Terms of Service

Please read these Terms of Service (collectively with BDG Media Inc. Privacy Policy at www.bdg.com/info/privacy and DMCA Copyright Policy www.bdg.com/info/dmca, the “Terms of Service”) fully and carefully before using (the “Site”) and the services, features, content or applications offered by BDG Media Inc. and our affiliated publications (“we”, “us”, “our”, or “BDG”) (together with the Site, the “Services”). These Terms of Service set forth the legally binding terms and conditions for your use of the Site and the Services.

IMPORTANT: THESE TERMS MAY IMPACT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS IN THE EVENT OF A DISPUTE BETWEEN US. PARAGRAPH 11 BELOW REQUIRES THAT CERTAIN DISPUTES BETWEEN US BE SETTLED THROUGH MANDATORY BINDING ARBITRATION (THAT IS, REQUIRES YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO HAVE THE DISPUTE DECIDED BY A COURT OR JURY),AND WHICH WILL PRECLUDE YOU FROM LEADING OR PARTICIPATING IN A CLASS ACTION. YOU MAY OPT-OUT OF ARBITRATION AS EXPLAINED IN PARAGRAPH 11.4.

1. Acceptance of Terms of Service.

By registering for and/or using the Services in any manner, including but not limited to visiting or browsing the Site, you agree to this Terms of Service and all other operating rules, policies and procedures that may be published from time to time on the Site by us, each of which is incorporated by reference and each of which may be updated from time to time without notice to you.

Certain of the Services may be subject to additional terms and conditions specified by us from time to time; your use of such Services is subject to those additional terms and conditions, which are incorporated into this Terms of Service by this reference.

This Terms of Service applies to all users of the Services, including, without limitation, users who are contributors of content, information, and other materials or services, registered or otherwise.

2. Eligibility.

You represent and warrant that you are at least 13 years of age. If you are under age 18, you may not, under any circumstances or for any reason, use the Services. We may, in our sole discretion, refuse to offer the Services to any person or entity and change its eligibility criteria at any time. You are solely responsible for ensuring that these Terms of Service are in compliance with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to you and the right to access the Services is revoked where these Terms of Service or use of the Services is prohibited or to the extent offering, sale or provision of the Services conflicts with any applicable law, rule or regulation. Further, the Services are offered only for your use, and not for the use or benefit of any third party.

3. Registration.

You may register for an account on the Services (an “Account”) or log in using your Facebook login information. To use certain portions of the Services, you are not required to sign up for an Account. However, certain features of the Service require you to register for an Account. You must provide accurate and complete information and keep your Account information updated. You shall not: (i) select or use as a username a name of another person with the intent to impersonate that person; (ii) use as a username a name subject to any rights of a person other than you without appropriate authorization; or (iii) use, as a username, a name that is otherwise offensive, vulgar or obscene. You are solely responsible for the activity that occurs on your Account, and for keeping your Account password secure. You may never use another person’s user account or registration information for the Services without permission. You must notify us immediately of any change in your eligibility to use the Services (including any changes to or revocation of any licenses from state authorities), breach of security or unauthorized use of your Account. You should never publish, distribute or post login information for your Account. You shall have the ability to delete your Account, either directly or through a request made to one of our employees or affiliates.

By using the Services through Facebook, you permit us to access certain information from your Facebook profile for use by the Services. You may control the amount of information that is accessible to us by adjusting your Facebook account privacy settings. By using the Services, you are authorizing us to collect, store, retain, and use indefinitely, in accordance with our Privacy Policy at www.bdg.com/info/privacy, any and all information that you permitted Facebook to provide to us.

4. Content.

4.1 Definition. For purposes of these Terms of Service, the term “Content” includes, without limitation, information, data, text, photographs, videos, audio clips, written posts, articles, comments, software, scripts, graphics, and interactive features generated, provided, or otherwise made accessible on or through the Services. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Content” also includes all User Content (as defined below).

