Resident Terms of Services

This policy is effective June 15, 2022

Resident Terms of Services

If you have a Public Official Page, click here for the Public Official Terms of Service governing your use of Public Official Pages.

1. Our Services

Welcome to CivicBell, owned and operated by CivicBell LLC (“CivicBell”, “we”, “us” and “our”). CivicBell is a civic engagement platform designed to improve the connection and communication between Americans and their government officials. These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) governs your rights and responsibilities related to CivicBell’s services including all of CivicBell’s websites, domains, apps, products, services, and features (collectively, the “Services”) if you have your ordinary place of residence or establishment in the United States. These Terms do not apply to Agencies, and the Services do not include, Agency Pages. When you register to use our Services, you become a “Resident.” If you have chosen not to register for our Services, you may still be able to access certain aspects of or made available by our Services as a “Visitor.” By accessing or using our Services, whether as a Resident or Visitor, you acknowledge and agree that you have read, understand, and agree to be bound by these Terms as a legally binding contract with CivicBell (even if you are using the Services on behalf of a company), so please take a moment to read these legally binding Terms.

If you are accepting these Terms and using the Services on behalf of a company, partnership, organization, or other legal entity, you represent and warrant that you are authorized to do so and that you have the authority to bind such entity to these Terms, in which case the words “you” and “your” as used in these Terms shall refer to such entity. The collection, use, and sharing of your personal information is described in our Privacy Policy and our Cookie Policy.

IMPORTANT: PLEASE REVIEW THE ARBITRATION AGREEMENT SET FORTH IN SECTION 15 BELOW CAREFULLY, AS IT WILL REQUIRE YOU TO RESOLVE DISPUTES WITH CIVICBELL ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS THROUGH FINAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION.

2. Joining the CivicBell community

Eligibility. You may use our Services only if you can legally form a binding contract with CivicBell, and only in compliance with these Terms and all applicable laws. You can’t use the Services if (1) you are a child for whom consent is required to fully use the Services (e.g., as is the case if you are under 13 pursuant to COPPA); (2) you are a registered sex offender in any jurisdiction or are otherwise subject to applicable law, order or legal action barring you from using or accessing an online service that permits use by minor children; (3) we previously disabled your Account for violations of these Terms or other of our Supplemental Terms or policies; (4) our Services are not directed to your geographic territory; or (5) you are otherwise prohibited by applicable laws from accessing or receiving our Services. We reserve the right to refuse registration for, access to, or use of our Services by any person or household at any time and for any reason.
Becoming a Resident. When you register to become a Resident, you must provide us with accurate and complete information. We reserve the right to reject and terminate any registrations submitted with false or inaccurate registration information, or otherwise submitted in violation of these Terms.
Account Types and Access. Residents may create, operate, maintain, or otherwise use an account on the Services (“Account(s)”) for personal use. Each individual is limited to one Account. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your Account login information and you must keep such login information confidential. You are responsible for all activity that takes place under your Account. You should notify us immediately if you suspect or become aware of any unauthorized use of or access to your Account.
Permitted Activities. You may use, access, search, interact with, or otherwise make use of our Services only for the purposes for which they are provided and by the means we make available (such as our website, apps, and APIs), and in each case subject to any Supplemental Terms we provide governing their permitted uses.

3. Our license grant to you

Subject to your complete and ongoing compliance with these Terms and all applicable guidelines and policies, CivicBell hereby grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, and freely revocable license to access and use the Services as provided herein. The foregoing license grant is not a sale of the Services or any portion thereof, and CivicBell retains all of our right, title, and interest in the Services and all copies thereof.

