Refund/Transfer Policy, Intellectual Property Notice and Conditions of Use for UBC Gunn IMS Program Offerings

REFUND/TRANSFER POLICY FOR UBC GUNN IMS COURSES

Payment of your fees are due SIX (6) WEEKS before the start date of each part of the course. You must complete Parts 1, 2 & 3 within one year to become a certified Gunn IMS practitioner. You will be contacted regarding acceptance of your application to the course and once we have a placement for you in an upcoming course, you will be contacted regarding payment options. PLEASE DO NOT SEND PAYMENT DETAILS WITH YOUR APPLICATION, AS YOU MAY NOT BE REGISTERED IN THE NEXT AVAILABLE COURSE.

UBC Gunn IMS Course Cancellation Policy: info@gunnims.com
This course incurs significant nonrefundable expenses prior to the course – please read and carefully understand our cancellation policy before submitting your registration. The UBC GUNN IMS Program reserves the right to cancel a course thirty (30) days prior to the course date. Each registrant will be notified by telephone, followed by written notification and a full refund. The University of British Columbia is not responsible for any costs, including, but not limited to, airline or hotel penalties. Should you need to cancel your registration, you must do so by email to info@gunnims.com SIX (6) WEEKS before the start of the course. Your course fees, less a $50 handling charge, will be refunded. After SIX (6) WEEKS before the start date of your course, your payment will not be refunded, but can be transferred to another equivalent course (i.e. Part 1 to another Part 1, Part 2 to another Part 2 or Part 3 to another Part 3).

 Please submit required documents to: info@gunnims.com

​Gunn IMS Course Transfer Policy:
No transfers to another course site, unless you request in writing to info@gunnims.com SIX (6) WEEKS before the course date. If request is made after six (6) weeks before the start date of your course, you will be required to re-register to the equivalent course. Once payment for the new site has been received, your initial registration will be cancelled and payment will be refunded, less a $50 handling charge.
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Registration Services provided by UBC.
* Registration forms with missing or incomplete documentation will NOT be accepted.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY NOTICE

For Gunn IMS™ Program Courses, Programs, Webinars, Events, Publications, both online and offline (“Program Offerings”):

This Intellectual Property Notice applies to all courses, programs, webinars, events, publications and offerings including the Certification Course, Review Course, UBC Chan Gunn Lectures, Public Website (www.gunnims.com) content and Members Website (www.community.gunnims.com) content provided by Gunn IMS © 2025 UBC Gunn IMS. All Rights Reserved. Gunn IMS™ (“Program“).

The program offerings, including but not limited to text, images, videos, and designs, is the intellectual property of UBC Gunn IMS and is protected under Canadian and international copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or modification is strictly prohibited. Additionally, Gunn IMS™ is a trademark of UBC Gunn IMS and may not be used without express permission. All rights reserved.

Each Course Participant will be required to acknowledge having read this ‘Intellectual Property Notice’ and the ‘Conditions of Use’ agreement. It is a requirement that registrants for courses, programs, webinars events and offerings acknowledge having read these documents at the time of registration. In-person course attendees are required to sign an offline copy of the ‘Conditions of Use’ agreement prior to the commencement of their course.

Please read carefully and if you have any questions or concerns outline these in an email to info@gunnims.com.

Intellectual Property Notice

The Gunn IMS™ Program (“Program”) serves its community through the development, management and communication of intellectual property. Quality cannot be maintained if due respect is not given to the Program’s content as protected by intellectual property law (which includes copyright, confidential information, trademarks and domain law policies).

For that purpose this Intellectual Property Notice sets out limitations and prohibitions. They are additional to those in the Program’s following public legal documents – ‘Intellectual Property Notice’ and ‘Conditions of Use’.

The Program’s content includes the Program’s intellectual property and digital, hard copy, written and verbal information and materials and their underlying principles as provided before, during or after Program courses, programs, webinars, events and publications including attachments, written material, ideas, concepts, images, diagrams and videos (collectively “Program Content”). The Program’s trademarks include those below without limitation.

Gunn IMS™

Gunn IMS™ Approach

Gunn IMS™ Program

Gunn IMS™ Education

Gunn IMS™ International

Gunn IMS™ Assessment

Gunn IMS™ Management

Gunn IMS™ Certified Practitioner

Gunn IMS™ Certification Course

Gunn IMS™ Needling Review

Gunn IMS™ Website

Gunn IMS™ Members Website

Gunn IMS™ Community

Gunn IMS™ Webinars

Gunn IMS™ Techniques

The text Gunn IMS and the Gunn IMS (images) are both trademarks of UBC Gunn IMS

The Program is the owner of copyright in all its text, photos, illustrations, videos, sound files and other files and publications. The Program’s legal rights, title and interest are effective worldwide under contract law and intellectual property law (which includes copyright, confidential information, trademarks and domain law policies) enforceable under international conventions and policies applicable to domain names and use of social media.