4.2 User Content. All Content added, created, uploaded, submitted, distributed, or posted to the Services by users (collectively “User Content”), whether publicly posted or privately transmitted, is the sole responsibility of the person who originated such User Content. You represent that all User Content provided by you is accurate, complete, up-to-date, and in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. You acknowledge that all Content, including User Content, accessed by you using the Services is at your own risk and you will be solely responsible for any damage or loss to you or any other party resulting therefrom. We do not guarantee that any Content you access on or through the Services is or will continue to be accurate.

4.3 Notices and Restrictions. The Services may contain Content specifically provided by us, our partners or our users and such Content is protected by copyrights, trademarks, service marks, patents, trade secrets or other proprietary rights and laws. You shall abide by and maintain all copyright notices, information, and restrictions contained in any Content accessed through the Services.

4.4 Use License. Subject to these Terms of Service, we grant each user of the Services a worldwide, non-exclusive, non-sublicensable and non-transferable license to use (i.e., to download and display locally) Content, to the extent we hold such rights, solely for purposes of using the Services. Use, reproduction, modification, distribution or storage of any Content for other than purposes of using the Services is expressly prohibited without prior written permission from us. You shall not sell, license, rent, or otherwise use or exploit any Content for commercial use or in any way that violates any third party right.

4.5 License Grant. By submitting User Content through the Services, you hereby do and shall grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free, fully paid, sublicensable and transferable license to use, edit, modify, truncate, aggregate, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, perform, and otherwise fully exploit the User Content in connection with the Site, the Services and our (and our successors’ and assigns’) businesses, including without limitation for promoting and redistributing part or all of the Site or the Services (and derivative works thereof) in any media formats and through any media channels (including, without limitation, third party websites and feeds), and including after your termination of your Account or the Services. For the sake of clarity, the foregoing license grant includes our right to distribute, display, perform and otherwise use the User Content in connection with material provided by any of our sponsors, and you shall not be entitled to any remuneration for such use. To the extent any User Content you submit includes your name, likeness, voice, or photograph, you acknowledge and agree that the foregoing license of this Section 4(e) shall equally apply to the same. You also hereby do and shall grant each user of the Site and/or the Services a non-exclusive, perpetual license to access your User Content through the Site and/or the Services, and to use, edit, modify, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display and perform such User Content, including after your termination of your Account or the Services. For clarity, the foregoing license grants to us and our users do not affect your other ownership or license rights in your User Content, including the right to grant additional licenses to your User Content, unless otherwise agreed in writing. You represent and warrant that you have all rights to grant such licenses to us without infringement or violation of any third party rights, including without limitation, any privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, trademarks, contract rights, or any other intellectual property or proprietary rights.

4.6 Availability of Content. We do not guarantee that any Content will be made available on the Site or through the Services. We reserve the right to, but do not have any obligation to, (i) remove, edit, modify or otherwise manipulate any Content in our sole discretion, at any time, without notice to you and for any reason (including, but not limited to, upon receipt of claims or allegations from third parties or authorities relating to such Content or if we are concerned that you may have violated these Terms of Service), or for no reason at all and (ii) to remove or block any Content from the Services.

5. Rules of Conduct.

As a condition of use, you promise not to use the Services for any purpose that is prohibited by these Terms of Service. You are responsible for all of your activity in connection with the Services.

5.1 You shall not (and shall not permit any third party to) either (a) take any action or (b) upload, download, post, submit or otherwise distribute or facilitate distribution of any Content on or through the Service, including without limitation any User Content, that:

• infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, right of publicity or other right of any other person or entity or violates any law or contractual duty (see our DMCA Copyright Policy www.bdg.com/info/dmca)
• you know is false, misleading, untruthful or inaccurate;
• is unlawful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, libelous, deceptive, fraudulent, invasive of another's privacy, tortious, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, offensive, profane, contains or depicts nudity, contains or depicts sexual activity, or is otherwise inappropriate as determined by us in our sole discretion;
• constitutes unauthorized or unsolicited advertising, junk or bulk e-mail (“spamming”);
• contains software viruses or any other computer codes, files, or programs that are designed or intended to disrupt, damage, limit or interfere with the proper function of any software, hardware, or telecommunications equipment or to damage or obtain unauthorized access to any system, data, password or other information of ours or of any third party;
• impersonates any person or entity, including any of our employees or representatives; or
• includes anyone’s identification documents or sensitive financial information.

