Terms of Use

Client

Companies, organizations, and individuals that use the Service for the purpose of ordering specific work.

Specialist

Companies, organizations, and individuals that use the Service for the purpose of receiving work requests from Clients or other Users.

User

The collective term for Clients and Specialists.

Registration Information

Information that a User sends to the Company to obtain permission to use the Service.

Login Information

The email address and password among the Registration Information that are required to log in.

Account

The unit of User registration in the Service.

Project

The unit of work that a Client requests of a Specialist in the Service.

Project Progress

The series of procedures from the Client recruiting a recipient, the Specialist applying to accept, the Client and Specialist agreeing to the order, the Specialist performing the work and delivering or rendering the services to the Client, through the Client completing inspection.

Project Room

The system prepared in the Service for Clients and Specialists to share information related to Projects.

Request for Estimates

The act in which a Client registers Project information in the Service and solicits price estimates from Specialists.

Credit

The right, and its unit, that can be used to pay for Projects and data purchases in the Service.

Counterparty

The party with whom a contract is concluded for a Project.

Content

Copyrighted works such as text, images, audio, video, and programs.

Data Purchase

The act in which a Client purchases usage rights to Content data.

1. These Terms apply to all matters between the Company and Users in the Service.
2. By using the Service, Users are deemed to have agreed to all of the contents of these Terms.
3. If these Terms conflict with another contract, the provisions of such other contract shall prevail.

1. The conditions to use the Service as a User are as follows.
   • Appropriately prepare, at one’s own responsibility and expense, all devices, software, and communication means necessary to use the Service.
   • Understand and agree to these Terms.
   • If a minor, obtain comprehensive consent from a legal guardian to use the Service.
2. The Company may refuse User registration or suspend an Account if any of the following apply.
   • The person has previously violated the terms or fraudulently used any service (including but not limited to this Service) provided by the Company.
   • The person has otherwise violated a contract with the Company.
   • Any other person the Company deems inappropriate.

1. Anyone wishing to use the Service shall apply for membership registration in the manner separately set forth in the Service after agreeing to these Terms.
2. Except where the Company expressly permits otherwise, the same individual may not hold multiple Accounts. However, a corporation with multiple representatives may obtain separate Accounts for each representative.

1. A single Account may not be shared by multiple persons (excluding multiple representatives within a single corporation).
2. Users may not lend or transfer their Account to a third party.
3. If there is any untrue information in the Registration Information (including changes occurring after registration), the User must promptly correct it.
4. Users shall endeavor to prevent unauthorized use of their Accounts and shall bear all responsibility for their management. The Company assumes no responsibility for damage arising from unauthorized use of Login Information by a third party.
5. If a representative of a corporate User cannot be contacted for a considerable period, the Company may disclose the Registration Information to another member of the corporation and request that the Account be reassigned.

1. Specialists registered under the following categories may publish their profiles to the public by paying a fixed fee under separately designated conditions.
   • Attorneys at law
   • Certified public accountants
   • Tax accountants
   • Social insurance and labor consultants
   • Administrative scriveners
   • Judicial scriveners
   • Patent attorneys
   • Real estate appraisers
   • Maritime agents
2. The fixed fees under the preceding paragraph are non-refundable regardless of the reason.
3. For Specialists registered in the categories listed in paragraph 1, Projects related to such categories are excluded from Article 8 (Formation of Contracts), Article 9 (Subcontracting), Article 10 (Payment of Fees), Article 11 (Observance of Delivery Deadlines), Article 12 (Completion of Projects), Article 13 (Payment of Compensation), Article 14 (Quality Assurance), Article 15 (Copyright in Deliverables), and Article 16 (Cancellation of Projects). The Company shall not become a contracting party nor be involved in transactions for such Projects.

1. Users wishing to suspend their Account shall apply for suspension from the Account edit page on the My Page for the Account.
2. Users may not withdraw while a Project is in progress or while they have payment or performance obligations to the Company.

