TERMS OF USE

Last updated: 20 August 2026

Welcome to Global Dry Bulk Network ("GDBN").

GDBN is an independent maritime information, professional networking and collaboration platform intended primarily for participants in the dry bulk shipping and wider maritime industry.

These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the GDBN website, platform, databases, maps, tools, calculators, communication features and other services made available through GDBN (collectively, the "Platform").

By accessing or using the Platform, creating an account, or submitting information through GDBN, you confirm that you have read, understood and agree to these Terms.

If you do not agree with these Terms, you must not use the Platform.

Our Privacy Policy explains how personal data is collected and processed when you use GDBN.

1. ABOUT GDBN

GDBN provides maritime professionals with access to information, tools and collaboration features relating to subjects including ports, vessels, dry bulk cargoes, maritime services, voyage planning support, regulatory information and other shipping-related matters.

GDBN may include, among other things:

port and terminal information;
vessel information and vessel particulars;
cargo and dry bulk information;
maps and geographical information;
estimated maritime distances and routing information;
weather and external information services;
regulatory and operational reference information;
maritime company and service-provider information;
user profiles and company profiles;
professional verification features;
community discussions and user-submitted information;
requests for maritime services or information;
calculators, automated checks, summaries and other digital tools.

Features may be added, changed, suspended or removed from time to time.

GDBN is an independent platform and is not a shipowner, ship manager, charterer, broker, port authority, classification society, maritime administration, ship agent, insurer, P&I Club, hydrographic office or regulatory authority unless expressly stated otherwise.

GDBN is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), United Nations, World Health Organization (WHO), any flag State, port State, port authority or other governmental or intergovernmental organisation merely because information originating from or referring to such organisations is displayed on the Platform.

All third-party names, trademarks, logos, documents, data and other materials remain subject to the rights of their respective owners.

2. ELIGIBILITY

GDBN is intended primarily for maritime professionals and persons with a legitimate interest in the maritime industry.

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account or use interactive features of the Platform.

If you use GDBN on behalf of a company, shipowner, manager, charterer, agent or other organisation, you confirm that you are authorised to do so.

You are responsible for ensuring that your use of GDBN complies with all laws, regulations, contractual obligations and internal company requirements applicable to you.

3. USER ACCOUNTS

Certain Platform features require registration.

You agree to provide accurate, current and complete information and to keep your account information reasonably up to date.

You are responsible for:

safeguarding your login credentials;
activities performed through your account;
ensuring that persons using your account are authorised to do so; and
promptly notifying GDBN if you believe your account has been compromised.

You must not impersonate another person or organisation or knowingly provide false, misleading or fraudulent information.

GDBN may restrict, suspend or terminate an account where there are reasonable grounds to believe that these Terms have been violated, account information is materially false, the account creates a security risk, or the Platform is being misused.

4. PROFESSIONAL AND MARITIME INFORMATION DISCLAIMER

GDBN is an information and collaboration tool only.

Information provided through GDBN does not constitute legal, navigational, technical, engineering, hydrographic, meteorological, regulatory, financial, accounting, insurance, chartering, cargo-handling, safety or other professional advice.

No information available through GDBN should be treated as an instruction to a Master, vessel, Owner, Manager, Charterer, agent or other maritime party.

Users remain responsible for obtaining appropriate professional advice and independently verifying information before acting upon it.

Master’s Authority

Nothing provided through GDBN limits or replaces the Master's professional judgment, overriding authority or responsibility for the safety of the vessel, crew, cargo and marine environment.

GDBN IS NOT A NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM AND MUST NOT BE USED AS THE PRIMARY OR OFFICIAL SOURCE FOR NAVIGATION OR VOYAGE PLANNING.

Maps, coordinates, routes, maritime distances, waypoints, bathymetric information, port locations, ECA information, weather information, geographical boundaries and similar information displayed through GDBN may be approximate, incomplete, delayed, outdated or derived from third-party sources.

They must not replace:

official nautical charts or ENCs;
Notices to Mariners;
Sailing Directions;
approved ECDIS information;
official hydrographic publications;
navigational warnings;
local port or VTS instructions;
pilotage requirements;
applicable passage-planning procedures; or
other information required under applicable maritime regulations and the vessel's Safety Management System.

Before navigation or operational use, all relevant information must be independently verified against current authorised sources.

GDBN information is provided for reference, preliminary assessment and planning support only.

6. PORT, CARGO, VESSEL AND REGULATORY INFORMATION

GDBN may aggregate information obtained from public authorities, international organisations, maritime publications, industry sources, service providers and users.