4. Rights you grant

Generally. Some areas of the Services allow Residents to post, publish, submit, upload, transmit, or otherwise make available on the Services content such as profile pictures or information, photos, images, music, videos, information, comments, likes, recommendations, questions, messages, and other content or information (“Content”) (any such Content that a Resident does make available or submit is referred to as “Resident Content”). You retain ownership of your Resident Content.
License Grant to CivicBell. You hereby grant to CivicBell a non-exclusive, transferable, fully sublicensable (through multiple-tiers), royalty-free, and worldwide license, to host, use, distribute, modify, copy, publish, list information regarding, edit, translate, distribute, syndicate, publicly perform, publicly display, and make derivative works of your Resident Content. We will exercise our rights in the foregoing license subject to your Account settings, the selections you make when posting your Resident Content, and as otherwise described in our Privacy Policy. You represent and warrant that you are the creator and owner of your Resident Content, or that you have the necessary licenses, rights, consents and permissions to authorize CivicBell to exercise the licenses granted by you in this section in the manner contemplated by these Terms.
License Grant to Other Residents. You also hereby grant each Resident of the Services a non-exclusive license to access your Resident Content through the Services and to use, reproduce, distribute, display, and perform such Resident Content as permitted through the functionality of the Services and under these Terms.
Feedback. We welcome you to share any feedback, suggestions, or ideas you have about CivicBell and our Services with us (“Feedback”); You agree that in sharing your Feedback, you hereby grant CivicBell an unrestricted, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, sublicensable, transferable, fully-paid, royalty-free right to use the Feedback as we see fit and in connection with any of our products and services now known or hereinafter developed.
Software. Using CivicBell may include downloading software to your computer, phone, tablet, or other device. We may require you to accept updates to our Services that you have installed on your computer or mobile device. You acknowledge and agree that we may automatically update that software, and the then-current version of these Terms will apply to any updates.

5. Being a good citizen

Community Guidelines. At CivicBell, we believe that tolerance, respect, and kindness is the foundation of healthy civic discourse. These Terms include by reference our Community Guidelines on appropriate use of CivicBell. All of our Community Guidelines apply to Content submitted on CivicBell, including submissions in Groups and Private Messages. We may limit the distribution of or remove Content that we determine violates the Community Guidelines. We reserve the right to proactively moderate Content, although we expressly disclaim any obligation to do so, and we can remove Content, suspend, delete, or deactivate your Account, limit Account privileges, or otherwise refuse service to you, if you violate our Community Guidelines, these Terms, or our other policies, or if you infringe intellectual property, or otherwise engage in behavior that we think may harm CivicBell or a CivicBell geographic area.
Prohibited Conduct. Without limiting other restrictions contained in these Terms, you agree that you will not, under any circumstances (i) gain or attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Services, including the Accounts of other Residents (such through the use of bots or other automations as well as the unauthorized use of legitimate Resident credentials); (ii) interfere with, disrupt, or damage our Services or attempt to do the same (such as by posting viruses, instigating a denial of service attack, or spamming Residents); (iii) attempt to gain access to or tamper with non-public areas of the Services, our computer systems, and any technical delivery systems of our providers; (iv) attempt to prove, scan, or test the vulnerability of our systems, networks, or Services, or breach any security or authentication measure; (v) conduct facial recognition or other biometric analysis of the Content (as defined below) posted on CivicBell; (vi) develop, support or use software, devices, scripts, robots or any other means or processes (including crawlers, browser plugins, and add-ons or any other technology) to scrape the Services or otherwise copy profiles and other data from the Services; or (vii) otherwise access or use the Services in an unlawful or unanticipated manner. For clarity, any attempt to engage in any of the behaviors listed in this section is also prohibited.
Disputes Between Residents; Waiver of Claims Against CivicBell. In the real world and online, people sometimes disagree. If you have a dispute with another Resident, we hope that you will be able to work it out amicably. However, if you can’t, please understand that CivicBell is not responsible for the actions of our Residents. Each of our Residents is solely responsible for their own actions and behavior, whether they are using CivicBell or having a discussion in person. Accordingly, you agree that CivicBell has no responsibility for the conduct of Residents or other third parties and, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, you hereby release the CivicBell Entities (defined below) from losses, liabilities, claims, demands, and damages (actual and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown, arising out of or in any way connected with disputes involving you and other Residents. If you are a California resident, you hereby waive California Civil Code §1542, which says: “A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release, and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or releasing party.”

