REQUEST SYSTEM
REQUEST SYSTEM SUPPLEMENTAL TERMS OF USE
Last Updated: May 30, 2025
Othram, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“our,” “us”, or “we”), provides certain services through
our Request System site, available at othram.com/request (the “Request System”). These Request System
Supplemental Terms of Use (these “Request System Supplemental Terms”) govern your agency’s (the
“Agency”) use of, and access to, the Request System and supplement, but do not replace, our Global
Terms of Use (the “Global Terms”). By (1) browsing, registering for, logging into, using, benefitting
from, or otherwise interacting with, the Request System or (2) manifesting your assent in any other
manner, you and your Agency’s use of the Request System is subject to these Request System
Supplemental Terms and the Global Terms. In the event of any conflict or ambiguity between these
Request System Supplemental Terms and the Global Terms, these Request System Supplemental Terms
shall control. All capitalized terms used but not defined in these Request System Supplemental Terms
have the definitions given to such terms in the Global Terms.
- Overview. The Request System is the process by which Authorized Users (defined below) ask us to evaluate casework and perform analysis on casework evidence submitted to us and the process through which we exchange information with Authorized Users. The Request System is the primary communication channel between us and those involved in a law enforcement investigation for a particular case.
- Purpose. The Request System is intended to be used for providing human identification
services to Agencies for law enforcement investigations. We do not assist with consumer-based
investigations or non-law enforcement investigations initiated or requested by a consumer. The Request
System is usable only for law enforcement investigations. You and your Agency expressly acknowledge
that (i) the Agency is a law enforcement agency or is assisting a law enforcement agency and (ii) you and
the Agency will use the Request System only for law enforcement investigations. The Agency expressly
denies the Agency is a consumer and expressly denies the Request System will be used by the Agency in
connection with a consumer-based service request or any non-law enforcement investigation initiated or
requested by a consumer.
- Definitions.
- “Agency-Owned Materials“ means all (i) Submissions, (ii) DNA ProfileDeliverables, and (iii) Case Reports.
- “Authorized User“ means an individual who has a legitimate involvement with a
law enforcement investigation and who is authorized to use the Request System via the Request System’s
authorization procedures.
- “Background Technology“ means our development methods, processes, tools,
routines, subroutines, programs, data, requirements documents, design artifacts, information, know-how,
and materials used to provide the Contracted Services.
- “Case“ means a discreet case or project for a particular law enforcement
investigation assigned by the Agency and accepted by us through the Request System. For clarity, a Case
will never include a consumer-based investigation or any non-law enforcement investigation initiated or
requested by a consumer.
- “Case Report“ means a signed, written report approved by our lab director and
delivered by us to the Agency for a Case that provides one or more investigative leads for such Case.
- “Confidential Information“ means all information and materials disclosed or
made available by a Party to the other Party, whether disclosed or made available orally or visually
observed or disclosed or made available in written, electronic, or other form or media, and whether
marked, designated, or otherwise identified as “confidential.”
- “Contracted Services Results“ means all information, materials, products, and
results, whether tangible or intangible, that are created, developed, authored, conceived, or delivered by
us pursuant to the Request System, other than DNA Profile Deliverables and Case Reports.
- “Delivered Materials“ means (i) the DNA Profile Deliverables, (ii) the Case
Reports, and (iii) all other materials and data provided by us to the Agency pursuant to these Request
System Supplemental Terms.
- “DNA Profile Deliverable“ means the SNP profile delivered by us to the Agency
and derived from a Submission.
- “Disclosing Party“ means a Party that discloses or makes available such Party’s
Confidential Information.
- “Law“ means any statute, law, ordinance, regulation, rule, code, order,
constitution, treaty, common law, judgment, decree, requirement, or rule of law of any governmental
authority.
- “Offered Services“ means (i) investigative leads records research services, (ii)
familial reference testing services, and (iii) forensic evidence laboratory testing services. We may expand
or contract the Offered Services in our discretion.
