A. TERMS OF SERVICE — ruks.org

Last updated: December 12, 2025

Welcome to ruks.org (“we,” “us,” or “our”). These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of our website, services, and any content provided through them (collectively, the “Platform”).

By accessing or using the Platform, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform.

1. About ruks.org

ruks.org is a directory and search tool that helps employers, companies, and individuals discover creative professionals (“Creatives”) for potential freelance or full-time work.

Some profiles on ruks.org are gathered using publicly available information, based on publicly accessible links (such as personal websites or portfolios), accompanied by automatically generated, low-resolution thumbnails used solely as visual previews and navigational aids We do not endorse, verify, or represent any Creative or Employer.

2. No Endorsement or Agency Relationship

ruks.org is not a staffing agency, talent agency, recruiter, or employer, does not represent any Creative, does not participate in transactions, negotiations, or hiring processes, does not guarantee the availability, qualifications, or suitability of any Creative.

All hiring decisions are made solely between Creatives and Employers.

3. User Accounts

Certain features may require creating an account. By creating an account, you agree to provide accurate information, keep your login credentials secure, and remain responsible for activity under your account. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

4. Auto-Generated Profiles & Public Information

Some Creative profiles are created using publicly accessible information, such as names, professions or creative disciplines, public portfolio links, city/region (if publicly listed), low-resolution thumbnails generated automatically from public webpages.

We do not copy or store portfolio images, project images, or written content that is not publicly visible.

If you are a Creative and do not want your profile to appear, you may request removal at any time (see Section 6).

5. Copyright & Intellectual Property

We do not claim ownership over portfolio content, images or artwork, trademarks or logos, any content owned by Creatives or third parties.

Automatically generated thumbnails (“Thumbnails”) are derived from publicly accessible web pages, are low-resolution, are used solely for identification, commentary, and navigation, are not stored long-term, are removed if a Creative requests removal.

If you believe your copyright is infringed, see Section 14 (DMCA Policy).

6. Profile Removal / Opt-Out

If you are a Creative and prefer not to be listed on ruks.org, you may request removal at any time.

To remove your profile, email admin@ruks.org with your name, a link to the profile you want removed, verification that you own or represent the linked website.

We will remove your profile—including thumbnails and links—within a reasonable timeframe.

7. User Conduct

Users agree not to use the Platform for unlawful purposes, scrape, harvest, or bulk-collect data from ruks.org, misrepresent identity, send spam or unsolicited messages to Creatives, republish or reproduce content from ruks.org, interfere with normal site operations. We may limit or remove access for violations.

8. Third-Party Links

Profiles contain external links to third-party websites. We do not control or endorse those sites, and you access them at your own risk.

9. Accuracy of Information

The Platform may contain information that is outdated, incomplete, automatically aggregated, inaccurate. We do not verify Creative or Employer information. Use the Platform at your own discretion.

10. No Warranties

The Platform is provided “as is” and “as available.”

We do not guarantee that the Platform will operate continuously, any Creative is seeking work, any Employer will contact a Creative, information is complete or correct.

We disclaim all warranties to the fullest extent permitted by law.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, ruks.org is not liable for lost profits, lost data, business interruptions, reputational harm, damages arising from hiring decisions, damages arising from Platform use. Your sole remedy is to discontinue use of the Platform.

12. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless ruks.org and its operators from any claims arising out of your use of the Platform, your violation of these Terms, disputes between Creatives and Employers, copyright or IP issues involving content you submit.

13. Termination

We may suspend or terminate access for violations of these Terms, security or operational concerns, legal requirements. You may stop using the Platform at any time.

14. DMCA Copyright Policy

If you believe any content (including thumbnails) infringes your copyright, send a DMCA notice to:

DMCA Agent: Ruks.org
Email: admin@ruks.org

Your notice must comply with 17 U.S.C. §512(c).

We respond to valid takedown requests promptly.

15. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms periodically. The “Last updated” date reflects the latest changes.

Continued use of the Platform means you accept revised Terms.

16. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict-of-law rules.

