Compute Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of these terms

By creating an account, topping up or using ZaoSeq Compute (the “Service”), you agree to these terms, the Privacy Policy and the price and configuration shown when you order. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

If you use the Service on behalf of a company, school or other organisation, you confirm that you are authorised to accept these terms for it. Where your organisation has signed a quotation or written contract with us, that document prevails over these terms to the extent they differ.

2. Definitions

Instance

A GPU compute environment you start through the Service.

Dedicated instance

GPUs reserved for you alone while the instance runs.

Dynamic instance

GPUs from a shared scheduling pool, provided on a best-effort basis.

Balance

Prepaid funds in your account, made up of paid balance and complimentary credit.

Paid balance

The part of your balance you actually paid for.

Complimentary credit

Credit we grant, such as research trial GPU-hours or promotional credit.

Customer content

Data, code, models and outputs you place on or produce with the Service.

Pay-as-you-go

Billing per second from your balance while an instance runs.

Fixed-hour plan

A number of GPU-hours paid for in advance through an order or an accepted project quote.

Project quote

A fixed tax-inclusive total price we issue to you for a stated configuration, number of machines and hours.

External supplier

A cloud provider or data centre operator, other than ZaoSeq, whose GPU capacity we use to provide the Service.

3. Your account

You must be at least 18, or have your legal representative's consent, and provide accurate and up-to-date information. Keep your password, SSH keys and API credentials secure. You are responsible for activity under your account unless it results from unauthorised use that is not your fault. Tell us promptly at [email protected] if you suspect misuse.

You must verify your email address before topping up or starting an instance. We recommend turning on two-factor authentication in the console.

Each person may hold one account. Creating several accounts to obtain complimentary credit more than once, or to get around a suspension, is not allowed; we may cancel credit obtained this way.

A team owner may invite members to the team and is responsible for their use of the Service under the team.

4. The Service

We provide GPU instances in the configurations listed in the catalogue, with storage and related tools. The GPU model, CPU, memory, storage, region and price shown when you start an instance apply to that instance. Capacity is allocated when the instance starts; we cannot guarantee that a configuration will be available at a particular time.

Dynamic instances share capacity with other customers, so performance may vary and they may be rescheduled. Dedicated instances are reserved for you for as long as they run.

Capacity is provided by a mix of ZaoSeq data centres and external suppliers. The region is shown before you start an instance, and your content is stored and processed there. Rules external suppliers impose on the use of their capacity are reflected in sections 8 and 9.

If no capacity is available you may join the launch queue. Nothing is charged while you wait; the instance starts automatically, in queue order, when the same model and number of GPUs is available in the same region at a price no higher than when you queued, and a queue entry that has not started within 7 days is cancelled. You can cancel it at any time before it starts.

An instance that has not finished starting within 20 minutes is deleted automatically. Charges for that period are returned to your balance for environments packaged by ZaoSeq; they are not returned for custom images, whose contents we do not control.

Each account may run up to 5 instances at the same time. We may change this limit and will show it in the console.

Machines are operated in our own or partner data centres. We may replace hardware with equipment of equal or better specification, and will notify you in advance if this affects a running Dedicated instance. Scheduled maintenance is announced at least 48 hours ahead; urgent maintenance for security or stability may happen without notice, and we will explain it afterwards.

We may add, change or remove features. If a change materially reduces a paid feature you are using, we will announce it at least 30 days in advance.

5. Prices and billing

The Service is prepaid. A pay-as-you-go instance is charged per second from the moment it starts until it is deleted, and the charge is deducted from your balance. Shutting the operating system down inside an instance does not stop charging. Prices include 5% business tax, and the tax-inclusive amount is deducted.

A fixed-hour plan is paid in full when ordered. Its instances start, in order of payment, when capacity is available, and run until the purchased hours end, counted from start whether or not you use them. When the hours end, the instances are deleted and their local disks erased, so copy out anything you need before then.

A project quote is valid until the time stated on it and binds us only once paid within that time. It is paid in full from your balance when you accept it, or as soon as a top-up covering it is credited. It is then a fixed-hour plan for each of its machines; machines that cannot start straight away start automatically when capacity is available.

We may change prices at any time. A new price applies from when it is published on the website; usage before then is charged at the previous price.

We email you when your balance would not cover one more hour of your instances, and again when an instance is deleted for lack of balance. When the balance reaches zero, pay-as-you-go instances are deleted and their local disks erased, so top up or copy out your data before then.

If you believe you were charged incorrectly, tell us within 30 days after the end of the month in which the charge occurred. We will review it and correct any error to your balance.

6. Balance and refunds

Paid balance does not expire. It cannot be transferred to another account, exchanged for cash or refunded.

Charges for usage already incurred are not refunded. Complimentary credit, including research credit and redeemed codes, cannot be exchanged for cash or transferred and is not refunded; any expiry date is stated when it is granted.

A fixed-hour plan that has not started may be cancelled for a full refund. Once its instances have started, unused hours are not refunded, except where the shortfall is attributable to us.