Gunn IMS™ – Revised 1st January 2025

CONDITIONS OF USE

For Gunn IMS™ Program Courses, Programs, Webinars, Events and Publications, both offline and online (collectively, “Program Offerings”):

Course participants will be required to acknowledge having read the ‘Intellectual Property Notice’ and the ‘Conditions of Use’ document. It is a requirement that registrants for Program Offerings read and agree to this document at the time of registration.  Offline course attendees are required to sign an offline copy of the ‘Conditions of Use’ document prior to the commencement of their course. Online course attendees will be required to agree to the course Terms and Conditions which includes the Intellectual Property and Conditions of Use Documents at the time of registration.

Please read carefully and if you have any questions or concerns outline these in an email to info@gunnims.com.

Background:

  1. Why do we have conditions of use? The Gunn IMS™ Program (“Program”) is concerned that some people attempt to use, teach or research the content of its offerings and do not give due respect to the relevant ethics and law applicable to the Program’s content. Inappropriate or unauthorised use of content impacts on the Program’s international community of practitioners, educators, researchers and collaborators as well as the delivery of the Gunn IMS™ Approach to people living with Persistent Pain and associated conditions. These Conditions of Use regulate the use of such content.
  2. What is Program Content? The Program’s content includes the Program’s intellectual property and digital, hard copy, written and verbal information and materials and their underlying principles as provided before, during or after Program Offerings, including attachments, written material, ideas, concepts, images, diagrams and videos (collectively “Program Content”)
  3. How can inappropriate or unauthorised use be a breach of the law? Inappropriate or unauthorised use of Program content is unethical. It is also legally dangerous. Reports about inappropriate teaching, researching or misappropriating and misleading use of Program Content come from many sources. Those attending a Gunn IMS course report being shown Gunn IMS™ techniques differently by practitioners who have previously attended a Gunn IMS™ course. Secondly, people living with Persistent Pain and associated conditions report their disappointment with the treatment provided by a practitioner who claims to “know” about the “Gunn IMS™ Approach. However, when contacted by us we discover these practitioners were not directly taught by the Program. Further, the public and practitioners report on misleading references to Program Content in online or offline publications or activities. Furthermore, when viewing the website http://www.gunnims.com, people living with Persistent Pain develop an expectation as to how their Persistent Pain and associated conditions will be managed and have reported management outside the scope of the Gunn IMS™ Approach. Should a practitioner choose to include another modality this should be stated clearly, and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt.
  4. What laws apply to the Program’s Content? The Program’s legal rights, title and interest are effective worldwide under contract law and intellectual property law (which includes copyright, confidential information, trademarks and domain law policies) enforceable under international conventions and policies applicable to domain names and use of social media.
  5. Who must comply with these Conditions of Use?
  1. Practitioners: The Gunn IMS™ Approach is not just a series of techniques. It incorporates a distinctive clinical reasoning process taught to practitioners in structured learning during courses. What you learn from Program Content is for you as a practitioner in your clinical context to support people living with Persistent Pain and associated conditions, not in job roles comparable to that of a teacher, lecturer, tutor, researcher, trainer, mentor, coach, facilitator, curriculum or program developer (collectively, “Educators”).
  2. Educators: Practitioners and educators are not created equal. What the Program teaches and how it teaches is the result of 50 years of intellectual endeavour and clinical experience helping people living with Persistent Pain and associated conditions, and relevant research. To ensure accurate delivery of services, the Program trains Educators authorised to teach the Gunn IMS™ Assessment and Management (Gunn IMS™ Approach or protocol). For Educators, achieving the necessary standards involves a structured and comprehensive Educator training program incorporating the Gunn IMS™ Instructor Training Program with associated permissions.
  3. Researchers: For researchers, any research involving or investigating the Program Content, specifically the Gunn IMS™ Approach or protocol, needs to be sanctioned by the Program to ensure those collecting data have achieved a satisfactory level of clinical competency and that the research design and methodology is appropriate.

Operative Provisions:

You will be taken to have accepted these Conditions of Use by: (a) acknowledgment at the time of an online registration (or before on acceptance of the Terms and Conditions of the Gunn IMS™ Program on its website); (b) signing at the commencement of an offline course; or (c) by accessing or using the following websites or associated social media platforms to buy, register or conduct other transaction  activities www.gunnims.com,  www.community.gunnims.com.

Incorporated into these Conditions of Use by reference are the Program’s Intellectual Property Notice, Marketing Permission Given to Course Attendees, Permission Agreement to Use the Name and Charter for Use of Content.

