Blackboard

Blackboard Social

End User Terms of Service

IMPORTANT--PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.  These Blackboard Social End User Terms of Service (“Terms”) is a legal agreement between Blackboard Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Blackboard”, “us”, or “we”) and you, as recipient of the Blackboard Social software product and services.  These Terms govern your access to and use of the Blackboard Social software product and services (the “Services”), and any information, text, graphics, photos or other materials uploaded, downloaded or appearing on the Services (collectively referred to as “Content”).  Your access to and use of the Services are conditioned on your acceptance of and compliance with these Terms.  By accessing or using the Services you agree to be bound by these Terms.

1. Basic Terms

You are responsible for your use of the Services, for any Content you post to the Services, and for any consequences thereof.  The Content you submit, post, or display will be able to be viewed by other users of the Services.  You should only provide Content that you are comfortable sharing with others under these Terms.  You can control the Content that other users of the Services may access through the privacy options in the Services.

You may use the Services only if you can form a binding contract with Blackboard and are not a person barred from receiving services under the laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdiction.  If you are accepting these Terms and using the Services on behalf of a company, organization, government, or other legal entity, you represent and warrant that you are authorized to do so. You may use the Services only in compliance with these Terms and all applicable local, state, national, and international laws, rules and regulations.

The Services that Blackboard provides are always evolving and the form and nature of the Services that Blackboard provides may change from time to time without prior notice to you.  In addition, Blackboard may stop (permanently or temporarily) providing the Services (or any features within the Services) to you or to users generally and may not be able to provide you with prior notice.  We also retain the right to create limits on use and storage at our sole discretion at any time without prior notice to you.

If you stop using the Services for more than 12 months, your accounts may be deleted.

2. Privacy

Any information that you provide to Blackboard, including personal information, will be collected and used in accordance with our Privacy Policy located athttp://www.blackboard.com/privacy.  You understand that through your use of the Services you consent to the collection and use (as set forth in the Privacy Policy) of this information, including the transfer of this information to the United States and/or other countries for storage, processing and use by Blackboard.  As part of providing you the Services, we may need to provide you with certain communications, such as service announcements and administrative messages.  These communications are considered part of the Services and your Blackboard account, which you cannot opt-out from receiving.

3. Passwords

You are responsible for safeguarding any password that you use to access the Services (including passwords used on other Blackboard products that permit single sign-on to the Services) and for any activities or actions under your password.  We encourage you to use “strong” passwords (passwords that use a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols) with your account.  Blackboard cannot and will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with the above.

4. Content on the Services

All Content, whether publicly posted or privately transmitted, is the sole responsibility of the person who originated such Content.  We may not monitor or control the Content posted via the Services, and we cannot take responsibility for such Content.  Any use or reliance on any Content or materials posted via the Services or obtained by you through the Services is at your own risk.

We do not endorse, support, represent, or guarantee the completeness, truthfulness, accuracy, or reliability of any Content or communications posted via the Services or endorse any opinions expressed via the Services.  You understand that by using the Services, you may be exposed to Content that might be offensive, harmful, inaccurate, or otherwise inappropriate, or in some cases, postings that have been mislabeled or are otherwise deceptive.  Under no circumstances will Blackboard be liable in any way for any Content, including, but not limited to, any errors or omissions in any Content, or any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of any Content posted, emailed, transmitted or otherwise made available via the Services or broadcast elsewhere.

5. Your Rights

You retain your rights to any Content you submit, post, or display on or through the Services.  By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through the Services, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute such Content in any and all media or distribution methods (now known or later developed) as part of providing the Services.

You agree that this license includes the right for Blackboard to provide, promote, and improve the Services and to make Content submitted to or through the Services available to other institutions or individuals as part of providing the Services and in accordance with your privacy settings.

We may modify or adapt your Content in order to transmit, display, or distribute it over computer networks and in various media and/or make changes to your Content as are necessary to conform and adapt that Content to any requirements or limitations of any networks, devices, services, or media.

You are responsible for your use of the Services, for any Content you provide, and for any consequences thereof, including the use of your Content by other users.  You understand that your Content may be copied or otherwise distributed by any user and if you do not have the right to submit Content for such use, it may subject you to liability.  Blackboard will not be responsible or liable for any use of your Content by Blackboard in accordance with these Terms.  You represent and warrant that you have all the rights, power and authority necessary to grant the rights granted herein to any Content that you submit.

