MEDIA MATTERS FOR AMERICA

WEBSITE TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Date of Last Revision: February 21, 2018

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE CAREFULLY. BY ACCESSING OR USING THIS WEBSITE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS DESCRIBED HEREIN AND ALL TERMS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ALL OF THESE TERMS, DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE.

These terms and conditions of use (“Site Terms”) apply to your access to, and use of, the Website of Media Matters for America (collectively "Media Matters," “we” or “us”), located at mediamatters.org, action.mediamatters.org, and any other Websites, mobile sites, and mobile applications that link to this Policy (collective the “Sites”) (collectively the “Site”).

Media Matters reserves the right to change or modify any of the terms and conditions contained in the Site Terms or any policy or guideline of the Site, at any time and in its sole discretion. Any changes or modification will be effective immediately upon posting of the revisions on the Site, and you waive any right you may have to receive specific notice of such changes or modifications. Your continued use of this Site following the posting of changes or modifications will confirm your acceptance of such changes or modifications. Therefore, you should frequently review the Site Terms and applicable policies from time-to-time to understand the terms and conditions that apply to your use of the Site. If you do not agree to the amended terms, you must stop using the Site.  

1. Privacy Policy

   Please refer to our Privacy Policy for information on how Media Matters collects, uses, and discloses personally identifiable information from its users.

2. SMS Terms - Media Matters Action Alerts

   If you subscribe to Media Matters Action Alerts, the following terms apply:
   
   Text JOIN to 29550 to get recurring text messages about action alerts and breaking news from Media Matters. Text STOP to quit at any time. Text HELP or email action@mediamatters.org for more information. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary. See our Privacy Policy. Supported carriers include: AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and MetroPCS. Neither Media Matters nor the participating carriers are liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Media Matters may discontinue the program at any time without notice.

3. Copyright and Limited License

   Unless otherwise indicated on the Site, the Site and all content and other materials on the Site, including, without limitation, the Media Matters logo, and all designs, text, graphics, pictures, information, data, software, sound files, other files and the selection and arrangement thereof (collectively, the “Site Materials”) are the proprietary property of Media Matters or its licensors or users and are protected by U.S. and international copyright laws.

   You are granted a limited, non-sublicensable license to access and use the Site for your informational, non-commercial and personal use only. Such license is subject to these Site Terms and does not include: (a) any resale or commercial use of the Site or the Site Materials therein; (b) the distribution, public performance, or public display of any Site Materials; (c) modifying or otherwise making any derivative uses of the Site and the Site Materials, or any portion thereof; (d) use of any data mining, robots, or similar data gathering or extraction methods; (e) downloading (other than the page caching) of any portion of the Site, the Site Materials or any information contained therein, except as expressly permitted on the Site; or (f) any use of the Site or the Site Materials other than for its intended purpose. Any use of the Site or the Site Materials other than as specifically authorized herein, without the prior written permission of Media Matters, is strictly prohibited and will terminate the license granted herein. Such unauthorized use may also violate applicable laws including without limitation copyright and trademark laws and applicable communications regulations and statutes. Unless explicitly stated herein, nothing in these Site Terms shall be construed as conferring any license to intellectual property rights, whether by estoppel, implication or otherwise. This license is revocable at any time.

4. Repeat Infringer Policy  

   In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) and other applicable law, Media Matters has adopted a policy of terminating, in appropriate circumstances and at Media Matters' sole discretion, subscribers or account holders who are deemed to be repeat infringers. Media Matters may also at its sole discretion limit access to the Site and/or terminate the accounts of any users who infringe any intellectual property rights of others, whether or not there is any repeat infringement.

5. Copyright Complaints

   If you believe that anything on the Site infringes upon any copyright which you own or control, you may file a notification of such infringement with our Designated Agent as set forth below.

   Name of Agent Designated to Receive Notification of Claimed Infringement: Copyright Agent

   Full Address of Designated Agent to Which Notification Should be Sent:

   P.O. Box 52155

   Washington, DC 20091

   Telephone Number of Designated Agent: (202) 756-4100

   E-Mail Address of Designated Agent: dmca@mediamatters.org

   Please see 17 U.S.C. §512(c)(3) for the requirements of a proper notification. You should note that if you knowingly misrepresent in your notification that the material or activity is infringing, you will be liable for any damages, including costs and attorneys' fees, incurred by us or the alleged infringer as the result of our relying upon such misrepresentation in removing or disabling access to the material or activity claimed to be infringing.

