These NLdigital Terms (hereinafter also to be referred to as: these general terms) apply to all offers and agreements for which supplier delivers goods and/or services, of whatever nature and under whatever name, to client.
These general terms can only be departed from or be supplemented if agreed by parties in writing.
The applicability of any of the client’s purchase or other terms is explicitly excluded.
If and insofar as supplier makes products or services of third parties available to client or grants access to these products or services, the terms of the third parties in question apply to these products or services in the relationship between supplier and client and replace the provisions in these general terms that depart from those third party terms, provided that client has been informed by supplier about the applicability of the (licensing or sales) terms of those third parties and client has been given a reasonable opportunity to take note of those terms. Contrary to the previous sentence, client cannot invoke a failure on the part of supplier to meet the aforementioned obligation if client is a party as referred to in article 6:235 paragraph 1 or paragraph 3 of the Netherlands Civil Code.
If and insofar as the terms of third parties in the relationship between client and supplier referred to above prove to be inapplicable or are declared inapplicable for any reason whatsoever, these general terms apply in full.
If any provision of these general terms should be null and void or is annulled, the other provisions of these general terms remain fully applicable and effective. In that case, supplier and client consult as to arrange for new provisions which have the same purport, as much as possible, and that will replace the provisions that are null and void or that have been annulled.
Without prejudice to the provisions of article 1.4, the provisions of these general terms prevail if a conflict should arise about any of the arrangements made by parties, unless parties have explicitly departed from these terms in writing, with reference to these terms. In the event of a conflict between the provisions of different sections of these general terms, the provisions of a prior section apply, unless parties have explicitly agreed otherwise.
Offers
All off supplier’s offers and other forms of communication are without obligation, unless supplier should indicate otherwise in writing. Client guarantees the correctness and completeness of the information provided, with the exception of obvious typing errors, by or on behalf of client to supplier and on which information supplier has based its offer.
Price and payment
All prices are exclusive of turnover tax (VAT) and other product or service-specific levies imposed by the authorities. All prices quoted by supplier are in euros and client must pay in euros.
Client cannot derive any rights or expectations from any cost estimate or budget issued by supplier, unless parties have agreed otherwise in writing. A budget communicated by client is only considered a (fixed) price agreed on by parties if this has been explicitly agreed in writing.
If it should be apparent from the agreement that client consists of several natural persons and/or legal persons, each of these persons is jointly and severally liable to supplier for the performance of the agreement.
Where the activities performed by supplier and the sums due by client for these activities are concerned, the information in supplier's administration provides full evidence, without prejudice to client's right to provide evidence to the contrary.
In the event client should be under a periodic payment obligation, supplier may adjust the applicable prices and rates, in writing and in accordance with the index or any other criterion included in the agreement, within the period specified in the agreement. If the agreement does not explicitly provide for the possibility to adjust the prices or rates, supplier may adjust the applicable prices and rates in writing with due observance of a period of at least three months. If, in the latter case, client does not want to accept the price adjustment, client is entitled to terminate the agreement by serving notice of termination (opzeggen) in writing, within thirty days following the notification of the adjustment and effective from the date on which the new prices and/or rates would take effect.
In their agreement parties lay down the date or dates on which supplier invoices the fee for the activities agreed on with client. Any sums due are paid by client in accordance with the payment terms agreed on or as stated in the invoice. Client is neither entitled to suspend any payments nor to set off any of the sums due.
If client should fail to pay the sums due or does not pay these on time, the statutory interest for commercial agreements is payable by client on any outstanding sum, without a reminder or notice of default being required. If client should fail to pay the sum due even after a reminder or notice of default, supplier can pass on the claim for collection and client is obliged to pay, within reason and in addition to the total sum due at that time, all judicial and extrajudicial costs, including all costs charged by external experts – all of which is without prejudice to any of supplier’s statutory and contractual rights.
Duration of the agreement
If and insofar as the agreement between parties is a continuing performance contract, the agreement is entered into for the term agreed on by parties. A term of one year applies if a specific term has not been agreed on.