  1. Intellectual Property: You accept that the “Intellectual Property Notice” for Program Content specifies limitations and prohibitions including the use of registered and unregistered (Common Law) trademarks of the Program.
  2. Marketing: You must at all times:
  1. comply with the concepts described above relating to the Program’s Intellectual Property;
  2. not use the Program’s trademarks as part or whole of your practice’s domain name;
  3. ensure you link or tag any online reference made by you using Gunn IMS™ , Gunn IMS™ Approach, Gunn IMS™ Program to www.gunnims.com, @gunn_ims (Instagram), @ Gunn IMS Dry Needling (Facebook)
  4. make no unauthorised association with the Program in online or offline marketing (including but not limited to bios, brochures, website, social media, blog posts or videos) except as a credit alongside the name of an individual as a Practitioner – never with a practice, company or organisation with which that individual is affiliated as a Practitioner, and never as an Educator or Researcher;
  5. except when you have successfully completed a Certification course (see Permission Agreement to Use the Name – Gunn IMS™ Certified Practitioner) or Gunn IMS™ Instructor Training Program (see Permission Agreement to Use the Name – Gunn IMS™ Instructor) you may only use the name Gunn IMS™ in a title alongside your name to confirm your attendance at a course by the Program eg. Gunn IMS™ Program Certification Course Attendee if you have attended this course or Gunn IMS™ Program Review Course Attendee when you have attended both courses. You may not refer to yourself with a self-appointed title, for example (but not limited to these examples), a Gunn IMS™ Accredited, Gunn IMS™ Practitioner, Gunn IMS™ Certified Practitioner, or Specialised Gunn IMS™ Practitioner;
  6. not represent the Gunn IMS™ Approach or protocol alongside or combined with other modalities, approaches and medical devices; and
  7. not represent Gunn IMS™ Approach or Gunn IMS™ Program alongside or combined with pricing of the goods and services of an individual, practice, company or organisation.
  8. include the following disclaimer in your marketing and communications materials (including but not limited to your website, social media profile and brochures): “This is not a publication of the Gunn IMS™ Program. The Gunn IMS™ Program is not responsible for any clinical decision and treatment given or fees charged by any course participant or their employer.”
  1. Misleading, Non-compliant or Unauthorised Affiliation: Use contrary to clause 2 or other non-compliant use by you of the Gunn IMS™, Gunn IMS™ Approach or Gunn IMS™ Program will be taken as unauthorised commercial endorsement, affiliation or association.

In your online and offline marketing and communications, the Program requires strict compliance with its conditions set out in this Conditions of Use and other Program legal documents. With compliance, you will avoid misrepresentation, misappropriation or misleading statements about affiliation with the Program. You will also not then breach passing off law, trade practices law, fair trading law and the Program’s intellectual property (which includes copyright, confidential information, trademarks and domain law policies).

You must not claim any part of Program Content or the Gunn IMS™ Approach or protocol as your own. This includes renaming or rebranding under another name. All reference to the Gunn IMS™ is prohibited.

Avoid creating your own terminology, definition, approach, diagram, illustration or paraphrase about the Program, the Gunn IMS™ Approach or your use of it in your practice for example, a brochure, website, social media, blog post or video titled with your name or the name of your clinic. Sourcing or referencing Gunn IMS™, Gunn IMS™ Approach or Gunn IMS™ Program in your marketing and communications does not remedy non-compliant material or use.

