Intellectual Property Policy

Clear terms governing intellectual property ownership, license rights, and protections for both k&z platform technology and client workloads on our quantum AI infrastructure.

Effective Date: January 1, 2026 — Version: 1.0

1. Introduction

This Intellectual Property Policy (“Policy”) governs the ownership, licensing, and protection of intellectual property in connection with the k&z quantum AI infrastructure platform and associated services (the “Services”). This Policy is incorporated into and forms part of the Terms of Service and any applicable Master Service Agreement (collectively, the “Agreement”).

K&z Limited (“k&z”) recognizes that intellectual property rights are of paramount importance to our clients, particularly in research, development, and commercial contexts. This Policy is designed to provide clear and transparent terms regarding IP ownership, ensuring that clients retain full ownership of their innovations while k&z protects its platform technology.

2. Definitions

  • “Client IP” means all intellectual property rights in and to Client Workloads and Client Results, including patents, copyrights, trade secrets, and know-how.
  • “Client Results” means all outputs, data, measurements, computational results, trained models, optimized parameters, and other outcomes generated by Client Workloads executed on the k&z platform.
  • “Client Workloads” means all quantum circuits, algorithms, code, parameters, training data, models, and other materials that a client uploads, submits, or executes on the k&z platform.
  • “Feedback” means any suggestions, ideas, enhancement requests, recommendations, corrections, or other feedback that a client or user provides to k&z regarding the Services.
  • “k&z Platform IP” means all intellectual property rights owned by k&z in and to the k&z platform, including all hardware, firmware, software, APIs, SDKs, compilers, schedulers, error mitigation algorithms, calibration routines, documentation, user interfaces, architectures, designs, and trade secrets.
  • “Open Source Components” means third-party software components distributed under open source licenses that are incorporated into or distributed with the k&z SDKs or platform tools.

3. Client IP Ownership

3.1 Workload Ownership

The client retains all right, title, and interest in and to Client Workloads. k&z does not acquire any ownership interest in quantum circuits, algorithms, code, models, or other materials that clients create, develop, or upload to the k&z platform. This includes workloads developed using k&z SDKs and tools, provided that such workloads do not incorporate k&z proprietary code beyond the licensed SDK components.

3.2 Results Ownership

The client retains all right, title, and interest in and to Client Results. All measurement data, computational outputs, optimized parameters, trained model weights, simulation results, and other outcomes generated by the execution of Client Workloads on the k&z platform are the exclusive property of the client. k&z does not claim any ownership interest in Client Results.

3.3 Derived Insights

Any insights, discoveries, inventions, or innovations that the client derives from Client Results are the exclusive intellectual property of the client. k&z expressly disclaims any ownership claim to research findings, algorithmic improvements, or scientific discoveries made by clients using the k&z platform.

3.4 No Training on Client Data

k&z does not use Client Workloads or Client Results to train machine learning models, improve quantum algorithms, or develop new products or services without the client’s prior written consent. Usage data and metadata (such as job timing, queue statistics, and error rates) may be collected in anonymized and aggregated form for platform performance optimization, but this does not include the content of Client Workloads or Results.

4. k&z Platform IP

4.1 Ownership

k&z retains all right, title, and interest in and to k&z Platform IP, including but not limited to:

  • QPU hardware designs, chip architectures, cryogenic system designs, and control electronics;
  • Quantum compiler and transpiler software;
  • Error mitigation and error correction algorithms;
  • QPU calibration routines and protocols;
  • Job scheduling and resource allocation algorithms;
  • Platform APIs, SDKs, and developer tools;
  • User interface designs and platform dashboards;
  • Documentation, training materials, and technical specifications;
  • Trade secrets relating to quantum computing architecture, performance optimization, and operational procedures; and
  • All patents, copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights relating to the foregoing.

4.2 No Transfer

Nothing in the Agreement or this Policy shall be construed as transferring any ownership of k&z Platform IP to the client. The client’s use of the Services does not create any implied license, ownership interest, or other right in k&z Platform IP beyond the express licenses granted herein.

5. License Grants

5.1 License to Client

Subject to the terms of the Agreement, k&z grants the client a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable license to:

  • Access and use the k&z platform, APIs, and documentation for the purpose of submitting, executing, and retrieving Client Workloads and Results during the term of the Agreement;
  • Use k&z SDKs and client libraries to develop and test quantum circuits and algorithms for execution on the k&z platform;
  • Copy and use documentation for the client’s internal reference purposes; and
  • Use platform outputs (such as calibration data, error rates, and system performance metrics provided by k&z) for the client’s internal planning and optimization purposes.

5.2 License to k&z

The client grants k&z a limited, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to:

  • Receive, store, process, and execute Client Workloads on the k&z platform as necessary to provide the Services;
  • Store and transmit Client Results as necessary to deliver them to the client; and
  • Create transient copies of Client Workloads as technically required for compilation, optimization, scheduling, and execution on QPU hardware.

This license is strictly limited to what is necessary to provide the Services and terminates upon the client’s deletion of Client Data or termination of the Agreement, except for data retained pursuant to legal obligations or backup retention policies.