The duration of the agreement for a definite period of time is tacitly extended, each time by the period of time originally agreed on with a maximum of one year, unless client or supplier should terminate the agreement by serving written notice of termination (opzeggen), with due observance of a notice period of three months prior to the end of the relevant term.
Confidentiality
Client and supplier ensure that secrecy is observed with respect to all information received from the other party of which information the receiving party knows or should reasonably know it is confidential. This prohibition does not apply if and insofar as the information concerned must be provided to a third party in compliance with a judicial decision, a statutory requirement, a statutory order by a public authority or for the proper performance of the agreement. The party that receives the confidential information may only use it for the purpose for which it has been provided. Information is in any case deemed confidential if it has been designated as such by either party.
Client acknowledges that software made available by supplier is always confidential in nature and that this software contains trade secrets of supplier and its suppliers or of the producer of the software.
Privacy and data processing
If this should be relevant, in supplier’s opinion, for the performance of the agreement, client informs suppliers in writing, at supplier’s request, about the way in which client performs its obligations under the applicable rules and regulations pertaining to the protection of personal data.
Client indemnifies supplier against any claims by persons whose personal data are or have been processed and for which processing client is responsible pursuant to the law, unless client proves that the facts on which a claim is based are attributable to supplier.
Client is fully responsible for the data that it processes when making use of a service provided by supplier. Client guarantees vis-à-vis supplier that the content, use and/or processing of the data are not unlawful and do not infringe any third party’s right. Client indemnifies supplier against any claims by a third party instituted, for whatever reason, in connection with these data or the performance of the agreement.
If, further to a request or a lawfully issued order by a public authority or in the context of a statutory obligation, client should perform activities with relation to data of client, client’s employees or users, any costs involved in this may be charged to client.
If supplier performs activities for client as a processor as meant in the rules and regulations pertaining to the protection of personal data, Section 2 ‘Standard Clauses for Processing’ also applies.
Security
If supplier is obliged to provide some form of information security under the agreement, this protection meets the specifications on security that parties have agreed on in writing. Supplier does not guarantee that the information security provided is effective under all circumstances. If the agreement does not include an explicitly defined security method, the security features provided meet a level that is not unreasonable in view of the state of the art, the implementation costs, the nature, scope and context as known to supplier of the information to be secured, the purposes and the standard use of supplier’s products and services and the probability and seriousness of foreseeable risks.
The access or identification codes and certificates provided by or on behalf of supplier to client are confidential and must be treated as such by client, and they may only be made known to authorised staff in client’s own organisation or company. Supplier is entitled to change the access or identification codes and certificates. Client is responsible for managing these authorisations and for providing and duly revoking access and identification codes.
In the event security features or the testing of security features pertain to software, hardware or infrastructure that has not been delivered by supplier to client, client guarantees that all licences or approvals have been obtained so that the performance of such activities is actually allowed. Supplier is not liable for any damage caused by or in relation to the performance of these activities. Client indemnifies supplier against any claims, for whatever reason, arising from these activities being performed.
Supplier is entitled to adapt the security measures from time to time if this should be required as a result of a change in circumstances.
Client adequately secures its systems and infrastructure and keeps these adequately secured.
Supplier may give client instructions about security features intended to prevent or to minimalize incidents, or the consequences of incidents, that may affect security. If client should fail or follow the instructions issued by supplier or by a relevant public authority, or should fail to follow these in time, supplier is not liable and client indemnifies supplier against any damage that may arise as a result.
Supplier is at any time permitted to install technical and organizational facilities to protect hardware, data files websites, software made available, software or other works to which client has been granted access, whether directly or indirectly, also in connection with a restriction agreed on in the content or the duration of the right to use these objects. Client may not remove or circumvent any of such technical facilities or have these removed or circumvented.