- “Othram-Owned Materials“ means all (i) Background Technology and (ii)
Contracted Services Results.
- “Party“ means the Agency or us.
- “Person“ means any individual, corporation (including any non-profit
corporation), partnership (including any general partnership or limited partnership), limited liability
company, joint venture, association, organization, trust, unincorporated organization, other entity, or
governmental authority.
- “Recipient“ means a Party that receives or obtains the other Party’s Confidential
Information.
- “Representatives“ means, with respect to a Party, such Party’s affiliates and the
employees, officers, directors, managers, owners, agents, attorneys, accountants, and advisors of such
Party and such Party’s affiliates.
- “SNP“ means single nucleotide polymorphisms.
- “Submission“ means any item (of any kind) the Agency submits to us through
the Request System, including submitted evidence and submitted extracts.
- “Third Party“ means any Person that is not a Party.
- Services. The Agency may request one or more Offered Services from us by submitting
a services request through the Request System (each, a “Request”). The Offered Services accepted by us
through the Request System are the “Contracted Services.” All Contracted Services are subject to the
Global Terms and these Request System Supplemental Terms. The Agency certifies the information
provided to us in connection with each Request and the Contracted Services is accurate to the best of the
Agency’s knowledge.
- Compensation. As compensation to us for providing the Contracted Services for a
Request, the Agency shall pay us for such Contracted Services in accordance with our fee quote for such
Request. All past due amounts shall bear interest until paid in full at the rate of the lesser of (i) 1.5% per
month or (ii) the maximum allowed by law. If any amount is past due, we may suspend providing the
Contracted Services or revoke access to the Request System, unless and until such past due amount, all
accrued interest, and all collection fees are paid to us. In addition to any other amounts due pursuant to
these Request System Supplemental Terms, the Agency shall pay all taxes (if any) assessed upon, or with
respect to, any sums paid or owing or materials or services provided by us or otherwise arising in
connection with these Request System Supplemental Terms.
- Confidentiality.
- Obligations. The Recipient shall (i) protect and safeguard the confidentiality of
the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information with at least the same degree of care as the Recipient
would protect the Recipient’s own Confidential Information, but in no event with less than a
commercially reasonable degree of care, (ii) not use the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information, or
permit the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information to be accessed or used, for any purpose other than
in connection with these Request System Supplemental Terms or otherwise in any manner to the
Disclosing Party’s detriment, and (iii) not disclose any of the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information
to any Person, except to the Recipient’s Representatives who (1) need to know such Confidential
Information to assist the Recipient, or act on the Recipient’s behalf, in relation to these Request System
Supplemental Terms or to exercise the Recipient’s rights under these Request System Supplemental
Terms, (2) are informed by the Recipient of the confidential nature of such Confidential Information, (3)
are subject to confidentiality duties or obligations to the Recipient that are no less restrictive than the
terms and conditions of these Request System Supplemental Terms, and (4) be responsible for any breach
of these Request System Supplemental Terms caused by any of the Recipient’s Representatives
- Additional Obligations. Except as required by any applicable Law, or as
otherwise as mutually agreed to in writing by the Parties, neither Party shall, nor permit any of such
Party’s Representatives to, disclose to any Person (i) that the other Party’s Confidential Information has
been made available to such Party or such Party’s Representatives or that such Party has inspected any
portion of the other Party’s Confidential Information, (ii) that discussions or negotiations may be, or are,
underway between the Parties regarding the Parties’ Confidential Information or these Request System
Supplemental Terms, or (iii) any terms, conditions, or other arrangements that are being discussed or
negotiated in relation to these Request System Supplemental Terms or the Parties’ Confidential
Information
- Required Disclosure. Any disclosure by the Recipient or the Recipient’s
Representatives of any of the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information pursuant to a Law or a valid
order issued by a court or governmental agency of competent jurisdiction (a “Legal Order”) shall be
subject to the terms of this Section 6.3. Prior to making any such disclosure, the Recipient shall make
commercially reasonable efforts to provide the Disclosing Party with (i) prompt written notice of such requirement so that the Disclosing Party may seek, at the Disclosing Party’s sole cost and expense, a
protective order or other remedy, and (ii) reasonable assistance, at the Disclosing Party’s sole cost and
expense, in opposing such disclosure or seeking a protective order or other limitations on disclosure. If,
after providing such notice and assistance as required in this Section 6.3, the Recipient remains subject to
a Legal Order to disclose any Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party, then the Recipient (or the
Recipient’s Representatives or other persons to whom such Legal Order is directed) shall disclose no
more than that portion of the Confidential Information which, on the advice of the Recipient’s legal
counsel, such Legal Order specifically requires the Recipient to disclose and, upon the Disclosing Party’s
request, shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain assurances from the applicable court or
agency that such Confidential Information will be afforded confidential treatment.