  1. Unlawful, Unconscionable or Unethical Action: You: (a) acknowledge that the Gunn IMS™ Program has all legal rights, title and interest to its goodwill, reputation, copyright work (includes publications, text, images and video), name, brands, registered and unregistered trade marks, domain names or other intellectual property; (b) acknowledge that such legal rights, title and interest includes as regards the use of Program Content and the Program’s name, brands, registered and unregistered trade marks, or domain names with any entity, service, product, website or social media; (c) acknowledge you will not register or use any domain names, sub-domains, meta tags, meta names, meta descriptions, keywords, social media handles or social media presence that unlawfully, unconscionably or unethically trades off the Program’s goodwill or reputation or makes any false or misleading claim to affiliation, sponsorship or approval by the Program; and (d) where a course, symposium or event is designed for online and individual viewing, only the person who registered and paid, for the purpose of  continuing professional development, may do so, and are prohibited from undertaking any activity, in any country, that would breach the Intellectual Property and Copyright rights of the Program along with the Program’s operative provisions. For example you agree not to (i) share your unique login details, (ii) view the Course content with, including but not limited to,  other individual/s or group/s, friends, family or colleagues, in any setting including homes, private practice/s, lecture theatre/s hospital/s or university department/s, (iii) use the Course content for any purpose,  including in-servicing staff, teaching, lecturing, researching, training, mentoring, coaching, facilitating or for curriculum or program development and (iv) copy, display, sell, resell, transfer, distribute, publish, reproduce, duplicate, create derivative works, or exploit for commercial purpose or gain any of the Course content.
  2. Disclaimer: By registering to participate in Program Offerings you affirm that you – (i) hold a qualification as one of the following health professionals: Physiotherapist or Physician and note that the Program will not be held liable for anyone who undertakes Program Offerings who does not fit these criteria; (ii) are currently regulated by a respected professional regulatory body; (iii) operate within the scope of practice determined by your respective professional regulatory body; (iv) possess up-to-date professional indemnity insurance; (v) must independently ensure eligibility to pursue this Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training in accordance with your jurisdiction’s applicable local law and regulations; (vi) understand that Offerings are designed in Canada for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) purposes; (vii) acknowledge Offerings are hosted by the Program in Canada unless advised otherwise; (viii) certificates issued after each Offering signify attendance and do not indicate a level of competency; (ix) assume full responsibility for applying your acquired knowledge in your professional practice; and (x) the Program disclaims any liability for malpractice or client complaints in any and all jurisdictions against those who undergo Program training.
  3. Teaching: Accepting that you are not a Gunn IMS™ Educator, you acknowledge that Program Content is only for your clinical use as a Practitioner. You agree to not teach, lecture, tutor, mentor, coach or use for teaching, lecturing, tutoring, mentoring, facilitating or coaching purposes, any Program Content at any time in any country without obtaining prior express permission from the Program. You also agree to not use Program Content as a researcher or curriculum or program developer, except with prior written permission.
  4. Research: You acknowledge and will use professional referencing protocols when referring to Program Content or research undertaken by any person(s) associated with the Program.
  5. Copying, Supplying or Adapting: You must not make, supply or adapt or permit others to make, supply or adapt any copy, part, version or modification of Program Content in any manner or for any purpose whatsoever except as permitted in writing by the Program. You must not develop any work adapting, encapsulating, reproducing, based on or derived from Program Content, including images to portray or represent Program Content in any media.
  6. Solicitation: Except for the referral of patients to other practitioners, you accept that you are prohibited by this agreement/policy/document, as well as by privacy, copyright and confidential information law, from soliciting, copying or using the names, contact details or personal information of any program registrant, course attendee, Certified Practitioner, their affiliated company, business or staff.
  7. Release for Exercises: You acknowledge that in Program training courses it is your responsibility to decline to have any particular techniques performed on you if you have any conditions that may predispose you to pain or suffering in response to participation in this course. You acknowledge that the training involves “obvious risk” as is established in Canadian law.
  8. Release for Recordings: You grant to the Program and its licensees and assign permission to record you (picture, voice and/or performance) on audio-visual media (including photographs, video and digital media) and use them in all countries with your name, likeness, voice and affiliation information for educational, marketing and commercial purposes.
  9. Privacy: (Demonstration Patients and Course Participants) You acknowledge and will respect and protect the personal information of people attending a Gunn IMS™ Program course, program, webinar or event.

(Yours) You give permission for your personal information to be used in the Program’s databases, directories, listings, web and digital media applications to communicate with you, promote you, indicate your affiliation with the Program, complete transactions and keep you up to date with Program Content. You may unsubscribe at any time using the “Unsubscribe” option in the communication sent to you.

  1. Indemnity: Without limitation to any other remedy, as a separate, additional and severable liability, you irrevocably indemnify and must at all times keep indemnified the Gunn IMS™ Program, its related bodies corporate, officers and employees from all demands, claims, actions, proceedings, settlements, liability, accidents, events, acts, omissions, expenses, death, bodily injury, disability, sickness, disease, damages, costs and loss of any type (including legal and accounting costs and disbursements on a full indemnity basis) suffered or incurred by the Gunn IMS™ Program (directly or indirectly) as a result of or arising from the breach (by commission or omission) of this Agreement by you or any wilful, unlawful or negligent act or omission by you or any related bodies corporate, trust or person for whose acts or omissions you are vicariously liable in connection with this Agreement.
  2. Remedy: You agree on notice to you to immediately remedy any non-compliance by you with these Conditions of Use.
  3. Survival of Obligations: You are bound by these Conditions of Use at all times, including in the use of Program Content by you, or by those authorised by you or under your power or control (including employees, independent contractors, contractors, partners, directors, assigns or agents).
  4. Transfer: The Program may assign, sub-contract or otherwise transfer this Agreement but you may not.
  5. Termination: If you breach this Agreement the Program may immediately terminate this Agreement. Termination will automatically terminate any of the following given to you – Marketing Permission Given to Course Attendees and Permissions Agreement for Use of Name.
  6. Governing Law: These Conditions of Use must be interpreted and governed by the laws of the province of British Columbia and Canada as applicable. If a dispute arises in relation to this Agreement it will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of British Columbia and Canada.

Accepted as an agreement on the date of registration.

Gunn IMS™  – Revised 1st January 2025