Retention of title, reservation of rights and suspension
All goods delivered to client remain the property of supplier until all sums due by client to supplier under the agreement entered into by parties have been paid to supplier in full. A client that acts as a reseller may sell and supply all goods that are subject to the supplier’s retention of title insofar as this is customary in the context of client’s normal course of business.
The property-law consequences of the retention of title with respect to any goods destined for export is governed by the laws of the state of destination if the relevant laws contain provisions that are more favourable to supplier.
Supplier may retain all information, documents, software and/or data files received or created in the context of the agreement, despite an existing obligation to hand these over or transfer them, until client has paid all sums due to supplier.
Where applicable, rights are granted or transferred to client subject to the condition that client has paid all sums due under the agreement.
Transfer of risk
The risk of loss, theft, misappropriation or damage of goods, information (including user names, codes and passwords), documents, software or data files that are created for, delivered to or used by client in the context of the performance of the agreement pass to client at the moment these are placed under the actual control of client or an auxiliary person of client.
Intellectual property
All intellectual property rights to the software, websites, data files, databases, hardware, training, testing and examination materials, as well as other materials such as analyses, designs, documentation, reports, offers, including preparatory materials for these materials, developed or made available to client under the agreement remain exclusively vested in supplier, its licensors or its suppliers. Client is solely granted the rights of use laid down in these general terms, in the agreement entered into by parties in writing and in the applicable mandatory legal provisions. A right of use granted to client is non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-pledgeable (niet-verpandbaar) and non- sublicensable.
If supplier is prepared to undertake to transfer an intellectual property right, such undertaking may only be explicitly effected in writing. If parties agree in writing that an intellectual property right with respect to software, websites, data files, hardware, know-how, or other works or materials specifically developed for client is transferred to client, this does not affect supplier’s rights or options to use and/or exploit, either for itself or for third parties and without any restriction, the parts, designs, algorithms, documentation, works, protocols, standards and the like on which the developments referred to are based for other purposes. Supplier is also entitled to use and/or exploit, either for itself or for third parties and without any restrictions, the general principles, ideas and programming languages that have been used as a basis to create or develop any work for other purposes. The transfer of an intellectual property right does not affect supplier’s right to continue developing , either for itself or for third parties, software - or elements of software - that are similar to or derived from software – or elements of software - that have been or are being developed for client.
Client is not permitted to remove or change any indication with respect to the confidential nature of the software, websites, data files, hardware or materials or with respect to copyrights, brands, trade names or any other intellectual property right pertaining to the software, websites, data files, hardware or materials, or have any such indication removed or changed.
Supplier indemnifies client against any claim of a third party based on the allegation that software, websites, data files, hardware or other materials developed by supplier itself infringe an intellectual property right of that third party, provided always that client promptly informs supplier in writing about the existence and content of the claim and leaves the settlement of the claim, including any arrangements to be made in this context, entirely up to supplier. To this end, client provides supplier with the powers of attorney and information required and renders the assistance supplier requires to defend itself against such claims. This obligation to indemnity does not apply if the alleged infringement concerns (i) works or materials made available by client to supplier for use, modification, processing or maintenance or (ii) modifications client has implemented or modifications client has had implemented in the software, websites, data files, hardware or other works and materials without supplier’s written permission. If it is irrevocably established in court that software, websites, data files, hardware or other works and materials developed by supplier itself should infringe any intellectual property right belonging to a third party, or if, in supplier’s opinion, there is a good chance that such an infringement will occur, supplier ensures, if possible, that client can continue to use, or use functional equivalents of, the software, websites, data files, hardware or other works and materials delivered. Any other or further obligation that supplier might have to indemnify client against any infringement of a third party’s intellectual property right is excluded.
Client guarantees that no rights of third parties preclude making hardware, software, material intended for websites, data files and/or other materials, designs and/or other works available to supplier for the purpose of use, maintenance, processing, installation or integration; this guarantee also pertains to client’s having the relevant licences. Client indemnifies supplier against any claim of a third party based on the allegation that making any of this available and/or the use, maintenance, processing, installation or integration infringes a right of that third party.
