2027 MEMBERSHIP TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Alabama Orthopaedic Society 2027 Membership Terms & Conditions Welcome to the Alabama Orthopaedic Society (“AOS”) website (the “Website”). AOS is a nonprofit professional medical association dedicated to advancing the practice of orthopaedic surgery in the State of Alabama and promoting the highest standards of patient care. These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Website, as well as the rights and obligations associated with AOS membership. Please read these Terms carefully before using the Website or applying for membership. 1. Acceptance of Terms. By accessing or using the Website, submitting a membership application, or maintaining your membership in AOS, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you should not access the Website or apply for membership. These Terms constitute a binding agreement between you and AOS. 2. License Grant. The Website is owned by AOS. You are granted a personal, revocable, limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the Website conditioned on your continued acceptance and compliance with these Terms. You may use the Website and AOS Content (as defined in Section 2) for your noncommercial personal use and for no other purpose. AOS reserves the right to bar, restrict or suspend any user's access to the Website, and/or to terminate this license at any time for any reason. AOS reserves any rights not explicitly granted in these Terms. 3. Proprietary Rights. The content of the Website includes, without limitation, (i) AOS's trademarks, service marks, logos, brands, and brand names, trade dress and trade names and other distinctive identification (collectively "AOS Marks"); and (ii) information, data, materials, interfaces, computer code, databases, products, services, software applications and tools, text, images, photographs, audio and video material, including podcasts, and artwork, and (iii) the design, structure, selection, compilation, assembly, coordination, expression, functionalities, applications, look and feel, and arrangement of any content contained in or available through the Website (the items identified in subsections (i) (ii) and (iii) shall be collectively referred to herein as "AOS Content"). AOS Content is the property of AOS, its licensors, sponsors, partners, advertisers, content providers or other third parties and is protected in all media now existing or hereafter developed, by law including, but not limited to, copyright, trade secret, patent, and trademark law, as well as other state, national, and international laws, treaties, and regulations. The reproduction, transmission, distribution, sale, publication, broadcast, circulation, or dissemination of any AOS Content by you, or by you through any other person or entity, is prohibited unless express written consent is separately obtained from the AOS. For reprint requests, please contact legal@alorthosociety.org regarding reprints, licensing, and permission of AOS Marks and Content. Any use of the AOS Marks without AOS's express written consent is strictly prohibited. You may not alter, delete, obscure, or conceal any copyright or other notices appearing in AOS’s Content, including any such notices appearing on any of AOS’s Content. 4. License Restrictions. Unless otherwise expressly stated in these Terms or you receive AOS's prior written consent, you may not modify, translate, create derivative works of, copy, distribute, market, display, remove or alter any proprietary notices or labels from, lease, sell, sublicense, clone, transfer, decompile, reverse engineer, or incorporate into any information retrieval system (electronic or mechanical), the Website, any AOS Content, or any portion thereof. Further, you may not (i) use the Website for any unauthorized or illegal purpose or activity including, but not limited to, any activity to obtain or attempt to obtain unauthorized access to the Website, including AOS Content; (ii) interfere with the proper working of the Website including, but not limited to, the transmission of any virus, worm, trap door, back door, timer, clock, Trojan horse, denial of service attack or other limiting routine, instruction or design; or (iii) interfere with any other person's use and enjoyment of the Website. 5. Membership Eligibility & Categories. AOS offers the following categories of membership, as established by the AOS Bylaws: Active Members. Active Membership is open to physicians who are currently licensed to practice medicine in the State of Alabama, and maintain a majority of their medical practice within the State of Alabama, and Practice is limited to orthopaedic surgery exclusively. Senior Members. Senior Membership is available to Active Members in good standing who have retired from the practice of orthopaedic surgery. To obtain Senior Membership status, the eligible member must submit a written request by letter to the Executive Director no fewer than five (5) days prior to the Annual Meeting following the member's eligibility date. Senior Members retain all rights and privileges of their prior membership class. Resident/Fellow Members. Resident/Fellow Membership is available to physicians currently enrolled in a residency or fellowship training program in orthopaedic surgery within the State of Alabama. Resident/Fellow Members are not required to pay