Terms of Use
Last Revised 5/19/03
Common Sense Media ("CSM") is happy to provide you with this web site for your information and use. The site and all site-related services ("Site") are provided subject to your agreement to the terms and conditions set forth in this agreement ("Agreement"). By using the Site, you agree to be bound by this Agreement. If you do not agree to these terms and conditions, please do not use the Site. In addition, when using the Site, you agree that you are subject to any additional posted guidelines, rules, terms, and conditions. Please review our Privacy Policy.
We reserve the right at any time to (1) change the terms and conditions of this Agreement; or (2) change the Site, including eliminating or discontinuing any content on or feature of the Site. Any changes we make will be effective automatically seven (7) days after posting such changes on the Site. Your continued use of the Site following such changes will be deemed acceptance of such changes. Be sure to return to this page periodically to ensure familiarity with the most current version of these Terms of Use.
Common Sense Media Terms of Use
1. Materials on the Site. The information and materials provided through the Site, including any data, text, graphics, images, audio and video clips, logos, icons, software and links (collectively, the "Materials") are intended to educate and inform you. The Materials are the sole property of CSM or its licensors. The rights to all materials on this Site are protected by U.S. and international laws of copyright, trademark and other laws. You acknowledge that you do not acquire any ownership rights by using the Site or the Materials.
Although CSM strives to provide Materials that are both useful and accurate, laws, regulations, data and other information change frequently and are subject to varying interpretations. In addition, the facts and circumstances of every situation differ. Accordingly, although CSM endeavors to use reasonable care in assembling the Materials, the Materials may not be up-to-date, accurate or complete. Further, the Materials should not be construed as professional advice on any subject matter, and availability or use of the Materials is not intended to create, and does not create, any professional services relationship.
Please note that portions of the Materials have been contributed to the Site by various individuals. The inclusion of such information does not indicate any approval or endorsement of the views expressed therein. Information provided by individuals, whether publicly posted or privately transmitted, is the sole responsibility of the person providing such information. Please understand that CSM expressly disclaims any liability with respect to such materials.
The Site contains links to other World Wide Web sites and resources. Because CSM has no control over such sites and resources, you acknowledge and agree that CSM is not responsible for the availability of such external sites or resources, and does not endorse and is not responsible or liable for any content, advertising, products, or other materials on or available from such sites or resources. You further acknowledge and agree that CSM shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any such site or resource.
CSM provides links to affiliates who sell products for children to adults who can purchase with a credit card. If you are under 18, you may use CSM only with involvement of a parent or guardian. CSM and its affiliates reserve the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, or cancel orders in their sole discretion.
2. Use of Materials. CSM grants you a limited license to access and make personal use of the Site. You may not download (other than page caching) or modify the Site, or any portion of the Site. This license does not include, and you agree that you will not conduct, any resale or commercial use of the Site or its contents; any collection and use of any product or title listings, ratings, descriptions, or prices; any derivative use of the Site or its contents; any downloading or copying of account information for the benefit of another merchant; or any use of data mining, robots, or similar data gathering and extraction tools. No portion of the Site may be reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, resold, visited, or otherwise exploited for any commercial purpose. You must retain all copyright and other proprietary notices on downloaded and copied Materials, and any such downloads or copies are subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. Further, the Materials remain the property of CSM or its licensors or suppliers. Use or downloading of the Software and other Materials is conditioned on acceptance of the terms and conditions of any license agreements relating to such Software or other Materials, including agreements of third parties. By acquiring or using the Materials, you agree to such terms and conditions. You may not use any meta tags or any other "hidden text" utilizing CSM's name or trademarks without the express written consent of CSM. Any unauthorized use automatically terminates any permission or license granted by CSM. You are granted a limited, revocable, and nonexclusive right to create a hyperlink to the home page of CSM so long as the link does not portray CSM, its affiliates, or their products or services in a false, misleading, derogatory, or otherwise offensive matter. You may not use any CSM logo or other proprietary graphic or trademark as part of the link without express written permission. Other than as specifically described above, you may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, display, prepare derivative works based on, republish, transmit, repost or otherwise use the content of our Site, without prior written authorization from CSM.
3. Submission of Materials. CSM welcomes and values your contributions to the Site in areas designated for contribution. In such areas, users may post reviews, comments, and other content, so long as you adhere to CSM's Code of Conduct, Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.
