Finpublica Terms of Service
Last Updated: August 29, 2023
Welcome, and thank you for your interest in Finpublica, Inc. (“Finpublica,” “we,” or “us”) and our website at www.finpublica.org and our membership services (collectively, the “Service”). These Terms of Service are a legally binding contract between you and Finpublica regarding your use of the Service.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS CAREFULLY:
BY CLICKING “I ACCEPT,” OR OTHERWISE ACCESSING OR USING THE SERVICE, YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD, AND, AS A CONDITION TO YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY, THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS, INCLUDING FINPUBLICA’S PRIVACY POLICY (TOGETHER, THESE “TERMS”). If you are not eligible, or do not agree to the Terms, then you do not have our permission to use the Service. YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, AND FINPUBLICA’S PROVISION OF THE SERVICE TO YOU, CONSTITUTES AN AGREEMENT BY FINPUBLICA AND BY YOU TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS.
YOU AGREE TO RECEIVE TEXTS/CALLS FROM OR ON BEHALF OF FINPUBLICA AT THE PHONE NUMBER YOU PROVIDE TO US. THESE TEXTS/CALLS WILL INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SERVICE. YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT THESE TEXTS/CALLS MAY BE CONSIDERED TELEMARKETING UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, THEY MAY BE SENT USING AN AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE DIALING SYSTEM OR OTHER AUTOMATED TECHNOLOGY, AND YOUR CONSENT IS NOT A CONDITION OF ANY PURCHASE.
Arbitration NOTICE. Except for certain kinds of disputes described in Section 18 (Dispute Resolution and Arbitration), you agree that disputes arising under these Terms will be resolved by binding, individual arbitration, and BY ACCEPTING THESE TERMS, YOU AND FINPUBLICA ARE EACH WAIVING THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY OR TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY CLASS ACTION OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING.
1. Finpublica Service Overview. Finpublica is a non-profit organization that promotes and advances environmental social governance (“ESG”) initiatives by connecting individuals interested in promoting or implementing ESG initiatives in the financial services industry and providing resources and information about ESG issues and initiatives. Finpublica makes information, articles, tools, and other resources related to ESG issues and initiatives available on the Service. Finpublica offers certain features of the Service exclusively to users who have registered as Finpublica members, which may include additional resources and content, a membership directory, and certain social features, including an ESG discussion forum.
2. Informational Purposes Only. The Service includes certain information, materials, and resources related to ESG regulations, policies, topics, and programs. The information, materials, and resources available through the Service is for general informational purposes only and references to specific initiatives, regulations, policies, programs, and other topics are only for illustrative or educational purposes. The information on the Service is not intended to provide you or anyone else with investment, legal, tax, insurance, or any other kind of professional advice. Use of the information, resources, or materials on the Service is at your own discretion and at your own risk. Finpublica is not responsible for and disclaims any and all liabilities for actions taken by you based on content presented on the Services (the “Membership Services”).
3. Eligibility. You must be at least 18 years old to use the Service. By agreeing to these Terms, you represent and warrant to us that: (a) you are at least 18 years old; (b) you have not previously been suspended or removed from the Service; and (c) your registration and your use of the Service is in compliance with any and all applicable laws and regulations. If you are an entity, organization, or company, the individual accepting these Terms on your behalf represents and warrants that they have authority to bind you to these Terms and you agree to be bound by these Terms.
4. Donations. The Service may permit you to make donations. You acknowledge and agree that you are under no obligation to make a donation, and that you will be solely responsible for any decision to become a donor. Before you pay any amounts, you will have an opportunity to review and accept the amounts that you will be charged. All amounts are in U.S. dollars and are non-refundable. You authorize Finpublica or its third party payment processor to charge all sums as described in these Terms to that payment method. If you make any donations with a credit card, Finpublica or its third party payment processor may seek pre-authorization of your credit card account prior to your donation to verify that the credit card is valid and has the necessary funds or credit available to cover your donation. You agree that all donations are final and non-refundable.
5. Membership Services. To access some features of the Service, you must be a member of Finpublica. To become a “Member” of Finpublica, you must apply and your application must be approved by Finpublica.
5.1 Membership Accounts and Applications. Anyone may apply to become a Member by submitting a membership application on our website or by emailing us directly at awasserman@finpublica.org (a “Membership Application”). When you apply to become a Member, you may be required to provide us with some information about yourself, such as certain information about your employer and your name, email address, job title, or other contact information. You agree that the information you provide to us is accurate, complete, and not misleading, and that you will keep it accurate and up to date at all times. Finpublica reserves the right to reject your Membership Application in its sole discretion. Once your Membership Application is approved, you will be asked to create an account on the Service. When you create an account on the Service, you may be asked to create a username and a password. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and password, and you accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account. If you believe that your account is no longer secure, then you should immediately notify us at awasserman@finpublica.org.