6. Trademarks
   
   
   
   MEDIA MATTERS FOR AMERICA, the Media Matters logos and any other Media Matters product or service name or slogan contained in the Site are trademarks of Media Matters, and may not be copied, imitated or used, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of Media Matters or the applicable trademark holder. You may not use any metatags or any other “hidden text” utilizing "Media Matters" or any other name, trademark or product or service name of Media Matters without our prior written permission. In addition, the look and feel of the Site, including all page headers, custom graphics, button icons and scripts, is the service mark, trademark and/or trade dress of Media Matters and may not be copied, imitated or used, in whole or in part, without our prior written permission. All other trademarks, registered trademarks, product names and company names or logos mentioned in the Site are the property of their respective owners. Reference to any products, services, processes or other information, by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, supplier or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement, sponsorship or recommendation thereof by us.

7. Hyperlinks

   You are granted a limited, non-exclusive right to create a text hyperlink to the Site for noncommercial purposes, provided such link does not portray Media Matters or any of its products and services in a false, misleading, derogatory or otherwise defamatory manner and provided further that the linking site does not contain any adult or illegal material or any material that is offensive, harassing or otherwise objectionable. This limited right may be revoked at any time. You may not use a Media Matters logo or other proprietary graphic of Media Matters to link to this Site without the express written permission of Media Matters. Further, you may not use, frame or utilize framing techniques to enclose any Media Matters trademark, logo or other proprietary information, including the images found at the Site, the content of any text or the layout/design of any page or form contained on a page on the Site without Media Matters' express written consent. Except as noted above, you are not conveyed any right or license by implication, estoppel or otherwise in or under any patent, trademark, copyright, or proprietary right of Media Matters or any third party.

   Media Matters makes no claim or representation regarding, and accepts no responsibility for, the quality, content, nature or reliability of third-party Web sites accessible by hyperlink from the Site, or Web sites linking to the Site. Such sites are not under the control of Media Matters and Media Matters is not responsible for the contents of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site, or any review, changes, or updates to such sites. Media Matters provides these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply affiliation, endorsement, or adoption by Media Matters of any site or any information contained therein. When you leave the Site, you should be aware that our terms and policies no longer govern. You should review the applicable terms and policies, including privacy and data gathering practices, of any site to which you navigate from the Site.

8. Third Party Content

   Media Matters may provide third party content on the Site and may provide links to Webpages and content of third parties (collectively the “Third Party Content”) as a service to those interested in this information. Media Matters does not control, endorse, or adopt any Third Party Content and makes no representation or warranties of any kind regarding the Third Party Content, including without limitation regarding its accuracy or completeness. You acknowledge and agree that Media Matters is not responsible or liable in any manner for any Third Party Content and undertakes no responsibility to update or review any Third Party Content. Users use such Third Party Content contained therein at their own risk.

9. Advertisements and Promotions; Third-Party Products and Services

   Media Matters may run advertisements and promotions from third parties on the Site or may otherwise provide information about or links to third-party products or services on the Site. Media Matters does not endorse or make any representations or warranties regarding any third party products, services, promotions or vendors. Your business dealings or correspondence with, or participation in promotions of, such third parties, and any terms, conditions, warranties, or representations associated with such dealings or promotions, are solely between you and such third party. Media Matters is not responsible or liable in any manner for any third party products or services, for any loss or damage of any sort incurred as the result of any products, services, dealings or promotions or as the result of the presence of such non-Media Matters advertisers or third party information on the Site.

10. Submissions

    You acknowledge and agree that any materials, including but not limited to questions, comments, suggestions, ideas, plans, notes, drawings, original or creative materials, or other information, regarding the Site, Media Matters or Media Matters' products or services that are provided by you in the form of email or other submissions to Media Matters, or any postings on the Site, are non-confidential and shall become the sole property of Media Matters. Media Matters shall own exclusive rights, including all intellectual property rights, and shall be entitled to the unrestricted use and dissemination of these materials for any purpose, commercial or otherwise, without acknowledgment or compensation to you.