Examples may include:

port particulars;
UN/LOCODE information;
port and terminal restrictions;
permissible drafts;
berth information;
pilotage information;
port schedules;
cargo information;
vessel particulars;
questionnaires;
certificates;
maritime regulations;
environmental restrictions;
local requirements; and
operational information.

Although reasonable efforts may be made to maintain accurate information, maritime information can change without notice.

GDBN therefore does not warrant that information is:

complete;
current;
error-free;
applicable to a particular vessel, cargo, port or voyage; or
sufficient for regulatory, operational or contractual compliance.

Users must confirm material information directly with the relevant authoritative source, including, where applicable, the port authority, terminal, ship agent, flag Administration, classification society, recognised organisation, charterparty counterparty or other competent authority.

Where information displayed by GDBN differs from a current official publication, regulation, authority instruction or other legally controlling source, the official or legally controlling source prevails.

Cargo information, including information referring to the IMSBC Code or other maritime instruments, must not be treated as a replacement for the current official applicable text, cargo declaration, laboratory certificates or vessel-specific requirements.

7. CALCULATORS, DISTANCE TABLES, ESTIMATES AND AUTOMATED OUTPUTS

GDBN may provide tools including:

maritime distance calculations;
routing estimates;
cargo intake calculations;
hold capacity calculations;
pre-stow planning tools;
vessel performance calculations;
voyage estimates;
fuel calculations;
automated comparisons;
translations;
summaries;
data analysis; and
other generated or calculated outputs.

Such outputs depend on the quality and accuracy of input data, assumptions, algorithms and source information.

Results are indicative and must be independently checked before being used for operational, commercial, contractual, navigational or safety-critical decisions.

Distances and suggested routes may differ from routes actually sailed due to weather, navigation restrictions, traffic separation schemes, draught restrictions, ECA requirements, security considerations, Master's decisions or other operational factors.

Where AI-assisted or automated functionality is made available, its output may contain inaccuracies, omissions or incorrect interpretations.

GDBN does not guarantee that any automated, calculated or generated output is suitable for a particular vessel, cargo, voyage or commercial purpose.

8. USER-GENERATED CONTENT

Users may be permitted to submit information including comments, port information, company information, professional details, operational observations, descriptions, reviews, notes or other material ("User Content").

You retain ownership of User Content that you lawfully own.

By submitting User Content, you grant GDBN a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, store, reproduce, format and display that content to the extent reasonably necessary to operate, maintain and improve the Platform and to make the content available in accordance with the feature through which it was submitted.

You confirm that:

you have the right to submit the information;
the information does not unlawfully infringe third-party rights;
the information is not knowingly false or materially misleading;
publication does not breach confidentiality or contractual obligations; and
the information complies with applicable law.

Do not submit confidential charterparty terms, commercially sensitive information, personal crew information, trade secrets or other restricted information unless you are authorised to disclose it and understand how it will be used.

Public contributions may be visible to other users and should not be treated as confidential.

GDBN does not independently guarantee the accuracy, completeness or reliability of User Content.

GDBN may edit formatting, categorisation or presentation of User Content where necessary for consistency, moderation or operation of the Platform, without materially changing its meaning.

9. VERIFIED USERS AND VERIFIED COMPANIES

GDBN may offer verification statuses including Verified User and Verified Company.

Verification means only that GDBN has reviewed certain information provided in connection with the verification request using the verification process available at that time.

Verification does not constitute a certification, recommendation, warranty, guarantee or endorsement of a person or company.

In particular, verification does not guarantee:

identity beyond the verification performed;
authority to represent a company;
professional qualifications;
financial standing or creditworthiness;
regulatory compliance;
sanctions status;
competence or quality of services;
safety performance;
commercial reliability; or
performance under any contract or transaction.

Users remain responsible for performing their own due diligence before entering into any commercial or professional relationship.

GDBN may reject or revoke verification where information is inaccurate, misleading, incomplete, outdated or where an account violates these Terms.

10. COMMUNITY FEATURES, REVIEWS AND CONTENT MODERATION

GDBN may provide chats, discussions, reviews, notes, comments and other collaborative features.

Users must communicate professionally and lawfully.

You must not publish or transmit content that is:

unlawful;
threatening or harassing;
defamatory;
discriminatory or abusive;
deliberately false or misleading;
fraudulent or deceptive;
obscene or seriously offensive;
spam or unsolicited commercial promotion;
malicious software or harmful code;
an infringement of intellectual property or privacy rights;
confidential information disclosed without authority;
intended to impersonate another person or company; or
knowingly misleading in a manner capable of creating a maritime safety or operational risk.