5.2 Membership Directory. When you submit your Membership Application, you will be asked whether you would like Finpublica to include your name, email, and the name of your employer (“Member Information”) in the member directory that is visible to all Members (the “Membership Directory”). If you select this option in your Membership Application, you agree that Finpublica may include your Member Information in the Membership Directory if your Membership Application is approved. If you would like Finpublica to remove your Member Information from the Membership Directory, you may email us at awasserman@finpublica.org. You can also alter your Privacy Settings to limit what, if any, information can be shown to others in the Directory. You can also go to your Wild Apricot Privacy Settings to restrict what information, if any, is shown in the Membership Directory.
6. General Payment Terms. Certain features of the Service, including the Membership Services, may require you to pay fees. Before you pay any fees, you will have an opportunity to review and accept the fees that you will be charged. Unless otherwise specifically provided for in these Terms, all fees are in U.S. Dollars and are non-refundable, except as required by law.
6.1 Price. Finpublica reserves the right to determine pricing for the Service in the future. Should it do so, Finpublica will make reasonable efforts to keep pricing information published on the Service up to date. Finpublica may change the fees for any feature of the Service, including additional fees or charges, if Finpublica gives you advance notice of changes before they apply. Finpublica, at its sole discretion, may make promotional offers with different features and different pricing to any of Finpublica’s customers. These promotional offers, unless made to you, will not apply to your offer or these Terms.
6.2 Authorization. You authorize Finpublica to charge all sums for the orders that you make and any level of Service you select as described in these Terms or published by Finpublica, including all applicable taxes, to the payment method specified in your account. If you pay any fees with a credit card, then Finpublica may seek pre-authorization of your credit card account prior to your purchase to verify that the credit card is valid and has the necessary funds or credit available to cover your purchase.
6.3 Subscription Service. The Service may include certain subscription-based plans with automatically recurring payments for periodic charges (“Subscription Service”). The “Subscription Billing Date” is the date provided by Finpublica prior to your first subscription to the Service. The Subscription Service will begin on the Subscription Billing Date and continue for the subscription period that you select on your account (such period, the “Initial Subscription Period”), and will automatically renew for successive periods of the same duration as the Initial Subscription Period (the Initial Subscription Period and each such renewal period, each a “Subscription Period”) unless you cancel the Subscription Service or we terminate it. If you activate a Subscription Service, then you authorize Finpublica or its third-party payment processors to periodically charge, on a going-forward basis and until cancellation of the Subscription Service, all accrued sums on or before the payment due date. For information on the “Subscription Fee”, please see our pricing page. Your account will be charged automatically on the Subscription Billing Date and thereafter on the renewal date of your Subscription Service for all applicable fees and taxes for the next Subscription Period. You must cancel your Subscription Service before it renews in order to avoid billing of the next periodic Subscription Fee to your account. Finpublica or its third-party payment processor will bill the periodic Subscription Fee to the payment method associated with your account or that you otherwise provide to us. You may cancel the Subscription Service by contacting us at awasserman@finpublica.org. Your cancellation must be received before the renewal date in order to avoid charge for the next subscription period.
6.4 Delinquent Accounts. Finpublica may suspend or terminate access to the Service, including fee-based portions of the Service, for any account for which any amount is due but unpaid. In addition to the amount due for the Service, a delinquent account will be charged with fees or charges that are incidental to any chargeback or collection of any the unpaid amount, including collection fees. If your payment method is no longer valid at the time a renewal Subscription Fee is due, then Finpublica reserves the right to delete your account and any information or User Content (defined below) associated with your account without any liability to you.
7. Licenses
7.1 Limited License. Subject to your complete and ongoing compliance with these Terms, Finpublica grants you, solely for your personal, non-commercial use, a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable license to access and use the Service.
7.2 License Restrictions. Except and solely to the extent such a restriction is impermissible under applicable law, you may not: (a) reproduce, distribute, publicly display, publicly perform, or create derivative works of the Service; (b) make modifications to the Service; or (c) interfere with or circumvent any feature of the Service, including any security or access control mechanism. If you are prohibited under applicable law from using the Service, then you may not use it.
7.3 Feedback. We respect and appreciate the thoughts and comments from our users. If you choose to provide input and suggestions regarding existing functionalities, problems with or proposed modifications or improvements to the Service (“Feedback”), then you hereby grant Finpublica an unrestricted, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, fully-paid, royalty-free right and license to exploit the Feedback in any manner and for any purpose, including to improve the Service and create other products and services. We will have no obligation to provide you with attribution for any Feedback you provide to us.
8. Ownership; Proprietary Rights. The Service is owned and operated by Finpublica. The visual interfaces, graphics, design, compilation, information, data, computer code (including source code or object code), products, software, services, and all other elements of the Service provided by Finpublica (“Materials”) are protected by intellectual property and other laws. All Materials included in the Service are the property of Finpublica or its third-party licensors. Except as expressly authorized by Finpublica, you may not make use of the Materials. There are no implied licenses in these Terms and Finpublica reserves all rights to the Materials not granted expressly in these Terms.
