Terms of Service

ECT News Network Terms of Service

Last Updated: December 1, 2023

ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS

ECT News Network, Inc. (“ECT News Network, “we,” “our,” “us”) provides access to and use of the ECT News Network websites, which include ECTNews.com, EcommerceTimes.com, TechNewsWorld.com, CRMBuyer.com and LinuxInsider.com (collectively “ECT News Sites”) subject to these Terms of Service (“TOS”). Unless explicitly stated otherwise, any new features that augment or enhance the current ECT News Sites shall be subject to this TOS. PLEASE READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY. YOUR USE OF THE ECT NEWS SITES CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF THE TOS. ECT News Network may amend this TOS at any time by posting the amended TOS to the ECT News Sites, and you acknowledge and agree that your continued use of the ECT News Sites after any such change represents your agreement to the amended TOS.

YOUR REGISTRATION OBLIGATIONS

By registering for account access on the ECT News Sites, you agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information about yourself as prompted (such information being the “Profile Data”) and maintain and promptly update the Profile Data to keep it accurate, current, and complete. If you provide any information that is inaccurate, not current, or incomplete, or ECT News Network has reasonable grounds to suspect that such information is inaccurate, not current, or incomplete, ECT News Network may deny you access to areas requiring registration at its sole discretion.

ACCOUNT PASSWORD AND SECURITY

The ECT News Sites contain some features that require registration (“Restricted Areas”). At the time of registration for online account access, you will be asked to choose a Username and Password. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the password and are fully responsible for all uses of your account, whether by you or others. You agree to (a) keep your password confidential and not share it with anyone else; (b) immediately notify ECT News Network of any unauthorized use of your Password or account or any other breach of security, and (c) use only your Password to access the ECT News Sites’ Restricted Areas. ECT News Network cannot and will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with this Section or from any unauthorized access to your personal information not directly due to the negligence of ECT News Network. You acknowledge and agree that ECT News Network is authorized to act on instructions received through the use of your Password. You further acknowledge and agree that ECT News Network may, but is not obligated to, deny access or block any transaction made through the use of your Password without prior notice to you if we believe your Password is being used by someone other than you or for any other reason. As a result of your registration for the ECT News Sites, you may receive certain commercial communications from ECT News Network related to content found on the ECT News Sites. You understand and agree that these communications are part of your registration and that you may opt-out of receiving these communications at any time by changing your account preferences. See our Privacy Policy.

USER CONDUCT

It is your responsibility to know, understand and abide by the ECT News Network rules of use. These rules are not meant to be exhaustive, and ECT News Network reserves the right to determine what types of conduct it considers to be inappropriate use of the ECT News Sites. In the case of inappropriate use, ECT News Network may take such measures as it sees fit. ECT News Network reserves the right to add to or amend this list of rules at any time, and you are responsible for checking the TOS for any changes each time you log on. You are fully responsible for what you post. You agree not to use the ECT News Sites:

1. to post, transmit, or otherwise make available content that harasses, abuses, or threatens other users or that contains profanity or obscene or otherwise objectionable content;
2. to post, transmit, or otherwise make available content that degrades others on the basis of gender, race, class, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual preference, disability, or other classification;
3. to harm minors in any way;
4. to impersonate any person or entity, including, but not limited to, an ECT News Network employee, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;
5. to post, transmit, or otherwise make available any material that contains software viruses or any other malware designed to damage or reduce the functionality of any computer software or hardware;
6. to post, transmit, or otherwise make available unsolicited advertising or promotional materials (except through Classifieds), spam, pyramid schemes, chain letters, or other similar forms of unauthorized advertising or solicitation;
7. to post anyone else’s copyright or other intellectual property, trade secrets, or confidential, proprietary or private information that you do not have a right to make available to others, or otherwise post or use piracy, plagiarism or circumvention of passwords, account information or copy protection;
8. via bots, agents, scraping, automated access, scripts, intelligent search, or any similar means of access to the ECT News Sites in a manner that may adversely affect the performance of any of the Sites;
9. to provide in-line linking using the bandwidth of the ECT News Sites servers to post materials from any of the Sites within any other site; or provide framing, borders or mirroring for any content of the ECT News Sites within any other site;
10. to state or imply that ECT News Network endorses or sponsors any other product or service or provide false information about ECT News Network or its products or services.