11. User Content and Conduct

    The Site may include interactive areas or services in which you or other users post comments, messages, data, information, or other content or materials on the Site (“User Content”). You are solely responsible for the User Content you post, and you agree that all User Content you post will strictly follow the rules set forth in these Terms of Use and in Media Matters’ Website Community Guidelines in effect at the time you post such User Content. Without limiting the foregoing, you agree not to post, upload to, transmit, distribute, store, create, or otherwise publish through the Site any of the following:

    a. User Content that is unlawful, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, indecent, lewd, suggestive, harassing, threatening, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, abusive, inflammatory, false, misleading, fraudulent, or otherwise objectionable;

    b. User Content that would constitute, encourage, or provide instructions for a criminal offense, violate the rights of any party, or that would otherwise create liability or violate any local, state, national, or international law;

    c. User Content that may infringe any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, or other intellectual or proprietary right of any party. By posting any User Content, you represent and warrant that you have the lawful right to distribute and reproduce such User Content;

    d. User Content that impersonates any person or entity or otherwise misrepresents your affiliation with a person or entity;

    e. Unsolicited promotions, political campaigning, advertising, or solicitations;

    f. Private or personally identifiable information about any third party, including, without limitation, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, Social Security numbers, and credit card numbers;

    g. Viruses, corrupted data, or other harmful, disruptive, or destructive files; and

    h. User Content that, in the sole judgment of Media Matters, is objectionable or which restricts or inhibits any other person from using or enjoying the Interactive Areas or the Site, or which may expose Media Matters or its users to any harm or liability of any type.

    You further agree that you are solely responsible for your conduct while on the Site and the Service, and you agree that you will not do any of the following in connection with the Site, the Service, or its users:

    ∙ Use the Site or the Service in any manner that could interfere with, disrupt, negatively affect, or inhibit other users from fully enjoying the Site or that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair the functioning of the Site in any manner;

    ∙ Impersonate or post on behalf or any person or entity or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;

    ∙ Cheat or utilize unauthorized exploits in connection with the Service;

    ∙ Stalk, intimidate, threaten, or otherwise harass or cause discomfort to other users;

    ∙ Send, distribute, or post spam, unsolicited or bulk commercial electronic communications, chain letters, or pyramid schemes;

    . Harvest or otherwise collect information about users, including email addresses, without their consent;

    ∙ Use the Site or the Service for any illegal or unauthorized purpose or engage in, encourage, or promote any illegal activity, or any activity that violates these Terms of Use; or

    ∙ Circumvent or attempt to circumvent any filtering, security measures or other features Media Matters may from time to time adopt to protect the Site, the Service, its users, or third parties.

    Media Matters takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for any User Content posted, stored, or uploaded by you or any third party, or for any loss or damage thereto, or for any user conduct, nor is Media Matters liable for any mistakes, defamation, slander, libel, omissions, falsehoods, obscenity, pornography, or profanity you may encounter. Your use of Interactive Areas is at your own risk. Enforcement of the user content or conduct rules set forth in these Site Terms is solely at Media Matters' discretion, and failure to enforce such rules in some instances does not constitute a waiver of our right to enforce such rules in other instances. In addition, these rules do not create any private right of action on the part of any third party or any reasonable expectation that the Site will not contain any content that is prohibited by such rules. As a provider of interactive services, Media Matters is not liable for any statements, representations, or User Content provided by its users in any public forum, personal home page, or other Interactive Areas. Although Media Matters has no obligation to screen, edit, or monitor any of the Content posted in any Interactive Area, Media Matters reserves the right, and has absolute discretion, to remove, screen, or edit any User Content posted or stored on the Site at any time and for any reason without notice, and you are solely responsible for creating backup copies of and replacing any User Content you post or store on the Site at your sole cost and expense. Any use of the Interactive Areas or other portions of the Site in violation of the foregoing violates these Site Terms and may result in, among other things, termination or suspension of your rights to use the Interactive Areas and/or the Site.  

    If you post User Content to the Site, unless we indicate otherwise, you grant Media Matters and its affiliates a nonexclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable and fully sublicensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform, and display such User Content throughout the world in any manner or media. You grant Media Matters and its affiliates and sublicensees the right to use the name that you submit in connection with such User Content, if we choose. You understand and agree that the use of your or other users’ name, likeness, voice, or identity in connection with various features on the Site does not imply any endorsement of such feature or of the Site of the Media Matters unless explicitly stated otherwise. You represent and warrant that (a) you own and control all of the rights to the User Content that you post or you otherwise have the right to post such User Content to the Site; (b) the User Content is accurate and not misleading; and (c) use and posting of the User Content you supply does not violate these Site Terms and will not violate any rights of or cause injury to any person or entity.