A GPU instance begins providing service as soon as it starts. Before you start one, you will be asked to agree that the service begins immediately; computing time already used is therefore not subject to the seven-day unconditional cancellation for distance sales.

7. Invoices

E-invoices are sent to your email free of charge with no minimum. You may instead choose a paper handwritten three-part invoice: it is mailed free for orders of NT$3,000 or more (tax included), and a NT$35 delivery fee including postage applies below that. Paper invoices are sent by registered mail within 5 working days after payment is confirmed.

8. Acceptable use

You may not use the Service to:

• Break any law, or infringe intellectual property, privacy or other rights.
• Distribute malware, or attack, scan or probe other systems.
• Try to access other customers' data or the underlying infrastructure beyond your instance.
• Send spam, or carry out phishing or fraud.
• Create, store or distribute child sexual abuse material, or content that incites violence or discrimination.
• Mine cryptocurrency without our written consent.
• Circumvent metering, billing or usage limits.
• Resell or sublicense the Service without our written consent.
• Run systems where a failure could cause death, injury or serious damage to property.

We may remove content or suspend the affected instances if we reasonably believe this section has been breached, and may report serious violations to the authorities. To report abuse, write to [email protected].

9. Export control and sanctions

You confirm that you are not subject to sanctions under the laws of Taiwan, the United States or other applicable jurisdictions, and you will not use the Service, or let others use it, in breach of applicable export control or sanctions rules. We may suspend or end the Service where required to comply with these rules.

In particular, you will not use the Service from, or for the benefit of anyone in, a country or region under comprehensive sanctions, and will not use it for weapons of mass destruction, missile or military end uses restricted by those rules. If you let others use your instances, you are responsible for their compliance with this section.

10. Your content

Your content remains yours. You grant us only the rights needed to host, store, transfer and process it to provide the Service to you. We access it only at your request, where necessary to fix a fault or protect security (limited to what is necessary), or where the law requires.

You are responsible for your content, for having the rights to use it, and for keeping your own backups. An instance's local disk is erased permanently when the instance is deleted. When your account is closed, data on persistent storage is kept for at least 7 days for you to download and is then deleted. Personal data is handled under the Privacy Policy.

11. Security

We secure the infrastructure and the management of the Service. You are responsible for the security of what runs inside your instances, including the operating system, software, open ports, keys and access you grant to others. Please report suspected vulnerabilities to [email protected].

12. Third-party software and images

Environments such as Ubuntu, JupyterLab and VS Code, and any software, models or images you use, are provided under their own licences. You are responsible for complying with those licences, including any licence for model weights you use.

13. Suspension

We may suspend the affected part of the Service if you breach section 8 or 9, if your use threatens the security of the Service or other customers, if an amount due is unpaid, or if the law or a competent authority requires it. We will notify you before suspending unless the matter is urgent, and restore the Service once the cause is resolved. Stopped instances are not charged while suspended.

14. Ending the Service

You may delete instances or close your account at any time. We may close your account if you seriously breach these terms and do not remedy the breach within a reasonable time after notice, or immediately for serious breaches of section 8 or 9.

If we discontinue the Service, we will announce it at least 30 days in advance and refund unused paid balance. When an account is closed for any reason, sections 6 and 10 apply to remaining balance and data.

15. Disclaimer

To the extent permitted by law, the Service is provided as it is and as it is available. We do not warrant that it will be uninterrupted or error-free, or that it will suit a particular purpose. Internet connections, power and third-party networks are outside our control, and interruptions caused by them are not attributable to us.

16. Limitation of liability

Our total liability for all claims relating to the Service is limited to the amount you actually paid for the affected service in the one month before the event giving rise to the claim. We are not liable for lost profits, loss of business, loss of data, or indirect, incidental or consequential loss.

17. Your responsibility to us

If a third party makes a claim against us because of your content or because you breached section 8 or 9, you will compensate us for the resulting loss, including reasonable legal fees, unless the claim was caused by us.

18. Confidentiality and feedback

Each party keeps confidential the non-public information it receives from the other in connection with the Service and uses it only for the Service. If you send us suggestions about the Service, we may use them freely without obligation to you.

19. Force majeure

Neither party is liable for a failure to perform caused by events beyond its reasonable control, such as natural disasters, war, epidemics, large-scale power or network outages, or government action. Your obligation to pay for usage already incurred is not affected. If the Service cannot be restored within 30 days, either party may end the affected service and we will refund unused paid balance.

20. Changes to these terms

We may change these terms at any time by publishing the revised version on this page; we do not send individual notices. A change takes effect when it is published. Continuing to use the Service after that means you accept the change. If you do not agree, stop using the Service.

21. General

We send notices to your account email or announce them on the website. You may not transfer your account or rights under these terms without our written consent; we may transfer them to an affiliate or successor and will tell you if we do. If any provision is held invalid, the rest remain in effect, and not enforcing a provision does not waive it.

22. Governing law and courts

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The Taiwan New Taipei District Court is the court of first instance, unless the law provides otherwise.

23. Contact

Compute service, billing and abuse reports: [email protected]. Other matters: [email protected].