Reviews, opinions and notes submitted by users represent the views of the respective users and not GDBN.

GDBN may use automated tools and human moderation to identify violations.

Warnings may be issued for violations.

Repeated or serious violations may result in:

removal of content;
restriction of communication features;
suspension or removal of verification status;
temporary account suspension; or
termination of an account.

GDBN reserves the right to remove or restrict content where reasonably necessary to protect users, comply with law, enforce these Terms or preserve the integrity of the Platform.

Where available, users may report content or users through the Platform.

Reports concerning potentially illegal content, intellectual property violations or other serious matters may also be submitted using the contact details below.

11. PROHIBITED USE

You must not:

use GDBN for unlawful, fraudulent or deceptive activities;
use the Platform to facilitate unlawful trade, sanctions evasion or prohibited transactions;
obtain unauthorised access to accounts, systems, servers or databases;
introduce malware, viruses or malicious code;
interfere with Platform security or availability;
conduct denial-of-service attacks;
circumvent access controls or technical restrictions;
systematically scrape, harvest, extract or reproduce Platform data without permission;
use bots, crawlers or automated extraction tools contrary to these Terms;
reproduce substantial portions of the GDBN database to create or maintain a competing database or service;
reverse engineer Platform software except where such restriction is prohibited by applicable law;
use GDBN content to misrepresent its source or accuracy;
sell or sublicense access to GDBN without authorisation;
use another person's account without permission;
attempt to manipulate reviews, verification status or community features; or
knowingly submit false maritime, vessel, port, cargo or company information.

Reasonable indexing by legitimate search engines and activities expressly authorised by GDBN are not prohibited.

12. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND DATABASE RIGHTS

Unless otherwise indicated, the design, structure, software, original text, graphics, compilation, arrangement and original database elements of GDBN are protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

GDBN may also contain third-party data, documents, trademarks, logos, publications and other materials.

GDBN does not claim ownership of third-party material merely because it is referenced, indexed or made accessible through the Platform.

Third-party content remains subject to the copyright, database rights, licences and other rights of its respective owners.

You may use Platform content for legitimate personal or internal professional purposes unless otherwise indicated.

You may not systematically reproduce, republish, sell, redistribute or commercially exploit substantial portions of GDBN content or databases without permission from GDBN and, where relevant, the applicable rights holder.

Nothing in these Terms grants ownership of any GDBN database, software, compilation or other proprietary Platform material to a user.

13. COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COMPLAINTS

GDBN respects intellectual property rights.

If you believe that material available through the Platform infringes copyright, trademark, database rights or other intellectual property rights, please contact GDBN and provide sufficient information to identify:

the protected work or right concerned;
the material alleged to infringe that right;
the location of the material on GDBN;
the basis of your claim; and
appropriate contact information.

GDBN may remove or restrict access to material where a sufficiently substantiated infringement complaint is received or where required by applicable law.

14. THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES, DATA AND SERVICES

GDBN may provide links to third-party websites, databases, weather services, governmental resources, port authorities, maritime organisations, service providers or other external resources.

Such links are provided for convenience and informational purposes.

GDBN does not control third-party services and does not guarantee their:

availability;
security;
accuracy;
completeness;
privacy practices;
continued operation; or
content.

A link, listing or reference does not by itself constitute endorsement or recommendation.

Your use of third-party websites or services is subject to their own terms and policies.

15. MARITIME SERVICE PROVIDERS AND COMMERCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

GDBN may enable users to identify or contact maritime service providers including:

ship agents;
towage providers;
diving companies;
underwater service providers;
suppliers;
ship chandlers; and
other maritime companies.

GDBN may also enable users to request information such as PDA/FDA enquiries or other maritime services.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, GDBN acts only as an information and communication platform.

GDBN is not a party to any:

contract;
fixture;
agency appointment;
quotation;
service agreement;
sale;
procurement arrangement; or
transaction entered into between users or between a user and a third-party service provider.

Users are responsible for independently checking:

counterparties;
quotations;
bank details;
licences;
insurance;
sanctions compliance;
authority to act;
service conditions; and
any other relevant commercial or legal information.

GDBN does not guarantee quotations, prices, availability, performance or the quality of services offered by third parties.

16. SUPPORTING GDBN

GDBN may provide users with an option to voluntarily support the development, maintenance and operation of the project.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, such support is voluntary and is not payment for a subscription, product, verification status or preferential access to the Platform.

Providing financial support does not create any entitlement to:

additional Platform functionality;
preferential treatment;
verification approval;
increased visibility;
commercial benefits; or
continued availability of the Platform.