9. Third-Party Terms
9.1 Third-Party Services and Linked Websites. Finpublica may provide tools through the Service that enable you to export information, including User Content, to third-party services, including through features that allow you to link your account on the Service with an account on the third-party service, such as Twitter/X or Linkedin, or through our implementation of third-party buttons (such as “like” or “share” buttons). By using one of these tools, you hereby authorize that Finpublica to transfer that information to the applicable third-party service. Third-party services are not under Finpublica’s control, and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, Finpublica is not responsible for any third-party service’s use of your exported information. The Service may also contain links to third-party websites. Linked websites are not under Finpublica’s control, and Finpublica is not responsible for their content. Please be sure to review the terms of use and privacy policy of any third-party services before you share any User Content or information with such third-party services. Once sharing occurs, Finpublica will have no control over the information that has been shared.
9.2 Third-Party Software. The Service may include or incorporate third-party software components that are generally available free of charge under licenses granting recipients broad rights to copy, modify, and distribute those components (“Third-Party Components”). Although the Service is provided to you subject to these Terms, nothing in these Terms prevents, restricts, or is intended to prevent or restrict you from obtaining Third-Party Components under the applicable third-party licenses or to limit your use of Third-Party Components under those third-party licenses.
10. User Content
10.1 User Content Generally. Certain features of the Service may permit users to submit, upload, publish, broadcast, or otherwise transmit (“Post”) content to the Service, including messages, photos, images, text, and any other works of authorship or other works (“User Content”). If you give Finpublica permission to include your Member Information in the Membership Directory, then such Member Information is “User Content” for purposes of this Section 9. You retain any copyright and other proprietary rights that you may hold in the User Content that you Post to the Service, subject to the licenses granted in these Terms.
10.2 Limited License Grant to Finpublica. By Posting User Content to or via the Service, you grant Finpublica a worldwide, non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free, fully paid right and license (with the right to sublicense through multiple tiers) to host, store, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform (including by means of a digital audio transmission), communicate to the public, reproduce, modify for the purpose of formatting for display, create derivative works as authorized in these Terms, and distribute your User Content, in whole or in part, in any media formats and through any media channels, in each instance whether now known or hereafter developed. You agree to pay all monies owing to any person or entity resulting from Posting your User Content and from Finpublica’s exercise of the license set forth in this Section.
10.3 Specific Rules for Photographs and Images. If you Post a photograph or image to the Service that includes one or more persons, you hereby grant such persons and their administrators, guardians, heirs, and trustees, if any, an irrevocable, perpetual, royalty free, fully paid-up, worldwide license to reproduce, distribute, and publicly display that photograph for personal use and through any online platform or service, including the Service, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, but not to promote any third-party product, good, or service. The license contained in this Section does not permit the subject of any photo or their administrators, guardians, heirs, or trustees to sell that image or photograph, whether on a standalone basis or as embodied in any product.
10.4 You Must Have Rights to the Content You Post; User Content Representations and Warranties. You must not Post User Content if you are not the owner of or are not fully authorized to grant rights in all of the elements of that User Content. Finpublica disclaims any and all liability in connection with User Content. You are solely responsible for your User Content and the consequences of providing User Content via the Service. By providing User Content via the Service, you affirm, represent, and warrant to us that:
(a) you are the creator and owner of the User Content, or have the necessary licenses, rights, consents, and permissions to authorize Finpublica and users of the Service to use and distribute your User Content as necessary to exercise the licenses granted by you in this Section, in the manner contemplated by Finpublica, the Service, and these Terms;
(b) your User Content, and the Posting or other use of your User Content as contemplated by these Terms, does not and will not: (i) infringe, violate, misappropriate, or otherwise breach any third-party right, including any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, moral right, privacy right, right of publicity, or any other intellectual property, contract, or proprietary right; (ii) slander, defame, libel, or invade the right of privacy, publicity or other property rights of any other person; or (iii) cause Finpublica to violate any law or regulation or require us to obtain any further licenses from or pay any royalties, fees, compensation or other amounts or provide any attribution to any third parties; and
(c) your User Content could not be deemed by a reasonable person to be objectionable, profane, indecent, pornographic, harassing, threatening, embarrassing, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate.
10.5 User Content Disclaimer. We are under no obligation to edit or control User Content that you or other users Post and will not be in any way responsible or liable for User Content. Finpublica may, however, at any time and without prior notice, screen, remove, edit, or block any User Content that in our sole judgment violates these Terms, is alleged to violate the rights of third parties, or is otherwise objectionable. You understand that, when using the Service, you will be exposed to User Content from a variety of sources and acknowledge that User Content may be inaccurate, offensive, indecent, or objectionable. You agree to waive, and do waive, any legal or equitable right or remedy you have or may have against Finpublica with respect to User Content. If notified by a user or content owner that User Content allegedly does not conform to these Terms, we may investigate the allegation and determine in our sole discretion whether to remove the User Content, which we reserve the right to do at any time and without notice. For clarity, Finpublica does not permit infringing activities on the Service.
