Terms of Service

1. About Inkaer and these Terms

Inkaer (“Inkaer,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a service operated by ResearchOrg, a corporation based in Ontario, Canada. Inkaer is a subsidiary of ResearchOrg, and all payments for Inkaer services are collected by ResearchOrg.

These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) form a binding agreement between you and ResearchOrg. By accessing or using Inkaer’s websites, applications, and services (together, the “Service”), you agree to be bound by these Terms and by our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. Who can use Inkaer

You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a legally binding contract to use the Service. If you use Inkaer on behalf of a company or other organization, you represent that you are authorized to bind that organization to these Terms, and “you” refers to that organization.

Students represent that they are, or will be, legally eligible to work in the role they apply for and that they will comply with all applicable immigration, study-permit, and work-authorization requirements. Companies represent that they will comply with all applicable employment, labour, human-rights, and immigration laws.

3. What Inkaer is (and is not)

Inkaer is an online marketplace that helps Canadian startups and companies (“Companies”) connect with international students (“Students”) for paid internships and related roles. Students create profiles and record application videos answering role-specific questions; Inkaer curates shortlists; and Companies review candidates and may choose to hire.

Inkaer is a platform and intermediary only. We are not the employer of any Student, are not a party to any employment, internship, or contractor relationship between a Company and a Student, and are not a recruitment agency, staffing agency, immigration consultant, or provider of legal, tax, or employment advice. Any hiring decision, offer, contract, compensation, and working relationship is solely between the Company and the Student.

4. Accounts

To use most features you must create an account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information and to keep it up to date. You are responsible for safeguarding your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us promptly of any unauthorized use. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

5. Fees and payments

Students use Inkaer free of charge.

Companies pay a placement fee (the “Placement Fee”) when they hire a Student through Inkaer. The amount and basis of the Placement Fee are presented to you before you confirm a hire and are also described on our Pricing page. By confirming a hire or otherwise initiating a paid transaction, you authorize the applicable charge.

Payments are collected by ResearchOrg through our third-party payment provider, Paddle (Paddle.com Market Limited and its affiliates), which acts as our merchant of recordand authorized reseller for transactions made through the Service. When you make a payment, you also agree to Paddle’s buyer terms and privacy policy. Charges may appear on your statement as “Paddle” and/or “ResearchOrg / Inkaer.”

Prices may be exclusive of applicable taxes. As merchant of record, Paddle may calculate, collect, and remit applicable sales taxes (such as GST/HST) on our behalf. You are responsible for any taxes not collected by Paddle. If a payment fails, we may retry the charge or suspend access to paid features until payment is resolved.

6. Refunds and cancellations

Except where required by applicable law or expressly stated in writing, Placement Fees are non-refundable once a hire is confirmed. If you believe you were charged in error, contact us at the details below; eligible refunds are processed through Paddle. Nothing in these Terms limits any non-waivable rights you may have under applicable consumer-protection law.

7. Your content

You retain ownership of the content you submit to Inkaer, including profiles, application videos, listings, and messages (“User Content”). You grant ResearchOrg a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, store, reproduce, display, and share your User Content as necessary to operate and provide the Service — for example, sharing a Student’s profile and application video with Companies for matching and hiring.

You represent that you own or have the rights to the User Content you submit and that it does not infringe the rights of others or violate any law. We may remove or restrict User Content that we reasonably believe violates these Terms or applicable law.

8. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• provide false, misleading, or impersonated information;
• discriminate unlawfully, harass, or post unlawful, harmful, or deceptive content;
• use the Service to circumvent the Placement Fee — for example, by hiring or engaging a Student introduced through Inkaer outside the platform to avoid fees;
• scrape, copy, or harvest data, or attempt to access the Service by automated means without our permission;
• interfere with, disrupt, or attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or its systems; or
• use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms.

9. Company responsibilities

Companies are solely responsible for their hiring decisions and for compliance with all applicable laws, including employment, labour, human-rights, workplace-safety, tax, and immigration laws. This includes verifying a Student’s eligibility and work authorization, providing lawful contracts and compensation, and meeting all obligations as an employer or engager. Inkaer does not perform background checks or verify credentials unless expressly stated, and is not responsible for any Company’s conduct.

10. Student responsibilities

Students are responsible for the accuracy of their profiles and submissions and for complying with the terms of their study permit, visa, or other work authorization, and with applicable tax and legal obligations. Inkaer does not guarantee any internship, placement, or outcome.

11. Third-party services

The Service relies on third-party providers (for example, Paddle for payments, and providers for video hosting, email, authentication, and infrastructure). Your use of those services may be subject to their own terms and policies. We are not responsible for third-party services or content.

12. Intellectual property

The Service, including its software, design, text, graphics, and the Inkaer and ResearchOrg names and logos, is owned by ResearchOrg or its licensors and is protected by intellectual-property laws. Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the Service. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works except as permitted by these Terms.

13. Disclaimers

The Service is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, to the fullest extent permitted by law. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, or that any match, candidate, Company, or hire will meet your expectations. You are responsible for evaluating and vetting any party you interact with through the Service.

14. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, ResearchOrg and its affiliates, officers, employees, and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, data, or goodwill, arising from or related to your use of the Service. Our total aggregate liability for any claim relating to the Service will not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid to us in the twelve (12) months before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) CAD $100.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless ResearchOrg and its affiliates from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the Service, your User Content, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any law or the rights of any third party.

16. Suspension and termination

You may stop using the Service at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access if you violate these Terms, if required by law, or to protect the Service or its users. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination (including fees owed, content licences, disclaimers, limitations of liability, and indemnities) will survive.

17. Changes to the Service and these Terms

We may modify the Service or these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will take reasonable steps to notify you, such as posting the updated Terms with a new “Last updated” date. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

18. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable there, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. You agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Ontario, Canada, subject to any non-waivable rights under applicable law.

19. General

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any terms presented at the point of purchase, are the entire agreement between you and ResearchOrg regarding the Service. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. You may not assign these Terms without our consent; we may assign them to an affiliate or successor.

20. Contact us

Questions about these Terms? Contact us: