Terms of Use

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using LCBO Gateway SmartAssist (the “Service”), you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Use (the “Terms”). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must immediately discontinue use of the Service.

Your use of the Service constitutes your acceptance of these Terms and creates a binding legal agreement between you and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (“LCBO,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). These Terms apply each time you access or use the Service.

2. Description of Service

LCBO Gateway SmartAssist is a vendor-facing support tool powered by Microsoft Copilot Studio and artificial intelligence technology. The Service is designed to:

• Assist vendors with LCBO Gateway access and navigation
• Provide information about submission processes and requirements
• Answer general questions about vendor policies and procedures
• Direct vendors to relevant resources and support contacts

The Service operates on a conversational basis. The Service is provided as a convenience to assist with general vendor inquiries and is not intended to replace direct communication with your LCBO representative or official vendor documentation.

3. AI Disclaimer and Accuracy Limitations

Important Notice: This Service uses artificial intelligence and may produce inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated information.

LCBO Gateway SmartAssist is powered by generative artificial intelligence and large language model technology. While we strive to provide accurate and helpful information, you should be aware of the following limitations:

• No Guarantee of Accuracy: We cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or reliability of any information provided by this tool. AI-generated responses may contain errors, omissions, or outdated information.
• Not a Substitute for Official Sources: Information provided by this tool should be used as a starting point only. Always verify important information by consulting official LCBO vendor documentation, contacting your LCBO representative directly, or referencing the Gateway.
• Evolving Processes: Vendor submission requirements, portal procedures, and policies change over time. This tool may not reflect the most recent updates to Gateway processes.
• AI-Generated Content: You acknowledge that you are interacting with an AI-powered support tool, not a human representative. Responses are generated based on patterns in training data and may occasionally be inaccurate or irrelevant.

You use the Service and rely on any information provided at your own risk. You are responsible for verifying any information before relying on it. LCBO expressly disclaims all liability for any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in responses provided by this tool.

4. Intended Use — Not Professional Advice

LCBO Gateway SmartAssist is designed to provide general vendor support information only and does not constitute professional, legal, financial, or contractual advice of any kind.

The Service is NOT intended to provide and should NOT be relied upon for:

• Legal advice regarding vendor agreements, contracts, or your specific legal obligations
• Financial advice regarding pricing, margins, or commercial terms
• Definitive answers about product listing approvals, submission outcomes, or compliance status
• Official LCBO policy interpretation that supersedes published vendor guidelines
• Binding commitments on behalf of LCBO regarding vendor relationships or procurement decisions

For matters involving contractual obligations, compliance, or other important decisions, you must verify information with your LCBO representative and official vendor documentation.

5. Prohibited Uses

You agree not to use the Service in any way that:

• Violates any applicable federal, provincial, or local laws or regulations
• Facilitates unauthorized access to LCBO systems, data, or confidential vendor information
• Attempts to circumvent, bypass, disable or interfere with security controls, access restrictions, or other technical safeguards
• Misuses the Service or uses it in a way for which it was not intended
• Attempts to manipulate, deceive, or exploit the Service through prompt engineering or injection attacks
• Uses automated tools, bots, scripts, or other automated means to access or interact with the Service
• Submits excessive requests or uses the Service in a manner that could damage, disable, or impair the Service or LCBO’s systems
• Harms, threatens or attempts to harm any individual, organization, or LCBO
• Impersonates any person or entity, or falsely represents your affiliation with any person or organization
• Submits content that is unlawful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable
• Submits or attempts to extract personal, sensitive, proprietary or confidential information
• Presents information generated by the Service as official LCBO policy or contractual guidance

LCBO reserves the right to investigate violations of these Terms and to take appropriate action, including suspending or blocking access to the Service.

6. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, LCBO AND ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OR USE, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO:

• Your use of or inability to use the Service
• Any information or content obtained from the Service
• Any reliance on information provided by this tool
• Any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions in the Service or its responses
• Any decisions made or actions taken based on information from the Service
• Any interruption, suspension, or termination of the Service

Your sole remedy for dissatisfaction with the Service is to stop using it.

7. No Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

LCBO does not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure, error-free, or that AI-generated responses will be accurate, appropriate, or helpful. LCBO makes no representations or warranties about the reliability of third-party systems, including Microsoft Copilot Studio, that power the Service.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so some of the above exclusions may not apply to you.

Your use of the Service is at your own risk.

8. Privacy and Data Handling

LCBO does not intentionally collect or retain personal information through the Service. Conversation data is processed and handled by Microsoft through its Copilot Studio infrastructure. Conversations are not stored by the LCBO application itself.

Do not submit personal, sensitive, confidential, or proprietary information to this tool, including names, addresses, credit card numbers, government-issued identification numbers, passwords, trade secrets, or confidential business data.

By using the Service, you acknowledge and consent that any information you provide — including information that may constitute personal information — is processed by Microsoft and is not retained by the LCBO. You further acknowledge that your interactions may be subject to Microsoft’s terms of service and privacy policies in addition to these Terms.

9. Authorized Users

This Service is intended for authorized LCBO vendors and their representatives.

By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you are an authorized representative of a current LCBO vendor and that you are at least 19 years of age. The Service is designed to support vendor operations related to the LCBO Gateway.

Use of this tool does not establish, modify, or replace any formal vendor agreement or contractual relationship with LCBO.

10. Modifications to Terms

LCBO reserves the right to modify, amend, or update these Terms at any time, at our sole discretion. When we make changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the modified Terms.

LCBO also reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service at any time, with or without notice, and without liability to you or any third party.

11. Intellectual Property

All rights, title, and interest in the Service, including its underlying technology, remain with LCBO or its licensors. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works from the Service or its outputs except as permitted by these Terms.

12. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and your use of the Service are governed by and shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the applicable federal laws of Canada. You agree that any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in the Province of Ontario.

13. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by law, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

14. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or feedback regarding LCBO Gateway SmartAssist or these Terms, please contact us:

• Website: www.lcbo.com
• Vendor Portal: Access the LCBO Gateway