Supplier is never obliged to perform data conversion unless this has been explicitly agreed on with client in writing.
Supplier is entitled to use client’s figurative mark, logo or name in its external communication.
Performance of services
Supplier performs its services with care to the best of its ability, where applicable in accordance with the arrangements and procedures agreed on with client in writing. All services provided by supplier are performed on the basis of a best- efforts obligation unless and insofar as supplier has explicitly promised a result in the written agreement and the result concerned has been described in the agreement in a sufficiently precise manner.
Supplier is not liable for any damage suffered or costs incurred as a result of the use or misuse that is made of access or identification codes or certificates or any other security means unless the misuse is the direct result of any intent or deliberate recklessness on the part of supplier’s management.
If the agreement has been entered into with a view to it being performed by one specific person, supplier is always entitled to replace this person by one or more persons who have the same and/or similar qualifications.
Supplier is not obliged to follow client’s instructions when performing the services, more particularly not if these instructions change or add to the content or scope of the services agreed on. If such instructions are followed, however, the activities performed are charged at supplier’s applicable rates.
Obligation to provide information and render assistance
Parties acknowledge that the success of activities to be performed in the field of information and communications technology depends on proper and timely cooperation of parties. Client undertakes always to fully cooperate, within reason, and in time.
Client vouches for the correctness and completeness of the data, information, designs and specifications provided by on or behalf of client to supplier. If the data, information, designs or specifications provided by client should contain inaccuracies apparent to supplier, supplier requests client to provide further information.
For reasons of continuity, client designates a contact person or contact persons who act in that capacity for the time supplier performs it services. Client’s contact persons have the relevant experience required, specific knowledge of the subject matter and a proper understanding of the objectives that client wishes to achieve.
Client bears the risk of selecting the goods and/or services to be provided by supplier. Client always exercises the utmost care to guarantee that the requirements set for supplier’s performance are correct and complete. Measurements and data provided in drawings, images, catalogues, websites, offers, advertising material, standardisation sheets and the like are not binding on supplier unless explicitly stated otherwise by supplier.
If client deploys employees and/or auxiliary persons in the performance of the agreement, these employees and auxiliary persons must have the knowledge and experience required. If supplier’s employees perform activities at client’s premises, client ensures the facilities required are available, such as a workspace with computer and network facilities, on time and free of charge. Supplier is not liable for damage suffered or costs incurred by transmission errors, malfunctions or the non- availability of these facilities unless client proves that this damage or these costs are caused by intent or deliberate recklessness on the part of supplier’s management.
The workspace and facilities must meet all statutory requirements. Client indemnifies supplier against claims of third parties, including supplier's employees, who, when performing the agreement, suffer damage caused by client’s acts or omissions or by unsafe situations in client’s organisation or company. Before the activities to be performed start, client informs the employees deployed by supplier about the company rules, information rules and security rules that apply in client’s organisation or company.
Client is responsible for the management, including checks of the settings, and use of the products delivered and/or services provided by supplier, and the way in which the results of the products and services are implemented. Client is also responsible for appropriately instructing users and for the use of the products and services that is made by users.
Client itself is responsible for the hardware, infrastructure and auxiliary software and ensures that the (auxiliary) software for its own hardware is installed, organised, parameterised and tuned and, where required, that the hardware, other (auxiliary) software and the operating environment used are modified and kept updated, and that the interoperability wanted by client is effected.
Project and steering groups
If both parties are participating in a project or steering group in which one or more of their employees have been appointed, the provision of information takes place in the manner agreed on for that project or steering group.
Decisions made in a project or steering group in which both parties are participating are only binding on supplier if the decisions are made in accordance with that which parties have agreed on in writing in this regard or, if no written arrangements have been made in this context, if supplier has accepted the relevant decision in writing. Supplier is never obliged to accept or implement a decision if, in its opinion, the decision cannot be reconciled with the content and/or proper performance of the agreement.