6. Resident interactions

Opinions and Views Offered by Residents. You, and not CivicBell, are responsible for your own decisions and actions on the Services. CivicBell does not endorse or share the opinions and views posted by Residents on the Services nor petitions or surveys created by Residents, so any actions take are between the Resident posting opinions or views or creating surveys and petitions and the Resident engaging with such actions.
Engaging Other Residents. CivicBell does not interview, run background checks on, monitor, supervise, direct or control Residents. In addition, the use of CivicBell to find a Public Official or other Residents, via search, or any similar feature, does not make us an employer, placement agency, representative, or agent of or for you or any other Resident or Public Official, and you acknowledge and agree that no such relationship is intended or created by these Terms or your use of the Services. If you and another Resident decide to work together, the two of you, and not CivicBell, are solely responsible for complying with any applicable laws. Residents are not independent contractors, employees, joint venturers, franchisees, or service providers to or for CivicBell.
Prohibited Transactions. You may not use the Services to solicit, advertise for, or contact in any form, Residents for any purpose not related to the Services. You may not use the Services to collect the contact information or other personal information of Residents, by electronic means or otherwise, without our prior written consent.
CivicBell Only Provides a Venue. CivicBell is not a party to interactions, transactions or disputes between Residents, and while we may, in our discretion, help facilitate the resolution of disputes we have no control over and do not guarantee (i) the existence, quality, safety, or legality of any events or actions posted by Residents on the Services; (ii) the truth or accuracy of Resident Content or postings; or (iii) the integrity, responsibility, or actions of any Residents. CivicBell reserves the right to remove any Resident’s posting on the Services for any reason or no reason, at any time, with or without notice. When interacting with other Residents you should exercise caution and common sense to protect your personal safety and property, just as you would when interacting with other persons whom you don’t know. NEITHER CIVICBELL NOR OUR AFFILIATES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONDUCT, WHETHER ONLINE OR OFFLINE, OF ANY USER OF THE SERVICES. CIVICBELL AND OUR AFFILIATES WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, INJURY OR DAMAGE ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES.

7. Notification preferences

Notifications. By default, you will receive notifications from CivicBell related to your use of and interactions with the Services within the Services, to the email address to which your Account is linked, and on your device or browser. You may also opt in to other kinds of notifications. You can change your preferences about receiving messages from CivicBell in the settings, and customize your default notification settings there as well. You can use these preference settings to unsubscribe to certain notifications by email or text message.
Text Messages. CivicBell may provide from time to time a text message service that provides Residents with notifications relevant to their geographic area, Account, or other Services, such as urgent alerts. CivicBell does not charge for our text notifications, but your carrier may charge you for such messages. Text notifications may not be delivered if your phone is not in range of a transmission site, or if sufficient network capacity is not available at a particular time. Further, factors beyond the control of the user’s wireless carrier or wireless internet provider may interfere with message delivery, including equipment, terrain, proximity to buildings, foliage, and weather. You acknowledge that notifications may not be timely received and that neither CivicBell nor your wireless carrier guarantees that text notifications will be delivered. These notifications are not intended to replace any primary phone service, such as a traditional landline or mobile phone that may be used to contact emergency services. You acknowledge and agree that CivicBell is not liable, and you shall not seek to hold CivicBell liable, for any damages related to your use of the text notification service.

8. Promotions

Any sweepstakes, contests, raffles, games or similar (collectively, “Promotions”) made available through and as part of the Services may have additional terms and conditions. If you participate in any Promotions, please carefully review any Promotion-specific rules as well as our Privacy Policy. If and to the extent those rules conflict with these Terms or the Privacy Policy, the applicable Promotion rules will govern.

9. Third-party sites and services

Our Services may contain links to third-party websites, advertisers, services, special offers, or other events or activities that are not owned or controlled by CivicBell. We don’t endorse or assume any responsibility for any such third-party websites, information, materials, products, or services. If you access any third-party website, advertisement, service, or other Content from CivicBell, you do so at your own risk. CivicBell may not warn you that you are leaving the Services and are subject to the terms and conditions of another website or domain, which is not under the control of CivicBell. You agree that CivicBell has no liability arising from your use of or access to any third-party website, service, or Content.

