Effective: March 1, 2023
These Terms of Service (this “Agreement”) are a binding contract between you and Vivid Group Holdings, Inc. d/b/a EZ Newswire and its affiliates (“Company”, “us”, “our”, or “we”). This Agreement governs your access to and use of the Services.
PLEASE READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY TO ENSURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND EACH PROVISION. THIS AGREEMENT CONTAINS AN ARBITRATION AGREEMENT AND A CLASS ACTION/JURY TRIAL WAIVER THAT REQUIRE, UNLESS YOU OPT OUT PURSUANT TO THE INSTRUCTIONS IN SECTION 11(B), THE EXCLUSIVE USE OF FINAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS TO RESOLVE DISPUTES BETWEEN YOU AND US, INCLUDING ANY CLAIMS THAT AROSE OR WERE ASSERTED BEFORE YOU AGREED TO THESE TERMS. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YOU EXPRESSLY WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO SEEK RELIEF IN A COURT OF LAW AND TO HAVE A JURY TRIAL ON YOUR CLAIMS, AS WELL AS YOUR RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY CLASS, COLLECTIVE, PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION OR PROCEEDING.
THIS AGREEMENT TAKES EFFECT WHEN YOU CLICK THE “I ACCEPT” BUTTON OR BY ACCESSING OR USING THE SERVICES (THE “EFFECTIVE DATE”). BY CLICKING ON THE “I ACCEPT” BUTTON OR BY ACCESSING OR USING THE SERVICES YOU (A) ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS AGREEMENT; (B) REPRESENT AND WARRANT THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT, POWER, AND AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND, IF ENTERING INTO THIS AGREEMENT FOR AN ORGANIZATION, THAT YOU HAVE THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO BIND THAT ORGANIZATION; AND (C) ACCEPT THIS AGREEMENT AND AGREE THAT YOU ARE LEGALLY BOUND BY ITS TERMS.
IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS, PLEASE DO NOT SELECT THE “I ACCEPT” BUTTON. IF YOU DO NOT ACCEPT THESE TERMS, YOU MAY NOT ACCESS OR USE THE SERVICES.
You may never use other Users’ User Accounts without permission. When creating your Customer Account, you must provide accurate and complete information, and you must keep this information up to date. You are solely responsible for the activity that occurs on your Customer Account, and you must keep your Customer Account password secure. We encourage you to use “strong” passwords (passwords that use a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols) with your Customer Account. You must notify Company immediately of any breach of security or unauthorized use of your Customer Account. Company will not be liable for any losses caused by any unauthorized use of your Customer Account.
You may control your Customer Account profile and how you interact with the Services by changing the settings in your settings page. By providing Company your email address you consent to our using the email address to send you Services-related notices, including any notices required by law, in lieu of communication by postal mail. We may also use your email address to send you other messages, such as changes to features of the Services and special offers. If you do not want to receive such email messages, you may opt out or change your preferences in your settings page. Opting out may prevent you from receiving email messages regarding updates, improvements, or offers.
By submitting, posting, displaying, providing, or otherwise making available any Customer Content on or through the Services, you expressly grant, and you represent and warrant that you have all rights necessary to grant, to Company a royalty-free, sublicensable, transferable, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, worldwide license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, list information regarding, edit, translate, distribute, syndicate, publicly perform, publicly display, and make derivative works of all such Customer Content and your name, voice, and/or likeness as contained in your Customer Content, in whole or in part, and in any form, media or technology, whether now known or hereafter developed, for use in connection with the Services and Company’s (and its successors’ and affiliates’) business, including without limitation in connection with modifying, improving, and enhancing artificial intelligence models, as well as promoting and redistributing part or all of the Services (and derivative works thereof) in any media formats and through any media channels.
In connection with your Customer Content, you affirm, represent, warrant and covenant the following:You may choose to or we may invite you to submit Feedback. By submitting any Feedback, you agree that your disclosure is gratuitous, unsolicited and without restriction and will not place Company under any fiduciary or other obligation, and that we are free to use the Feedback without any additional compensation to you, and/or to disclose the Feedback on a non-confidential basis or otherwise to anyone. You further acknowledge that, by acceptance of your submission, Company does not waive any rights to use similar or related ideas previously known to Company, or developed by its employees, or obtained from sources other than you. If you or any of your employees, contractors, or agents sends or transmits Feedback, we are free to use such Feedback irrespective of any other obligation or limitation between you and us governing such Feedback. All Feedback is and will be treated as non-confidential. You hereby assign to us on your behalf, and shall cause your Authorized Users to assign, all right, title, and interest in, and we are free to use, without any attribution or compensation to you or any third party, any ideas, know-how, concepts, techniques, or other Intellectual Property Rights contained in the Feedback, for any purpose whatsoever, although we are not required to use any Feedback.