- Return or Destruction. At any time during or after the Term (as defined below),
at the Disclosing Party’s written request, the Recipient and the Recipient’s Representatives shall promptly
return to the Disclosing Party all copies, whether in written, electronic, or other form or media, of the
Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information, or destroy all such copies and certify in writing to the
Disclosing Party that such Confidential Information has been destroyed. In addition, the Recipient shall
also destroy all copies of any notes created by the Recipient or the Recipient’s Representatives relating to
the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information and certify in writing to the Disclosing Party that such
copies have been destroyed.
- Remedies. Each Party acknowledges and agrees money damages might not be a
sufficient remedy for any breach or threatened breach of this Section 6. by such Party or such Party’s
Representatives. Therefore, in addition to all other remedies available at law (which neither Party waives
by the exercise of any rights under this Section 6.5), the non-breaching Party shall be entitled to seek
specific performance and injunctive and other equitable relief as a remedy for any such breach or
threatened breach of this Section 6., and the Parties waive any requirement for the securing or posting of
any bond or the showing of actual monetary damages in connection with such claim.
- Ownership.
- Agency-Owned Materials. The Agency owns all right, title, and interest
(including all intellectual property rights) in and to all Agency-Owned Materials. The Agency-Owned
Materials are the Agency’s exclusive property and are protected under applicable copyright, trademark,
tradename, service mark, proprietary rights, and other intellectual property rights laws. All rights in and to
the Agency-Owned Materials not expressly licensed to us in these Request System Supplemental Terms
remain in the Agency.
- Othram-Owned Materials. We own all right, title, and interest (including all
intellectual property rights) in and to all Othram-Owned Materials. The Othram-Owned Materials are our
exclusive property and are protected under applicable copyright, trademark, tradename, service mark,
proprietary rights, and other intellectual property rights laws. All rights in and to the Othram-Owned
Materials not expressly licensed to the Agency in these Request System Supplemental Terms remain in
us.
- Case Reports.
- Disclosures.
- The Agency represents and warrants the Agency will not (i) modify the
content of any Case Report, (ii) remove or alter any of our notices on any Case Report, or (iii) disclose any Case Report to any Third Party unless the Case Report is disclosed in its entirety without
modification or alteration in any way.
-
The Agency acknowledges and agrees the content of each Case Report is
a simplified report containing a subset of information required under ISO/IEC 17025:2017 (the “Subset”).
The Agency further acknowledges and agrees a full report containing such Subset together with the
following information is available upon request:
- The date of receipt of the test item where such date is critical to
the validity and application of the results;
- Identification of the method used;
- The date(s) of performance of the laboratory activity;
- The date of issue of the Case Report;
- A statement indicating the results relate only to the items tested,
calibrated, or sampled; and
- Additions to, or deviations or exclusions from, the method used.
- Disclaimers. The Agency acknowledges and agrees the content of the Case
Reports may be derived from public records or other records provided by third parties and such records
may be inaccurate, out-of-date, or incorrect. As a result, the Agency acknowledges and agrees we are not
responsible for, and do not independently confirm, the efficacy of such records or the data derived from
such records.