10. Changes to our services

We may offer additional Services and product features, or add, change, or discontinue our existing Services and product features at any time and in any region, with or without notice to you. If you are dissatisfied, your sole remedy is to stop using our Services or the affected feature.

11. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold CivicBell and our affiliates, related companies, officers, directors, employees, agents, representatives, partners, and licensors (the “CivicBell Entities”) harmless from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including without limitation reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, made by any third party due to or arising out of any and all of the following (a) your use of the Services; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of applicable laws or regulations; (d) your violation of any rights of another party, including any Residents; (e) your interactions with other Residents; or (f) your Resident Content. We reserve the right to control the defense of any matter for which you are required to indemnify us, and you agree to cooperate with our defense of these claims and to not settle any claim without our prior written consent. You agree that the provisions of this section will survive any termination of your Account(s), the Terms, and/or your access to the Services.

12. Disclaimers; limitations of liability

Disclaimers; No Warranties. You understand and agree that to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law your access to and use of the Services or any Content are at your own risk. Our Services are provided to you on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis, with all faults. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING AND TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE CIVICBELL ENTITIES EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, REPRESENTATIONS, AND CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. The CivicBell Entities make no warranty or representation and disclaim all responsibility and liability for (i) the completeness, accuracy, availability, timeliness, security, or reliability of the Services; (ii) any harm to computer systems, loss of data, or other harm that results from access to or use of the Services; (iii) the deletion of, or the failure to store or to transmit, any Content and other communications maintained by the Services; (iv) viruses or other harmful components distributed by the Services; and (v) whether the Services will meet requirements or be available on an uninterrupted, secure, or error-free basis. We can’t guarantee continuous or secure access to the Services, and operation of the Services may be interfered with by numerous factors outside of our control. No advice or information, whether oral or written, obtained from the CivicBell Entities or through the Services will create any warranty not expressly made herein.
Liability Limits. YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE CIVICBELL ENTITIES SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM (I) YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF OR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE THE SERVICES; (II) ANY CONDUCT OR CONTENT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE SERVICES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY DEFAMATORY, OFFENSIVE OR ILLEGAL CONDUCT OF OTHER RESIDENTS OR THIRD PARTIES; (III) ANY CONTENT OBTAINED FROM THE SERVICES; OR (IV) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, USE, OR ALTERATION OF YOUR ACCOUNT, TRANSMISSIONS OR CONTENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF CIVICBELL ENTITIES EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE TOTAL AMOUNT PAID OR PAYABLE TO CIVICBELL BY YOU FOR THE SERVICES DURING THE SIX-MONTH PERIOD PRIOR TO THE ACT, OMISSION, OR OCCURRENCE GIVING RISE TO SUCH LIABILITY; OR (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100). THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS SUBSECTION SHALL APPLY TO ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, STATUTE, TORT OR OTHERWISE, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE PARTIES HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY SUCH DAMAGE, AND EVEN IF A REMEDY SET FORTH HEREIN IS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.
No Liability for Conduct of other Residents. YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF YOUR COMMUNICATIONS AND INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER RESIDENTS OR OTHER USERS OF THE SERVICES. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT CIVICBELL DOES NOT MAKE ANY ATTEMPT TO VERIFY THE STATEMENTS OF RESIDENTS OR OTHER USERS OF THE SERVICES. CIVICBELL MAKES NO WARRANTY THAT ANY GOODS OR SERVICES PROVIDED BY THIRD PARTIES WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS OR BE AVAILABLE ON AN UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE BASIS. CIVICBELL MAKES NO WARRANTY REGARDING THE QUALITY OF SUCH GOODS OR SERVICES, NOR THE ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, TRUTHFULNESS, COMPLETENESS, OR RELIABILITY OF ANY CONTENT MADE AVAILABLE BY THIRD PARTIES ON OR THROUGH THE SERVICES.
Exclusion of Damages. CERTAIN JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES. IF THESE LAWS APPLY TO YOU, SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS OR LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU, AND YOU MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS.
Basis of the Bargain. THE LIMITATIONS OF DAMAGES SET FORTH ABOVE ARE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF THE BASIS OF THE BARGAIN BETWEEN CIVICBELL ENTITIES AND YOU.

