ASDFED Sponsorship

Terms and Conditions

Effective Date:  August 1, 2026

These Sponsorship Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern sponsorships provided to the American Society of Digital Forensics & eDiscovery ("ASDFED") by a sponsoring organization ("Sponsor"). By purchasing, accepting, or participating in an ASDFED sponsorship, Sponsor agrees to these Terms.

1. Purpose of Sponsorship

ASDFED sponsorships support ASDFED's educational and professional activities in digital forensics, eDiscovery, cybersecurity, investigations, and related disciplines.

Sponsorship does not constitute an endorsement, certification, recommendation, accreditation, partnership, joint venture, agency relationship, or approval by ASDFED of Sponsor or Sponsor's products, services, personnel, opinions, or business practices.

Sponsor may not represent or imply otherwise.

2. Sponsorship Term

Unless otherwise stated in writing, each sponsorship begins on the date ASDFED confirms receipt of full payment and continues for twelve (12) months.

All sponsorship benefits expire at the conclusion of the sponsorship term unless renewed.

Unused benefits expire at the end of the sponsorship term and do not carry forward to a subsequent sponsorship term unless ASDFED agrees otherwise in writing.

3. Sponsorship Levels and Benefits

Sponsor receives the benefits associated with the sponsorship level purchased and described in ASDFED's then-current Sponsor Packages document.

Higher sponsorship levels include the benefits of preceding sponsorship levels unless otherwise stated.

Benefits are nontransferable except with ASDFED's prior written approval.

Sponsorship benefits have no cash value and may not be exchanged for refunds, credits, alternative benefits, or future services unless ASDFED agrees otherwise in writing.

4. Payment

Sponsorship fees must be paid in full unless ASDFED approves another payment arrangement in writing.

ASDFED is not obligated to activate sponsorship benefits until payment has been received and accepted.

Sponsor is responsible for any taxes, fees, or other charges legally applicable to its sponsorship payment.

5. Renewal

Sponsorship does not automatically renew unless ASDFED and Sponsor separately agree to automatic renewal in writing.

ASDFED may change sponsorship prices, benefits, or program terms for future sponsorship periods.

Changes will not materially reduce benefits already purchased during an active sponsorship term except where reasonably necessary because of legal requirements, platform restrictions, events beyond ASDFED's reasonable control, or discontinuation of an applicable ASDFED program or service.

6. Editorial Independence

ASDFED retains complete editorial, educational, technical, and ethical independence.

Sponsorship does not provide Sponsor with authority over ASDFED publications, editorial decisions, educational programs, organizational policies, investigations, reviews, opinions, or positions.

ASDFED may approve, reject, request modification of, postpone, discontinue, or remove Sponsor-provided content when ASDFED reasonably determines that the content:

 conflicts with ASDFED's mission, editorial standards, or ethical standards;

 contains materially inaccurate, misleading, deceptive, defamatory, unlawful, or unsubstantiated statements;

 primarily constitutes advertising rather than educational content;

 infringes or may infringe intellectual-property, privacy, publicity, or other rights;

 creates an actual or apparent conflict with ASDFED's independence;

 violates applicable law or platform requirements; or

 could reasonably damage ASDFED's reputation or credibility.

ASDFED's acceptance of sponsorship does not guarantee acceptance of any particular article, video, presentation, advertisement, claim, or other Sponsor-submitted material.

7. Educational Articles

Where a sponsorship level includes educational articles, Sponsor may submit up to the number of articles specified for that sponsorship level during the applicable sponsorship term.

Articles must provide legitimate educational or professional value to ASDFED's audience.

ASDFED retains final editorial approval over titles, content, formatting, descriptions, images, hyperlinks, disclosures, publication dates, and placement.

ASDFED may require reasonable revisions before publication.

Publication is not guaranteed merely because an article is submitted.

Articles may identify Sponsor and discuss Sponsor's technologies, products, services, research, or expertise when relevant to the educational subject, but articles may not function primarily as advertisements or sales solicitations.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, Sponsor retains ownership of its original article content while granting ASDFED a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to reproduce, publish, display, distribute, archive, promote, format, and reasonably edit the submitted material in connection with ASDFED's activities.