10.6 Monitoring Content. Finpublica does not control and does not have any obligation to monitor: (a) User Content; (b) any content made available by third parties; or (c) the use of the Service by its users. You acknowledge and agree that Finpublica reserves the right to, and may from time to time, monitor any and all information transmitted or received through the Service for operational and other purposes. If at any time Finpublica chooses to monitor the content, then Finpublica still assumes no responsibility or liability for content or any loss or damage incurred as a result of the use of content. During monitoring, information may be examined, recorded, copied, and used in accordance with our Privacy Policy (defined below). Finpublica may block, filter, mute, remove or disable access to any User Content uploaded to or transmitted through the Service without any liability to the user who Posted such User Content to the Service or to any other users of the Service.
11. Communications
11.1 Text Messaging & Phone Calls. You agree that Finpublica and those acting on our behalf may call and send you text (SMS) messages at the phone number you provide us. These calls and messages may include operational calls or messages about your use of the Service, as well as marketing calls or messages. Calls and text messages may be made or sent using an automatic telephone dialing system. Standard data and message rates may apply whenever you send or receive such calls or messages, as specified by your carrier. IF YOU WISH TO OPT OUT OF MARKETING CALLS AND TEXT MESSAGES FROM FINPUBLICA, YOU CAN EMAIL AWASSERMAN@FINPUBLICA.ORG OR TEXT THE WORD “STOP” TO THE NUMBER FROM WHICH YOU ARE RECEIVING THE MESSAGES. IF YOU WISH TO OPT OUT OF ALL CALLS AND TEXT MESSAGES FROM FINPUBLICA, YOU CAN EMAIL AWASSERMAN@FINPUBLICA.ORG OR TEXT THE WORD “STOPALL” TO THE NUMBER FROM WHICH YOU ARE RECEIVING THE MESSAGES, HOWEVER YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OPTING OUT OF RECEIVING ALL MESSAGES MAY IMPACT YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE. You may continue to receive calls and text messages for a short period while we process your request, including a message confirming the receipt of your opt-out request. Your agreement to receive marketing calls and texts is not a condition of any purchase on or use of the Service.
11.2 Email. We may send you emails concerning our products and services, as well as those of third parties. You may opt out of promotional emails by following the unsubscribe instructions in the promotional email itself. You can also choose what, if any, emails to receive from Finpublica's WildApricot platform by going to your Email Settings and Log on the Wild Apricot site.
12. Prohibited Conduct. BY USING THE SERVICE, YOU AGREE NOT TO:
12.1 download, copy, or use any information from the Membership Directory (other than for one-to-one contact to network with other Members) or otherwise share access to the Membership Directory with any third party;
12.2 use the Service for any illegal purpose or in violation of any local, state, national, or international law;
12.3 harass, threaten, demean, embarrass, bully, or otherwise harm any other user of the Service;
12.4 violate, encourage others to violate, or provide instructions on how to violate, any right of a third party, including by infringing or misappropriating any third-party intellectual property right;
12.5 use manual or automated means to crawl, mine, scrape, or otherwise aggregate data from the Service;
12.6 access, search, or otherwise use any portion of the Service through the use of any engine, software, tool, agent, device, or mechanism (including spiders, robots, crawlers, and data mining tools) other than the software or search agents provided by Finpublica;
12.7 interfere with security-related features of the Service, including by: (i) disabling or circumventing features that prevent or limit use, printing or copying of any content; or (ii) reverse engineering or otherwise attempting to discover the source code of any portion of the Service except to the extent that the activity is expressly permitted by applicable law;
12.8 interfere with the operation of the Service or any user’s enjoyment of the Service, including by: (i) uploading or otherwise disseminating any virus, adware, spyware, worm, or other malicious code; (ii) making any unsolicited offer or advertisement to another user of the Service; (iii) collecting personal information about another user or third party without consent; or (iv) interfering with or disrupting any network, equipment, or server connected to or used to provide the Service;
12.9 perform any fraudulent activity including impersonating any person or entity, claiming a false affiliation or identity, accessing any other Service account without permission, or falsifying your age or date of birth;
12.10 sell or otherwise transfer the access granted under these Terms or any Materials (as defined in Section 7 (Ownership; Proprietary Rights)) or any right or ability to view, access, or use any Materials; or
12.11 attempt to do any of the acts described in this Section 11 (Prohibited Conduct) or assist or permit any person in engaging in any of the acts described in this Section 11 (Prohibited Conduct).
13. Intellectual Property Rights Protection
13.1 Respect of Third Party Rights. Finpublica respects the intellectual property rights of others, takes the protection of intellectual property rights very seriously, and asks users of the Service to do the same. Infringing activity will not be tolerated on or through the Service.
13.2 DMCA Notification. We comply with the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act applicable to Internet service providers (17 U.S.C. § 512, as amended). If you have an intellectual property rights-related complaint about any material on the Service, you may contact our Designated Agent at the following address:
Finpublica, Inc.
Attn: Legal Department (IP Notification)
70 Hollywood Drive
Hastings on Hudson, New York 10706
Email: awasserman@finpublica.org
13.3 Procedure for Reporting Claimed Infringement. If you believe that any content made available on or through the Service has been used or exploited in a manner that infringes an intellectual property right you own or control, then please promptly send a written “Notification of Claimed Infringement” to the Designated Agent identified above containing the following information:
(a) an electronic or physical signature of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright or other right being infringed;
(b) a description of the copyrighted work or other intellectual property right that you claim has been infringed;
(c) a description of the material that you claim is infringing and where it is located on the Service;
(d) your address, telephone number, and email address;
(e) a statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the use of the materials on the Service of which you are complaining is not authorized by the copyright or other intellectual property right owner, its agent, or the law; and
(f) a statement by you that the above information in your notice is accurate and that, under penalty of perjury, you are the copyright or other intellectual property right owner or authorized to act on the copyright or intellectual property owner’s behalf.
