Terms of Service

Agreement to Terms

By accessing and using PhonaLab, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and all applicable laws and regulations. If you do not agree with these terms, please do not use the service.

Service Description

PhonaLab provides free acoustic voice analysis tools for educational, research, and clinical documentation purposes. Services include:

• Voice parameter measurement (F0, jitter, shimmer, HNR, CPP, etc.)
• Multiparametric voice quality indices (AVQI, ABI)
• Visual analysis tools (spectrograms, pitch visualization)
• Automated report generation

PhonaLab is currently offered at no cost with unlimited usage. We reserve the right to introduce optional premium features in the future, but core analysis tools will remain free.

Medical Disclaimer

User Responsibilities

By using PhonaLab, you agree to:

• Use the service only for lawful purposes
• Maintain the confidentiality of your account credentials
• Ensure you have appropriate consent to upload and analyze audio recordings
• Minimize entry of unnecessary patient identifying information
• Comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and professional standards
• Not attempt to reverse engineer, compromise, or abuse the service
• Not use the service to violate any person's privacy rights
• Not share your account access with others

Healthcare Professionals: HIPAA Compliance

Important Notice for Healthcare Professionals:

PhonaLab is designed to minimize the handling and storage of protected health information (PHI). However, PhonaLab does NOT claim HIPAA compliance and does not act as a Business Associate under HIPAA.

You are solely responsible for:

• Ensuring your use of PhonaLab complies with HIPAA and other healthcare privacy regulations
• Obtaining appropriate patient authorization before uploading recordings
• Avoiding unnecessary entry of patient identifiers in optional fields
• Maintaining the confidentiality of downloaded reports containing PHI
• Using secure devices and networks when accessing PhonaLab
• Complying with your organization's policies regarding third-party tools

PhonaLab minimizes PHI exposure by not permanently storing audio recordings, patient identifiers, or analysis results. However, users remain responsible for appropriate use in accordance with applicable regulations.

Professional Use and Clinical Responsibility

If you are a healthcare professional using PhonaLab in a clinical setting, you acknowledge and agree that you are solely responsible for:

• Clinical interpretation of all analysis results
• All treatment decisions and recommendations
• Determining the appropriateness of PhonaLab for your specific clinical context
• Compliance with professional standards, licensing requirements, and regulations
• Obtaining and documenting appropriate patient consent
• Maintaining professional liability insurance as appropriate

PhonaLab provides measurements and data; clinical judgment remains entirely with the licensed professional.

Accuracy and Validation

PhonaLab's acoustic analysis algorithms are validated against established reference implementations (particularly Praat) and based on peer-reviewed research protocols. However:

• Acoustic measurements should always be interpreted by qualified professionals
• Results may vary based on recording quality, equipment, and environmental factors
• Measurements should be considered alongside other clinical information
• No automated system is 100% accurate in all circumstances

We strive for accuracy but cannot guarantee that measurements will be error-free or suitable for all purposes.

Intellectual Property

PhonaLab and its content (including but not limited to software, algorithms, design, and documentation) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Dr. Jorge C. Lucero.

You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use PhonaLab for its intended purposes. You may not:

• Copy, modify, or create derivative works of the service
• Reverse engineer or decompile the software
• Redistribute or resell access to PhonaLab
• Remove any copyright or proprietary notices

Reports generated by PhonaLab for your analyses are your property and may be used in accordance with applicable professional and legal requirements.

Service Availability

While we strive to maintain reliable service, PhonaLab is provided on an "as available" basis. We do not guarantee uninterrupted access and may experience downtime for maintenance, updates, or technical issues. We are not liable for any loss or damage resulting from service interruptions.

Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW:

• PhonaLab is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied
• We make no warranties regarding accuracy, reliability, or fitness for any particular purpose
• We are not liable for any damages (including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages) arising from:
  • Use or inability to use the service
  • Clinical decisions made based on analysis results
  • Errors or inaccuracies in measurements
  • Unauthorized access to your data
  • Service interruptions or data loss

Some jurisdictions do not allow limitation of liability for certain damages. In such jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless PhonaLab, its developer, and affiliated institutions from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from your use of the service, violation of these terms, or violation of any rights of another party.

Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that:

• Violate these Terms of Service
• Engage in abusive or fraudulent behavior
• Attempt to compromise service security
• Use the service for unlawful purposes

You may delete your account at any time through account settings or by contacting us.

Changes to Service and Terms

We reserve the right to:

• Modify, suspend, or discontinue the service (or any part thereof) at any time
• Update these Terms of Service as needed
• Introduce new features or change existing features

Significant changes will be communicated via email to registered users. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of updated terms.

Future Premium Features

While PhonaLab is currently free with unlimited usage, we may introduce optional premium features in the future (such as advanced analysis tools, batch processing, or enhanced reporting). Core acoustic analysis tools will remain free. Any premium features will be clearly communicated with separate terms and pricing.

Governing Law

These Terms of Service are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Brazil. Any disputes arising from these terms or use of the service shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Brasília, Federal District, Brazil.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

Entire Agreement

These Terms of Service, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and PhonaLab regarding use of the service.

Contact

For questions about these Terms of Service, please contact:

Email: phonalab@gmail.com

Developer: Dr. Jorge C. Lucero, University of Brasília