Our Discussion Boards and Reader Comments sections may be used for non-commercial purposes only. You agree not to post spam or other advertisements or solicitations, solicit funds, promote commercial entities, or otherwise engage in commercial activity in our Discussion Boards. Advertising, marketing, promotion, and other commercial activity may be posted in our Classifieds service. We do allow hyperlinks to our web pages. We reserve the right to remove any post, at our sole discretion, for any reason.

Use of or reliance on information obtained through the Discussion Boards or Reader Comments is at your own risk. ECT News Network provides these Discussion Boards and Reader Comments for users to interact but does not endorse any content nor vouch for its reliability. The content and views expressed on the Discussion Boards and Reader Comments are strictly those of the originating author.

Do not post personal information about yourself in the Discussion Boards. The Discussion Boards can be read by the public, and you should not post any private information unless you want it to be available publicly.

Violation of our rules regarding the content of posts may result in the removal of your post or the cancellation of your account.

You understand that all materials submitted by users, including but not limited to Discussion Board and Classifieds postings and links (“User Materials”), whether privately transmitted or made publicly available, are the sole responsibility of the person from which such User Materials originated. This means that you, not ECT News Network, are entirely responsible for all User Materials that you upload, post, share, email, transmit, or otherwise make available via the ECT News Sites. Under no circumstances will ECT News Network be liable in any way for any User Materials uploaded, posted, shared, emailed, transmitted, or otherwise made available via the ECT News Sites.

You acknowledge that ECT News Network may or may not pre-screen User Materials but that ECT News Network and its designees have the right (but not the obligation) in their sole discretion to pre-screen, refuse, permanently delete, and/or move any User Materials that are available via the ECT News Sites. Without limiting the foregoing, ECT News Network and its designees shall have the right to remove any User Materials that violate the TOS or are otherwise objectionable in ECT News Network’s sole discretion and shall have no liability for such removal. You understand that by using the ECT News Sites, you may be exposed to User Materials that you may consider to be offensive or objectionable. You agree that you must evaluate and bear all risks associated with the use or disclosure of any User Materials. You further acknowledge and agree that you will not rely on any content available on or through the ECT News Sites.

With respect to User Materials you submit or make available for inclusion on the Discussion Boards or Reader Comments, or other publicly accessible areas of the ECT News Sites, you grant ECT News Network an irrevocable, assignable, fully sub-licensable, perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such User Materials (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such User Materials into other works in any format or medium now known or later developed.

INDEMNITY

YOU AGREE TO INDEMNIFY, DEFEND, AND HOLD ECT NEWS NETWORK AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, CO-BRANDERS, AND OTHER PARTNERS HARMLESS FROM ANY CLAIM OR DEMAND, INCLUDING REASONABLE ATTORNEYS’ FEES, MADE BY ANY THIRD PARTY DUE TO OR ARISING OUT OF YOUR USE OF THE ECT NEWS SITES, YOUR CONNECTION TO THE ECT NEWS SITES, YOUR VIOLATION OF THIS TOS, YOUR SUBMISSION, POSTING, OR TRANSMISSION OF USER MATERIALS TO THE ECT NEWS SITES, AND/OR YOUR VIOLATION OF ANY RIGHTS OF ANOTHER.

MODIFICATIONS TO SERVICE

ECT News Network reserves the right at any time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the ECT News Sites (or any part thereof), including the Restricted Areas, with or without notice. You agree that ECT News Network shall not be liable to you or any third party for any modification, suspension, or discontinuance of the ECT News Sites or any part thereof, including, without limitation, deletion of your account information, User Materials, and other content associated with your account (or any part thereof).

TERMINATION

You agree that ECT News Network may, in its sole and absolute discretion and without notice or liability to you or any third party, immediately terminate your access to the Restricted Areas. Grounds for such termination shall include, but not be limited to, (a) breaches or violations of the TOS or other agreements or guidelines, (b) requests by law enforcement or government agencies, (c) a request by you (self-initiated account deletions (d) discontinuance or material modification of the ECT News Sites (or any part thereof), (e) unexpected technical or security issues or problems, and (f) extended periods of inactivity. Termination of your account(s) may include (a) removal of access to all offerings within the ECT News Sites’ Restricted Areas, (b) at ECT News Network’s sole discretion, the deletion of all of your ECT News Sites account information, User Materials, and other content associated with your ECT News Sites account (or any part thereof), and (c) barring further use of the ECT News Sites’ Restricted Areas.