Your Notification of Claimed Infringement may be shared by Finpublica with the user alleged to have infringed a right you own or control as well as with the operators of publicly available databases that track notifications of claimed infringement, and you consent to Finpublica making such disclosures. You should consult with your own lawyer or see 17 U.S.C. § 512 to confirm your obligations to provide a valid notice of claimed infringement.
13.4 Repeat Infringers. Finpublica’s policy is to: (a) remove or disable access to material that Finpublica believes in good faith, upon notice from an intellectual property rights owner or authorized agent, is infringing the intellectual property rights of a third party by being made available through the Service; and (b) in appropriate circumstances, to terminate the accounts of and block access to the Service by any user who repeatedly or egregiously infringes other people’s copyright or other intellectual property rights. Finpublica will terminate the accounts of users that are determined by Finpublica to be repeat infringers. Finpublica reserves the right, however, to suspend or terminate accounts of users in our sole discretion.
13.5 Counter Notification. If you receive a notification from Finpublica that material made available by you on or through the Service has been the subject of a Notification of Claimed Infringement, then you will have the right to provide Finpublica with what is called a “Counter Notification.” To be effective, a Counter Notification must be in writing, provided to Finpublica’s Designated Agent through one of the methods identified in Section 12.2 (DMCA Notification), and include substantially the following information:
(a) your physical or electronic signature;
(b) identification of the material that has been removed or to which access has been disabled and the location at which the material appeared before it was removed or access to it was disabled;
(c) a statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good faith belief that the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification of the material to be removed or disabled; and
(d) your name, address, and telephone number, and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of Federal District Court for the judicial district in which the address is located, or if you are residing outside of the United States, then for any judicial district in which Finpublica may be found, and that you will accept service of process from the person who provided notification under Section 12.2 (DMCA Notification) above or an agent of that person.
A party submitting a Counter Notification should consult a lawyer or see 17 U.S.C. § 512 to confirm the party’s obligations to provide a valid counter notification under the Copyright Act.
13.6 Reposting of Content Subject to a Counter Notification. If you submit a Counter Notification to Finpublica in response to a Notification of Claimed Infringement, then Finpublica will promptly provide the person who provided the Notification of Claimed Infringement with a copy of your Counter Notification and inform that person that Finpublica will replace the removed User Content or cease disabling access to it in 10 business days, and Finpublica will replace the removed User Content and cease disabling access to it not less than 10, nor more than 14, business days following receipt of the Counter Notification, unless Finpublica’s Designated Agent receives notice from the party that submitted the Notification of Claimed Infringement that such person has filed an action seeking a court order to restrain the user from engaging in infringing activity relating to the material on Finpublica’s system or network.
13.7 False Notifications of Claimed Infringement or Counter Notifications. The Copyright Act provides at 17 U.S.C. § 512(f) that: “[a]ny person who knowingly materially misrepresents under [Section 512 of the Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512)] (1) that material or activity is infringing, or (2) that material or activity was removed or disabled by mistake or misidentification, will be liable for any damages, including costs and attorneys’ fees, incurred by the alleged infringer, by any copyright owner or copyright owner’s authorized licensee, or by a service provider, who is injured by such misrepresentation, as the result of Finpublica relying upon such misrepresentation in removing or disabling access to the material or activity claimed to be infringing, or in replacing the removed material or ceasing to disable access to it.” Finpublica reserves the right to seek damages from any party that submits a Notification of Claimed Infringement or Counter Notification in violation of the law.
14. Modification of Terms. We may, from time to time, change these Terms. Please check these Terms periodically for changes. Revisions will be effective immediately except that, for existing users, material revisions will be effective 30 days after posting or notice to you of the revisions unless otherwise stated. We may require that you accept modified Terms in order to continue to use the Service. If you do not agree to the modified Terms, then you should remove your User Content and discontinue your use of the Service. Except as expressly permitted in this Section 13 (Modification of Terms), these Terms may be amended only by a written agreement signed by authorized representatives of the parties to these Terms.
15. Term, Termination, and Modification of the Service
15.1 Term. These Terms are effective beginning when you accept the Terms or first access or use the Service, and ending when terminated as described in Section 14.2 (Termination).
15.2 Termination. If you violate any provision of these Terms, then your authorization to access the Service and these Terms automatically terminate. In addition, Finpublica may, at its sole discretion, terminate these Terms or your account on the Service, or suspend or terminate your access to the Service, at any time for any reason or no reason, with or without notice, and without any liability to you arising from such termination. You may terminate your account and these Terms at any time by contacting customer service at awasserman@finpublica.org.
