Terms & Conditions | IP Policy

SRLN Terms, Conditions and IP Policy
Last updated: October 8, 2015

           The Self-Represented Litigation Network is a project of the New Venture Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity (“NVF”) (collectively “SRLN,” “we,” or “us”).Your use of any SRLN site or library, your registration on any SRLN site (including srln.org), your participation in an SRLN working group, or your provision to us of any content or personal information constitutes your agreement to these Terms, and the SRLN Privacy Policy (the “Privacy Policy”), available here.

Although SRLN believes that open collaboration provides the best opportunity to advance innovative public interest projects and promote access to our judicial system, SRLN must also prevent abuses of SRLN materials.  Consequently, these Terms are an agreement between SRLN and you and govern your use of the SRLN site and all information on or submitted through it.

1.Restrictions on Use of Content

           SRLN sites contain a variety of information, including information, articles, forms, videos and other information and materials ("Content").  Certain of the Content may be made available as separate files for download by you pursuant to these Terms ("Available Content"). You may review, download, copy, distribute and use the Available Content solely for the non-commercial purpose of furthering your mission in the ordinary course of your governmental or charitable purpose and attendant operations. You may not sell the Available Content or otherwise distribute it for a fee. you will not use or disclose it or SRLN sites to any third parties except as expressly permitted by these terms.

Other Content is made available as part of the webpages comprising the SRLN site, such as essays, opinion pieces, summaries of programs and initiatives, and news articles.  This Content is typically created and owned by SRLN and your use of this Content is subject to the further restrictions that you use each essay, article or other item of Content in its entirety, with the following attribution prominently noted with the Content: “This content is owned and used under license from the Self-Represented Litigation Network, a project of The New Venture Fund, and all rights have been reserved by them.”

The rights granted in these Terms are subject to any further restrictions identified in connection with particular items of Content. All rights not expressly granted to you are reserved by SRLN.       

2.Registration and Creating Profiles

           For some areas of SRLN sites, you may have to complete a registration process or create a profile. Completion of the process may create an account with a user name and password or other identifier which you agree not to share, as it is personal to you as an individual, and to guard as confidential information—if you are careless with it, others may be able to access the information. You agree to provide accurate, current and complete information at all times. You also agree that you will review, maintain, correct, and update such information in a timely manner to maintain its accuracy and completeness. If you provide (or SRLN has reasonable grounds to believe that you provided) any information that is inaccurate, not current, or incomplete, SRLN may suspend or terminate your access, application, grant or participation in a program, in addition to exercising all rights and remedies allowed by law.

           You agree you will be responsible for all uses of your username or other identifier , even if someone else used your identifier.

3.User Generated Content & Site Activities

 A. User Generated Content --Your Responsibility and License to Others

           Sometimes you may wish to provide Content, such as by uploading an article, video or information, or submitting comments in a chat room.  You provide Content at your own risk.  SRLN is not liable for a breach of the Terms with regard to Content you provide. When you provide Content, you:

  • represent and warrant that the Content is (a) wholly your original work, or (b) that you have all necessary right, title, interest and licenses to upload it and make it available to SRLN and other users for download, distribution and use without restriction consistent with these Terms;
  • grant SRLN, its affiliates, partners, agents, third parties, sub-licensees and successors and assigns, and each Site user who downloads the Content under these Terms, a perpetual, nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, fully paid up, irrevocable license , for all media, to (i) use, copy, modify and create derivative works from the Content; (ii) publicly perform and display, and distribute the Content and any modified form or derivative work based on the Content; and (iii) sublicense to third parties the foregoing rights, including the right to sublicense to further third parties, as necessary or advisable (as determined by SRLN or other person in its sole discretion) for non-commercial purposes.

You further agree that we may keep Content indefinitely and disclose it for any purpose, including to:  (a) comply with legal process; (b) enforce these Terms; (c) respond to claims that any Content violates the rights of third parties; or (d) without undertaking a duty to do so, protect the rights, property, or personal safety of SRLN, its users and the public.

           You agree not to upload, post or otherwise transmit through SRLN sites any Content or any other materials whatsoever that are or could appear to: 

(i) be defamatory, obscene, invasive to another person's privacy or protected data, or tortious;

(ii) be infringing upon anyone's intellectual property rights, including any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, or right of publicity;

(iii) contain any software viruses or any other harmful computer code, files, or programs, including any designed to interrupt, destroy, or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment; and

(iv) in violation of any applicable law, contractual obligation or fiduciary duty or provision (including by exercise of the rights you grant to SRLN above).

 B. Site Activities

           SRLN sites and the Content are provided “as is” and when available, and we may change all Content, functionality and services in our discretion at any time.  We reserve the right to correct or otherwise modify or remove any SRLN site or Content. 

4.Infringement of Our Rights or the Rights of Others; Infringement of Your Rights

           Anyone who believes that their work has been infringed may provide a notice to our copyright agent at this link. It is our policy to terminate in appropriate circumstances any (if any) account or right of access for repeated infringement, and we also reserve the right to terminate for even one infringement.

5. Trademarks

           The trademarks used in SRLN sites are owned by (1) the New Venture Fund or SRLN, or (2) their respective trademark owners, and are either trademarks or registered trademarks of the New Venture Fund or SRLN. The names of actual companies and products mentioned in SRLN sites may be the trademarks of their respective owners. You may not use any of the above or other trademarks displayed on SRLN sites or in any Content. All rights are reserved.