13. Dispute resolution

If a dispute arises between you and CivicBell, our goal is to provide you with a neutral and cost‐effective means of resolving the dispute quickly. Accordingly, if you have a dispute with CivicBell, you agree to contact us and try to resolve the dispute informally before pursuing other avenues, including arbitration as set forth in Section 15 below.

14. General

Term and Termination. The Terms commence on the date when you accept them (as described in the preamble above) and remain in full force and effect for as long as you access or use the Services, unless terminated earlier in accordance with the Terms. (i) Termination by You. You may terminate these Terms with CivicBell at any time by emailing us a support@civicbell.comrequesting to deactivate your Account(s) and discontinuing your use of the Services. (ii) Termination by CivicBell. We may suspend, terminate, delete, or deactivate your Account(s) or stop providing you with all or part of the Services at any time for any or no reason, with or without notice, without liability to you. (iii) Survival. In the event of termination, whether by you or by us, Section 3 (Rights You Grant), Section 11 (Indemnification), Section 12 (Disclaimers; Limitation of Liability), Section 13 (Dispute Resolution), Section 14 (General), and Section 15 (Arbitration) of these Terms shall survive.
Resident Support. We care about your concerns, issues, thoughts, and suggestions. Please visit our FAQ page to find answers to common questions or email us at support@civicbell.com.
Infringement. If you believe Content on the Services infringes your copyright, you can reach our notification agent at CivicBell LLC, 265 Cambridge Ave, Suite 60908, Palo Alto, CA 94306 ; Email: legal@civicbell.com. If you are in the U.S., your notice must satisfy the requirements enumerated in 17 U.S.C. §512(c)(3). Please review our Trademark and Copyright Policy for additional information.
Integration. These Terms, including our Community Guidelines, Privacy Policy and other Supplemental Terms and policies referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between you and us with respect to our Services, and supersede any other agreements or understandings (oral or written), except that in the event of any conflict between these Terms and Supplemental Terms the Supplemental Terms shall control solely with regard to the Services to which they apply.
Updates. We reserve the right to amend these Terms and any Supplemental Terms at any time. We will notify you of any material changes as legally required (for example, by emailing you, or by posting an amendment notice in your CivicFeed). Such changes to the Terms and Supplemental Terms shall be effective immediately for new Visitors. Changes to applicable policies and guidelines are effectively immediately unless otherwise stated. If you keep using CivicBell after a change to Terms or any applicable Supplemental Terms is effective, you accept and agree to be bound by the new terms; if you disagree with the new terms, you must stop using the Services and delete your Account(s).
Notices. Notice to CivicBell under these Terms must be in writing and sent to CivicBell using the relevant contact information set out in the introductory paragraph above. Notices will be deemed given upon personal delivery, upon delivery if by mail, or upon valid transmission through email.
No Agency. These Terms do not create any agency, partnership, joint venture, joint controllership, employment or franchise relationship between you and CivicBell.
Miscellaneous. To the extent allowed by applicable law, the English version of these Terms is binding, and other translations are for convenience only. You may not assign any of your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent, which consent may be withheld in our sole discretion. If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, then that provision will be severed from these Terms and not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, this Agreement is intended solely for the benefit of you and the CivicBell Entities, and is not intended to confer any benefits upon, or create any rights in favor of, any Person other than you and the CivicBell Entities. Our failure to act in a particular circumstance does not waive our right to act with respect to that or other circumstances. We shall be excused for any problem due to a circumstance beyond our reasonable control. You represent and warrant on an ongoing basis and at all relevant times that you are not, nor is any individual with access to your Account, nor is any entity or person that (directly or indirectly) owns, controls, or is affiliated with you, acts on your behalf or is otherwise associated with you, subject to financial, economic or trade sanctions or embargoes, or otherwise designated on any list of prohibited or restricted parties or territories. In the event that, at any relevant time, the warranty outlined in the preceding sentence ceases to be true, complete, and accurate, you shall notify us immediately.