8. Backlinks

Approved educational articles may contain the number of Sponsor backlinks specified in the applicable sponsorship package.

ASDFED retains final authority over link placement, anchor text, destination, and continued publication.

Sponsor may not require ASDFED to link to content that ASDFED reasonably considers deceptive, unlawful, unsafe, irrelevant, malicious, inconsistent with ASDFED's mission, or otherwise inappropriate.

ASDFED does not guarantee search-engine ranking, referral traffic, lead generation, sales, domain authority, search-engine optimization results, or continued treatment of any link by a search engine.

9. Educational Videos

Where a sponsorship level includes educational video content, Sponsor may submit up to the number of videos specified for that sponsorship level.

Videos must primarily provide educational or professional information relevant to ASDFED's audience.

ASDFED must approve each video before publication.

ASDFED may require reasonable editing, disclosures, title changes, descriptions, branding changes, or other modifications as a condition of publication.

Sponsor warrants that it owns or possesses all rights, permissions, releases, licenses, and authorizations necessary for all video, audio, music, photographs, graphics, trademarks, demonstrations, individuals appearing in the video, software footage, and other included material.

Sponsor grants ASDFED a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, reproduce, publish, display, distribute, promote, excerpt, and reasonably format approved video content for the applicable publication period and for reasonable archival and record keeping purposes thereafter.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, a sponsored educational video may remain publicly available on the ASDFED YouTube channel for up to one year following publication.

ASDFED may remove a video earlier if required by law, YouTube policy, copyright complaint, privacy complaint, technical issue, Sponsor breach, or ASDFED editorial or ethical standards.

Expiration of the one-year publication period does not require ASDFED to destroy archival copies.

10. Sponsored-Content Disclosure

ASDFED may identify Sponsor-provided articles, videos, social-media posts, presentations, or other content as sponsored, sponsor-supported, paid, promotional, or otherwise associated with Sponsor when ASDFED determines disclosure is appropriate or legally required.

Sponsor agrees not to remove, obscure, contradict, or interfere with such disclosures.

Where legally required, Sponsor agrees to cooperate with ASDFED in making clear and conspicuous disclosures concerning the sponsorship relationship.

11. Webinars and Presentations

"Priority consideration for educational webinars and presentations" means that qualifying Platinum Sponsors may receive preferential consideration when ASDFED evaluates potential educational speakers, presentations, webinars, or similar opportunities.

Priority consideration does not guarantee a speaking engagement, webinar, presentation, event appearance, audience size, date, duration, or promotional opportunity.

All proposed speakers, topics, materials, and presentations remain subject to ASDFED approval.

ASDFED may reject a proposed presentation without providing an alternative opportunity.

12. Website Logo Placement

Sponsor must provide ASDFED with an appropriate, high-quality version of its logo and represents that it possesses the authority to permit its use.

Sponsor grants ASDFED a nonexclusive, royalty-free license during the sponsorship term to use Sponsor's name, logo, trademarks, and approved brand materials solely to identify and promote Sponsor's sponsorship relationship with ASDFED.

"Premium," "prominent," or similar placement describes relative visibility and does not guarantee a particular pixel size, page position, number of impressions, duration of individual page views, traffic level, click-through rate, or exclusivity.

ASDFED retains reasonable control over website design, layout, placement, formatting, and technical implementation.

13. Newsletter Recognition

Newsletter recognition means identification of Sponsor in one or more applicable ASDFED newsletter communications as determined by ASDFED.

Unless specifically agreed in writing, newsletter recognition does not guarantee a particular issue, location, size, number of impressions, open rate, click-through rate, or number of recipients.

14. Directory Listing

Sponsor is responsible for providing accurate information for its directory listing.

ASDFED may edit formatting for consistency.

An "enhanced directory listing" means a listing containing additional visibility, information, features, or placement compared with ASDFED's standard sponsor listing, as reasonably determined by ASDFED.

No particular traffic, leads, contacts, or business results are guaranteed.

15. Social Media Recognition

Social-media recognition means one or more acknowledgments of Sponsor through an ASDFED-controlled social-media account during the sponsorship term, as reasonably determined by ASDFED.

ASDFED determines the platform, timing, format, wording, and placement.

ASDFED does not guarantee impressions, engagement, followers, clicks, leads, or other results.