5.2 You shall not: (i) take any action that imposes or may impose (as determined by us in our sole discretion) an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on our (or our third party providers’) infrastructure; (ii) interfere or attempt to interfere with the proper working of the Services or any activities conducted on the Services; (iii) bypass, circumvent or attempt to bypass or circumvent any measures we may use to prevent or restrict access to the Services (or other accounts, computer systems or networks connected to the Services); (iv) run any form of auto-responder or “spam” on the Services; (v) use manual or automated software, devices, or other processes to “crawl” or “spider” any page of the Site; (vi) harvest or scrape any Content from the Services; or (vii) otherwise take any action in violation of our guidelines and policies.

5.3 You shall not (directly or indirectly): (i) decipher, decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer or otherwise attempt to derive any source code or underlying ideas or algorithms of any part of the Services (including without limitation any application), except to the limited extent applicable laws specifically prohibit such restriction, (ii) modify, translate, or otherwise create derivative works of any part of the Services, or (iii) copy, rent, lease, distribute, or otherwise transfer any of the rights that you receive hereunder. You shall abide by all applicable local, state, national and international laws and regulations.

5.4 We also reserve the right to access, read, preserve, and disclose any information as we reasonably believe is necessary to (i) satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request, (ii) enforce these Terms of Service, including investigation of potential violations hereof, (iii) detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, (iv) respond to user support requests, or (v) protect the rights, property or safety of us, our users and the public.

6. Third Party Services.

The Services may permit you to link to other websites, services or resources on the Internet, including but not limited to our sponsors, and other websites, services or resources may contain links to the Services. When you access third party resources on the Internet, you do so at your own risk. These other resources are not under our control, and you acknowledge that we are not responsible or liable for the content, functions, accuracy, legality, appropriateness or any other aspect of such websites or resources. The inclusion of any such link does not imply our endorsement or any association between us and their operators. You further acknowledge and agree that we 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 the use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any such website or resource.

7. Termination.

We may terminate your access to all or any part of the Services at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice, effective immediately, which may result in the forfeiture and destruction of all information associated with your membership. If you wish to terminate your Account, you may do so by following the instructions on the Site or through the Services. All provisions of these Terms of Service which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including, without limitation, licenses of User Content, ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity and limitations of liability.

8. Warranty Disclaimer.

8.1 We have no special relationship with or fiduciary duty to you. You acknowledge that We have no duty to take any action regarding:

• which users gain access to the Services;
• what Content you access via the Services; or
• how you may interpret or use the Content.
• You release us from all liability for you having acquired or not acquired Content through the Services. We make no representations concerning any Content contained in or accessed through the Services, and we will not be responsible or liable for the accuracy, copyright compliance, or legality of material or Content contained in or accessed through the Services.

8.2 THE SERVICES AND CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS”, “AS AVAILABLE” AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND ANY WARRANTIES IMPLIED BY ANY COURSE OF PERFORMANCE OR USAGE OF TRADE, ALL OF WHICH ARE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED. WE, AND OUR DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, SUPPLIERS, PARTNERS AND CONTENT PROVIDERS DO NOT WARRANT THAT: (I) THE SERVICES WILL BE SECURE OR AVAILABLE AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME OR LOCATION; (II) ANY DEFECTS OR ERRORS WILL BE CORRECTED; (III) ANY CONTENT OR SOFTWARE AVAILABLE AT OR THROUGH THE SERVICES IS FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS; OR (IV) THE RESULTS OF USING THE SERVICES WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS. YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

9. Indemnification.

You shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless us, our affiliates and each of our and their respective employees, contractors, directors, suppliers and representatives from all liabilities, claims, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, that arise from or relate to your use or misuse of, or access to, the Services, Content, or otherwise from your User Content, violation of these Terms of Service, or infringement by you, or any third party using your Account or identity in the Services, of any intellectual property or other right of any person or entity. We reserve the right to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you, in which event you will assist and cooperate with us in asserting any available defenses.