Please note that, because we and our designees allow users to post reviews and other information on the Site and may in the future host other types of forums on the Site (collectively, the "Forums") and, therefore, redistribute materials you give to us, we require certain rights in those materials. Accordingly, by sending or transmitting to us reviews, comments, creative suggestions, ideas, notes, concepts, information or other materials (collectively, "Submissions"), or by posting such Submissions to any area of the Site, you grant us and our designees a worldwide, non-exclusive, sublicenseable (through multiple tiers), assignable, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right to use, reproduce, distribute (through multiple tiers), create derivative works of, publicly perform, publicly display, digitally perform, make, have made, sell, offer for sale and import such Submissions in any media now known or hereafter developed, for any purpose whatsoever, commercial or otherwise, without compensation to the provider of the Submissions. None of the Submissions will be subject to any obligation, whether of confidentiality, attribution or otherwise, on our part and we will not be liable for any use or disclosure of any Submissions. You grant CSM and its affiliates and sublicensees the right to use the name that you submit in connection with such content, if they choose. You represent and warrant that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to the content that you post; that the content is accurate; that use of the content you supply does not violate these Terms of Service and will not cause injury to any person or entity; and that you will indemnify CSM or its affiliates for all claims resulting from content you supply. CSM takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for any content posted by you or any third party.
Our Forums are designed to facilitate the exchange of information between users. Information on our Forums is provided by our staff and other contributors, some of whom use anonymous screen names and are people not otherwise connected with CSM. You acknowledge that a large volume of information is available in our Forums and that people participating in such Forums occasionally post messages or make statements, whether intentionally or unintentionally, that are inaccurate, misleading or deceptive. We neither endorse nor are responsible for such messages or statements, or for any opinion, advice, information or other content made or displayed on the Site or Forums by third parties, whether such third parties are visitors to the Site, members of the CSM community or others. The opinions expressed in the Forums reflect solely the opinion(s) of the participants and may not reflect the opinion(s) of CSM. We are not responsible for any errors or omissions in articles or postings, for hyperlinks embedded in messages or for any results obtained from the use of such information. Under no circumstances will we or our affiliates, suppliers or agents be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on such information obtained through the Site.
We have no obligation to monitor the Site or the Forums, or any Submissions or other materials that you or other third parties transmit or post on the Site or the Forums. You acknowledge and agree that we and our affiliates have the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the Site and the Forums and the materials you transmit or post; to alter or remove any such materials (including, without limitation, any posting to a Forum); to disclose such materials and the circumstances surrounding their transmission to any third party in order to operate the Site properly; to protect ourselves, our sponsors and our members and visitors; and to comply with legal obligations or governmental requests.
4. Your Account. When and if you register with the Site (either as a member or to receive our newsletter), you agree to (a) provide accurate, current and complete information about yourself as prompted by our registration form (including your email address) and (b) maintain and update your information (including your email address) to keep it accurate, current and complete. You acknowledge that, if any information provided by you is untrue, inaccurate, not current or incomplete, we reserve the right to terminate this Agreement and your use of the Site.
As part of the registration process, you will be asked to select a username and password. We may refuse to grant you a username that impersonates someone else, is or may be illegal, is or may be protected by trademark or other proprietary rights law, is vulgar or otherwise offensive, or may cause confusion, as determined by us in our sole discretion. You will be responsible for the confidentiality and use of your username and password and agree not to transfer or resell your use of or access to the Site to any third party. If you have reason to believe that your account with us is no longer secure, you must promptly change your password. YOU ARE ENTIRELY RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF YOUR USERNAME AND PASSWORD AND FOR ANY AND ALL ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING PURCHASES, AS APPLICABLE) THAT ARE CONDUCTED THROUGH YOUR ACCOUNT.
5. Code of Conduct. While using the Site and/or Materials, you agree not to: · Use the Site or Materials for any unlawful or improper purpose; · Use a false e-mail address, impersonate any person or entity, or otherwise mislead as to the origin of any content; · Express or imply that any statements you make are endorsed by us, without our prior written consent; · Transmit (a) any content or information that is unlawful, fraudulent, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene or otherwise objectionable, or infringes our or any third party's intellectual property or other rights; (b) any material, non-public information about companies without the authorization to do so; (c) any trade secret of any third party; or (d) any advertisements, solicitations, chain letters, pyramid schemes, investment opportunities or other unsolicited commercial communication; · Use any CSM trademark or any CSM graphics, logos, page headers, button icons, scripts, or services names; · Remove any copyright, trademark or other proprietary rights notices contained in the Site or Materials; · "Frame" or "mirror" any part of the Site without our prior written authorization; · Collect or store personal data about other users; · Harass other users; · Restrict or inhibit any other visitor or member from using the Site, including, without limitation, by means of "hacking" or defacing any portion of the Site; · Engage in spamming or flooding; · Transmit any software or other materials that contain any viruses, worms, trojan horses, defects, date bombs, time bombs or other items of a destructive nature; or · Use any robot, spider, site search/retrieval application or other manual or automatic device or process to retrieve, index, "data mine" or in any way reproduce or circumvent the navigational structure or presentation of the Site or its contents. While using the Site and/or Materials, you agree to comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations.