16. Complimentary Memberships

Complimentary memberships included with a sponsorship must be assigned to eligible individuals designated by Sponsor.

Unless otherwise stated, memberships remain active for the applicable sponsorship term or the standard membership period established by ASDFED.

Complimentary memberships have no cash value and may not be exchanged for cash or refunds.

Sponsor is responsible for providing the information necessary to establish memberships.

Membership remains subject to ASDFED's generally applicable membership rules, policies, standards, and codes of conduct.

17. Proud Industry Supporter Badge

ASDFED grants an active Sponsor a limited, nonexclusive, nontransferable, revocable license to display the applicable "Proud Industry Supporter" badge during the active sponsorship term.

The badge may be used solely to indicate that Sponsor financially supports ASDFED.

Sponsor may not alter the badge or use it in a manner that implies ASDFED certification, endorsement, approval, accreditation, or recommendation of Sponsor or its products or services.

Sponsor must discontinue public use of the badge upon expiration, termination, or cancellation of the sponsorship.

18. Sponsor Content and Claims

Sponsor is solely responsible for the truthfulness, accuracy, substantiation, legality, and completeness of claims contained in materials Sponsor supplies to ASDFED.

Sponsor may not submit content containing knowingly false or misleading claims.

Sponsor is responsible for obtaining all required permissions, licenses, consents, releases, and authorizations relating to submitted material.

ASDFED's review or publication of Sponsor material does not constitute verification, adoption, endorsement, or legal approval of Sponsor's claims.

19. Intellectual Property

Except for the limited licenses expressly granted under these Terms, each party retains ownership of its respective names, trademarks, logos, copyrights, content, and other intellectual property.

Neither party obtains ownership rights in the other party's intellectual property by participating in the sponsorship.

Sponsor may identify itself as an "ASDFED Sponsor," "ASDFED Gold Sponsor," "ASDFED Platinum Sponsor," "ASDFED Silver Sponsor," or similar accurate designation during the active sponsorship term.

Sponsor may not state or imply that it is "approved," "certified," "recommended," "accredited," "endorsed," or otherwise officially preferred by ASDFED unless ASDFED expressly authorizes that statement in writing.

20. No Exclusivity

Unless expressly agreed in writing, sponsorship is nonexclusive.

ASDFED may accept sponsorships from Sponsor's competitors or from other organizations operating in the same industry, market, or technology sector.

Sponsorship does not provide Sponsor with exclusive access to ASDFED members, events, publications, website visitors, or other ASDFED audiences.

21. Member and Audience Information

Sponsorship does not entitle Sponsor to receive ASDFED membership lists, subscriber lists, personal information, email addresses, contact information, or other nonpublic information concerning ASDFED members, subscribers, event attendees, website visitors, or other individuals.

Any sharing of personal information must be separately authorized and handled in accordance with applicable privacy requirements and ASDFED policies.

22. Sponsor Conduct

Sponsor agrees to conduct sponsorship-related activities professionally and in a manner consistent with applicable law and ASDFED standards.

ASDFED may suspend or terminate sponsorship benefits if Sponsor engages in conduct that ASDFED reasonably determines involves fraud, deception, unlawful activity, serious professional misconduct, misuse of ASDFED's name or intellectual property, material reputational harm, or a material violation of these Terms.

23. Cancellation by Sponsor

Sponsorship fees are nonrefundable once ASDFED accepts the sponsorship and begins providing sponsorship benefits, except as expressly agreed in writing.

If Sponsor voluntarily cancels its sponsorship, unused benefits are forfeited unless ASDFED agrees otherwise in writing.

24. Termination by ASDFED

ASDFED may terminate a sponsorship for material breach of these Terms.

When reasonably practicable, ASDFED may provide Sponsor an opportunity to cure a correctable breach before termination.

ASDFED may terminate immediately when ASDFED reasonably determines that continued sponsorship creates significant legal, ethical, safety, reputational, or organizational risk.

Upon termination, Sponsor must cease representing itself as an active ASDFED sponsor and discontinue use of ASDFED sponsorship badges and other sponsorship-specific branding.