Payments may be processed by independent third-party payment providers and may therefore also be subject to their terms and policies.

Any rights that cannot legally be excluded remain unaffected.

17. PLATFORM AVAILABILITY

GDBN is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis.

GDBN does not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation.

The Platform or individual features may temporarily become unavailable because of:

maintenance;
technical problems;
cybersecurity incidents;
infrastructure failures;
third-party service failures;
software updates;
legal requirements; or
other circumstances.

GDBN may modify, update, suspend or discontinue features where reasonably necessary for technical, operational, security, legal or other reasons.

Reasonable efforts may be made to preserve Platform data, but users should not use GDBN as their sole repository for operationally, legally or commercially important records.

Users should retain their own copies of important documents, vessel information, calculations, correspondence and other business-critical information.

18. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, GDBN makes no express or implied warranty regarding the accuracy, completeness, availability, reliability, suitability or timeliness of Platform content or services.

Users make operational, navigational, technical, commercial and professional decisions at their own responsibility.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, GDBN shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, special or consequential losses arising from the use of, inability to use or reliance upon the Platform, including:

loss of profit;
loss of revenue;
loss of business opportunity;
loss of anticipated savings;
loss or corruption of data;
loss of goodwill or reputation;
business interruption; or
other consequential financial or commercial losses.

Without limiting the above, GDBN shall not be responsible for loss, damage, delay, expense or liability arising from:

inaccurate, incomplete or outdated maritime information;
navigational use of Platform information;
incorrect coordinates, routes, waypoints or distance calculations;
weather or geographical data;
port restrictions or schedule changes;
berth availability;
permissible draft information;
cargo information;
vessel particulars submitted by users;
regulatory information that has subsequently changed;
automated calculations or generated outputs;
AI-assisted outputs;
User Content;
user reviews or recommendations;
acts or omissions of third-party service providers;
external websites or services;
commercial transactions between users;
unauthorised account access outside GDBN's reasonable control; or
decisions made in reliance upon Platform information without independent verification.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where such exclusion or limitation is prohibited by applicable law.

19. ACCOUNT SUSPENSION AND TERMINATION

You may stop using GDBN at any time.

Where account deletion functionality is available, you may request deletion of your account subject to applicable legal obligations, legitimate retention requirements and the Privacy Policy.

GDBN may restrict, suspend or terminate access where reasonably necessary because of:

serious or repeated violation of these Terms;
unlawful activity;
fraudulent or misleading information;
abuse of other users;
security threats;
misuse of Platform data;
infringement of third-party rights;
manipulation of verification or review systems; or
legal or regulatory requirements.

Where appropriate and required by applicable law, GDBN may provide information regarding the reason for a moderation, restriction or suspension decision and available means of contesting that decision.

20. PRIVACY

Personal information processed through GDBN is handled in accordance with the GDBN Privacy Policy.

The Privacy Policy explains the categories of information collected, purposes of processing, data retention, service providers, international transfers where applicable, account information and users' privacy rights.

21. CHANGES TO THESE TERMS

GDBN may update these Terms when Platform functionality, legal requirements or operating practices change.

The latest version will be published on the Platform together with the date of the most recent update.

Where a change is significant, registered users may also be notified through the Platform, by email or by another appropriate method.

Continued use of the Platform after revised Terms become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms where permitted by applicable law.

22. GOVERNING LAW AND DISPUTES

These Terms and any dispute arising from or relating to them shall be governed by the laws of [JURISDICTION], subject to any mandatory legal protections or rules that apply regardless of this choice of law.

The courts of [JURISDICTION] shall have jurisdiction over disputes arising in connection with these Terms, except where applicable law provides otherwise.

Before commencing formal proceedings, users are encouraged to contact GDBN so that the matter may first be considered and, where possible, resolved directly.

23. GENERAL PROVISIONS

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful, invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in effect.

Where possible, an invalid or unenforceable provision shall be interpreted or modified only to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

Failure by GDBN to enforce any provision immediately does not constitute a waiver of that provision or any other provision.

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any additional policies expressly incorporated into them, constitute the general terms governing use of the Platform.

Any rights not expressly granted under these Terms are reserved.

24. CONTACT INFORMATION

For questions concerning these Terms, account matters, content reports, intellectual property issues or other legal enquiries, please contact:

Global Dry Bulk Network (GDBN) Email: gdbn.bulker@gmail.com

For reports concerning potentially illegal, infringing or otherwise prohibited content, please identify the relevant content as precisely as possible and explain the basis of your report.