17. Contact

For questions about these Terms, contact: admin@ruks.org

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B. PUBLIC DATA USE & REMOVAL POLICY — ruks.org

Last updated: December 12, 2025.

ruks.org indexes publicly accessible information to help employers discover creative professionals. This policy explains how we source, display, and remove public data.

1. What We Collect

We may collect and display publicly available information, including: Creative’s name, Creative discipline or profession, Public portfolio links, City/region (if publicly listed), Low-resolution thumbnails generated from publicly accessible web pages.

We do not collect or display private or password-protected content, paywalled content, non-public social media content, portfolio images or assets not visible on a homepage, text copied from non-public sections of websites.

2. Purpose of Using Public Data

Public data is used solely to help employers discover creative professionals, provide link previews for navigation, allow creatives to claim profiles and update information, maintain a functional, searchable directory.

ruks.org does not sell personal data.

3. How We Generate Thumbnails

Thumbnails are automatically generated, low-resolution, used strictly for identification and navigation, never used in advertising or promotional material, deleted if a profile is removed.

We do not manually edit thumbnails.

4. No Endorsement

Profiles generated using public data do not imply endorsement, affiliation, or partnership with the Creative.

5. Removal / Opt-Out Process

Any Creative may request full removal from ruks.org, removal of thumbnails, correction of profile information.

To request removal, email admin@ruks.org with your name, a link to the profile, proof of ownership or representation of the linked portfolio.

We remove data within a reasonable timeframe.

6. Legal Basis (GDPR/CPRA)

For EU and California users, public data is processed under:

• Legitimate Interest (GDPR Art. 6(1)(f))

• Business Purpose categories under CPRA

Users maintain the right to opt out at any time, request deletion, request access to data.

7. Contact

For questions about this policy:
admin@ruks.org

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C. DMCA TAKEDOWN POLICY — ruks.org

Last updated: December 12, 2025

ruks.org respects the intellectual property rights of creators and complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”). This policy explains how to submit a copyright complaint.

1. Submitting a Takedown Notice

If you believe content on ruks.org infringes your copyright, send a written DMCA notice to:

DMCA Agent: Ruks.org
Email: admin@ruks.org

Your notice must include identification of the copyrighted work, identification of the allegedly infringing material (a link to the profile, your contact information, a statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is unauthorized, a statement that your notice is accurate under penalty of perjury, your physical or electronic signature.

2. Counter-Notice (If Applicable)

If you believe a takedown was made in error, you may submit a counter-notice containing identification of the removed material, a statement under penalty of perjury that the removal was mistaken, your contact information, consent to jurisdiction of your local federal court, your signature.

3. Response Time

We act promptly on valid notices and remove or disable access to infringing material.

4. Repeat Infringers

We may disable accounts or restrict access for users repeatedly involved in copyright violations.

5. Contact

Questions: admin@ruks.org

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D. PRIVACY POLICY — ruks.org

Last updated: December 12, 2015

This Privacy Policy describes how ruks.org (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and protects your information.

By using ruks.org, you agree to this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

A. Information You Provide

Account information (name, email) and optional profile data if you choose to claim your profile.

B. Publicly Available Information

We may display publicly accessible information including name, profession, public portfolio links, city/region if publicly listed, automatically generated thumbnails of public web pages.

C. Automatically Collected Data

IP address, Device information, Analytics data. We do not sell personal information.

2. How We Use Information

We use data to operate ruks.org, generate searchable Creative profiles, help Employers discover Creatives, support account creation and login, respond to removal or privacy requests, maintain site security.

3. Legal Basis for Processing (EU/UK Users)

We rely on legitimate interest for indexing public data, consent where required (cookies, account creation), contract performance for account services.

4. Sharing Information

We may share data with service providers (hosting, analytics), law enforcement if required, no one else. We do not sell or rent your personal data.

5. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may request access to your data, correction, deletion, restriction of processing, opt-out of public listing, data portability.

Request by emailing admin@ruks.org.

6. Data Retention

We retain account information until deleted, public data used for auto-generated profiles until you request removal, thumbnails temporarily (cached only).

7. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data, but no method is 100% secure.

8. Children’s Privacy

ruks.org is not intended for individuals under 16.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. The “Last updated” date reflects the latest version.

10. Contact

For privacy questions:
admin@ruks.org