10. Limitation of Liability.

IN NO EVENT SHALL WE, NOR OUR DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, PARTNERS, SUPPLIERS OR CONTENT PROVIDERS, BE LIABLE UNDER CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, NEGLIGENCE OR ANY OTHER LEGAL OR EQUITABLE THEORY WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICES (I) FOR ANY LOST PROFITS, DATA LOSS, COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES, OR SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, COMPENSATORY OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER, SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES (HOWEVER ARISING), (II) FOR ANY BUGS, VIRUSES, TROJAN HORSES, OR THE LIKE (REGARDLESS OF THE SOURCE OF ORIGINATION), OR (III) FOR ANY DIRECT DAMAGES IN EXCESS OF (IN THE AGGREGATE) $500.00.

11. Dispute Resolution: Binding Arbitration Clause and Class Waiver.

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT MAY SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS—INCLUDING YOUR RIGHT TO FILE A LAWSUIT IN COURT (BY REQUIRING YOUR DISPUTE TO BE SUBMITTED TO ARBITRATION) AND LIMITING YOUR RIGHTS TO RESOLVE YOUR DISPUTE AS PART OF A CLASS.

As detailed herein, the Terms of Service mandate that all disputes between you and BDG be resolved first through an informal dispute resolution process. In the event informal resolution fails, the Terms of Service further mandate that all disputes (except those identified in Section 11.3) be formally resolved through binding arbitration. Binding arbitration means that an arbitrator, and not any federal, state or local court or agency, shall have exclusive authority to resolve such disputes. Consequently, you should read the entirety of this Section 11 carefully as it may significantly affect your legal rights.

11.1 Informal Dispute Resolution.

For any and all disputes between you and BDG, the parties shall use their best efforts to settle informally the dispute, claim, question, or disagreement and to engage in good faith negotiations. Failure to engage in this process could result in the award of fees against you in arbitration.

To initiate informal dispute resolution, the initiating party must first send a written description of the dispute to the other party. For any dispute against BDG that you initiate, you agree to send to BDG (a) a written description of the dispute and (b) the email address(es) associated with your account through the following email address: legal@bustle.com. The written description must be on an individual basis and provide, at minimum, the following information: your name; a description of the nature or basis of the claim or dispute; and the specific relief sought. For any dispute that BDG initiates, we will send our written description of the dispute to the email address associated with your use of the Services.

If the parties’ dispute is not resolved within sixty (60) days after receipt of the written description of the dispute by a party, you and BDG agree to resolve any remaining dispute through the additional dispute resolution provisions set forth below.

A good faith engagement in informal dispute resolution shall be and is a prerequisite and condition precedent to either party initiating a lawsuit or arbitration. The parties agree that any applicable statute of limitations period and filing fees or other deadlines will be tolled while the parties engage in this informal dispute resolution process.

11.2 Binding Arbitration

After the parties have engaged in a good-faith effort to resolve their dispute(s) in accordance with the Informal Dispute Resolution process (Section 11.1), and only if those efforts fail, then either party may initiate arbitration as set forth in this Section.

If you determine to initiate arbitration, a copy of the arbitration demand must be emailed to legal@bustle.com. If BDG is initiating arbitration, it will serve a copy of the demand to the email address associated with your use of the BDG Services.

(a) Mutual Arbitration Agreement

Except as set forth in Section 11.3 below, you and BDG agree that all claims, disputes, or disagreements that may arise out of or relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, formation, or performance of these Terms of Service— including but not limited to any claim that all or any part of these terms are void or voidable, whether a claim is subject to arbitration, and any dispute regarding the payment, non-payment, or timing of any administrative or arbitrator fees—shall be resolved exclusively through binding arbitration in accordance with this Section 11.2 (collectively, the “Arbitration Agreement”). The arbitrator shall be empowered under this Arbitration Agreement to grant whatever relief would be available in a court under law or in equity. The arbitrator has the right to impose sanctions in accordance with the arbitration provider’s rules and procedures for any frivolous claims or submissions the arbitrator determines have not been filed in good faith, as well as for a party’s failure to comply with this Section 11.2.

This Arbitration Agreement is intended to be interpreted broadly, and it applies to claims that arose, were asserted, or involve facts occurring before the existence of this Arbitration Agreement or any prior agreement as well as claims that may arise after the termination of this Arbitration Agreement, in accordance with the notice opt-out provisions set forth in Sections 11.4 and 11.5.