DEALINGS WITH ADVERTISERS

Your correspondence or business dealings with, or participation in promotions of, advertisers found on or through the ECT News Sites, including without limitation the Classifieds, such as payment and delivery of related goods or services, and any other terms, conditions, warranties or representations associated with such dealings, are solely between you and such advertiser. YOU AGREE TO INDEMNIFY, DEFEND, AND HOLD ECT NEWS NETWORK AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, CO-BRANDERS, AND OTHER PARTNERS HARMLESS FROM ANY CLAIM OR DEMAND, INCLUDING REASONABLE ATTORNEYS’ FEES, MADE BY ANY THIRD PARTY DUE TO OR ARISING OUT OF YOUR USE OF THE ECT NEWS SITES, YOUR CONNECTION TO THE ECT NEWS SITES, YOUR VIOLATION OF THIS TOS, YOUR SUBMISSION, POSTING, OR TRANSMISSION OF USER MATERIALS TO THE ECT NEWS SITES, AND/OR YOUR VIOLATION OF ANY RIGHTS OF ANOTHER.

LINKS

The ECT News Sites may provide links to other World Wide Web sites or resources. Because ECT News Network has no control over such sites and resources, you acknowledge and agree that ECT News Network is not responsible for the availability of such external sites or resources and does not endorse and is not responsible or liable for any content, advertising, products, services, terms of service, privacy policies or other materials on or available from such sites or resources. YOU FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT ECT NEWS NETWORK SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FOR ANY DAMAGE OR LOSS CAUSED OR ALLEGED TO BE CAUSED BY OR IN CONNECTION WITH ACCESS TO, USE OF, OR RELIANCE ON ANY SUCH CONTENT, GOODS OR SERVICES AVAILABLE ON OR THROUGH ANY SUCH SITE OR RESOURCE.

OUR COPYRIGHTS AND PROPRIETARY RIGHTS

All title, ownership, and intellectual property rights in and to the ECT News Sites, including without limitation all copyrights in the text, graphics, audio, video, advertising, code, and look and feel of the ECT News Sites, are owned by ECT News Network or its licensors. You acknowledge and agree that the ECT News Sites contain information that is protected by applicable intellectual property and other laws. Except as expressly authorized by ECT News Network, you agree not to copy, modify, rent, lease, loan, sell, distribute, mirror, frame, republish, transmit, remove advertising or notices, or create derivative works based on the ECT News Sites, in whole or in part. You also agree not to reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise attempt to discover any code or processes used by ECT News Network or on the ECT News Sites and not to insert or add any code or make any other attempt to manipulate the ECT News Sites. By accessing the ECT News Sites, you agree that you may only download and display the content, apart from the Classifieds, for educational purposes or your own personal non-commercial use.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES

YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT:

YOUR USE OF THE ECT NEWS SITES IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK. THE ECT NEWS SITES ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS. ECT NEWS NETWORK EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. ECT NEWS NETWORK ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TIMELINESS, DELETION, MIS-DELIVERY, OR FAILURE TO PROVIDE ANY CONTENT OR TO STORE ANY PERSONALIZATION SETTINGS OR USER MATERIALS.

ANY CONTENT DOWNLOADED OR OTHERWISE OBTAINED THROUGH THE ECT NEWS SITES IS DOWNLOADED AND USED AT YOUR SOLE DISCRETION AND RISK, AND YOU WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR LOSS OF DATA THAT RESULTS FROM THE DOWNLOAD OR USE OF ANY SUCH CONTENT.

NO ADVICE, INFORMATION, PURCHASE OR TRANSACTION, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED BY YOU FROM ECT NEWS NETWORK OR THROUGH OR FROM THE ECT NEWS SITES SHALL CREATE ANY WARRANTY NOT EXPRESSLY STATED IN THE TOS.