15.3 Effect of Termination. Upon termination of these Terms: (a) your license rights will terminate and you must immediately cease all use of the Service; (b) you will no longer be authorized to access your account or the Service; (c) you must pay Finpublica any unpaid amount that was due prior to termination; and (d) all payment obligations accrued prior to termination and Sections 6.3 (Feedback), 7 (Ownership; Proprietary Rights), 9 (User Content), 14.3 (Effect of Termination), 15 (Indemnity), 16 (Disclaimers; No Warranties by Finpublica), 17 (Limitation of Liability), 18 (Dispute Resolution and Arbitration), and 19 (Miscellaneous) will survive. You are solely responsible for retaining copies of any User Content you Post to the Service since upon termination of your account, you may lose access rights to any User Content you Posted to the Service. If your account has been terminated for a breach of these Terms, then you are prohibited from creating a new account on the Service using a different name, email address or other forms of account verification.
15.4 Modification of the Service. Finpublica reserves the right to modify or discontinue all or any portion of the Service at any time (including by limiting or discontinuing certain features of the Service), temporarily or permanently, without notice to you. Finpublica will have no liability for any change to the Service, including any paid-for functionalities of the Service, or any suspension or termination of your access to or use of the Service. You should retain copies of any User Content you Post to the Service so that you have permanent copies in the event the Service is modified in such a way that you lose access to User Content you Posted to the Service.
16. Indemnity. To the fullest extent permitted by law, you are responsible for your use of the Service, and you will defend and indemnify Finpublica, its affiliates and their respective shareholders, directors, managers, members, officers, employees, consultants, and agents (together, the “Finpublica Entities”) from and against every claim brought by a third party, and any related liability, damage, loss, and expense, including attorneys’ fees and costs, arising out of or connected with: (1) your unauthorized use of, or misuse of, the Service; (2) your violation of any portion of these Terms, any representation, warranty, or agreement referenced in these Terms, or any applicable law or regulation; (3) your violation of any third-party right, including any intellectual property right or publicity, confidentiality, other property, or privacy right; or (4) any dispute or issue between you and any third party. We reserve the right, at our own expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you (without limiting your indemnification obligations with respect to that matter), and in that case, you agree to cooperate with our defense of those claims.
17. Disclaimers; No Warranties by Finpublica
17.1 THE SERVICE AND ALL MATERIALS AND CONTENT AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SERVICE ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND ON AN “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS. FINPUBLICA DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, RELATING TO THE SERVICE AND ALL MATERIALS AND CONTENT AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SERVICE, INCLUDING: (a) ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, QUIET ENJOYMENT, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT; AND (b) ANY WARRANTY ARISING OUT OF COURSE OF DEALING, USAGE, OR TRADE. FINPUBLICA DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE OR ANY PORTION OF THE SERVICE, OR ANY MATERIALS OR CONTENT OFFERED THROUGH THE SERVICE, WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR FREE OF ERRORS, VIRUSES, OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS, AND FINPUBLICA DOES NOT WARRANT THAT ANY OF THOSE ISSUES WILL BE CORRECTED.
17.2 NO ADVICE OR INFORMATION, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED BY YOU FROM THE SERVICE OR FINPUBLICA ENTITIES OR ANY MATERIALS OR CONTENT AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SERVICE WILL CREATE ANY WARRANTY REGARDING ANY OF THE FINPUBLICA ENTITIES OR THE SERVICE THAT IS NOT EXPRESSLY STATED IN THESE TERMS. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT THE CONTENT PRESENTED ON THE SERVICE IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE YOU OR ANYONE ELSE WITH INVESTMENT, LEGAL, TAX, INSURANCE, OR ANY KIND OF PROFESSIONAL ADVICE AND FINPUBLICA IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR AND DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITIES FOR ACTIONS TAKEN BY YOU BASED ON CONTENT PRESENTED ON THE SERVICES. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE THAT MAY RESULT FROM: (a) THE SERVICE, INCLUDING THE MEMBERSHIP SERVICES, AND YOUR DEALING WITH ANY OTHER SERVICE USER; (b) THE REJECTION OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION; OR (c) ANY ERRORS, INACCURACTIES, OR OMISSIONS IN ANY OF THE CONTENT OR RESOURCES PROVIDED ON THE SERVICES. YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT YOU USE ANY PORTION OF THE SERVICE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND RISK, AND THAT WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR PROPERTY (INCLUDING YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR MOBILE DEVICE USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE SERVICE) OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, INCLUDING USER CONTENT.
17.3 THE LIMITATIONS, EXCLUSIONS AND DISCLAIMERS IN THIS SECTION 16 (Disclaimers; No Warranties by Finpublica) APPLY TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Finpublica does not disclaim any warranty or other right that Finpublica is prohibited from disclaiming under applicable law.
18. Limitation of Liability
18.1 TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL THE FINPUBLICA ENTITIES BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, OR ANY OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSS) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF, OR YOUR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE, THE SERVICE OR ANY MATERIALS OR CONTENT ON THE SERVICE, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STATUTE, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, AND WHETHER OR NOT ANY FINPUBLICA ENTITY HAS BEEN INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGE.