annual dues. Membership in this category terminates automatically six (6) months after the completion of training. Upon completion of training, Resident/Fellow Members are eligible to apply for Active Membership. Honorary Members. Honorary Membership may be conferred by the Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, upon guest speakers at the AOS Annual Meeting or upon other individuals deserving of such distinction. Membership Confirmation and Applications. Membership is confirmed upon receipt of applicable membership dues, except where dues are not required by these Terms or the AOS Bylaws. Prospective members may submit applications via online application, digital membership application, or mailed membership application. Non-Discrimination Policy. AOS does not adopt any practice, policy, or procedure that results in discrimination on the basis of race, religion, or creed. AOS is committed to fostering an inclusive professional community that welcomes qualified orthopaedic professionals regardless of background. For more details regarding AOS membership designations and categories, please see AOS’s Bylaws. 6. Dues, Renewal, and Lapse in Membership. Annual membership dues are established by the Board of Directors and are payable by Active Members only. Dues are expected to be paid by the final registration date of the Annual Meeting in order to receive the annual meeting registration discount. Certain members may be charged registration fees and assessments for meetings and events in lieu of paying annual membership dues. For information regarding which classification of members are exempt from payment of annual dues, please see AOS’s Bylaws. A member who falls into arrears on dues may maintain membership by paying all outstanding dues within that calendar year. A member who has been dropped from the membership rolls for nonpayment of dues may be reinstated by paying all outstanding dues within that same calendar year. 7. User Obligations. You warrant that you will abide by, without limitation, all applicable local, state, national, and international laws and regulations with respect to your use of the Website and not interfere with the use and enjoyment of the Website by other users or with AOS’s operation and management of the website. You further warrant that your use of the Website and of any data input into or generated by the Website shall comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. You agree and acknowledge that you are solely responsible for any liabilities, fines, penalties, or forfeitures occasioned by any such violations or lack of rights. You must, at all times, provide true, accurate, current, authorized, and complete information when submitting information or materials on the Website, including, without limitation, information required to be provided through an online AOS registration form. If any false, inaccurate, untrue, unauthorized, or incomplete information is submitted by you, AOS reserves the right to terminate your access and use of the Website. You warrant that you will not impersonate any other person or entity, whether actual or fictitious, when using the Website, or defame or otherwise harm any party through your use of the Website. Additionally, you agree to abide by the Code of Conduct. 8. Code of Conduct and Professional Standards. AOS is committed to maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct among its membership. All members are expected to adhere to the following standards:
9. Use of the AOS Name, Logo, and “Member of AOS” Language. In addition, you agree that:
10. Privacy Policy. For information about AOS's data protection practices and AOS's use and protection of your personal information, please read AOS’s Privacy Policy which is incorporated into and made a part of these Terms. 11. Limitation of Liability. AOS provides website content and member resources for informational purposes only. Nothing on the Website or in AOS materials constitutes medical advice, legal advice, or a recommendation regarding the diagnosis or treatment of any condition. AOS makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or reliability of website content, continuing education materials, or other resources made available to members or the public. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, AOS AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AND VOLUNTEERS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE, ATTENDANCE AT AOS EVENTS, OR YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN AOS, REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY. In no event shall the aggregate liability of AOS exceed the total amount of dues or registration fees actually paid by the member to AOS during the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim. AOS does not guarantee uninterrupted, error-free, or secure operation of the Website and shall not be liable for any interruption or loss of access. Content provided by third parties, including meeting sponsors and advertisers, does not constitute an endorsement by AOS. AOS is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of third-party content. Members and website users assume all risk associated with their reliance on any information obtained through the Website or at AOS events. 