Causative Classification System for Ischemic Stroke (CCS)

CCS Software License Agreement

This End User License Agreement applies to the MGH Causative Classification System for Ischemic Stroke (referred to herein as "the Software"). The Software remains the valuable and proprietary property of the General Hospital Corporation d/b/a/ Massachusetts General Hospital ("the General"). Under the terms of this License Agreement, the General is willing to provide you access to the Software, either online or from a download of the Software onto your computer, subject to the following terms and conditions:

  1. As used in this License Agreement, "you" means the individual accessing the Software and the institution or entity which employs or is otherwise affiliated with such individual in connection with the individual's use of the Software.
  2. You acknowledge that title to the Software remains with the General and that the General retains all copyright, trade secrets, and other intellectual property rights in the Software.
  3. By accepting the terms of this License Agreement, you represent that you are authorized and entitled to enter into this Agreement.
  4. The Software is made available for your use solely in the course of your academic research, at no cost to you. No other right or license is granted to you for the use of the Software as a result of our providing you with access. This license is limited to your personal use and may not be assigned to any other person or entity.
  5. The General hereby grants to you a nontransferable, nonexclusive right to use the Software for the purpose of academic research. This license is limited to you as an end user and may not be assigned. In the context of this Agreement, "use" shall be limited to access to the Software over the Internet as well as the copying of any portion of the instructions. Except as herein provided, you agree to provide the General with, or allow General to obtain by means in its sole discretion, your Internet Protocol (IP) address. Further, you agree not to remove or obscure the Software's copyright notices. Your obligations under this paragraph shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
  6. THIS SOFTWARE IS DESIGNED ONLY TO BE USED AS A MEDICAL REFERENCE. THE SOFTWARE SHALL NOT BE USED AS A DIAGNOSTIC DECISION MAKING SYSTEM AND MUST NOT BE USED TO MAKE A CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS OR REPLACE OR OVERRULE A LICENSED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL'S JUDGMENT OR CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS. The Software's knowledge base is designed to supply plausible type of stroke for a given set of signs and symptoms. The Software is not intended to provide the "right answer" or to give definitive medical consultation.
  7. You agree not to decompile, disassemble or reverse engineer the Software (including both programs and database). You agree that the Software shall not be used as the basis of a commercial software or hardware product and that the Software shall not be rewritten in another computer language or otherwise adapted to circumvent the need for obtaining a license from the General for use of the Software other than as specified by this Agreement. Your obligations under this paragraph shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
  8. ACCESS TO OR USE OF THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED WITHOUT WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR ANY OTHER WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.
  9. You shall release, indemnify and defend the General and its trustees, officers, employees, staff members, agents or contractors from and against any claim, charge, demand, action or suit, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, for any and all losses, costs, charges, claims, demands, fees, expenses or damages of any nature or kind arising out of, connected with or resulting from the use of the Software. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE GENERAL BE LIABLE TO YOU,YOUR INSTITUTION OR ITS AFFILIATES, EMPLOYEES, FACULTY, STUDENTS, AGENTS OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL OBTAINING ACCESS TO THE SOFTWARE FROM YOU FOR SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOSSES, COSTS, CHARGES, CLAIMS, DEMANDS, FEES OR EXPENSES OF ANY NATURE OR KIND.
  10. THE SOFTWARE HAS BEEN DESIGNED FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY AND HAS NOT BEEN REVIEWED OR APPROVED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION OR BY ANY OTHER AGENCY. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT CLINICAL APPLICATIONS ARE NEITHER RECOMMENDED NOR ADVISED. You further agree to use, reproduce, make derivative works of, display and distribute the Software in compliance with all applicable governmental laws, regulations and orders, including without limitation those relating to export and import control.
  11. THE KNOWLEDGE BASE CONTAINED IN THE SOFTWARE INCLUDES A CAUSATIVE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR ISCHEMIC STROKE, BUT SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED COMPLETE DUE TO A NUMBER OF POSSIBLE CAUSES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO A LACK OF COMPLETE COVERAGE OF ALL SIGNS, SYMPTOMS AND LABORATORY TESTS AND ALL POSSIBLE DISEASE ENTITIES, THE INABILITY OF THE SOFTWARE TO ACCEPT THE USER'S DESCRIPTION OF SIGNIFICANT CLINICAL FINDINGS, THE FAILURE OF THE SOFTWARE TO CONSIDER THE UNDERLYING RELATION BETWEEN THE CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS AND THE DISEASE ENTITIES, THE INADEQUACY OF THE SOFTWARE TO COPE WITH ALL OF THE VARIATIONS IN THE WAY THAT A DISEASE CAN PRESENT AS A RESULT OF DIFFERENT DISEASE SEVERITY, OR BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF A SECOND INTERACTING DISEASE, OR BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE TO INCLUDE THE APPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS AND THE DISEASE ENTITY, OR BECAUSE OF COMPUTER OR HUMAN ERROR OR BECAUSE OF SOME OTHER REASON. BECAUSE OF THESE FACTORS, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE SOFTWARE BE USED ONLY AS A REFERENCE TOOL, SIMILAR TO THE USE OF A TEXTBOOK OR A JOURNAL ARTICLE AND THAT THE SOFTWARE NOT BE USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR PHYSICIAN OR NURSE PRACTITIONER DIAGNOSTIC DECISION MAKING. THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DECISIONS REGARDING ACTUAL PATIENT CARE RESTS SOLELY WITH THE PHYSICIAN OR NURSE PRACTITIONER TREATING A PATIENT.