25. Events Beyond Reasonable Control

ASDFED is not responsible for delay, modification, suspension, or inability to provide a particular benefit resulting from circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including natural disasters, emergencies, governmental actions, platform outages or policy changes, cybersecurity incidents, labor disruptions, widespread Internet or infrastructure failures, or cancellation of third-party services.

ASDFED will use reasonable efforts to provide a substantially comparable benefit when practical.

26. No Guarantee of Results

ASDFED makes no guarantee regarding website traffic, search-engine ranking, social-media engagement, newsletter readership, video views, event attendance, sales, leads, revenue, business opportunities, reputation, market exposure, or other commercial results arising from sponsorship.

Sponsor purchases sponsorship for the benefits expressly described, not for any guaranteed commercial outcome.

27. Indemnification

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Sponsor agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless ASDFED and its officers, directors, employees, volunteers, agents, and representatives from third-party claims, damages, liabilities, losses, judgments, costs, and reasonable attorneys' fees arising from or relating to:

1. Sponsor-provided content or materials;

2. Sponsor's products, services, representations, or business activities;

3. infringement or alleged infringement of intellectual-property, privacy, publicity, or other third-party rights by Sponsor-provided material;

4. Sponsor's violation of applicable law; or

5. Sponsor's material breach of these Terms.

This provision does not require Sponsor to indemnify ASDFED for liability resulting solely from ASDFED's own gross negligence or willful misconduct to the extent such limitation is required by applicable law.

28. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, neither ASDFED nor its officers, directors, employees, volunteers, or agents will be liable to Sponsor for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages arising from the sponsorship.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, ASDFED's aggregate liability arising from a sponsorship will not exceed the sponsorship fees actually paid by Sponsor for the sponsorship term giving rise to the claim.

29. Compliance With Law

Each party is responsible for complying with laws and regulations applicable to its activities.

Sponsor is responsible for ensuring that Sponsor-provided claims, advertising, endorsements, demonstrations, promotions, and other materials comply with applicable requirements.

Nothing in the sponsorship relationship requires ASDFED to publish, distribute, host, or participate in content ASDFED reasonably believes may violate applicable law or regulation.

30. Governing Law and Venue

These Terms and any dispute arising from the sponsorship will be governed by the laws of the State of Georgia, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Any legal action arising from these Terms will be brought in the appropriate state or federal court located in Atlanta, Georgia, and the parties consent to jurisdiction and venue there.

31. Changes to These Terms

ASDFED may revise these Terms for future sponsorships and renewals.

Material changes will not retroactively alter the substantive rights or obligations applicable to an already-paid sponsorship unless required by law or agreed to by Sponsor.

32. Entire Agreement

These Terms, the applicable Sponsor Packages document, the Sponsor's accepted sponsorship application or invoice, and any written sponsorship addendum constitute the agreement between ASDFED and Sponsor concerning the sponsorship.

If there is a conflict among these documents, the following order controls unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing:

1. a separately executed sponsorship addendum;

2. these Sponsorship Terms and Conditions;

3. the applicable Sponsor Packages document; and

4. the sponsorship application or invoice.

No oral statement, sales discussion, email representation, or informal communication modifies these Terms unless incorporated into a written agreement authorized by ASDFED.

33. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect to the fullest extent permitted by law.

34. Waiver

Failure by either party to enforce a provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of that provision or any other provision.

35. Assignment

Sponsor may not assign or transfer its sponsorship or its rights under these Terms without ASDFED's prior written consent.

36. Electronic Acceptance

Electronic acceptance, online purchase, payment of a sponsorship invoice referencing these Terms, or another electronic method expressly designated by ASDFED constitutes acceptance of these Terms to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Sponsorship Acknowledgment

By purchasing or accepting an ASDFED sponsorship, Sponsor acknowledges that:

 Sponsorship supports ASDFED but does not purchase ASDFED's opinions or editorial positions;

 ASDFED retains final editorial control over its platforms and publications;

 sponsor provided content is subject to approval;

 sponsorship does not constitute ASDFED endorsement or certification;

 sponsorship benefits are subject to the applicable sponsorship term;

 commercial results are not guaranteed; and

 sponsor agrees to these Sponsorship Terms and Conditions.

[1]:https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking?utm_source=chatgpt.com "FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking | Federal Trade Commission"