- Responsibilities. The Agency acknowledges and agrees (i) the Agency is solely
responsible for using the Case Reports, (ii) the Agency is solely responsible for knowing and complying
with, and is familiar with, all Laws applicable to the Case Reports, including all Laws in the Agency’s
jurisdiction relating to the collection, possession, and submission of DNA for law enforcement
investigative purposes, and (iii) we shall have no responsibility or liability with respect to the Agency’s
use of, or reliance on, any Case Report.
- Representations and Warranties. The Agency represents and warrants (i) the
Agency has a legitimate need to receive each Case Report, (ii) the Agency will use each Case Report in
accordance with these Request System Supplemental Terms, (iii) the Agency will use each Case Report
in a responsible and ethical manner, (iv) the Agency will use each Case Report in compliance with all
applicable Laws, and (v) the Agency’s use of a Case Report will not violate any Laws.
- Submissions.
- Responsibility. The Agency is solely responsible for all Submissions. The
Agency bears risk of loss of all shipments of Submissions, whether to or from us. The Agency
understands the Agency must evaluate and bear all risks associated with the collection, possession, and
submission of all Submissions, including reliance on the accuracy, completeness, and usefulness of the
Submissions. The Agency represents and warrants (i) the Agency has sufficient right, title, and interest in
and to all Submissions for purposes of each Case Report and the Contracted Services, (ii) the Agency has
all necessary consents, releases, and permissions to submit the Submissions to us and for us to provide the
Contracted Services, (iii) the Agency’s collection, possession, and submission of all Submissions comply with all applicable Laws, all Submissions were obtained in accordance with all applicable Laws, and the
Agency has adhered to all Laws applicable to the Submissions, (iv) the Agency’s collection, possession,
and submission of all Submissions is in connection with, or in furtherance of, a law enforcement
investigation and a legitimate legal situation, (v) the Agency will not submit a Submission in connection
with, or in furtherance of, a consumer-based investigation or any non-law enforcement investigation
initiated or requested by a consumer, (vi) our receipt, possession, and use of the Submissions in
connection with the Contracted Services will not violate any Law or misappropriate or infringe upon the
rights of any third party, and (vii) the Agency has sufficient ownership and jurisdiction of all Cases.
- Refusals. The Agency understands we may refuse delivery or acceptance of, or
refuse to process, any Submission for any reason or no reason whatsoever, including any Submission (i)
received in a damaged condition or (ii) posing a health risk to us or our personnel.
- License. The Agency grants us a royalty-free license to use, modify, manipulate,
test, and analyze the Submissions as necessary to provide the Contracted Services.
- Authorized Users.
- Qualifications. The Request System is usable by Authorized Users only. We
reserve the right to terminate or suspend any Authorized User’s access to the Request System, in whole or
in part, at any time (for any reason or for no reason and without notice), including in connection with any
improper or suspected improper access to, or use of, the Request System.
- Roles. Authorized Users are divided into six distinct roles within the Request
System (each, a “Role”): (i) Case Leaders, (ii) Account Holders, (iii) Evidence Holders, (iv) Billing
Contacts, (v) Analysts, and (vi) Team Members.
- Rights. Each Role has a specific set of rights within the Request System. If there
is a question as to whether an Authorized User qualifies for, or is characterized as, a particular Role, then
we will collaborate with the Agency and make a final determination with respect to that assignment. A
particular Authorized User may have multiple Roles. The respective set of rights for the Roles are as
follows:
- Case Leaders. Each Request must be tied to a law enforcement
investigation through a single criminal justice system participant (a “Case Leader”). The Case Leader is
the lead, and there can only be one Case Leader of a Request at any point in time, although the identity of
a Case Leader of a Request can change over time.