6. Making purchases. If you wish to purchase products or services described on the Site, you will be asked by CSM or the third party provider of the product or service to supply certain information applicable to your purchase, including, without limitation, credit card and other information. You understand that any such information will be treated by CSM in the manner described in our Privacy Policy. You agree that all information that you provide to CSM or such third party provider will be accurate, current and complete. You agree to pay all charges incurred by you or any users of your account and credit card (or other applicable payment mechanism) at the price(s) in effect when such charges are incurred. You will also be responsible for paying any applicable taxes relating to your purchases.
Descriptions or images of, or references to, products or services on the Site do not imply CSM's endorsement of such products or services. We reserve the right, without prior notification, to change such descriptions or references, to limit the order quantity on any product or service and/or to refuse service to you. Verification of information applicable to a purchase may be required prior to CSM's acceptance of any order. Price and availability of any product or service are subject to change without notice.
7. Claims of Copyright Infringement. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (the "DMCA") provides recourse for copyright owners who believe that material appearing on the Internet infringes their rights under U.S. copyright law. If you believe in good faith that materials hosted by CSM infringe your copyright, you (or your agent) may send us a notice requesting that the material be removed, or access to it blocked. The notice must include the following information: (a) a physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed; (b) identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed (or if multiple copyrighted works located on the Site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works); (c) identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or the subject of infringing activity, and information reasonably sufficient to allow CSM to locate the material on the Site; (d) the name, address, telephone number and email address (if available) of the complaining party; (e) a statement that the complaining party has a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent or the law; and (f) a statement that the information in the notification is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed. If you believe in good faith that a notice of copyright infringement has been wrongly filed against you, the DMCA permits you to send CSM a counter-notice. Notices and counter-notices must meet the then-current statutory requirements imposed by the DMCA; see http://www.loc.gov/copyright/ for details. Notices and counter-notices with respect to the Site should be sent to Copyrights c/o Common Sense Media, 650 Townsend Street, Suite 375, San Francisco, 94103. We suggest that you consult your legal advisor before filing a notice or counter-notice. Also, be aware that there can be penalties for false claims under the DMCA. Please note that CSM may terminate any user who it reasonably believes to be a repeat copyright infringer.
8. Ownership and Restrictions on Use. The Site is owned and operated by CSM in conjunction with others pursuant to contractual arrangements, and the Materials (and any intellectual property and other rights relating thereto) are and will remain the property of CSM and its licensors and suppliers. The Materials and the selection, compilation, collection, arrangement and assembly thereof are protected by U.S. and international copyright, trademark and other laws, and you acknowledge that these rights are valid and enforceable. The Materials may be used solely to the extent necessary for your authorized use of the Site, as provided in this Agreement or as expressly authorized in writing by CSM or, if so indicated in writing by CSM, its licensors or suppliers. Modification of the Materials or use of the Materials for any other purpose is a violation of our copyright and other proprietary rights, and is strictly prohibited. You acknowledge that you do not acquire any ownership rights by using the Site or the Materials.
The trademarks, logos, and service marks displayed on the Site (collectively the "Trademarks") are the registered and unregistered trademarks of CSM, CSM's licensors and suppliers, and others. The Trademarks owned by CSM, whether registered or unregistered, may not be used in connection with any product or service that is not CSM's, in any manner that is likely to cause confusion with customers, or in any manner that disparages CSM. Nothing contained on the Site should be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel or otherwise, any license or right to use any Trademark without the express written permission of CSM, CSM's licensors or suppliers, or the third party owner of any such Trademark. Misuse of any Trademarks is prohibited, and CSM will aggressively enforce its intellectual property rights in such Trademarks, including via civil and criminal proceedings.
9. Disclaimers. THE SITE, THE MATERIALS ON THE SITE, AND ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE OBTAINED THROUGH THE SITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND ANY WARRANTIES THAT MAY ARISE FROM COURSE OF DEALING, COURSE OF PERFORMANCE OR USAGE OF TRADE. Applicable law may not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so the above exclusions may not apply to you. CSM AND ITS AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, SUPPLIERS, ADVERTISERS, SPONSORS AND AGENTS DO NOT WARRANT THAT YOUR USE OF THE SITE OR ANY SOFTWARE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE OR SECURE, THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED, OR THAT THE SITE, THE SERVER(S) ON WHICH THE SITE IS HOSTED OR SOFTWARE ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. ANY MATERIAL DOWNLOADED OR OTHERWISE OBTAINED THROUGH THE USE OF THE SERVICE IS DONE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND RISK AND THAT YOU WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR LOSS OF DATA THAT RESULTS FROM THE DOWNLOAD OF ANY SUCH MATERIAL. YOUR USE OF THE SITE AND ANY MATERIALS PROVIDED THROUGH THE SITE IS ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.
