products and services is the intellectual property of Hoku and is copyright by Hoku. Some Hoku products and services also contain service marks, trademarks, patents, and other legal protections, and these are also the intellectual property of Hoku. All the intellectual property of Hoku is protected under United States and foreign copyright, trademark, or patent laws, and may not be copied, duplicated, modified, adapted, distributed, or sold in any manner without the express written permission of Hoku. The copying, duplication, modification, adaptation, redistribution, or selling by anyone of any such intellectual property, is strictly prohibited.

Some content, files, data, images, graphics, logos, or other information that is used by Hoku is the intellectual property of Hoku affiliates, partners, or other companies and Hoku has been explicitly granted permission for its use. No one else is allowed to use this intellectual property in any manner without the owner's express written permission.

Copyright, trademark, or patent infringement violations will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law in the United States of America and applicable international courts and tribunals. Your use or the caching of the original source code, content, files, data, images, graphics, or other information from Hoku products and services does not grant you any ownership rights to any of the Hoku original source code, content, files, data, images, graphics, and other information.

Hoku™ Trademark

Hoku is a trademark of the Natural Earth Holding Company. The Hoku name, logo, and related marks are protected trademarks and may not be used without express written permission from Hoku. Unauthorized use of Hoku trademarks may violate trademark laws and could be subject to legal action.

Patented Technology

Hoku's three-dimensional spatial information visualization and navigation system is protected by pending patent applications. Any attempt to reverse engineer, replicate, or implement these patented or patent-pending methods and systems without authorization constitutes patent infringement and will be prosecuted to the full extent of applicable law.

User-Generated Spatial Structures

Spatial information structures you create using Hoku, including element arrangements, connection topologies, emotional classifications, and navigation paths, are your creative work. Hoku does not claim ownership of your spatial arrangements or creative organization of information.

However, you acknowledge that:

The underlying Hoku software, algorithms, and visualization methods are proprietary to Hoku and protected by copyright and patent
Content accessed from third-party services remains the property of those services and their respective content creators, subject to their licenses and terms
Hoku's spatial transformation methodology, collision-aware distribution algorithms, adaptive context display systems, and navigation systems as described in patent applications and proprietary documentation remain Hoku's intellectual property
The JSON export format and data structures used to represent spatial arrangements are part of Hoku's proprietary system

If you export spatial structures or data from Hoku, you are responsible for ensuring you have appropriate rights to any third-party content included in those exports.

Third-Party Content

When you use Hoku to visualize content from third-party services (social media, websites, APIs, etc.), that content remains the intellectual property of its respective owners and is subject to the copyright, licensing terms, and usage restrictions of the source platform. Hoku is merely a visualization tool and does not grant any additional rights to third-party content beyond what is already authorized through your legitimate access to those services.

You are responsible for respecting all intellectual property rights, copyright notices, and usage terms associated with any content you access through Hoku. This includes:

Social media posts and their associated media (images, videos, etc.)
Web page content and markup
API-delivered data and metadata
Streamed content from video and audio platforms
News articles and editorial content
Any other third-party content accessed through Hoku's integrations

Hoku does not authorize, encourage, or facilitate copyright infringement. Any use of Hoku to infringe upon third-party copyrights is strictly prohibited and is a violation of these terms.

Fair Use

Under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, fair use is permitted for certain purposes, but with limitations and some restrictions. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include:

The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
The nature of the copyrighted work;
The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.

While Hoku enables visualization of content for personal, non-commercial use, users must independently assess whether their specific use constitutes fair use and must comply with all applicable copyright laws.

Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Notice and Infringement Claims

Hoku respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask that Hoku users do the same. If you believe that your work has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement or any other violation of your legal rights, please provide the following information in writing to the Hoku Copyright Agent:

An electronic or physical signature of the person(s) authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyrighted material;
A description of the copyrighted work that you claim has been infringed upon or material which otherwise violates ownership rights;
A full description and the URL(s) or location information of where the material is located that you claim is being infringed upon;
Your contact information: mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address;
A statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law;
A statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that the above information in your notice is accurate and that you are, or are authorized to act on behalf of, the copyright owner or the owner of an exclusive copyright right that is allegedly being infringed upon.

Please note that in order to be a compliant and effective notice under the United States Digital Millennium Copyright Act, your notice must include all of the above information. Claimants who make misrepresentations concerning copyright infringement may be liable for damages and losses incurred as a result of the removal or blocking of such material, court costs, and attorney's fees.

Important Note About Hoku's Role

Because Hoku operates as a local, client-side application that does not host or store user content on Hoku servers, DMCA claims related to content visualized through Hoku should typically be directed to:

The original source platform or service where the content is hosted (e.g., the social media platform, website, or API provider)
The individual user if they have shared or exported content in violation of copyright

Hoku acts only as a visualization tool and does not have the ability to remove content from third-party platforms. However, if you believe Hoku's software itself infringes on your intellectual property, please contact us using the information below.

Counter-Notification Process

When a valid DMCA notification is received, Hoku will respond by taking appropriate action which may include removing access to allegedly infringing features or functionality. On taking action under the DMCA, Hoku will take reasonable steps to contact the party whose content or functionality was affected so that a counter-notification may be filed.

On receiving a valid counter-notification, Hoku generally restores the content or functionality in question, unless Hoku receives notice from the notification provider that a legal action has been filed seeking a court order to restrain the alleged infringer from engaging in the infringing activity.

Hoku may provide copies of such notices to the participants in the dispute or to any other third parties, at the discretion of Hoku and as required by law. The Hoku privacy policy does not protect information provided in these notices.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

By registering, logging in to, accessing, or using any Hoku product or service, this constitutes a legal and valid electronic signature and hence, represents evidence that you the user of any Hoku product or service fully understand and recognize the Hoku copyright policy.

Questions about the Hoku copyright policy and Notice of claims of copyright infringement can be sent to: Hoku Legal Department