If you believe that your copyrighted work has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement and is accessible via the Services, please notify Company’s copyright agent as set forth in the DMCA. For your complaint to be valid under the DMCA, you must provide the following information in writing:
Vivid Group Holdings, Inc.
Attn: Legal Department
80 Varick Street, Suite 9A
New York, NY 10013
Email: [email protected]
UNDER FEDERAL LAW, IF YOU KNOWINGLY MISREPRESENT THAT ONLINE MATERIAL IS INFRINGING, YOU MAY BE SUBJECT TO CRIMINAL PROSECUTION FOR PERJURY AND CIVIL PENALTIES, INCLUDING MONETARY DAMAGES, COURT COSTS, AND ATTORNEYS’ FEES.
Please note that this procedure is exclusively for notifying Company and its affiliates that your copyrighted material has been infringed. The preceding requirements are intended to comply with Company’s rights and obligations under the DMCA, including 17 U.S.C. §512(c), but do not constitute legal advice. It may be advisable to contact an attorney regarding your rights and obligations under the DMCA and other applicable laws.
In accordance with the DMCA and other applicable law, Company has adopted a policy of terminating, in appropriate circumstances, Users who are deemed to be repeat infringers. Company may also at its sole discretion limit access to the Services and/or terminate the User Accounts of any Users who infringe any intellectual property rights of others, whether or not there is any repeat infringement.
You will comply with all terms and conditions of this Agreement, all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and all guidelines, standards, and requirements that may be posted on www.eznewswire.com from time to time, including the AUP.
From time to time, Company and Customer may disclose or make available to the other party Confidential Information. The receiving party shall not disclose the disclosing party’s Confidential Information to any person or entity, except to the receiving party’s employees who have a need to know the Confidential Information for the receiving party to exercise its rights or perform its obligations hereunder and who are required to protect the Confidential Information in a manner no less stringent than required under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each party may disclose Confidential Information to the limited extent required (i) to comply with the order of a court or other governmental body, or as otherwise necessary to comply with applicable law, provided that the party making the disclosure pursuant to the order shall first have given written notice to the other party and made a reasonable effort to obtain a protective order; or (ii) to establish a party’s rights under this Agreement, including to make required court filings. Each party’s obligations of non-disclosure with regard to Confidential Information are effective as of the date such Confidential Information is first disclosed to the receiving party and will expire five years thereafter; provided, however, with respect to any Confidential Information that constitutes a trade secret (as determined under applicable law), such obligations of non-disclosure will survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement for as long as such Confidential Information remains subject to trade secret protection under applicable law.
Company cares about the integrity and security of your personal information. However, we cannot guarantee that unauthorized third parties will never be able to defeat our security measures or use your personal information for improper purposes. You acknowledge that you provide your personal information at your own risk.FURTHER, COMPANY DOES NOT WARRANT, ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE ADVERTISED OR OFFERED BY A THIRD PARTY THROUGH THE SERVICES OR ANY HYPERLINKED WEBSITE OR SERVICE, AND COMPANY WILL NOT BE A PARTY TO OR IN ANY WAY MONITOR ANY TRANSACTION BETWEEN YOU AND THIRD-PARTY PROVIDERS OF PRODUCTS OR SERVICES.
FEDERAL LAW, SOME STATES, PROVINCES AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION AND LIMITATIONS OF CERTAIN IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS AGREEMENT GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. THE DISCLAIMERS AND EXCLUSIONS UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT APPLY TO THE EXTENT PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, COMPANY ASSUMES NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY (I) ERRORS, MISTAKES, OR INACCURACIES OF CONTENT; (II) PERSONAL INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, OF ANY NATURE WHATSOEVER, RESULTING FROM YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF THE SERVICES; (III) ANY UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR USE OF OUR SECURE SERVERS AND/OR ANY AND ALL PERSONAL INFORMATION STORED THEREIN; (IV) ANY INTERRUPTION OR CESSATION OF TRANSMISSION TO OR FROM THE SERVICES; (V) ANY BUGS, VIRUSES, TROJAN HORSES, OR THE LIKE THAT MAY BE TRANSMITTED TO OR THROUGH THE SERVICES BY ANY THIRD PARTY; (VI) ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN ANY CONTENT OR FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF ANY CONTENT POSTED, EMAILED, TRANSMITTED, OR OTHERWISE MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SERVICES; AND/OR (VII) CUSTOMER CONTENT OR THE DEFAMATORY, OFFENSIVE, OR ILLEGAL CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTY.
IN NO EVENT WILL COMPANY, ITS AFFILIATES, AGENTS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, SUPPLIERS, OR LICENSORS’ AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT UNDER ANY LEGAL OR EQUITABLE THEORY, INCLUDING BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNTS PAID TO COMPANY UNDER THIS AGREEMENT IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTH PERIOD PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM OR $50.00, WHICHEVER IS GREATER.