18.2 EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SECTIONS 18.5 (Commencing Arbitration) AND 18.7 (ARBITRATION RELIEF) AND TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF THE FINPUBLICA ENTITIES TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE USE OF OR ANY INABILITY TO USE ANY PORTION OF THE SERVICE OR OTHERWISE UNDER THESE TERMS, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, IS LIMITED TO THE GREATER OF: (a) THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID TO FINPUBLICA FOR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE SERVICE IN THE 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE EVENT OR CIRCUMSTANCE GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM AND (b) US$100.
18.3 EACH PROVISION OF THESE TERMS THAT PROVIDES FOR A LIMITATION OF LIABILITY, DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES, OR EXCLUSION OF DAMAGES IS INTENDED TO AND DOES ALLOCATE THE RISKS BETWEEN THE PARTIES UNDER THESE TERMS. THIS ALLOCATION IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF THE BASIS OF THE BARGAIN BETWEEN THE PARTIES. EACH OF THESE PROVISIONS IS SEVERABLE AND INDEPENDENT OF ALL OTHER PROVISIONS OF THESE TERMS. THE LIMITATIONS IN THIS SECTION 17 (LIMITATION OF LIABILITY) WILL APPLY EVEN IF ANY LIMITED REMEDY FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.
19. Dispute Resolution and Arbitration
19.1 Generally. Except as described in Section 18.2 (Exceptions) and 18.3 (Opt-Out), you and Finpublica agree that every dispute arising in connection with these Terms, the Service, or communications from us will be resolved through binding arbitration. Arbitration uses a neutral arbitrator instead of a judge or jury, is less formal than a court proceeding, may allow for more limited discovery than in court, and is subject to very limited review by courts. This agreement to arbitrate disputes includes all claims whether based in contract, tort, statute, fraud, misrepresentation, or any other legal theory, and regardless of whether a claim arises during or after the termination of these Terms. Any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, or enforceability of this binding arbitration agreement will be resolved by the arbitrator.
YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT, BY ENTERING INTO THESE TERMS, YOU AND FINPUBLICA ARE EACH WAIVING THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY OR TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION.
19.2 Exceptions. Although we are agreeing to arbitrate most disputes between us, nothing in these Terms will be deemed to waive, preclude, or otherwise limit the right of either party to: (a) bring an individual action in small claims court; (b) pursue an enforcement action through the applicable federal, state, or local agency if that action is available; (c) seek injunctive relief in a court of law in aid of arbitration; or (d) to file suit in a court of law to address an intellectual property infringement claim.
19.3 Opt-Out. If you do not wish to resolve disputes by binding arbitration, you may opt out of the provisions of this Section 18 (Dispute Resolution and Arbitration) within 30 days after the date that you agree to these Terms by sending a letter to Finpublica, Inc., Attention: Legal Department – Arbitration Opt-Out, 70 Hollywood Drive, Hastings on Hudson, New York 10706 that specifies: your full legal name, the email address associated with your account on the Service, and a statement that you wish to opt out of arbitration (“Opt-Out Notice”). Once Finpublica receives your Opt-Out Notice, this Section 18 (Dispute Resolution and Arbitration) will be void and any action arising out of these Terms will be resolved as set forth in Section 19.2 (Governing Law). The remaining provisions of these Terms will not be affected by your Opt-Out Notice.
19.4 Arbitrator. This arbitration agreement, and any arbitration between us, is subject the Federal Arbitration Act and will be administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules (collectively, “AAA Rules”) as modified by these Terms. The AAA Rules and filing forms are available online at www.adr.org, by calling the AAA at +1-800-778-7879, or by contacting Finpublica.
19.5 Commencing Arbitration. Before initiating arbitration, a party must first send a written notice of the dispute to the other party by certified U.S. Mail or by Federal Express (signature required) or, only if that other party has not provided a current physical address, then by electronic mail (“Notice of Arbitration”). Finpublica’s address for Notice is: Finpublica, Inc., 70 Hollywood Drive, Hastings on Hudson, New York 10706. The Notice of Arbitration must: (a) identify the name or account number of the party making the claim; (b) describe the nature and basis of the claim or dispute; and (c) set forth the specific relief sought (“Demand”). The parties will make good faith efforts to resolve the claim directly, but if the parties do not reach an agreement to do so within 30 days after the Notice of Arbitration is received, you or Finpublica may commence an arbitration proceeding. If you commence arbitration in accordance with these Terms, Finpublica will reimburse you for your payment of the filing fee, unless your claim is for more than US$10,000 or if Finpublica has received 25 or more similar demands for arbitration, in which case the payment of any fees will be decided by the AAA Rules. If the arbitrator finds that either the substance of the claim or the relief sought in the Demand is frivolous or brought for an improper purpose (as measured by the standards set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b)), then the payment of all fees will be governed by the AAA Rules and the other party may seek reimbursement for any fees paid to AAA.