1. In Projects, Specialists shall consult with Clients in the Project Room regarding the scope of work, specifications, delivery date, unit price, quantity, place of delivery, attribution of copyright, and, for photography or video assignments, the cancellation policy, and shall submit an estimate.
2. In Projects, when the Client approves the estimate in the Project Room, a service outsourcing agreement is formed between the Client and the Company.
3. In Projects, when the Client approves the estimate in the Project Room, the Company subcontracts the work to the Specialist.
4. For credit purchases, a sales contract between the Client and the Company is formed when the Client applies to purchase.
5. The Company may, when necessary, conduct fact-finding or coordinate communications regarding disputes between Users, but assumes no responsibility for resolving disputes or their outcomes.
6. Users shall handle their contracts, negotiations, and disputes with other Users at their own responsibility and expense and shall not cause any inconvenience or damage to the Company.
7. If the Company incurs expenses or damage in connection with handling disputes between Users, the Users involved in such disputes shall indemnify the Company for such expenses.

1. A Project recipient may not subcontract all or part of the work to a third party. However, if the Client gives prior consent, the recipient may subcontract all or part of the work at its own cost and responsibility.
2. When entrusting all or part of the work to a third party, the recipient shall impose confidentiality obligations equivalent to Article 18 and Article 19 on the third party and acknowledge that the third party acts as the recipient’s auxiliary in performance and that subcontracting does not exempt or reduce the recipient’s responsibility.

1. In Projects, upon approving the estimate specified in Article 8(1), the Client shall provisionally deposit the full amount of the estimated fees with the Company by credit card, bank transfer, or other prescribed methods separately shown in the Service. This does not apply when the Client has entered into a monthly billing agreement with the Company.
2. If a Project for which a provisional deposit was made under the preceding paragraph is canceled pursuant to Article 16, the Company shall refund the provisionally deposited amount.
3. To purchase Credits, Clients shall follow the prescribed procedures to purchase any desired quantity via credit card, bank transfer, or other prescribed methods and will own the rights to those Credits.
4. For data purchases, Clients shall purchase in advance the quantity of Credits necessary to buy the relevant data.

1. In Projects, Specialists must comply with the delivery date specified in the estimate.
2. If a Specialist determines that the deliverables cannot be delivered by the delivery date for any reason, the Specialist must immediately notify the Client and obtain instructions.

1. In Projects, Specialists shall deliver the prescribed deliverables or perform the prescribed services to the Client by the date specified in the Project Room, and shall submit an inspection request and set an inspection deadline.
2. When the delivery or performance described in the preceding paragraph takes place, the Client shall promptly conduct inspection.
3. In Projects, Specialists may request the Client’s cooperation as necessary for delivery or performance, and the Client shall promptly comply when cooperation is requested.
4. In Projects, the Specialist bears the risk of loss, damage, etc. to the deliverables before delivery, and the Client bears it after delivery.
5. If the deliverables or services conform to inspection, the Client shall approve them in the Project Room and notify the Specialist. If they do not pass inspection, the Client shall specify concrete reasons for rejection in the Project Room and request correction or supplementation; when the reasons are acknowledged, the Specialist shall correct and redeliver within the mutually agreed deadline, and the Client shall re-inspect as necessary.
6. For the corrections in the preceding paragraph, if requirements arise that were not included in the previously agreed specifications, the Specialist may charge additional fees.
7. Even if the Client does not complete inspection, if the Client does not raise an objection with specific reasons in the Project Room during the inspection period, the deliverables shall be deemed to have passed inspection under this Article.
8. Passing the inspection prescribed in this Article constitutes completion of the Project.

1. Specialists agree that the Project fees specified in Article 10(1) include the following Company fees.
   • Projects under JPY 30,000: 30% of the fee
   • Projects JPY 30,000 or more but under JPY 100,000: 20% of the fee
   • Projects JPY 100,000 or more but under JPY 500,000: 15% of the fee
   • Projects JPY 500,000 or more: 10% of the fee
   • Projects ordered via the profile page during a Pick-up Option period: add 10% on top of the applicable fee rate (example: 200,000 yen Project ordered from the profile page during the option period ⇒ 25% fee)
2. The Company becomes obligated to pay compensation to the Specialist upon completion of the Project.
3. If a Project is canceled for reasons attributable to the Client, provided that progress has been recorded in the Project Room, the Company will owe compensation to the Specialist according to the conditions prescribed in Article 15(2).
4. Upon completing the prescribed transfer request procedure, the Company shall pay the compensation into the bank account designated by the Specialist.
5. If the transfer request is received on or before the 15th of each month, the Company pays compensation on the first business day of the following month. If received on or after the 16th, payment is made on the first business day of the month after next.
6. If the total compensation requested for transfer is less than JPY 3,000, the Company deducts JPY 432 as a transfer fee when making payment.
7. If the Specialist designates a bank outside Japan as the payout account, the Company deducts the bank transfer fee incurred at the time of payment.
8. If the Client delays payment, the Company shall make efforts to prompt performance and, after consulting the Specialist, may defer payment of compensation for a certain period.
9. If two years pass from the last time compensation accrued without the Specialist submitting a transfer request, the Specialist is deemed to have waived its claim and may no longer demand payment.