- Case Leaders fall into one of five categories: (1) law
enforcement officers, (2) public crime lab directors, (3) medical examiners and coroners, (4) prosecutors
and district attorneys, and (5) defense attorneys
- Case Leaders never fall into any of the following categories
(which are for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to be exhaustive). Those within the following
categories, however, may qualify as Authorized Users for other purposes; they simply are not considered
Case Leaders: (1) funding agencies, (2) individual funding donors, (3) private companies offering lab or
genealogy services, (4) non-profits and advocacy groups, (5) universities and research organizations, and
(6) private citizens.
- Only Case Leaders can sign off on process workflow and
deliverables for a Request, including any adjustment to the existing process workflow or deliverables
. Accordingly, we are only able to take instruction or direction on a Request from the Case
Leader of the Request. Case Leaders are permitted to appoint another Authorized User to approve quotes
for our services.
- If we receive instructions or directions from someone other than
a Case Leader, then (1) we cannot act on such instruction or direction until we identify the appropriate
Case Leader and confirm such instruction or direction with such Case Leader and (2) reserve the right to
send or post a written or electronic request seeking clarification or additional information or direction or
return any applicable items received.
- For example, as part of a Request, we may be asked to (1)
provide a deliverable (such as a SNP profile or a lead), (2) upload to an external database, or (3) provide
login credentials for data access. We are not able to act on any of these asks without specific instructions
or directions by the Case Leader of the underlying Request.
- Account Holders. An Account Holder is an Authorized User who creates
an account on the Request System and makes a particular Request. The Account Holder is responsible for
identifying the Case Leader, and the Account Holder may be, but is not required to be, the Case Leader.
For example, an Account Holder could be the lead detective on a law enforcement investigation and
therefore serve as the Case Leader. Alternatively, an Account Holder could be an individual who works
with, or in the same office as, the Case Leader (such as a clerical staff member or a non-lead investigator)
and makes the Request on behalf of the Case Leader. An individual acting in the Role of Account Holder
(and not as Case Leader) does not have the ability to provide instructions or directions for a Request.
- Evidence Holders. An Evidence Holder is an Authorized User who
delivers or sends us evidence either (1) in person or (2) via a traceable courier (i.e., FedEx or UPS) with a
tracking number and signature required. If we return evidence for a Request, we will coordinate that
return with the Evidence Holder. An Evidence Holder has no additional rights within the Request System.
- Billing Contacts. A Billing Contact is the Authorized User to whom our
invoices are sent or made available and who is responsible for securing payment to us on those invoices.
A Billing Contact has no additional rights within the Request System.
- Analyst.. An Analyst is an Authorized User who can view delivered
reports and is notified when a report is delivered.
- Team Member. A Team Member is an Authorized User who does not fit
into any of the other Roles but who has an interest of some kind in a Request and is entitled to receive
updates about the Request. This may be the funding source of the Request, such as a donor. A Team
Member must be approved by the Case Leader.
- Access.
- Process. Each Authorized User must register with us by entering the Authorized
User’s email address, selecting a valid password, and providing all other required registration information
(collectively, the “Registration Information”) and obtaining a user account. Each Authorized User must
agree that, at the time of submission to us, the Registration Information for such Authorized User is true,
accurate, current, and complete and must update such Registration Information as appropriate. The
Agency will be responsible for any untrue, inaccurate, out-of-date, or incomplete Registration
Information and for all use of the Request System. We reserve the right to terminate or suspend the
Agency’s or any Agency personnel’s access to the Request System, in whole or in part, at any time (for any reason or for no reason and without notice). The Agency agrees to use the Request System only for
the Request System’s intended purposes, and the Agency further agrees we will not be liable to the
Agency or to any Third Party for any modification, suspension, or discontinuance of the Request System
(in whole or in part).