19.6 Arbitration Proceedings. Any arbitration hearing will take place in the county and state of your residence unless we agree otherwise or, if the claim is for US$10,000 or less (and does not seek injunctive relief), you may choose whether the arbitration will be conducted: (a) solely on the basis of documents submitted to the arbitrator; (b) through a telephonic or video hearing; or (c) by an in-person hearing as established by the AAA Rules in the county (or parish) of your residence. During the arbitration, the amount of any settlement offer made by you or Finpublica must not be disclosed to the arbitrator until after the arbitrator makes a final decision and award, if any. Regardless of the manner in which the arbitration is conducted, the arbitrator must issue a reasoned written decision sufficient to explain the essential findings and conclusions on which the decision and award, if any, are based.
19.7 Arbitration Relief. Except as provided in Section 18.8 (No Class Actions), the arbitrator can award any relief that would be available if the claims had been brought in a court of competent jurisdiction. If the arbitrator awards you an amount higher than the last written settlement amount offered by Finpublica before an arbitrator was selected, Finpublica will pay to you the higher of: (a) the amount awarded by the arbitrator and (b) US$10,000. The arbitrator’s award shall be final and binding on all parties, except (1) for judicial review expressly permitted by law or (2) if the arbitrator's award includes an award of injunctive relief against a party, in which case that party shall have the right to seek judicial review of the injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction that shall not be bound by the arbitrator's application or conclusions of law. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction.
19.8 No Class Actions. YOU AND FINPUBLICA AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. Further, unless both you and Finpublica agree otherwise, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding.
19.9 Modifications to this Arbitration Provision. If Finpublica makes any substantive change to this arbitration provision, you may reject the change by sending us written notice within 30 days of the change to Finpublica’s address for Notice of Arbitration, in which case your account with Finpublica will be immediately terminated and this arbitration provision, as in effect immediately prior to the changes you rejected will survive.
19.10 Enforceability. If Section 18.8 (No Class Actions) or the entirety of this Section 18 (Dispute Resolution and Arbitration) is found to be unenforceable, or if Finpublica receives an Opt-Out Notice from you, then the entirety of this Section 18 (Dispute Resolution and Arbitration) will be null and void and, in that case, the exclusive jurisdiction and venue described in Section 19.2 (Governing Law) will govern any action arising out of or related to these Terms.
20. Miscellaneous
20.1 General Terms. These Terms, including the Privacy Policy and any other agreements expressly incorporated by reference into these Terms, are the entire and exclusive understanding and agreement between you and Finpublica regarding your use of the Service. You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights under these Terms, in whole or in part, by operation of law or otherwise, without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms and all rights granted under these Terms, including with respect to your User Content, at any time without notice or consent. The failure to require performance of any provision will not affect our right to require performance at any other time after that, nor will a waiver by us of any breach or default of these Terms, or any provision of these Terms, be a waiver of any subsequent breach or default or a waiver of the provision itself. Use of Section headers in these Terms is for convenience only and will not have any impact on the interpretation of any provision. Throughout these Terms the use of the word “including” means “including but not limited to.” If any part of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, then the unenforceable part will be given effect to the greatest extent possible, and the remaining parts will remain in full force and effect.
20.2 Governing Law. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York without regard to conflict of law principles. You and Finpublica submit to the personal and exclusive jurisdiction of the state courts and federal courts located within Westchester County, New York for resolution of any lawsuit or court proceeding permitted under these Terms. We operate the Service from our offices in New York, and we make no representation that Materials included in the Service are appropriate or available for use in other locations.
20.3 Privacy Policy. Please read the Finpublica Privacy Policy (the “Privacy Policy”) carefully for information relating to our collection, use, storage, and disclosure of your personal information. The Finpublica Privacy Policy is incorporated by this reference into, and made a part of, these Terms.
20.4 Additional Terms. Your use of the Service is subject to all additional terms, policies, rules, or guidelines applicable to the Service or certain features of the Service that we may post on or link to from the Service (the “Additional Terms”). All Additional Terms are incorporated by this reference into, and made a part of, these Terms.
20.5 Consent to Electronic Communications. By using the Service, you consent to receiving certain electronic communications from us as further described in our Privacy Policy. Please read our Privacy Policy to learn more about our electronic communications practices. You agree that any notices, agreements, disclosures, or other communications that we send to you electronically will satisfy any legal communication requirements, including that those communications be in writing.
20.6 Contact Information. The Service is offered by Finpublica, Inc., located at 70 Hollywood Drive, Hastings on Hudson, New York 10706. You may contact us by sending correspondence to that address or by emailing us at awasserman@finpublica.org.
20.7 Notice to California Residents. If you are a California resident, then under California Civil Code Section 1789.3, you may contact the Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs in writing at 1625 N. Market Blvd., Suite S-202, Sacramento, California 95834, or by telephone at +1-800-952-5210 in order to resolve a complaint regarding the Service or to receive further information regarding use of the Service.
20.8 No Support. We are under no obligation to provide support for the Service. In instances where we may offer support, the support will be subject to published policies.
20.9 International Use. The Service is intended for visitors located within the United States. We make no representation that the Service is appropriate or available for use outside of the United States. Access to the Service from countries or territories or by individuals where such access is illegal is prohibited.