15. Arbitration

Governing law, Jurisdiction and Venue. These Terms are governed by California law, without giving effect to any conflict of law principles, except as may be otherwise provided in the Arbitration Agreement section of these Terms. However, the governing law provision regarding the interpretation of these Terms is not intended to create any other substantive right to non-Californians to assert claims under California law whether that be by statute, common law, or otherwise. This section is only intended to specify the use of California law to interpret these Terms. Both you and CivicBell agree that all claims and disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms (and any Supplemental Terms unless expressly otherwise set forth in such Supplemental Terms) that are not subject to arbitration per these Terms will be resolved exclusively in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California or a state court located in Santa Clara County, and you hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction thereof.
Arbitration Agreement. You and CivicBell agree to the arbitration and dispute resolution terms in this section (the “Arbitration Agreement”). For the purposes of this Arbitration Agreement, references to “CivicBell,” “you,” “we” and “us” include our respective subsidiaries, affiliates, agents, employees, employers, partners, shareholders, predecessors in interest, successors, assigns, and heirs. We encourage you to carefully read these important terms, which include a requirement that claims arising out of or relating to these Terms (and any Supplemental Terms unless expressly otherwise set forth in such Supplemental Terms) shall be brought individually and subject to arbitration, subject to the exceptions in Section 15(c), Section 15(d), and Section 15(e), and include instructions for how to opt out if you do not agree.
Small Claims Court. Notwithstanding the foregoing, either you or CivicBell may bring an individual action in small claims court.
Emergency Equitable Relief. Notwithstanding the foregoing, either you or CivicBell may seek emergency equitable relief before a state or federal court in order to maintain the status quo pending arbitration. A request for interim measures shall not be deemed a waiver of any other rights or obligations under this Arbitration Agreement.
Claims not Subject to Arbitration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, claims of defamation, violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and infringement or misappropriation of the other party’s patent, copyright, trademark, or trade secrets shall not be subject to this Arbitration Agreement.
Applicability. You agree that any dispute or claim relating in any way to your access or use of the Services, or to any aspect of your relationship with CivicBell, will be resolved by binding arbitration, rather than in court, except that you may assert certain qualifying claims in small claims court in accordance with the terms above.
Arbitration rules and forum. These Terms evidence a transaction involving interstate commerce and that notwithstanding the provision above with respect to the applicable substantive law, the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §1 et seq. (“FAA”) will govern the interpretation and enforcement of this Arbitration Agreement and any arbitration proceedings. If for whatever reason the FAA is inapplicable, the state law governing arbitration agreements in the state in which you reside shall apply. To begin an arbitration proceeding, you must send a letter requesting arbitration and describing your claim to CivicBell LLC, 265 Cambridge Ave, Suite 60908, Palo Alto, CA 94306, with copy to legal@civicbell.com. Your letter must include (1) the name, telephone number, mailing address, and e‐mail address of the party seeking arbitration and the Account username, if any, as well as the email address associated with the Account; (2) a statement of the legal claims being asserted and the factual bases of those claims; (3) a description of the remedy sought and an accurate, good‐faith calculation of the amount in controversy in United States Dollars; (4) the party’s portion of the applicable filing fee. The arbitration will be conducted by JAMS, an established alternative dispute resolution provider. Disputes involving claims and counterclaims under $250,000, not inclusive of attorneys’ fees and interest, shall be subject to JAMS’s most current version of the Streamlined Arbitration Rules and procedures available at http://www.jamsadr.com/rules-streamlined-arbitration/. All other claims shall be subject to JAMS’s most current version of the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures, available at http://www.jamsadr.com/rules-comprehensive-arbitration/. JAMS’s rules are also available at www.jamsadr.com or by calling JAMS at 800-352-5267. If JAMS is not available to arbitrate, the parties will select an alternative arbitral forum. If the arbitrator finds that you can’t afford to pay JAMS’s filing, administrative, hearing, and/or other fees and can’t obtain a waiver from JAMS, CivicBell will pay them for you. In addition, CivicBell will reimburse all such JAMS’s filing, administrative, hearing and/or other fees for claims, such amounts totaling less than $10,000, unless the arbitrator determines the claims are frivolous. You may choose to have the arbitration conducted by telephone, based on written submissions, or in person in the county where you reside, or at another mutually agreed location. Any judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.