12. Termination of Membership. Any member may be recommended for expulsion by the Board of Directors for causes deemed sufficient by the Board. The member subject to an expulsion recommendation shall have the opportunity to appear before the Board at its next scheduled meeting to present their position. Following the member's appearance, the Board may expel the member, find in the member's favor, or delay action pending further investigation. A member who has been expelled by the Board of Directors may appeal the Board's decision to the general membership at the next Annual Meeting. Please note that, pursuant to the AOS Bylaws, the member may not be accompanied by or represented by legal counsel during the appearance before the Board or during the appeal before the general membership. Final expulsion on appeal requires an affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of Active and Senior Members eligible to vote and present at the Annual Meeting. Resident/Fellow Membership terminates automatically six (6) months after the completion of the member's training program. Membership may be terminated for nonpayment of dues as described in Arrears and Reinstatement above. AOS reserves the right to suspend or terminate membership for violation of these Terms, the Code of Conduct set forth in Section 8, or the AOS Bylaws. Upon termination of membership for any reason, the former member's rights and privileges shall cease immediately, including without limitation the right to identify as a member of AOS or to use the AOS name, logo, or marks in any manner. 13. Dispute Resolution. Any controversy or claim (“Claim") you have arising out of or relating to these Terms shall be resolved by a single impartial arbitrator pursuant to proceedings administered by the American Arbitration Association under its rules for resolution of commercial disputes. Any such Claim shall be brought solely by you as an individual and not as part of, or as a representative of, a class. The arbitration shall be held in Mobile, Alabama. All submissions to the arbitrator, the proceedings and the award shall be confidential. The arbitration shall be conducted on an expedited basis with minimal discovery. The arbitrator’s award shall be final and binding. The courts of the State of Alabama and/or the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama shall have exclusive jurisdiction and venue over (i) any action concerning the enforcement of an arbitration award, or (ii) if arbitration is not permitted by law, then any Claim you have arising out of or relating to these Terms. You agree to unconditionally and irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of such courts and you will not object to such jurisdiction and venue on the grounds of lack of personal jurisdiction, inconvenient forum or otherwise. EACH PARTY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS. AOS reserves all rights and remedies available to it, in law or equity, with respect to any matter relating to these Terms. These Terms and all matters regarding your use of the Website shall be governed by, construed in accordance with, and enforced under the laws of the State of Alabama applicable to contracts made and executed and wholly performed in the State of Alabama, without regard to choice of law principles. In any action or proceeding to enforce these Terms, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover its reasonable attorney's fees and costs from the non-prevailing party. 14. Indemnification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, you shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the AOS from and against all claims arising from or in any way related to your use of the Website and/or AOS Content, a violation by you of these Terms or the AOS Code of Conduct, or any other actions connected with your use of the Website and/or AOS Content, including any liability or expense, losses, damages (actual and consequential), suits, judgments, litigation costs and attorneys fees. AOS will provide prompt written notice of any such claims, but failure to provide such notice will not release you from any of your obligations pursuant to this Section except to the extent that you are actually prejudiced by such failure, and will not relieve you from any other liability that you may have to the AOS Parties other than under this Section. 15. Changes to These Terms. AOS reserves the right to modify, amend, or update these Terms at any time and in its sole discretion. Updated Terms will be posted on the Website with a revised “Last Updated” date at the top or bottom of the document. AOS will provide members with notice of material changes via email to the address on file or by prominent notice on the Website at least thirty (30) days before the changes take effect. Continued use of the Website or maintenance of your membership after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. Bylaws Amendment Process: The AOS Bylaws may be amended at the Annual Meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the voting membership present, provided a quorum is present. Any amendment to the Bylaws that affects member rights under these Terms will be reflected in an updated version of these Terms. 16. Contact Information. If you have questions about these Terms or your AOS membership, please contact us:
Alabama Orthopaedic Society These Terms & Conditions are effective as of October 14, 2026 and were last updated on October 14, 2026. |