6. Restrictions

6.1 Client Restrictions

The client shall not:

  • Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or attempt to derive the source code, algorithms, or architecture of any component of the k&z platform, including QPU firmware, compilers, schedulers, or calibration routines;
  • Copy, modify, adapt, or create derivative works based on k&z Platform IP, except as expressly permitted through the use of k&z SDKs in accordance with their license terms;
  • Remove, alter, or obscure any copyright notices, trademark notices, or other proprietary legends on any component of the k&z platform or documentation;
  • Use k&z Platform IP to develop a competing quantum computing platform, service, or product;
  • Sublicense, sell, resell, transfer, assign, or otherwise make available access to the k&z platform to any third party without k&z’s prior written consent;
  • Benchmark the k&z platform for the purpose of publishing comparative performance data without k&z’s prior written consent (private benchmarking for internal evaluation is permitted); or
  • Use the k&z name, logo, or trademarks without k&z’s prior written consent, except as necessary for factual references to the Services.

6.2 k&z Restrictions

k&z shall not:

  • Use Client Workloads or Client Results for any purpose other than providing the Services, except with the client’s prior written consent;
  • Disclose Client Workloads or Client Results to any third party, except as required by law or with the client’s prior written consent;
  • Use Client Data to train models, develop algorithms, or improve products for k&z’s benefit without the client’s prior written consent; or
  • Claim any ownership interest in Client IP.

7. Feedback and Suggestions

7.1 License Grant for Feedback

If you provide Feedback to k&z, you grant k&z a non-exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, fully-paid, sublicensable license to use, reproduce, modify, create derivative works from, distribute, and otherwise exploit such Feedback for any purpose, without obligation, compensation, or attribution to you.

7.2 No Obligation

k&z is under no obligation to implement any Feedback. If k&z incorporates Feedback into the platform, the resulting implementation becomes part of k&z Platform IP.

7.3 Voluntary Nature

The provision of Feedback is entirely voluntary. You are not required to provide Feedback as a condition of using the Services, and you should only provide Feedback that you are comfortable sharing under the license terms described above.

8. Open Source Components

8.1 Use of Open Source

The k&z SDKs and certain platform tools may incorporate Open Source Components. k&z maintains a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) listing all Open Source Components included in k&z software distributions, which is available upon request.

8.2 License Terms

Open Source Components are distributed under their respective open source licenses (e.g., Apache 2.0, MIT, BSD). In the event of a conflict between this Policy and the terms of an applicable open source license, the open source license shall govern solely with respect to the applicable Open Source Component.

8.3 Contributions

k&z participates in the open source quantum computing community and may contribute to open source projects. Client code or algorithms are never contributed to open source projects without the client’s explicit written consent.

9. DMCA and Takedown Process

9.1 Respect for Intellectual Property

k&z respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects clients to do the same. k&z will respond to notices of alleged copyright infringement that comply with applicable law.

9.2 Filing a Copyright Complaint

If you believe that your copyrighted work has been copied or used on the k&z platform in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, please provide a written notice to our designated agent containing:

  • A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or authorized agent;
  • Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed;
  • Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing, with sufficient detail to enable k&z to locate it;
  • Your contact information (name, address, telephone number, email);
  • A statement that you have a good faith belief that the use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
  • A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on behalf of the owner.

9.3 Designated Agent

Copyright infringement notices should be sent to:

  • Email: support@kandz.co (Subject: Copyright Notice)
  • Mail: K&z Limited, Attn: Copyright Agent, Legal Department, Flat 10198, 10/F, Liven House, No. 61-63 King Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

9.4 Counter-Notice

If you believe that material was removed or disabled as a result of a mistake or misidentification, you may submit a counter-notice to our designated agent containing: your physical or electronic signature; identification of the material removed; a statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good faith belief the material was removed by mistake; your name, address, and telephone number; and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the courts in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

9.5 Repeat Infringers

k&z reserves the right to terminate the accounts of users who are determined to be repeat infringers of intellectual property rights.

10. Trademarks

10.1 k&z Trademarks

The k&z name, logo, and all related names, logos, product names, and service names, designs, and slogans are trademarks of K&z Limited. You may not use such marks without k&z’s prior written permission. References to k&z in the context of factual descriptions of the Services (e.g., “Powered by k&z”) are permitted provided they are accurate and do not imply endorsement or affiliation beyond the actual relationship.

10.2 Client Trademarks

k&z may, with the client’s prior written consent, use the client’s name and logo in marketing materials, case studies, and client listings. The client may revoke this consent at any time by providing written notice.

11. Survival

The intellectual property ownership provisions of this Policy survive termination or expiration of the Agreement. The client’s ownership of Client IP and k&z’s ownership of k&z Platform IP are not affected by the termination or expiration of the Agreement.

12. Contact

For intellectual property inquiries:

  • Legal Department: support@kandz.co
  • Copyright Agent: support@kandz.co (Subject: Copyright Notice)
  • Trademark Inquiries: support@kandz.co