Legal
These Rating Usage Guidelines ("Guidelines") govern how Establishments that have been awarded an Aboera rating ("Rated Establishments") may publicly display, reference, or otherwise use the Aboera name, marks, and rating designation.
By referencing or displaying any Aboera rating or mark, the Rated Establishment agrees to these Guidelines. They apply alongside the Terms of Use and Audit Participation Terms.
Only establishments that have received a published Aboera rating may publicly reference that rating. References are permitted only to the rating actually awarded. If a rating is withdrawn or otherwise changed, affected references must be updated, historicized, or removed within fourteen (14) days.
An Establishment that has undergone an audit may not state, imply, or suggest in any communication that it holds a different Aboera rating than the one received, or that it is otherwise endorsed by Aboera, unless expressly confirmed in writing by Aboera.
The official Aboera rating tiers and their authorized phrasing are:
References should use the exact star count and tier name awarded. Mixing tier names, abbreviating tier names beyond their authorized form, or adding qualifiers (e.g., "Aboera Plus," "Aboera Gold") is not permitted.
The following phrasings, among others, are approved for use by Rated Establishments:
The year of rating should reflect the most recent published audit. The year may not be omitted in a manner that misleadingly suggests a more recent rating than the one held.
Aboera may provide approved logos, badges, icons, wordmarks, or other assets ("Approved Marks") for use by Rated Establishments. Where Approved Marks are provided, the following requirements apply:
Until Approved Marks are provided, Rated Establishments may reference the rating using approved phrasing under Section 3 in their existing typographic style, without reproducing any Aboera logo or icon.
Subject to these Guidelines, Rated Establishments may reference their current rating in the following contexts:
Rated Establishments may not:
A Rated Establishment may request a re-audit no sooner than three (3) months following issuance of its current rating and prior to the applicable expiration date. To maintain continuous listing, a re-audit must be initiated no later than three (3) months before the expiration date.
Where a re-audit is timely initiated but not yet completed by the expiration date, the existing rating will remain published in the Aboera directory until the new audit is concluded.
Where no re-audit is initiated by that deadline, the establishment's listing will be removed from the directory upon expiration. An establishment whose listing will be removed or has been removed may apply for a new audit at any time.
The result of a re-audit may confirm, raise, lower, replace, or withdraw a rating.
Rated Establishments are responsible for ensuring that public references remain accurate and not misleading. Where a rating is replaced or superseded, prior ratings may remain only if clearly historicized and not presented as current.
Where a rating is withdrawn, all references suggesting current recognition must be removed within fourteen (14) days.
Any use that falls outside these Guidelines — including co-branded campaigns, large-scale advertising buys, broadcast or video media, packaging, or merchandise — requires prior written consent from Aboera. Requests for pre-approval can be made through the contact page. Aboera will respond within a reasonable time and may grant, deny, condition, or revoke permission at its sole discretion.
Where a rating is withdrawn, the Establishment will, within fourteen (14) days:
Aboera may monitor public use of its ratings and marks. Where misuse is identified, Aboera may require correction, removal, clarification, or suspension of usage rights. Continued or substantial misuse may result in withdrawal of the rating, public clarification, and any other remedy available at law or in equity.
Nothing in these Guidelines transfers ownership of any Aboera intellectual property, branding, marks, or materials.
All rights remain with Aboera.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Aboera and its owners, officers, directors, employees, agents, contractors, and affiliates will not be liable to the Establishment for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, reputational, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, business, or goodwill, arising out of or relating to the use of Aboera marks, ratings, references, or related materials.
Where liability cannot be excluded, Aboera's total aggregate liability shall not exceed one hundred U.S. dollars (US $100).
Aboera may update these Guidelines from time to time. The latest version will be posted on this page with an updated effective date or last updated date. Material changes will be communicated through the Service where reasonable. Continued use of Aboera marks or references after material updates take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Guidelines.
Pre-approval requests, questions about these Guidelines, or notice of suspected misuse can be directed to Aboera through the contact page or by email at info@aboera.com.
This document is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Aboera is not your lawyer. Establishments should consult qualified legal counsel before referencing an Aboera rating in any regulated context (e.g., advertising, securities filings, regulated offerings).