This Arbitration Agreement is governed by the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) in all respects and evidences a transaction involving interstate commerce. You and BDG expressly agree that the FAA shall exclusively govern the interpretation and enforcement of this Arbitration Agreement. If for whatever reason the rules and procedures of the FAA cannot apply, the state law governing arbitration agreements in the state in which you reside shall apply.

Except as set forth in Section 11.2(c) below, if any provision of this Arbitration Agreement is found by an arbitrator or court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, the parties nevertheless agree that the arbitrator or court should endeavor to give effect to the parties’ intentions as reflected in the provision, and the other provisions thereof remain in full force and effect.

(b) WAIVER OF RIGHTS INCLUDING JURY TRIAL

THE PARTIES UNDERSTAND THAT ARBITRATION MEANS THAT AN ARBITRATOR AND NOT A JUDGE OR JURY WILL DECIDE THE CLAIM, AND THAT RIGHTS TO DISCOVERY AND APPEALS MAY BE LIMITED IN ARBITRATION. THE PARTIES FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT THE COSTS OF ARBITRATION COULD EXCEED THE COST OF LITIGATION IN SOME INSTANCES.

YOU HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT BY AGREEING TO THESE TERMS AND ARBITRATION AGREEMENT, YOU AND BDG ARE EACH WAIVING THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

(c) CLASS ARBITRATION AND COLLECTIVE RELIEF WAIVER.

YOU AND BDG ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, AND EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET OUT IN THIS SECTION 11.2(c) AND SECTION 11.2(e)(vi) BELOW, ANY ARBITRATION SHALL BE CONDUCTED IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY ONLY AND NOT AS A CLASS OR OTHER CONSOLIDATED ACTION, AND THE ARBITRATOR MAY AWARD RELIEF ONLY IN FAVOR OF THE INDIVIDUAL PARTY SEEKING RELIEF AND ONLY TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO RESOLVE AN INDIVIDUAL PARTY’S CLAIM; NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND AGREEMENT, ANY ARBITRATION INVOLVING YOU MAY PROCEED ON A CONSOLIDATED BASIS IF AND ONLY IF BDG PROVIDES ITS CONSENT TO CONSOLIDATE IN WRITING.

If there is a final judicial determination that applicable law precludes enforcement of this Paragraph’s limitations as to a particular remedy, then that remedy (and only that remedy) must be severed from the arbitration and may be sought in court. The parties agree, however, that any adjudication of remedies not subject to arbitration shall be stayed pending the outcome of any arbitrable claims and remedies.

If there is a final judicial determination that either the Class Arbitration and Collective Relief Waiver in this Section, or that the provisions in this Section 11.2 are not enforceable as to a particular claim or request for relief, then the parties agree that that particular claim or request for relief may proceed in court as provided herein, but shall be severed and stayed pending arbitration of the remaining claims. This provision does not prevent you or BDG from participating in a class-wide settlement of claims.

(d) Arbitration Location.

If you are a resident of the United States, arbitration will take place in the county where you reside. For residents in Canada (and anywhere else outside the United States), arbitration shall be initiated in the County of New York, State of New York, United States of America, unless you and BDG otherwise agree or unless the designated arbitrator determines that such venue would be unreasonably burdensome to any party, in which case the arbitrator shall have the discretion to select another venue.

For any arbitration conducted in the County of New York, State of New York, United States of America, You and BDG agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of any federal or state court in New York County, New York, in order to compel arbitration, to stay proceedings pending arbitration, or to confirm, modify, vacate or enter judgment on the award entered by the arbitrator; and in connection with any such proceeding, further agree to accept service of process by U.S. or certified mail and hereby waive any and all jurisdictional and venue defenses otherwise available

(e) The Arbitration Rules.

(i) The Provider.

The arbitration will be administered by National Arbitration and Mediation (“NAM”) and resolved before a single arbitrator. If NAM is not available to arbitrate, the parties will select an alternative arbitration provider.