Client ensures that the persons that it has assigned to participate in a project or steering group are authorised to make decisions that are binding on client.
Terms and deadlines
Supplier makes reasonable efforts, within reason, to comply to the greatest extent possible with the terms and delivery periods and/or dates and delivery dates, whether or not these are deadlines and/or strict dates, that it has specified or that have been agreed on by parties. The interim dates and delivery dates specified by supplier or agreed on by parties always apply as target dates, do not bind supplier and are always indicative.
If a term or period of time is likely to be exceeded, supplier and client consult as to to discuss the consequences of the term being exceeded in relation to further planning.
In all cases – therefore, also if parties have agreed on deadlines and strict delivery periods or dates and delivery dates – supplier is only in default because of a term or period of time being exceeded after client has served supplier with a written notice of default and has set a reasonable period of time for supplier to remedy the failure to meet its obligations and this reasonable term has passed. The notice of default must describe supplier’s breach to meet its obligations as comprehensively and in as much detail as possible so that supplier has the opportunity to respond adequately.
If it has been agreed that the activities to be performed under the agreement must be performed in phases, supplier is entitled to postpone the start of the activities for a next phase until client has approved the results of the preceding phase in writing.
Supplier is not bound by a date or delivery date or term or delivery period, whether or not these are deadlines and/or strict dates, if parties have agreed on an adjustment in the content or scope of the agreement (additional work, a change of specifications, etc.) or a change in approach with respect to the performance of the agreement, or if client fails to fulfil its obligations under the agreement or fails to do so on time or in full. If additional work should be required during the performance of the agreement, this never constitutes a reason for client to give notice of termination of the agreement (opzeggen) or to terminate the agreement for breach (ontbinden).
Termination of the agreement for breach or by serving notice of termination
Either party is exclusively entitled to terminate the agreement for breach (ontbinden) following an imputable failure of the other party to meet it is obligations under the agreement if the other party, in all cases after a written notice of default has been served that is as detailed as possible and in which the other party is granted a reasonable period of time to remedy the breach, should still imputably fail to meet any of its essential obligations under the agreement. Client’s payment obligations and all obligations of client or a third party contracted by client to cooperate and/or to provide information apply in all cases as essential obligations under the agreement.
If, at the time of the termination for breach, client has already received goods or services in the performance of the agreement, this performance and the relevant payment obligations cannot be undone unless client proves that supplier is in default with respect to the essential part of the performance due. With due regard to the provisions of the preceding sentence, sums invoiced by supplier prior to the termination for breach in connection with what has already been properly performed or delivered in the performance of the agreement remain due in full and become immediately payable at the time of the termination for breach.
An agreement which, due to its nature and content, is not discharged by performance and which has been entered into for an indefinite period of time may be terminated, following consultation between parties, by either party by serving written notice of termination to the other party (opzeggen). Reasons for the termination must be stated. If a notice period has not been agreed on between parties, a reasonable period must be observed when notice of termination is served. Supplier is never obliged to pay any compensation because of this termination.
Client is not entitled to terminate (opzeggen) an agreement for services that has been entered into for a definite period of time before the end of the term; client is not entitled either to terminate (opzeggen) an agreement that ends by completion before it has been completed.
Either party may terminate (opzeggen) the agreement in writing, in whole or in part, without notice of default being required and with immediate effect, if the other party is granted a suspension of payments, whether or not provisional, a petition for bankruptcy is filed against the other party or the company of the other party is liquidated or dissolved other than for restructuring purposes or for a merger of companies. Supplier may also terminate (opzeggen) the agreement, in whole or in part, without notice of default being required and with immediate effect, if a direct or indirect change occurs in the decisive control of client’s company. Supplier is never obliged to repay any sum of money already received or pay any sum of money in compensation because of termination as referred to in this paragraph. If client is irrevocably bankrupted, its right to use the software, websites and the like made available to client ends, as does its right to access and/or use supplier’s services, without supplier being required to cancel these rights.
