Legal

Terms of Use

Effective Date: January 1, 2026 · PIP Projects Inc.

    By accessing this website, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree, please do not use this site. This site is intended for U.S.-based visitors only and is subject to applicable U.S. law.
  

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Use govern your access to and use of pipprojects.com and any associated pages (the "Site"), operated by PIP Projects Inc., a South Carolina S-Corporation ("PIP Projects," "we," "us," or "our"). By accessing the Site, you confirm that you are located in the United States and agree to these terms in full.

2. Geographic Restriction

Access to this Site is restricted to individuals physically located within the United States of America. Circumvention of this restriction by any means, including but not limited to VPNs, proxies, or other technical measures, is prohibited. PIP Projects reserves the right to block any access it determines to originate outside the United States.

3. Intellectual Property

All content on this Site — including but not limited to text, design, graphics, code, frameworks described, research summaries, and the Digital Sidewalk Lab name and methodology — is the proprietary intellectual property of PIP Projects Inc. and/or Dr. Darby Bailey McDonough, Ph.D.

You may not reproduce, republish, distribute, modify, create derivative works from, or exploit any content from this Site without express written permission from PIP Projects Inc.

All patent rights, provisional patent applications, and research frameworks described on this Site are the exclusive property of PIP Projects Inc. No license is granted by accessing this Site.

4. Permitted Use

You may access this Site for the sole purpose of learning about PIP Projects Inc. and its research programs, and for submitting a genuine inquiry via the contact form. Any other use, including competitive intelligence gathering, data scraping, automated access, or use for training artificial intelligence models, is strictly prohibited.

5. No Warranties

This Site is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. PIP Projects Inc. does not warrant that the Site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components. Information on this Site is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute an offer, commitment, or legal, financial, or scientific advice.

6. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, PIP Projects Inc. and Dr. Darby Bailey McDonough shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of or inability to use this Site, including but not limited to loss of revenue, data, business, or goodwill.

7. Inquiry Form & Communications

Submission of an inquiry form does not create a contract, attorney-client relationship, grant partnership, or any other formal relationship between you and PIP Projects Inc. We reserve the right to decline to respond to any inquiry at our sole discretion.

All information you submit is subject to our Privacy Policy.

8. Linking and Framing

You may link to the homepage of this Site provided the link does not imply any endorsement by PIP Projects Inc. Framing, mirroring, or embedding this Site or any portion of it without written consent is prohibited.

9. Third-Party Links

This Site contains links to third-party websites including LinkedIn, ORCID, and subsidiary brand sites. These links are provided for convenience only. PIP Projects Inc. is not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or availability of third-party sites.

10. Export Controls & Research Security

All research programs described on this Site are conducted exclusively for U.S. national benefit in compliance with applicable export control laws, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). No research, IP, or technology described on this Site may be accessed, reproduced, or utilized by foreign nationals or entities of concern as defined by applicable U.S. law.

11. Background Intellectual Property

All intellectual property owned by PIP Projects Inc. prior to or independent of any specific sponsored research agreement — including but not limited to the Digital Sidewalk framework, all provisional and issued patents, acoustic systems methodologies, voice interface architectures, and any research frameworks developed through Digital Sidewalk Lab or Gravel9 — constitutes "Background IP." Background IP is the exclusive property of PIP Projects Inc. and is not conveyed, licensed, or affected by any federal grant award, subcontract, or teaming agreement except as explicitly negotiated in a separate written instrument signed by an authorized representative of PIP Projects Inc.

12. Bayh-Dole Act — Subject Inventions and Federal Rights

    PIP Projects Inc. is a small business concern as defined under applicable federal regulations. Where research and development is funded in whole or in part by a federal agency, PIP Projects Inc. asserts its right to elect ownership of any subject invention pursuant to the Bayh-Dole Act (35 U.S.C. §§ 200–212) and its implementing regulations at 37 CFR Part 401.
  

In accordance with Bayh-Dole, the U.S. Government retains a nonexclusive, nontransferable, irrevocable, paid-up license to practice or have practiced any subject invention on behalf of the United States. No other rights in subject inventions are conveyed to any commercial partner, sub-awardee, or third party browsing this site. Any party seeking a license to Background IP or subject inventions must contact PIP Projects Inc. directly.

13. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms of Use are governed by the laws of the State of South Carolina, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from use of this Site shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in South Carolina.

14. Modifications

PIP Projects Inc. reserves the right to modify these Terms of Use at any time. Changes become effective upon posting to this page, reflected in the effective date above. Continued use of the Site constitutes acceptance of modified terms.

15. Contact

Legal inquiries regarding these Terms of Use should be directed to:
Dr. Darby Bailey McDonough, Ph.D.
PIP Projects Inc.
South Carolina, USA
darby@pipprojects.com