1. Clients are obligated, before placing a formal order, to verify a Specialist’s capabilities via the profile, estimate proposal, and consultations in the Project Room.
2. Specialists are obligated to provide truthful information in their profiles, estimates, and Project Room communications.
3. If delays, nonconforming specifications, defects, or other issues arise, the Client, Company, and Specialist shall discuss resolution based on the discussions recorded in the Project Room. If the Company bears liability for damages, the liability shall be limited to the amount received from the Client for the Project.
4. If, after inspection per the preceding Article, an obvious inconsistency with the agreed contents (a “Defect”) is found, the Client may request correction, and the Specialist shall correct it, provided the request is made within six months after inspection completes.
5. Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, if the Defect is minor and correcting the deliverables would require excessive cost, the Specialist shall not be obligated to correct it and the Client shall create a new Project to request the correction.
6. The preceding paragraph does not apply where the Defect was caused by materials or instructions provided by the Client, except where the Specialist knew they were inappropriate and failed to notify the Client.
7. Work commissioned through the Service is, in principle, a mandate/entrustment under the Japanese Civil Code, and Specialists are not obligated to complete deliverables.

1. By consulting with the Specialist in the Project Room regarding copyright attribution and approving the clause written in the estimate, the Client and Specialist conclude a copyright transfer agreement or a license agreement.
2. The copyright agreed under the preceding paragraph applies only to the final deliverables and not to materials or works submitted by either party during the Project process, unless both parties separately agree on attribution.
3. If the Specialist transfers copyright to the Client, the rights set forth in Articles 27 and 28 of the Japanese Copyright Act are included.
4. If the Client allows publication of the work record in the completion questionnaire, the copyright holder of the materials and deliverables submitted in the Project is deemed to have licensed the Company to post them on this site and related sites.
5. If the copyright holder withdraws the permission described in the preceding paragraph, the Company shall immediately discontinue publication on this site and related sites.
6. Copyright in deliverables obtained through data purchases belongs to the original author of such works.

1. Clients and Specialists may cancel a Project by applying via the prescribed procedures and obtaining the counterparty’s approval via the prescribed procedures. In such cases, neither the Company nor the Specialist may charge the Client any fees or compensation.
2. If a Project canceled under the preceding paragraph had a provisional deposit under Article 10(1), the Company shall refund the full amount. However, Projects that involve photography or video follow paragraph 4.
3. If a Client wishes to stop a Project after a formal order for personal reasons, the Client shall consult with the Specialist regarding the percentage of work completed up to that point, set a new Project fee corresponding to that percentage, and pay it. For Projects with a provisional deposit, the Company refunds the deposit minus the amount allocated to the Specialist’s completed work. Photography or video Projects are governed by the next paragraph.
4. For photography or video Projects, the cancellation policy must be agreed in advance as described in Article 8(1). If a Client wishes to cancel such a Project after a formal order, the Client shall pay the cancellation fee specified in the agreed policy. For provisionally deposited Projects, the Company refunds the deposit minus the cancellation fee specified in the policy.
5. Specialists may not terminate the outsourcing agreement without following the procedures and reaching agreement with the Client under paragraph 1, except where paragraph 6 applies.
6. The Client, Specialist, or Company may immediately terminate the outsourcing agreement without notice if any of the following apply.
   • Gross negligence or disloyal conduct occurs.
   • There is prolonged inability to contact or a significant delay in delivery, or it becomes clear that the Project cannot proceed.
   • Suspension of payments occurs, or a petition is filed for provisional attachment, attachment, auction, bankruptcy, civil rehabilitation, corporate reorganization, or special liquidation.
   • The party is subject to a disposition for delinquent public dues.
   • Other serious reasons equivalent to the above that make continuation of the outsourcing agreement difficult, or the counterparty breaches these Terms and fails to cure after a reasonable grace period.
7. If any of the events in the preceding paragraph occurs or termination is effected under the preceding paragraph, the Client, Specialist, or Company shall lose the benefit of time for all monetary obligations without demand and shall immediately repay them.