6. Your License To Use the Services

Blackboard gives you a personal, worldwide, royalty-free, non-assignable, and non-exclusive license to use the Services, subject to any agreement entered into by your institution relating to the Service.

7. Blackboard Rights

All right, title, and interest in and to the Services (excluding Content provided by users) are and will remain the exclusive property of Blackboard and its licensors.  The Services are protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws of both the United States and foreign countries.  Nothing in the Terms gives you a right to use the Blackboard name or any of the Blackboard trademarks, logos, domain names, and other distinctive brand features.  Any feedback, comments, or suggestions you may provide regarding Blackboard, or the Services is entirely voluntary and we will be free to use such feedback, comments or suggestions as we see fit and without any obligation to you.

8. Restrictions on Content and Use of the Services

You may only access and use the Services for lawful purposes.  You are solely responsible for the knowledge of and adherence to any and all laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to your use of the Services.  You agree that you will not: (i) use the Services to commit a criminal offense or to encourage conduct that would constitute a criminal offense or give rise to a civil liability, or otherwise violate any local, state, Federal, or international law or regulation, including, but not limited to, export control laws and regulations governing the transmission or retransmission of technical data from the United States; (ii) upload, post, e-mail, or otherwise transmit any unlawful, threatening, libelous, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, pornographic, profane, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or ethnically, racially or otherwise objectionable Content; (iii) upload, post, e-mail, or otherwise transmit any Content that you do not have a right to transmit; (iv) upload, post, e-mail, or otherwise transmit any Content that infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, or other proprietary rights of any party; (v) alter, damage, or delete any Content or other communications that are not your own or to otherwise interfere with the ability of others to access or use the Services; (vi) claim a relationship with or to speak for any individual, business, association, institution, or other organization for which you are not authorized to claim such a relationship; (vii) upload, post, e-mail, or otherwise transmit any unsolicited advertising, promotional materials, or other forms of solicitation to other users including, without limitation, "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," or "pyramid schemes"; (viii) interfere with or disrupt the Services or servers or networks connected to the Services, or disobey any requirements, procedures, policies, or regulations of networks connected to the Services or adapt or otherwise modify, create any derivative work, or decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, or otherwise attempt to derive any source code from, the Services (or any portion thereof); (ix) collect or store personal data about other users; (xi) reproduce, duplicate, copy, use, distribute, sell, resell, or otherwise exploit for any commercial purposes, any portion of Blackboard, the Blackboard channels or the Services, use of Blackboard websites, channels or the Services, or access to Blackboard websites, channels or the Services; (xi) harm minors in any way; (xii) stalk or otherwise harass another; or (xiii) collect or store personal information about other users without their permission.

We reserve the right at all times (but will not have an obligation) to remove or refuse to distribute any Content on the Services and to suspend or terminate users without liability to you.  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 the Terms, 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 Blackboard, its users and the public.

9. Copyright Policy

Blackboard respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects users of the Services to do the same.  We will respond to notices of alleged copyright infringement that comply with applicable law and are properly provided to us.  If you believe that your Content has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, please provide us with the following information: (i) a physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on their behalf; (ii) identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed; (iii) identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate the material; (iv) your contact information, including your address, telephone number, and an email address; (v) a statement by you that you have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and (vi) a statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and, under penalty of perjury, that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.

We reserve the right to remove Content alleged to be infringing without prior notice, at our sole discretion, and without liability to you.  Our designated copyright agent for notice of alleged copyright infringement appearing on the Services is:

Blackboard Inc.

Attn: General Counsel

650 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 6th Floor

Washington, D.C. 20001

Email: GeneralCounsel@blackboard.com

10. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your accounts or cease providing you with all or part of the Services at any time for any reason, including, but not limited to, if we reasonably believe: (i) you have violated these Terms, (ii) you create risk or possible legal exposure for us; or (iii) our provision of the Services to you is no longer commercially viable.  In such a termination event, the license granted hereunder shall automatically terminate.  In all such cases, the Terms shall terminate, including, without limitation, your license to use the Services, except that the following Sections shall continue to apply: 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12.

Nothing in this Section shall affect Blackboard’s rights to change, limit, or stop the provision of the Services without prior notice, as provided above in Section 1.

11.Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

Please read this Section carefully since it limits the liability of Blackboard and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, related companies, officers, directors, employees, agents, representatives, partners, and licensors (collectively, the “Blackboard Entities”).  Each of the Subsections below only applies up to the maximum extent permitted under applicable law.  Some jurisdictions do not allow the disclaimer of implied warranties or the limitation of liability in contracts, and as a result the contents of this Section may not apply to you.  Nothing in this Section is intended to limit any rights you may have which may not be lawfully limited.