Except as modified by this “Dispute Resolution” provision, NAM will administer the arbitration in accordance with the NAM Comprehensive Dispute Resolution Rules and Procedures, Fees For Disputes When One of the Parties is a Consumer and the Mass Filing Dispute Resolution Rules and Procedures in effect at the time any demand for arbitration is filed with NAM, excluding any rules or procedures governing or permitting class or representative actions. The applicable NAM rules and procedures are available at http://www.namadr.com or by emailing National Arbitration and Mediation’s Commercial Dept at commercial@namadr.com.

You are responsible for your own attorneys’ fees unless the arbitration rules and/or applicable law provide otherwise.

The parties agree that NAM has discretion to reduce the amount or modify the timing of any administrative or arbitration fees due under NAM’s Rules where it deems appropriate, provided that such modification does not increase the costs to you, and you further agree that you waive any objection to such fee modification. The parties also agree that a good-faith challenge by either party to the fees imposed by NAM does not constitute a default, waiver, or breach of this Section 11 while such challenge remains pending before NAM the arbitrator, and/or a court of competent jurisdiction, and that any and all due dates for those fees shall be tolled during the pendency of such challenge.

(ii) Arbitration Demand Must Contain Sufficient Information.

Any arbitration demand or counterclaim asserted by either party must contain sufficient information to provide fair notice to the other party of the asserting party’s identity, the claims being asserted, and the factual allegations on which they are based, and must include proof that the claimant is party to this Arbitration Agreement and to these Terms of Service. The arbitrator and/or NAM may require amendment of any demand or counterclaim that does not satisfy these requirements. The arbitrator has the right to impose sanctions for any claims the arbitrator determines to be frivolous or improper (under the standard set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11), including for any claim filed on behalf of a claimant who is not a party to this Arbitration Agreement or to these Terms of Service.

(iii) Arbitration Conducted on Papers in Some Circumstances.

If the amount in controversy does not exceed $10,000 and you do not seek injunctive or declaratory relief, then the arbitration will be conducted solely on the basis of documents that you and BDG submit to the arbitrator, unless the arbitrator determines that a hearing is necessary. If the amount in controversy exceeds $10,000 or seeks declaratory or injunctive relief, either party may request (or the arbitrator may determine) to hold a hearing. Any hearing shall presumptively be held via videoconference or telephone conference unless the arbitrator determines there is good cause to hold the hearing in-person or the parties agree otherwise, in which case the hearing will be held at the location identified in Section 11(d).

(iv) Dispositive Motions.

Subject to the applicable NAM rules and procedures, the parties agree that the arbitrator will have the discretion to allow the filing of dispositive motions if they are likely to efficiently resolve or narrow issues in dispute.

(v) Batching.

To increase the efficiency of administration and resolution of arbitrations, in the event 100 or more similar arbitration demands (those asserting the same or substantially similar facts or claims, and seeking the same or substantially similar relief) presented by or with the assistance or coordination of the same law firm(s) or organization(s) are submitted to NAM (or another arbitration provider selected in accordance with Section 11.2(e)(i) if NAM is unavailable) against BDG within reasonably close temporal proximity (“Mass Filing”), the parties agree (A) to administer the Mass Filing in batches of 100 demands per batch (to the extent there are fewer than 100 arbitration demands left over after the batching described above, a final batch will consist of the remaining demands) with only one batch filed, processed, and adjudicated at a time; (B) to designate one arbitrator for each batch; (C) to accept applicable fees, including any related fee reduction determined by NAM (or another arbitration provider selected in accordance with 11.2(e)(i) if NAM is unavailable) in its discretion; (D) that no other demands for arbitration that are part of the Mass Filing may be filed, processed, or adjudicated until the prior batch of 100 is filed, processed, and adjudicated; (e) that fees associated with a demand for arbitration included in a Mass Filing, including fees owed by BDG and the claimants, shall only be due after your demand for arbitration is included in a set of batch proceedings and that batch is properly designated for filing, processing, and adjudication; and (F) that the staged process of batched proceedings, with each set including 100 demands, shall continue until each demand (including your demand) is adjudicated or otherwise resolved. If your demand for arbitration is included in the Mass Filing, any statute of limitation applicable to your claims will remain tolled until your demand for arbitration is decided, withdrawn, or settled.