10. Limitation of Liability. NEITHER CSM NOR ANY OF OUR AFFILIATES, LICENSORS, MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, ADVERTISERS OR SPONSORS, NOR OUR OR THEIR DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, CONSULTANTS, AGENTS OR OTHER REPRESENTATIVES, ARE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE OR OTHER DAMAGES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF DATA OR LOST PROFITS), UNDER ANY CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHER THEORY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING IN ANY WAY TO THE SITE AND/OR MATERIALS CONTAINED ON THE SITE, OR ANY LINKED SITE, EVEN IF CSM HAS BEEN ADVISED OF OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. YOUR SOLE REMEDY FOR DISSATISFACTION WITH THE SITE, MATERIALS OR ANY LINKED SITE IS TO STOP USING THE SITE, MATERIALS OR LINKED SITE, AS APPLICABLE.
12. Termination. We reserve the right to immediately terminate this Agreement, and/or your access to and use of the Site or any portion thereof, at any time and for any reason, with or without cause. CSM shall have no liability for termination of this Agreement. Upon termination of this Agreement, your right to use the Site shall immediately cease, and you shall destroy all Materials obtained from the Site and all copies thereof, whether made under the terms of this Agreement or otherwise.
13. Indemnification. You agree to indemnify, defend and hold CSM, our affiliates, licensors, advertisers and sponsors, and our and their directors, officers, employees, consultants, agents and other representatives, harmless from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, costs (including attorneys' fees) and other expenses that arise directly or indirectly out of or from (a) your breach of this Agreement; and/or (b) your activities in connection with the Site.
14. Access by Minors. CSM strives to comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). In addition, pursuant to 47 U.S.C. Section 230(d), as amended, we hereby notify you that parental control protections (such as computer hardware, software or filtering services) are commercially available that may assist you in limiting access to material that is harmful to minors. Information identifying current providers of such protections is available at the web sites (www.awesomelibrary.org/Office/Main/Involving_Family/Parental_Control.html) and (http://www.worldvillage.com/family/parental.html).
15. Notice for California Users. Under California Civil Code Section 1789.3, California Site users are entitled to the following specific consumer rights notice: The Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs may be contacted in writing at 400 R Street, Suite 1080, Sacramento, California 95814, or by telephone at (916) 445-1254 or (800) 952-5210.
16. Jurisdictional Issues. The Site is controlled and operated by CSM from its office in San Francisco, California and is not intended to subject CSM to the laws or jurisdiction of any state, country, or territory other than California and the United States of America. The Site is solely directed to individuals residing in the United States. Those who choose to access the Site from other locations do so on their own initiative and at their own risk, and are responsible for compliance with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable. This Agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, United States of America, without regards to its principles of conflicts of law. You agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of any State or Federal court located in the County of San Francisco, California, United States of America, and waive any jurisdictional, venue or inconvenient forum objections to such courts. Any dispute or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the then-prevailing commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association, and applying California law and/or U.S. federal law, if applicable. Such arbitration will take place in San Francisco, California, USA, before one (1) arbitrator selected in accordance with such arbitration rules, who shall be an attorney with a reasonable knowledge of the Internet. The arbitration shall be conducted in English, and all documents submitted by the parties must be in English. This section is incorporated by reference. The arbitrators shall have no power to award consequential, incidental, indirect or punitive damages, or any damages in excess of compensatory damages, if any. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction pending the outcome of such arbitration, and (ii) any judgment upon the decision rendered by such arbitration against a party, and/or any injunctive or other equitable relief granted by such arbitration, may be entered in any court having competent jurisdiction over the party or its assets.
17. Miscellaneous. If any provision of this Agreement is found to be unlawful, void or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from this Agreement and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. This is the entire Agreement between us relating to the subject matter herein and supersedes any and all prior or contemporaneous written or oral agreements between us with respect to such subject matter. This Agreement is not assignable, transferable or sublicenseable by you except with CSM's prior written consent. No waiver by either party of any breach or default hereunder shall be deemed to be a waiver of any preceding or subsequent breach or default. Any heading, caption or section title contained in this Agreement is inserted only as a matter of convenience and in no way defines or explains any section or provision hereof.
18. Questions. The Site is provided by Common Sense Media. If you have any questions, comments or complaints regarding this Agreement or the Site, feel free to contact us at 650 Townsend Street, Suite 375, San Francisco, 94103, or info[at]commonsensemedia[dot]org.
