Outdure Academy — Jurisdiction Overlays, Governing Law and Disputes

Document ID: ACADEMY-PUB-18 · Version: 2026.09.1 · Effective: 7 September 2026 · Provider: Outdure International Limited, a company incorporated in Hong Kong with limited liability · Registered office: available from academy@outdure.com on request · Contact: academy@outdure.com

This document applies to every Outdure Academy document that refers to it, as if set out in that document in full. It does two things: it says which law governs and where a dispute goes, and it sets out the additional position that applies in particular markets.

1. Governing law and forum

1.1 A dispute proceeds by good-faith discussion first, then through the forum above.

1.2 Nothing in the table removes your right to bring a claim in your local small-claims court up to that court's limit, or takes away a right under the law of your own country that cannot lawfully be excluded — including a consumer guarantee.

1.3 Where a mandatory local rule and an Academy document conflict, the mandatory local rule applies and the rest of the document continues to apply.

2. Market overlays

2.1 Australia

• The Australian Consumer Law applies to representations directed at Australian consumers regardless of the governing-law clause. Nothing in any Academy document excludes, restricts or modifies a consumer guarantee or any other right under the ACL that cannot be excluded, and no exclusion or limitation in an Academy document applies to the extent it would do so.
• The misleading or deceptive conduct prohibition applies to everything we publish about statuses and badges. It is why the badge scope line is mandatory on every surface.
• Where an Academy document is a standard-form consumer or small-business contract, the unfair contract terms regime applies; a term found unfair is void and the rest continues.
• Trade licensing is state and territory law. No Academy status satisfies a builder, trade or occupational licensing requirement in any Australian state or territory.
• Franchising. Academy is not a franchise and is not intended or operated as one. No participant is required to pay anything (Participation Terms §7), no marketing plan, system or business format is determined, controlled or suggested by us for a participant's business, and no participant is required to trade under our name. Any proposal that would change any of those things is not to be implemented for Australia without specific prior legal advice.
• Privacy is governed by the Australian Privacy Principles for Australian participants, in addition to the Academy Learner Privacy Notice.

2.2 New Zealand

• The Fair Trading Act prohibition on misleading representations applies and cannot be contracted out of in a consumer context.
• The Consumer Guarantees Act applies where a participant deals as a consumer; nothing in any Academy document limits a right under it that cannot be excluded.
• Building work licensing — including restricted building work — is a matter of New Zealand law. No Academy status is a Licensed Building Practitioner qualification, contributes to one, or satisfies any part of that regime.
• Privacy is governed by the Privacy Act for New Zealand participants, including the notifiable-privacy-breach regime.

2.3 United States

• Nothing in any Academy document limits liability for fraud or for any liability that cannot be limited under applicable state law.
• State trade licensing is a matter of state and local law. No Academy status satisfies any state, county or municipal contractor, builder or trade licensing requirement.
• Warranty. Any product warranty, and the conditions on which it applies, is governed by the applicable QwickBuild warranty terms. No promotional labour benefit is offered at general availability, and no Academy status by itself guarantees a warranty claim.
• Franchise and business-opportunity law. Academy is not a franchise or a business opportunity and is not operated as one. No participant makes, or commits to make, any payment to us or to anyone connected with us as a condition of obtaining or commencing participation (Participation Terms §7). Federal and state franchise and business-opportunity regimes are not uniform; any proposal to introduce any payment, paid tier, mandatory kit or minimum purchase, in any state, requires specific prior legal advice before it is implemented.
• State privacy laws — where you have a right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information, or to limit the use of sensitive information, exercise it through privacy@outdure.com or the cookie preference centre.

2.4 Canada

• Provincial consumer-protection and franchise-disclosure legislation applies according to your province, in addition to the table in §1, and prevails over it where it cannot be contracted out of.
• Trade licensing is provincial. No Academy status satisfies any provincial or municipal trade qualification or licensing requirement.
• Privacy — PIPEDA or the equivalent provincial regime applies to Canadian participants.

2.5 Quebec

• Where you are a consumer in Quebec, the Consumer Protection Act applies and prevails, and the French language provisions of Quebec law apply. A French version of the Academy documents is provided for Quebec. Where the French and English versions differ for a Quebec consumer, the French version applies. A Quebec consumer may bring proceedings before the courts of Quebec, and the Quebec Consumer Protection Act prevails over the governing-law and forum table in §1 to the extent of any conflict.

2.6 United Kingdom and European Union

• For a consumer, the mandatory consumer-protection law of your own country of residence applies in addition to the governing law in §1, where we direct our activities to that country.
• Nothing in any Academy document excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot lawfully be limited.
• UK/EU privacy — the UK GDPR or the EU GDPR applies as relevant. You have the rights described in the Academy Learner Privacy Notice, including the right to complain to your supervisory authority, and transfers out of the UK/EEA are made under an appropriate safeguard.
• Cookies — prior opt-in consent applies for non-essential cookies; see the Academy Cookie Notice.
• Trade qualifications are a matter of national law; no Academy status is or contributes to any of them.

2.7 Hong Kong

• Outdure International Limited is a company incorporated in Hong Kong with limited liability. Its registered name and its limited-liability status are displayed on the Academy's web surfaces and in every Academy document, as Hong Kong law requires.
• The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance applies to our handling of personal data in Hong Kong, alongside the Academy Learner Privacy Notice.
• The Trade Descriptions Ordinance applies to descriptions of the programme and of participants' statuses.

2.9 United Arab Emirates

• The Academy contracting entity is unchanged (Outdure International Limited, Hong Kong); the existence of other group entities in the UAE does not change who you contract with. Mandatory UAE law applies where you are in the UAE and prevails over §1 to the extent of any conflict. No Academy status satisfies any UAE trade-licensing requirement.

2.8 Other markets

Where you are located outside the markets above, the Academy documents apply as written, subject to any mandatory law where you are, which prevails to the extent of any conflict.

3. Rules that apply in every market, without exception

1. No Academy status is a certification, accreditation, qualification or licence, and none satisfies any trade-licensing or building-code requirement anywhere.
2. No payment of any kind may be required for any Academy status, listing, badge, referral or benefit.
3. Any product warranty, and the conditions on which it applies, is governed by the applicable QwickBuild warranty terms, and no Academy status by itself guarantees a warranty claim.
4. Every badge carries its scope line.
5. Participants are independent businesses, never our employees, agents, franchisees, representatives, partners or subcontractors.
6. No status decision without notice, a right of reply and an appeal.

Outdure International Limited, a company incorporated in Hong Kong with limited liability. Registered office: available from academy@outdure.com on request. Contact: academy@outdure.com.