THIS LIMITATION OF LIABILITY SECTION APPLIES WHETHER THE ALLEGED LIABILITY IS BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, OR ANY OTHER BASIS, EVEN IF COMPANY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS AGREEMENT GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. THE DISCLAIMERS, EXCLUSIONS, AND LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT APPLY TO THE EXTENT PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW.
(b) Arbitration. Read this Section carefully because it requires the parties to arbitrate their disputes and limits the manner in which you can seek relief from Company. This Arbitration Agreement applies to and governs any dispute, controversy, or claim between you and Company that arises out of or relates to, directly or indirectly: (a) this Agreement, including the formation, existence, breach, termination, enforcement, interpretation, validity, or enforceability thereof; (b) access to or use of the Services, including receipt of any advertising or marketing communications; (c) any transactions through, by, or using the Services; or (d) any other aspect of your relationship or transactions with Company, directly or indirectly, as a consumer (“Claim” or collectively, “Claims”). The Arbitration Agreement shall apply, without limitation, to all Claims that arose or were asserted before or after your agreement to this Agreement.
If you are a new Company user, you can reject and opt-out of this Arbitration Agreement within 30 days of accepting this Agreement by emailing Company at [email protected] with your first and last name and stating your intent to opt-out of the Arbitration Agreement. Note that opting out of this Arbitration Agreement does not affect any other part of this Agreement, including the provisions regarding controlling law or in which courts any disputes must be brought.
For any Claim, you agree to first contact us at [email protected] and attempt to resolve the dispute with us informally. In the unlikely event that Company has not been able to resolve a Claim after sixty (60) days, we each agree to resolve any Claim exclusively through binding arbitration by AAA before a single arbitrator (the “Arbitrator”), under the Expedited Procedures then in effect for AAA (the “Rules”), except as provided herein. In the event of any conflict between the Rules and this Arbitration Agreement, this Arbitration Agreement shall control. AAA may be contacted at www.adr.org, where the Rules are also available. The arbitration will be conducted in the U.S. county where you live or Delaware, unless you and Company agree otherwise. If you are using the Services for commercial purposes, each party will be responsible for paying any AAA filing, administrative and arbitrator fees in accordance with AAA rules, and the award rendered by the arbitrator shall include costs of arbitration, reasonable attorneys’ fees and reasonable costs for expert and other witnesses. If you are an individual using the Services for non-commercial purposes: (i) AAA may require you to pay a fee for the initiation of your case, unless you apply for and successfully obtain a fee waiver from AAA; (ii) the award rendered by the arbitrator may include your costs of arbitration, your reasonable attorney’s fees, and your reasonable costs for expert and other witnesses; and (iii) you may sue in a small claims court of competent jurisdiction without first engaging in arbitration, but this does not absolve you of your commitment to engage in the informal dispute resolution process. Any judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. You and Company agree that the Arbitrator, and not any federal, state, or local court or agency, shall have exclusive authority to resolve any disputes relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability or formation of this Arbitration Agreement, including any claim that all or any part of this Arbitration Agreement is void or voidable. The Arbitrator shall also be responsible for determining all threshold arbitrability issues, including issues relating to whether the Agreement, any provision of the Agreement, is unconscionable or illusory and any defense to arbitration, including waiver, delay, laches, unconscionability, or estoppel.
Nothing in this Section shall be deemed as: preventing Company from seeking injunctive or other equitable relief from the courts as necessary to prevent the actual or threatened infringement, misappropriation, or violation of our data security, Intellectual Property Rights or other proprietary rights; or preventing you from asserting claims in small claims court, if your claims qualify and so long as the matter remains in such court and advances on only an individual (non-class, non-representative) basis.
If this Arbitration Agreement is found to be void, unenforceable, or unlawful, in whole or in part, the void, unenforceable, or unlawful provision, in whole or in part, shall be severed. Severance of the void, unenforceable, or unlawful provision, in whole or in part, shall have no impact on the remaining provisions of the Arbitration Agreement, which shall remain in force, or the parties’ ability to compel arbitration of any remaining claims on an individual basis pursuant to the Arbitration Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Class Action/Jury Trial Waiver is found to be void, unenforceable, or unlawful, in whole or in part, because it would prevent you from seeking public injunctive relief, then any dispute regarding the entitlement to such relief (and only that relief) must be severed from arbitration and may be litigated in a civil court of competent jurisdiction. All other claims for relief subject to arbitration under this Arbitration Agreement shall be arbitrated under its terms, and the parties agree that litigation of any dispute regarding the entitlement to public injunctive relief shall be stayed pending the outcome of any individual claims in arbitration.