LIMITATION ON LIABILITY

YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT ECT NEWS NETWORK SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES (EVEN IF ECT NEWS NETWORK HAD BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES), RESULTING FROM: (i) THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE THE ECT NEWS SITES; (ii) THE COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS AND SERVICES; (iii) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR DATA; (iv) STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE ECT NEWS SITES; OR (v) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE ECT NEWS SITES.

EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES OR THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. ACCORDINGLY, SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

NO THIRD-PARTY BENEFICIARIES

You agree that, except as otherwise expressly provided in this TOS, there shall be no third-party beneficiaries to this Agreement.

NOTICE

ECT News Network may provide you with notices, including those regarding changes to the TOS, by either email, regular mail, or postings on the ECT News Sites; provided, however, that this Section 15 places no requirements on ECT News Network not already expressly set forth herein.

TRADEMARK INFORMATION

ECT News Network, the names of the ECT News Sites, and other names of ECT News Network properties referenced herein, including without limitation E-Commerce Times®, and our logos, designs, graphics, domain names and business names (the “ECT News Network Marks”) are service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of ECT News Network, Inc. Other service marks, trademarks, and registered trademarks and/or logos are the property of their respective owners. You agree that you will not display the ECT News Network Marks or use the ECT News Network Marks in any manner without the prior written permission of ECT News Network.

NOTICE AND PROCEDURE FOR MAKING CLAIMS OF COPYRIGHT OR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INFRINGEMENT

ECT News Network may, in appropriate circumstances and at its discretion, disable and/or terminate the accounts of users who infringe on the intellectual property of others. If you believe that your work has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, or your intellectual property rights have been otherwise violated, please provide ECT News Network’s Copyright Agent a Notice containing the following information:

1. an electronic or physical signature of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright or other intellectual property interest;
2. a description of the copyrighted work or other intellectual property that you claim has been infringed;
3. a description of where the material that you claim is infringing is located on the site;
4. your address, telephone number, and email address;
5. a statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law;
6. a statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that the above information in your Notice is accurate and that you are the copyright or intellectual property owner or authorized to act on the copyright or intellectual property owner’s behalf.

ECT News Network’s Copyright Agent for Notice of claims of copyright or other intellectual property infringement can be reached in the following ways:

Mailing Address
Attn: Publishing Group
ECT News Network, Inc.
PO Box 18500
Encino, CA 91416-8500

Telephone
+1 818.461.9700

E-Mail
Use Contact Form

JURISDICTIONAL STATEMENT

This TOS and the use of the ECT News Sites are governed by California law without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any claim related to the ECT News Sites or this TOS shall be brought in a federal or state court in Los Angeles County, California, within one year after the claim arises. You consent to the jurisdiction and venue of such court as the most convenient and appropriate for the resolution of disputes concerning this policy. ECT News Network controls the ECT News Sites from its offices within the United States of America, and the ECT News Sites are intended for use only in the United States of America. ECT News Network does not represent that the materials on this ECT News Sites are appropriate or made available for use outside of the United States of America. You acknowledge and agree that you access the ECT News Sites of your own volition and are responsible for compliance with applicable local laws.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT

This TOS, in conjunction with our Privacy Policy, constitutes the entire agreement between you and ECT News Network with respect to the ECT News Sites and supersedes any prior agreements, oral or written, between you and ECT News Network.

WAIVER AND SEVERABILITY OF TERMS

The failure of ECT News Network to exercise or enforce any right or provision of the TOS shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. If any provision of the TOS is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, the parties nevertheless agree that the court should endeavor to give effect to the parties’ intentions as reflected in the provision, and the other provisions of the TOS remain in full force and effect.

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

You agree that regardless of any statute or law to the contrary, any claim or cause of action arising out of or related to the use of the ECT News Sites or the TOS must be filed within one (1) year after such claim or cause of action arose or be forever barred.

SECTION TITLES

The section titles in the TOS are for convenience only and have no legal or contractual effect.

VIOLATIONS

You agree that you will report any violations of the TOS to:

Attn: Reader Services
ECT News Network, Inc.
PO Box 18500
Encino, CA 91416-8500