1. The validity period of Credits is two years from the most recent date on which the Credit balance changed. A change means:
   • Purchasing Credits
   • Earning Credits
   • Using Credits
2. If no change occurs within the validity period, all Credits held at the expiration date shall expire.

1. Project Clients, Project recipients, and the Company shall not disclose or leak any information obtained from their counterparties during Project Progress to third parties, nor use it beyond what is necessary to perform the Project. The following information is excluded.
   • Information that was already public when received or became public without the recipient’s fault.
   • Information already possessed by the recipient prior to disclosure that can be proven as such.
   • Information lawfully obtained from a third party with legitimate authority.
   • Information that the counterparty permitted to be disclosed to third parties.
2. The obligations in paragraph 1 survive after the Project ends.

1. The Company shall appropriately handle personal information provided by Users in accordance with the separately established Privacy Policy.
2. Project Clients, Project recipients, and the Company shall handle personal information obtained through Project Progress as follows.
   • Keep it confidential and do not disclose or provide it to third parties.
   • Do not use or process it beyond what is necessary to perform the work and within the reasonable scope of the stated purpose of acquisition.
   • Implement the safety management measures instructed by the provider.
   • Except for backups necessary for security, do not copy or reproduce it without the provider’s prior written consent.
   • After use, delete it irreversibly or return it pursuant to the provider’s instructions.
   • If any loss, destruction, falsification, leakage, or use outside the purpose occurs or is feared, promptly report it to the provider.
   • Otherwise comply with the provider’s instructions regarding handling.
3. The obligations in paragraph 2 survive after the Project ends.

Users shall not engage in the following acts while using the Service. If violated, the Company may suspend transactions, freeze Accounts, and claim damages.

1. Specialists mentioning the Company’s or its agents’ fees to Clients or disclosing the compensation they will receive.
2. In Requests for Estimates, posting or responding to phone numbers, email addresses, or website URLs to induce transactions outside the Service.
3. During Project Progress, inducing or responding to transactions outside the Service (including repeat business with Users first engaged through the Service).
4. Inducing or responding to commercial or other activities unrelated to the Service.
5. Entering, speaking, or announcing false information in the Service.
6. Infringing or potentially infringing the copyrights, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights of the Company, Users, or third parties.
7. Infringing or potentially infringing the property, privacy, or portrait rights of third parties.
8. Unjustly discriminating against or defaming the Company, Users, including Specialists, or third parties, or damaging their honor or credibility.
9. Commissioning work with the purpose of infringing third-party property or rights.
10. Acts that constitute or may constitute crimes.
11. Instigating Specialists or Users to violate the Terms.
12. Illegally altering or deleting information stored on the Company’s servers.
13. Intentionally placing a heavy load on the Company’s servers.
14. Sending harmful computer programs to the Company or Users.
15. Acts that interfere with the operation of the Service or its networks and systems, or that may do so.
16. Violations of laws or public order and morals.
17. Any other act the Company deems inappropriate.

1. All Content included in the Service is the property of the Company, Users, or other Content providers, and is protected by the laws of Japan, relevant countries, and international intellectual property laws.
2. Users must obtain prior permission from the Company and the relevant copyright holders before reproducing, adapting, redistributing, or publicly transmitting Content from the Service.
3. The Company may use, reproduce, adapt, redistribute, or publicly transmit Content transmitted by Users to the Company through use of the Service only after obtaining the User’s permission.

1. The Company may interrupt, suspend, or terminate all or part of the Service on a future date.
2. “All or part” in the preceding paragraph includes, but is not limited to, new User registration, acceptance and contracting of new Projects, purchase, grant, or use of Credits, payment of compensation, and issuance of statements.
3. When interrupting, suspending, or terminating the Service, the Company shall notify Users on the Service and by email to their registered address at least 30 days in advance, including the scheduled end date. However, the Company may omit prior notice if the interruption, suspension, or termination results from force majeure.
4. Projects arising before the termination date shall be settled before that date, and any unsettled claims or obligations shall be processed according to the settlement method announced in advance by the Company.
5. All Credits held by Users expire on the termination date, and Users are deemed to waive claims to the remaining balance in principle.
6. The Company provides no support or warranty through the Service after the termination date.
7. Within 60 days after the termination date, the Company shall delete or provide migration guidance for Users’ Registration Information, Content, data, and other stored information, and shall have no responsibility thereafter.
8. If Users have unfinished Projects after notice of termination, they must promptly consult to settle them before the termination date, and the Company shall cooperate for smooth transition and settlement.
9. The measures in this Article do not extinguish obligations or claims of Users or the Company; all obligations and claims arising before termination shall be performed or extinguished pursuant to the separately defined settlement methods.
10. Remaining claims or outstanding matters between Users or between Users and the Company after termination shall be resolved through consultation pursuant to Article 24 (Governing Law and Jurisdiction), and the Company is released from its service provision responsibilities after termination.
11. After the termination date, the Company bears no responsibility for providing the Service, preserving data, maintaining systems, providing support or warranties, or enabling use of past data.
12. Except in cases of willful misconduct or gross negligence, the Company bears no liability for migration costs, lost profits, data loss, system stoppages, or other damages incurred due to termination.
13. The Company is not liable for damages arising because Users failed to respond appropriately to the termination notice.