6. Feedback; Your License to Us

           “Feedback” means all remarks, data, suggestions, methods, surveys, reports, processes and ideas (including patentable ideas) and other Content that you (i) provide by using an SRLN site, (ii) provide about an SRLN site, Content or any aspect of our mission or operations, or (iii) provide as part of an SRLN working group, whether provided to us or persons working with us, and whether provided through the Site or media such as a chat room, survey, report, grant, software tool, bulletin board or otherwise. 

           You agree that you will not supply Feedback that infringes or violates the rights of others, and you hereby grant a License to SRLN (as defined below) in your Feedback. You agree that we have no obligation to pay you or anyone else for Feedback.

           Your feedback shall be treated as Content you provide and, as such, subject to the license to SRLN and your other obligations related to Content.

7. Indemnification 

           You agree to indemnify and hold harmless SRLN, its officers, directors, employees, sponsor, parent, subsidiaries and affiliates, from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, liabilities, damages, or expenses, including court costs and reasonable attorney fees, arising out of or related to: any Content provided by you, your use of SRLN sites or Content, any assistance or services provided to you by us, our officers, directors, employees, partners or agents, any alleged unauthorized use of SRLN sites by you or with your username or other identifier, any breach or alleged breach by you of these Terms and/or your negligent acts and omissions or willful misconduct.  You agree to cooperate fully in the defense of any of the foregoing.

8. DISCLAIMERS; LIMITED LIABILITY

           All Content is provided “as is.” Content may be outdated or contain typographical errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or problematic or defective functionality, and may need your review. SRLN AND NVF MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THE CONTENT, ITS MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. YOU AGREE NOT TO RELY ON CONTENT OR ASSISTANCE AND TO DETERMINE ALL RELEVANT FACTORS ON YOUR OWN, INCLUDING (WITHOUT LIMITATION) ACCURACY, FUNCTIONALITY, QUALITY, RELIABILITY AND OTHER RELEVANT FACTORS. We reserve the right to monitor and exercise all other rights of ours, and also to modify or remove any Content or assistance at any time, but do not undertake any duty to do so.

           SRLN AND NVF SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY, DIRECT OR INDIRECT, CONTINGENT, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR PUNITIVE, INCLUDING FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOST OR ANTICIPATED PROFITS) OR OTHERWISE, TO YOU OR TO THIRD PARTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE CONTENT, UNDER NEGLIGENCE, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHER LEGAL OR EQUITABLE THEORY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, LIABILITY FOR THE CORRECTNESS, QUALITY, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, COMPLETENESS, TIMELINESS OF THE CONTENT, EVEN IF YOU HAVE ADVISED SRLN OR NVF OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH LIABILITY OR DAMAGES.

           Any opinions, advice, statements, assistance, services, offers, or information expressed or made available by SRLN or via an SRLN site are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and not of SRLN.

9.Linked Sites

           Any other Web sites that are accessible via any link on these sites are not under the control of SRLN. SRLN is not responsible for the contents of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site, or any changes or updates to the information contained in such sites. SRLN provides the linked sites to you only as a convenience and the inclusions of any such link on these sites does not imply SRLN’s endorsement of these sites, the organization operating such sites, nor any products or services of that organization. Your linking to any off-site pages or other sites is entirely at your own risk.

10.Amendments

           You agree that from time to time we may alter (including adding or eliminating all or parts of provisions) these Terms and the Privacy Policy (“Amendments”). Amended versions of these Terms will take effect on the date specified for the amended version (“Effective Date”) and will apply to all information that was collected before or after the Effective Date, including information in databases. You have no continuing right to use SRLN sites – each time you visit you will be subject to the version of the Terms in effect on your visit. Those terms will change from time to time and the changes will be effective when they appear in a replacement version of these Terms as posted by us on SRLN sites. No other Amendments will be valid unless they are in a paper writing signed by us and by you.

           Each time you return to any SRLN site, you are responsible for checking the effective date of the then posted version of these Terms.  If it is later than the date of the version you last reviewed, the Terms have been changed and the new version should be reviewed before using SRLN sites. USE OF SRLN SITES AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF ANY REVISED OR NEW TERMS WILL CONSTITUTE YOUR CONSENT TO SUCH TERMS, SO IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE BOUND BY AN AMENDED OR NEW VERSION, DO NOT USE SRLN SITES AND CEASE ALL USE OF THE CONTENT OR SERVICES.

11.Governing Law and Exclusive Jurisdiction

           These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its conflicts of law principals.  You hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in New York, New York, for any action or proceeding relating to or arising from this Agreement, and you expressly waive any objection you may have to such jurisdiction or the non-convenience of such forum.

12.Termination or Cancellation; No Continuing Rights

           You have no continuing right to use SRLN sites and we may deny or suspend access, or terminate or cancel this agreement with or without cause and at any time and without prior notice. Termination or cancellation will not eliminate your obligations and covenants, and you will still be liable for obligations and covenants existing prior to termination or access ended.

13.Entire Agreement; Miscellaneous

           These Terms and the Privacy Policy (including any Amendments) and any:  (a) notices, terms and items incorporated into any of them; (b) additional terms and conditions contained on SRLN sites for particular activities or Content; and (c) our disclosures and your consents provided on or in connection with SRLN sites or any Content, service or other activity; constitute the entire agreement between you and SRLN regarding the Complete Site or the subject matter of the foregoing (collectively, "Entire Agreement").  If any provision of the Entire Agreement is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, its remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect, provided that the allocation of risks described herein is given effect to the fullest extent possible.  The foregoing does not impair the enforceability of additional agreements you enter into such as an agreement for a grant. Our failure to act with respect to a breach by you does not waive our right to act with respect to subsequent or similar breaches.