12. Indemnification

    You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Media Matters, its independent contractors, service providers, and consultants, and their respective directors, employees, and agents, from and against any claims, damages, costs, liabilities, and expenses (including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to any User Content you post, store, or otherwise transmit on or through the Site or your use of the Interactive Areas, including, without limitation, any actual or threatened suit, demand or claim made against Media Matters and/or its independent contractors, service providers, employees, directors, or consultants, arising out of or relating to the User Content, your conduct, your violation of these Site Terms or your violation of the rights of any third party.

13. Disclaimer

    EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED TO THE CONTRARY IN A WRITING BY MEDIA MATTERS, THE SITE, THE SITE MATERIALS CONTAINED THEREIN AND THE SERVICES PROVIDED ON OR IN CONNECTION THEREWITH (THE “SERVICES”) ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. MEDIA MATTERS DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT AS TO THE SITE AND THE SERVICES, INCLUDING THE INFORMATION, CONTENT, AND MATERIALS CONTAINED THEREIN. MEDIA MATTERS DOES NOT REPRESENT OR WARRANT THAT MATERIALS IN THE SITE OR THE SERVICES ARE ACCURATE, COMPLETE, RELIABLE, CURRENT, OR ERROR-FREE. MEDIA MATTERS DOES NOT REPRESENT OR WARRANT THAT THE SITE OR ITS SERVERS ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS.

    Media Matters reserves the right to change any and all content contained in the Site and to modify, suspend or discontinue the Site or any Services offered through the Site or any features or functionality of the Site or the Services at any time without notice and without obligation or liability to you. Reference to any products, services, processes, or other information, by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, supplier, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement, sponsorship, or recommendation thereof, or any affiliation therewith, by Media Matters.

14. Limitation of Liability

    TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW: (A) IN NO EVENT SHALL MEDIA MATTERS, ITS DIRECTORS, MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF USE, LOSS OF PROFITS, OR LOSS OF DATA, WHETHER IN AN ACTION IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, ARISING OUT OF, OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH, THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SITE, THE SERVICES, THE CONTENT, OR THE MATERIALS CONTAINED IN OR ACCESSED THROUGH THE SITE, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY DAMAGES CAUSED BY OR RESULTING FROM RELIANCE BY USER ON ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM MEDIA MATTERS, OR THAT RESULT FROM MISTAKES, OMISSIONS, INTERRUPTIONS, DELETION OF FILES OR EMAIL, ERRORS, DEFECTS, VIRUSES, DELAYS IN OPERATION OR TRANSMISSION, OR ANY FAILURE OF PERFORMANCE, WHETHER OR NOT RESULTING FROM ACTS OF GOD, COMMUNICATIONS FAILURE, THEFT, DESTRUCTION, OR UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO MEDIA MATTERS' RECORDS, PROGRAMS, OR SERVICES; AND (B) IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF MEDIA MATTERS, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE, WHETHER ACTIVE, PASSIVE OR IMPUTED), PRODUCT LIABILITY, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHER THEORY, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SITE OR THE SERVICES OR TO THESE SITE TERMS EXCEED ANY COMPENSATION YOU PAY, IF ANY, TO MEDIA MATTERS FOR ACCESS TO OR USE OF THE SITE.

15. Applicable Law and Venue

    These Site Terms and your use of the Site shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Washington, D.C., applicable to agreements made and to be entirely performed within the State of Washington, D.C., without resort to its conflict of law provisions. You agree that any action at law or in equity arising out of or relating to these Site Terms shall be filed only in the state and federal courts located in Washington, D.C. and you hereby irrevocably and unconditionally consent and submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts over any suit, action, or proceeding arising out of these Site Terms.

16. Termination

    Notwithstanding any of these Site Terms, Media Matters reserves the right, without notice and in its sole discretion, to terminate your license to use the Site, and to block or prevent future access to and use of the Site.

17. Severability

    If any provision of these Site Terms shall be deemed unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from these Site Terms and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.

18. Questions & Contact Information
    
    Questions or comments about the Site may be directed to Media Matters at action@mediamatters.org.