Supplier’s liability
Supplier’s total liability for an imputable failure in the performance of the agreement or arising from any other legal basis whatsoever, explicitly including each and every failure to meet a guarantee or indemnification obligation agreed on with client, is limited to the compensation of damages as described in more detail in this article.
Direct damage is limited to a maximum of the price stipulated for the agreement in question (excluding VAT). If the agreement is mainly a continuing performance contract with a duration of more than one year, the price stipulated for the agreement is set at the total sum of the payments (excluding VAT) stipulated for one year. In no event does supplier’s total liability for any direct damage, on any legal basis whatsoever, exceed EUR 500,000 (five hundred thousand euros).
Supplier’s total liability for any damage arising from death or bodily injury or arising from material damage to goods is limited to the amount of EUR 1,250,000 (one million two hundred fifty thousand euros).
Liability for indirect damage, consequential loss, loss of profits, lost savings, reduced goodwill, loss due to business interruption, loss as a result of claims of client’s clients, loss arising from the use of goods, materials or software of third parties prescribed by client to supplier and any damage and loss arising from contracting suppliers client has recommended to supplier is excluded. Liability for corruption, destruction or loss of data or documents is also excluded.
The exclusions and limitations of supplier’s liability described articles 16.2 up to and including 16.4 are without any prejudice whatsoever to the other exclusions and limitations of supplier’s liability described in these general terms.
The exclusions and limitations referred to in articles 16.2 up to and including 16.5 cease to apply if and insofar as the damage is caused by intent or deliberate recklessness on the part of supplier’s management.
Unless performance by supplier is permanently impossible, supplier is exclusively liable for an imputable failure in the performance of an agreement if client promptly serves supplier with a written notice of default, granting supplier a reasonable period of time to remedy the breach, and supplier should still imputably fail to meet its obligations after that reasonable term has passed. The notice of default must describe supplier’s failure as comprehensively and in as much detail as possible so that supplier has the opportunity to respond adequately.
The right to compensation of damages exclusively arises if client reports the damage to supplier in writing as soon as possible after the damage has occurred. Any claim for compensation of damages filed against supplier lapses by the mere expiry of a period of twenty four months following the inception of the claim unless client has instituted a legal action for damages prior to the expiry of this term.
Client indemnifies supplier against any and all claims of third parties arising from product liability because of a defect in a product or system that client delivered to a third party and that consisted in part of hardware, software or other materials delivered by supplier, unless and insofar as client is able to prove that the loss was caused by the hardware, software or other materials referred to.
The provisions of this article and all other exclusions and limitations of liability referred to in these general terms also apply in favour of all natural persons and legal persons that supplier and supplier’s suppliers contracts for the performance of the agreement.
Force Majeure
Neither party is obliged to meet any obligation, including any statutory and/or agreed guarantee obligation, if it is prevented from doing so by circumstances beyond its control (overmacht). Circumstances beyond supplier’s control include, among other things: (i) circumstances beyond the control of supplier’s suppliers, (ii) the failure by supplier to properly meet obligations that were contracted by supplier on client’s instructions, (iii) defects in goods, hardware, software or materials of third parties that supplier uses on client’s instructions, (iv) measures by public authorities, (v) power failures, (vi) failures of the Internet, data network or telecommunication facilities, (vii) (cyber) crime, (cyber) vandalism, war or terrorism and (viii) general transport problems.
If a force majeure situation lasts for more than sixty days, either party has the right to terminate the agreement, in writing, for breach (ontbinden). In such event, all that has already been performed under the agreement must be paid for on a proportional basis, without anything else being due by either party to the other party.
Service Level Agreement
Possible arrangements about a service level (Service Level Agreement) are exclusively agreed on in writing. Client promptly informs supplier about any circumstances that may affect the service level or its availability.