- Eligibility. The Agency represents and warrants (i) the Agency’s and the
Authorized Users’ use of the Request System is legally permitted in, and does not violate any laws or
regulations of, the jurisdictions in which the Agency or any Authorized User resides or from which the
Agency or any Authorized User uses or otherwise accesses the Request System, (ii) the Agency possesses
the legal right and ability to enter into these Request System Supplemental Terms and to use the Request
System in accordance with these Request System Supplemental Terms, (iii) the Agency’s and the
Authorized Users’ use of the Request System will be in accordance with these Request System
Supplemental Terms, and (iv) the Agency’s and the Authorized User’s use of the Request System will be
in accordance with all applicable Laws. The Agency’s and the Authorized Users’ use of the Request
System and the Contracted Services may be subject to the export and import laws of the United States and
other countries. The Agency agrees to comply with all applicable export and import Laws, including the
Export Administration Regulations and sanctions control programs of the United States.
- Restrictions and Limitations. Neither the Agency nor any Authorized User may
(i) select or use as Registration Information a name of another person with the intent to impersonate that
person, (ii) use as the Registration Information a name subject to any rights of a person other than such
registrant without appropriate authorization, or (iii) share a person’s Registration Information or user
account with anyone else or allow any person to access or use a person’s Registration Information or user
account other than the person to whom such Registration Information applies or such user account has
been issued. We reserve the right, at our discretion, to (a) refuse registration of the Registration
Information and (b) cancel or deactivate any account, including due to inactivity, and, at our election,
delete all related information and files in, or relating to, any Agency account.
- Disclaimers. THE DELIVERED MATERIALS ARE INTENDED SOLELY FOR
ASSISTING THE AGENCY WITH INVESTIGATIVE LEADS IN APPLICABLE CASES AND
ARE NOT INTENDED AS LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES OR ADVICE OF ANY KIND.
WE DO NOT WARRANT OR GUARANTEE (i) THE DELIVERED MATERIALS WILL BE
ERROR-FREE OR (ii) ANY SPECIFIC RESULTS FROM USE OF THE DELIVERED
MATERIALS. THE DELIVERED MATERIALS MAY BE DERIVED FROM PUBLIC
RECORDS AND THEREFORE MAY BE INACCURATE, OUT-OF-DATE, OR INCORRECT.
THE AGENCY REMAINS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THE AGENCY’S
(INCLUDING THE AUTHORIZED USERS’) ACTIONS AND OMISSIONS, INCLUDING
THOSE ATTRIBUTABLE TO, OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO, THE DELIVERED
MATERIALS. WE DISCLAIM ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES. WE TAKE NO
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SUBMISSIONS, INCLUDING (1) THE LEGALITY OR
ACCURACY OF ANY SUBMISSION, (2) THE RIGHT TO USE, MODIFY, MANIPULATE,
TEST, OR ANALYZE ANY SUBMISSION, (3) THE RIGHT TO SUBMIT, UPLOAD, OR
ENTER ANY SUBMISSION OR ANY DNA PROFILE DERIVED FROM ANY SUBMISSION IN
OR TO ANY GENETIC GENEALOGY DATABASE SELECTED OR AUTHORIZED BY THE
AGENCY (INCLUDING GEDMATCH, FAMILYTREEDNA, OR DNASOLVES), OR (4)
WHETHER ANY SUBMISSION IS LIBELOUS, SLANDEROUS, DEFAMATORY, OR
DISPARAGING OR OTHERWISE VIOLATES ANY PERSON’S RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE
RIGHT TO PRIVACY OR MORAL RIGHTS.
- Limitations. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE SHALL
NOT HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO THE AGENCY OR ANYONE ELSE ARISING OUT OF, OR IN CONNECTION WITH, THESE REQUEST SYSTEM SUPPLEMENTAL TERMS FOR
INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, RELIANCE, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR LOSSES. IN NO EVENT SHALL
OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY UNDER THESE REQUEST SYSTEM SUPPLEMENTAL
TERMS EXCEED ALL AMOUNTS PAID BY THE AGENCY, AND RECEIVED BY US, FOR
THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING 6-MONTH PERIOD. THE EXISTENCE OF MORE THAN
ONE CLAIM WILL NOT ENLARGE OR EXTEND THESE LIMITS.