Arbitrator selection for each batch shall be conducted to the greatest extent possible in accordance with the applicable NAM rules and procedures for such selection, and shall be subject to any rights to strike an arbitrator provided under applicable state law if the rights granted by law exceed those provided for in the NAM rules, and the arbitrator will determine the location where the proceedings will be conducted.

You agree to cooperate in good faith with BDG and the arbitration provider to implement such a “batch approach” or other similar approach to provide for an efficient resolution of claims, including the payment of combined reduced fees, set by NAM in its discretion, for each batch of claims. The parties further agree to cooperate with each other and the arbitration provider or arbitrator to establish any other processes or procedures that the arbitration provider or arbitrator believe will provide for an efficient resolution of claims. For example, if the number of cases filed makes batches of 100 cases too small for the prompt resolution of all filed claims, you and we agree that NAM may increase or decrease the batch size, or transfer a case between batches in the reasoned discretion of the NAM procedural arbitrator. Any and all disagreements between the parties as to whether this provision applies or as to the process or procedure for batching shall be resolved by a NAM procedural arbitrator.

This “Batch Arbitration” provision shall in no way be interpreted as increasing the number of claims necessary to trigger the applicability of NAM’s Mass Filing Supplemental Dispute Resolution Rules and Procedures or authorizing class arbitration of any kind.

(vi) No Class or Consolidated Arbitration Absent Written Consent.

Unless BDG otherwise consents in writing, which it may do on a case-by-case basis, BDG does not agree or consent to class arbitration, private attorney general arbitration, or arbitration involving joint or consolidated claims under any circumstances, except as set forth in Section 11.2(c) and this Section 11.2(e)(vi).

(vii) Arbitration Award.

The arbitrator will render an award within the time frame specified in the applicable NAM rules and procedures. The arbitrator’s decision will include the essential findings and conclusions upon which the arbitrator based the award. Judgment on the arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. The arbitrator will have the authority to award monetary damages on an individual basis and to grant, on an individual basis, any non-monetary remedy or relief available to an individual to the extent available under applicable law, the arbitral forum’s rules, and this Arbitration Agreement. The parties agree that the damages and/or other relief must be consistent with Section 11.2(c) above, and also must be consistent with the terms of the “Limitation of Liability” section of these Terms of Service as to the types and the amounts of damages or other relief for which a party may be held liable. No arbitration award or decision will have any preclusive effect as to issues or claims in any dispute with anyone who is not a named party to the arbitration. Attorneys’ fees will be available to the prevailing party in the arbitration only if authorized under applicable substantive law governing the claims in the arbitration.

11.3 Exceptions to Arbitration.

Notwithstanding the parties’ agreement to resolve all disputes through binding arbitration as set forth in Section 11.2:

(a) IP Disputes.

Either party’s claims of infringement or misappropriation of the other party’s patent, copyright, trademark, or trade secret, shall be exclusively brought in the state and federal courts located in the City and County of New York, New York.

(b) Small Claims Court and Statutes of Limitation.

Either party may elect to have disputes or claims resolved in a small claims court regardless of what forum the filing party initially chose, provided the disputes or claims are within the scope of that court’s jurisdiction.

Either party may also seek a declaratory judgment or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction regarding whether a party’s claims are time-barred or may be in fact be brought in small claims court. Seeking such relief shall not waive a party’s right to arbitration under this agreement, and any filed arbitrations related to any action filed pursuant to this paragraph shall automatically be stayed (and any applicable statute of limitations tolled) pending the outcome of such action.

(c) Jurisdiction/Service of Process.

For any dispute not subject to arbitration under this Section 11, you and BDG agree to submit to the personal and exclusive jurisdiction of and venue in the federal and state courts located in New York, New York. You further agree to accept service of process by U.S. or certified mail, and hereby waive any and all jurisdictional and venue defenses otherwise available.

11.4 30-Day Right to Opt Out.