If any arrangements have been made about a service level, the availability of software, systems and related services is always measured in such a way that unavailability due to preventive, corrective or adaptive maintenance service or other forms of service that supplier has notified client of in advance and circumstances beyond supplier’s control are not taken into account. Subject to proof to the contrary offered by client, the availability measured by supplier is considered conclusive.
Backups
If the services provided to client under the agreement include making backups of client’s data, supplier makes a complete backup of client’s data in its possession, with due observance of the periods of time agreed on in writing, or once a week if such terms have not been agreed on. Supplier keeps the backup for the duration of the agreed term or for the duration of supplier’s usual term if no further arrangements have been made in this regard. Supplier keeps the backup with due care and diligence.
Client itself remains responsible for complying with all the applicable statutory obligations with respect to keeping records and data retention.
Adjustments and extra work
If, at client’s request or after client’s prior consent, supplier has performed activities or has delivered goods or services that are outside the scope of the agreed activities and/or delivery of goods or services, client is charged for these activities or for these goods or services on the basis of the agreed rates or, if no rates have been agreed on by parties, on the basis of supplier’s applicable rates. Supplier is not obliged to honour such request and may require that, to that purpose, a separate agreement should be entered into in writing.
Client realises that adjustments and extra work (may) result in terms and delivery periods and/or dates and delivery dates being postponed. Any new terms and delivery periods and/or dates and delivery dates indicated by supplier replace the previous terms and delivery periods and/or dates and delivery dates.
Insofar as a fixed price has been agreed on for the agreement, supplier informs client, at client’s request and in writing, about the financial consequences of the extra work or additional delivery of goods or services referred to in this article.
Transfer of rights and obligations
Client is not entitled to sell, transfer or pledge (verpanden) its rights and obligations under an agreement to a third party.
Supplier is entitled to sell, transfer or pledge (verpanden) any claims it has to payment of any sums due to a third party.
Applicable law and disputes
The agreements between supplier and client are governed by the laws of the Netherlands. Applicability of the Vienna Convention 1980 (The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG)) is excluded.
Any disputes that may arise from an agreement between parties and/or from any further agreements deriving from this agreement are resolved by arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Regulations of the Foundation for the Settlement of Automation Disputes (Stichting Geschillenoplossing Automatisering – SGOA – (www.sgoa.eu), this without prejudice to either party’s right to request preliminary relief in preliminary relief proceedings or arbitral preliminary relief proceedings and without prejudice to either party’s right to attach property before judgment. Arbitration proceedings take place in Amsterdam, or in any other place designated in the Arbitration Regulations.
If a dispute that arises from an agreement entered into by parties or from any further agreements deriving from this agreement is within the jurisdiction of the cantonal section of the Netherlands District Court (kantongerecht), either party is entitled, notwithstanding the provisions of article 22.2, to bring the case as a cantonal court case before the competent district court in the Netherlands. Parties are only entitled to initiate these proceedings if arbitration proceedings concerning the dispute have not yet been instituted under the provisions of article 22.2. If, with due observance of the provisions of this article 22.3, either party has brought the case before the competent district court to be heard and decided, the cantonal judge of that district court is competent to hear the case and to decide on it.
Regarding a dispute that arises from an agreement entered into by parties or from any further agreements deriving from this agreement, either party is always entitled to institute ICT mediation proceedings in accordance with the ICT Mediation Regulations of the Foundation for the Settlement of Automation Disputes (Stichting Geschillenoplossing Automatisering – SGOA – (www.sgoa.eu). The other party is then obliged to actively participate in the ICT mediation proceedings that have been instituted. This legally enforceable obligation in any case includes having to attend at least one joint meeting of mediators and parties, in order to give this extrajudicial form of dispute resolution a chance of success. Either party is free to terminate the ICT mediation proceedings at any time after this first joint meeting of mediators and parties. The provisions of this paragraph do not prevent either party, if this party deems doing so necessary, from requesting preliminary relief in preliminary relief proceedings or in arbitral preliminary relief proceedings nor do they prevent either party from attaching property before judgment.