Authority of arbitrator. The arbitrator shall have exclusive authority to (i) determine the scope and enforceability of this Arbitration Agreement and (ii) resolve any dispute related to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability or formation of this Arbitration Agreement including, but not limited to, any claim that all or any part of this Arbitration Agreement is void or voidable. The exceptions to the preceding sentence are (1) all disputes arising out of or relating to the class action waiver, including any claim that all or part of the class action waiver is unenforceable, illegal, void or voidable, or such class action waiver has been breached, shall be decided by a court of competent jurisdiction and not by an arbitrator; (2) all disputes arising out of or relating to the payment of arbitration fees shall be decided only by a court of competent jurisdiction and not by an arbitrator; and (3) all disputes arising out of or relating to whether either party has satisfied any condition precedent to arbitration shall be decided only by a court of competent jurisdiction and not by an arbitrator. The arbitration will decide the rights and liabilities, if any, of you and CivicBell. The arbitrator shall have the authority to grant motions dispositive of all or part of any claim. The arbitrator shall have the authority to award monetary damages and to grant any non-monetary remedy or relief available to an individual under applicable law, the arbitral forum’s rules, and the Terms (including the Arbitration Agreement). The arbitrator shall issue a written award and statement of decision describing the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based, including the calculation of any damages awarded. The arbitrator has the same authority to award relief on an individual basis that a judge in a court of law would have. The award of the arbitrator is final and binding upon you and us. Any judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.
Waiver of Jury Trial. YOU AND CIVICBELL HEREBY WAIVE ANY CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY RIGHTS TO SUE IN COURT AND HAVE A TRIAL IN FRONT OF A JUDGE OR A JURY. There is no judge or jury in arbitration, and court review of an arbitration award is subject to very limited review. This clause shall not preclude parties from seeking provision remedies in aid of arbitration from a court of appropriate jurisdiction.
Waiver of Class or other Non-Individualized Relief. ALL CLAIMS AND DISPUTES WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THIS ARBITRATION AGREEMENT MUST BE ARBITRATED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT ON A CLASS OR COLLECTIVE BASIS, ONLY INDIVIDUAL RELIEF IS AVAILABLE, AND CLAIMS OF MORE THAN ONE CUSTOMER OR USER can’t BE ARBITRATED OR CONSOLIDATED WITH THOSE OF ANY OTHER CUSTOMER OR USER. If a decision is issued stating that applicable law precludes enforcement of any of this subsection’s limitations as to a given claim for relief, then the claim must be severed from the arbitration and brought into the federal or state court located in Santa Clara County, California. All other claims shall be arbitrated.
30-day Right to Opt Out. You have the right to opt out of the provisions of these Terms that mandate arbitration by sending written notice of your decision to opt out to: legal@civicbell.com, within 30 days after first becoming subject to a version of these Terms containing an arbitration provision. Your notice must include your name and address, your CivicBell username (if any), the email address you used to set up your Account (if you have one), and an unequivocal statement that you want to opt out of this Arbitration Agreement. If you opt out of arbitration, all other parts of these Terms will continue to apply to you. Opting out of arbitration has no effect on any other arbitration agreements that you may currently have, or may enter into in the future, with us.
Severability. Except as provided in Section 15(a)(j) (Waiver of Class or Other Non-Individualized Relief), if any part or parts of this Arbitration Agreement are found under the law to be invalid or unenforceable, then such specific part or parts shall be of no force and effect and shall be severed and the remainder of the Arbitration Agreement shall continue in full force and effect.
Survival of Arbitration Agreement. This Arbitration Agreement will survive the termination of your relationship with CivicBell.
Material Changes. Notwithstanding any provision in these Terms to the contrary, we agree that if CivicBell makes any future material change to this Arbitration Agreement, you may reject that change within thirty (30) days of such change becoming effective by writing CivicBell at the following address: legal@civicbell.com.