A. The Services are Available “AS-IS”

Your access to and use of the Services or any Content are at your own risk.  You understand and agree that the Services are provided to you on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis.  Without limiting the foregoing, to the maximum extent permitted under applicable law, THE BLACKBOARD ENTITIES DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

The Blackboard Entities make no warranty and disclaim all responsibility and liability for: (i) the completeness, accuracy, availability, timeliness, security or reliability of the Services or any Content; (ii) any harm to your computer system, loss of data, or other harm that results from your access to or use of the Services or any Content; (iii) the deletion of, or the failure to store or to transmit, any Content and other communications maintained by the Services; and (iv) whether the Services will meet your requirements or be available on an uninterrupted, secure, or error-free basis. No advice or information, whether oral or written, obtained from the Blackboard Entities or through the Services, will create any warranty not expressly made herein.

B. Links

The Services may contain links to third-party websites or resources.  You acknowledge and agree that the Blackboard Entities are not responsible or liable for: (i) the availability or accuracy of such websites or resources; or (ii) the content, products, or services on or available from such websites or resources.  Links to such websites or resources do not imply any endorsement by the Blackboard Entities of such websites or resources or the content, products, or services available from such websites or resources.  You acknowledge sole responsibility for and assume all risk arising from your use of any such websites or resources.

C. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE BLACKBOARD 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, GOOD-WILL, 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 USERS OR THIRD PARTIES; (iii) ANY CONTENT OBTAINED FROM THE SERVICES; OR (iv) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, USE OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR CONTENT.

IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF THE BLACKBOARD ENTITIES EXCEED THE GREATER OF ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS (U.S. $100.00) OR THE AMOUNT YOU PAID BLACKBOARD, IF ANY, IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS FOR THE SERVICES GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.

THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS SUBSECTION SHALL APPLY TO ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, STATUTE, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE BLACKBOARD ENTITIES HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY SUCH DAMAGE, AND EVEN IF A REMEDY SET FORTH HEREIN IS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.

12. General Terms

A. Waiver and Severability

The failure of Blackboard to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be deemed a waiver of such right or provision.  In the event that any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, then that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions of these Terms will remain in full force and effect.

B. Controlling Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and any action related thereto will be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to or application of its conflict of law provisions or your state or country of residence.  All claims, legal proceedings, or litigation arising in connection with the Services will be brought solely in the federal or state courts located in Washington, D.C., United States, and you consent to the jurisdiction of and venue in such courts and waive any objection as to inconvenient forum.

C. U.S. Government Users and U.S. Government Restricted Rights.

Each of the components that comprise the Services is a “commercial item” as that term is defined at 48 C.F.R. 2.101, consisting of “commercial computer software” and/or “commercial computer software documentation” as such terms are used in 48 C.F.R. 12.212.  Consistent with 48 C.F.R. 12.212 and 48 C.F.R. 227.7202-1 through 227.7202-4, all U.S. Government end users acquire the Software with only those rights set forth herein. 

The Services and all upgrades (if any) thereto are provided with restricted rights.  Use, duplication, or disclosure by the U.S. Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013 or subparagraphs (c)(1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software-Restricted Rights at 48 CFR 52.227-19, as applicable.

Contractor/manufacturer is Blackboard Inc., 650 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 6th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001.  All rights not specifically granted in this Agreement are reserved by Blackboard.

D. Entire Agreement

These Terms and our Privacy Policy are the entire and exclusive agreement between Blackboard and you regarding the Services (excluding any services for which you have a separate agreement with Blackboard that is explicitly in addition or in place of these Terms), and these Terms supersede and replace any prior agreements between Blackboard and you regarding the Services.  Other than members of the group of companies of which Blackboard, Inc. is the parent, no other person or company will be third party beneficiaries to the Terms.

We may revise these Terms from time to time, the most current version will always be at https://ui.cloud.bb/license/userAgreement.html.  If the revision, in our sole discretion, is material we will notify you through the Services or through the email associated with your profile. By continuing to access or use the Services after those revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised Terms.

These Services are operated and provided by Blackboard Inc., 650 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 6th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001.  If you have any questions about these Terms, please email: GeneralCounsel@Blackboard.com.

Effective: December 11, 2013