1. The Company bears no responsibility for damage arising from omissions, errors, unreadable characters, or other issues in application information submitted by Users when such issues are not attributable to the Company.
2. The Company bears no responsibility for any defects in the systems (hardware or software) prepared by Users to use the Service.
3. The Service uses SSL encryption when entering information, but the Company does not guarantee the safety of such technology.
4. If a User causes damage to the Company, other Users, or third parties through use of the Service, the User shall resolve it at its own expense and responsibility.
5. The Company bears no responsibility for damages arising from interruptions, delays, suspension, data loss, or unauthorized access to data due to failures of communication lines or computers.
6. The Company may provide information or advice to Users as appropriate but assumes no responsibility for problems arising therefrom.
7. The Company bears no responsibility for damages arising from User violations of these Terms.
8. If a third party warns or sues alleging that delivered work infringes intellectual property rights, the Users involved and the Company shall cooperate in handling the matter.
9. The Company bears no responsibility for damages caused by translation errors, typos, or omissions in translated Project contents or messages.
10. Except as stated in this Article, the Company bears no responsibility for damages arising to Users or third parties in connection with the provision of the Service unless caused by the Company’s willful misconduct or gross negligence.
11. Even if the Company is liable, its liability shall be limited to the total fees paid by the User to the Company during the preceding 12 months.
12. The Company shall not be liable, even if foreseeable, for:
    • Loss of profit, business opportunities, or reputation, or other indirect damages
    • Special, incidental, or consequential damages
    • Damages arising from data loss, communication failures, server downtime, or system failures
13. The Company is not liable for damages caused by force majeure such as natural disasters, communication line failures, or unauthorized access by third parties.

1. Japanese law shall govern these Terms.
2. The Tokyo District Court shall be the court of exclusive agreed jurisdiction for disputes arising from use of the Site.

1. The Company may amend these Terms without prior notice to or consent from Users when deemed necessary.
2. When amending these Terms, the Company shall post the amended contents and effective date on the Service.
3. The amended Terms apply to all Users who use the Service on or after the effective date, and Users are deemed to have agreed to the amended Terms upon such use.
4. For significant amendments, the Company shall endeavor to provide prior notice within a reasonable period. However, this does not apply when a law change or emergency requires immediate action.

• November 14, 2025 — Revised (amended Article 22 [Interruption, Suspension, and Termination of the Service] and other matters). ⇒ View the previous Terms
• July 26, 2018 — Revised (added Article 6 [Paid Membership Registration] with new categories. Renamed “Creator” to “Specialist.” Other wording changes). ⇒ View the previous Terms
• November 1, 2016 — Revised (added clauses for cancellation policies related to photography Projects due to the integration of First Photo into Skillots). ⇒ View the previous Terms
• April 4, 2016 — Revised (moved to a provisional payment system at formal ordering in line with the Project Room renewal). ⇒ View the previous Terms
• July 3, 2015 — Revised (integrated the Creator and Client terms, changed the service name to Skillots, and set deadlines for compensation and Credits). ⇒ View the previous Terms
• December 19, 2013 — Revised (added “including repeat transactions with Users first engaged through the Service” to Article 14 [Prohibited Matters] paragraph 2).
• March 6, 2013 — Revised (added paragraph 9 to Article 17 [Disclaimer]).
• July 30, 2012 — Revised. ⇒ View the previous Terms
• May 30, 2011 — Revised. ⇒ View the previous Terms
• January 15, 2007 — Established.