Terms of Service

1. Acceptance

These Terms govern your use of the Doctors’ Choice Awards website and platform (the “Service”). By using the Service, you agree to them.

2. The Service

Doctors’ Choice Awards is owned and operated by Ekwa Marketing, a dental and medical marketing company. Selection is governed by our published methodology; nothing purchasable affects it. Recognition reflects identity verification and verified peer endorsement under our published methodology. The Service is informational. Recognition is not medical advice, a guarantee of any clinical outcome, or a recommendation of a provider for your individual needs.

3. Eligibility and verification

Recognition is limited to providers who pass identity verification against primary sources. You may not misrepresent your identity, credentials, licensure or specialty, or submit another person’s information as your own.

4. Badge license

If you are recognized, you may state your recognition anywhere in plain text with a link to your DCA profile page. State it within its scope, year and tier, and do not imply recognition you have not received.

Displaying badge artwork outside DCA is part of a DCA Showcase subscription. While you subscribe, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, revocable, non-transferable license to display the DCA-Verified badge and the badge for any recognition you hold. You agree to:

• use the badge online only as a live link to your DCA profile page, and in print only with your profile page’s address or QR code;
• state recognition within its stated scope, year and tier;
• not alter the badge or imply recognition you have not received; and
• stop using the badge if your recognition lapses or is revoked, or your subscription ends.

5. Submissions

If you submit an endorsement, profile information, correction or other content, you represent that you have the right to do so and that it is accurate. You grant Ekwa Marketing Inc. a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to host, store, moderate, reproduce and publish it in connection with the Service. We may share your recognition on our social media, with your name and photo. You can opt out at any time. You receive no payment for endorsing, nominating or reviewing.

6. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• manipulate recognition through reciprocal endorsement rings, duplicate identities or other gaming;
• impersonate any person or entity, or misstate your affiliation;
• scrape, harvest or bulk-extract data from the Service;
• interfere with the operation or security of the Service; or
• use the Service for any unlawful or misleading purpose.

We may set aside endorsements that break these Terms, and withhold or revoke recognition that depends on them.

7. Intellectual property

The Doctors’ Choice Awards name, logo, badge designs and site content are owned by Ekwa Marketing Inc. or its licensors. Except for the badge license in Section 4, these Terms grant you no rights in them.

8. Disclaimers

Recognition is based on the published methodology and on information available to us at the time of verification. We do not warrant that any provider’s information is complete or error-free. The Service is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.

9. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Ekwa Marketing Inc. and its affiliates are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, goodwill or data, arising from your use of the Service.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Ekwa Marketing Inc. and its affiliates from claims arising out of your submissions, your display of a badge, or your breach of these Terms.

11. Corrections, disputes and opt-out

You may request a correction, dispute a recognition decision, or opt out of listing. The process and timeframes are on the methodology page. Requests go through Contact.

12. Changes

We may update these Terms. Changes are reflected in the “Last updated” date above, and continued use after a change constitutes acceptance.

We may change or withdraw subscription features on 30 days’ notice. Your locked rate stays locked while you remain subscribed.

We may change, pause or retire any award, rank, milestone or feature, including skipping an award where too few doctors qualify. Recognition already issued stands.

13. Operating entity

The Service is operated by Ekwa Marketing Inc., 303 Pinetree Way, Mississauga, ON L5G 2R4, Canada. Questions about these Terms: info@doctorschoiceawards.org.