You have the right to opt-out and not be bound by the arbitration and class action waiver provisions set forth above by sending written notice, signed by you, of your decision to opt-out to the following address: privacy@BDG.com. The notice must be sent within 30 days of the date the revision is posted or your first use of the Services, whichever is later; otherwise, you shall be bound to arbitrate disputes in accordance with the terms of Section 11.2. If you opt-out of the arbitration provisions, BDG also will not be bound by them.

If you opt out of the Arbitration Agreement, you may exercise your right to a trial by jury or judge, as permitted by applicable law, but any prior existing agreement to arbitrate disputes under a prior version of the Arbitration Agreement will not apply to claims not yet filed. If BDG changes this “Dispute Resolution” section after the date you first accepted this Agreement (or accepted any subsequent changes to this Agreement), you agree that your continued use of the Services 30 days after such change will be deemed acceptance of those changes. If you do not agree to such change, you may opt out of the Arbitration Agreement by providing notice as described in Section 11.4.

BDG will continue to honor any valid opt outs if you opted out of arbitration in a prior version of the Terms pursuant to the requirements set forth in that version. If you do not timely opt out of this Arbitration Agreement, such action shall constitute mutual acceptance of the terms of these “Dispute Resolution” provisions by you and BDG.

‍11.5 Changes to this Section.

BDG will provide 30 days’ notice of the date of any material changes to this Section 11. Changes will become effective on the 30th day and apply to all claims not yet filed. If you continue to use the Services after the 30th day, you agree that any unfiled claims are subject to the revised clause.

12. Governing Law and Jurisdiction.

The Terms of Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, including its conflicts of law rules, and the United States of America. You agree that any dispute arising from or relating to the subject matter of this Terms of Service shall be governed by the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and Federal courts of New York County, New York.

13. Modification.

We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to modify or replace any part of these Terms of Service, or change, suspend, or discontinue the Services (including without limitation, the availability of any feature, database, or content) at any time by posting a notice on the Site or by sending you notice through the Services, via e-mail or by another appropriate means of electronic communication. We may also impose limits on certain features and services or restrict your access to parts or all of the Services without notice or liability. While we will timely provide notice of modifications, it is also your responsibility to check these Terms of Service periodically for changes. Your continued use of the Services following notification of any changes to these Terms of Service constitutes acceptance of those changes.

14. Miscellaneous.

14.1 Entire Agreement and Severability. These Terms of Service are the entire agreement between you and us with respect to the Services, including use of the Site, and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals (whether oral, written or electronic) between you and us with respect to the Services. If any provision of these Terms of Service is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these Terms of Service will otherwise remain in full force and effect and enforceable. The failure of either party to exercise in any respect any right provided for herein shall not be deemed a waiver of any further rights hereunder

14.2 Force Majeure. We shall not be liable for any failure to perform our obligations hereunder where such failure results from any cause beyond our reasonable control, including, without limitation, mechanical, electronic or communications failure or degradation.

14.3 Assignment. These Terms of Service are personal to you, and are not assignable, transferable or sublicensable by you except with our prior written consent. We may assign, transfer or delegate any of our rights and obligations hereunder without consent.

14.4 Agency. No agency, partnership, joint venture, or employment relationship is created as a result of these Terms of Service and neither party has any authority of any kind to bind the other in any respect.

14.5 Notices. Unless otherwise specified in these Terms of Service, all notices under these Terms of Service will be in writing and will be deemed to have been duly given when received, if personally delivered or sent by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested; when receipt is electronically confirmed, if transmitted by facsimile or e-mail; or the day after it is sent, if sent for next day delivery by recognized overnight delivery service. Electronic notices should be sent to legalnotices@bustle.com.

14.6 No Waiver. Our failure to enforce any part of these Terms of Service shall not constitute a waiver of our right to later enforce that or any other part of these Terms of Service. Waiver of compliance in any particular instance does not mean that we will waive compliance in the future. In order for any waiver of compliance with these Terms of Service to be binding, we must provide you with written notice of such waiver through one of our authorized representatives.

14.7 Headings. The section and paragraph headings in these Terms of Service are for convenience only and shall not affect their interpretation.

14.8 Contact. You may contact us at the following address: 315 Park Ave S, 11th Floor New York, NY 10010

Effective Date of Terms of Service: 1/29/2024