Your Local Blog

Terms of Service

Thank you!

Thank you for your interest in YourLocalBlog.com. We’re excited you would like to start a blog on our network and get better connected with your real-world community. Before launching your new blog, please review the following agreement so you can understand the nature of the content that is allowable on the YourLocalBlog network (“we”, “the Network”), guidelines for safe use of the Network, and all terms and conditions. For information on our Privacy Policy, click here.

Terms and Conditions
The following terms and conditions govern all use of the YourLocalBlog.com Network and all content, services and products available at or through the Network. YourLocalBlog.com is offered subject to your acceptance without modification of all of the terms and conditions contained herein and all other operating rules, policies (including, without limitation, YourLocalBlog’s Privacy Policy) and procedures that may be published from time to time on this Site by the Network (collectively, the “Agreement”).

Please read this Agreement carefully before accessing or using the Network. By accessing or using any part of the website, you agree to become bound by the terms and conditions of this agreement. If you do not agree to all the terms and conditions of this agreement, then you may not access the Network or use any services. If these terms and conditions are considered an offer by YourLocalBlog, acceptance is expressly limited to these terms. The Network is available only to individuals who are at least 13 years old.

Your YourLocalBlog.com Account and Blog. If you create a blog on the Network, you are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and blog, and you are fully responsible for all activities that occur under the account and any other actions taken in connection with the blog. You must not describe or assign keywords to your blog in a misleading or unlawful manner, including in a manner intended to trade on the name or reputation of others, and YourLocalBlog may change or remove any description or keyword that it considers inappropriate or unlawful, or otherwise likely to cause YourLocalBlog liability. You must immediately notify YourLocalBlog of any unauthorized uses of your blog, your account or any other breaches of security. YourLocalBlog will not be liable for any acts or omissions by You, including any damages of any kind incurred as a result of such acts or omissions.
Responsibility of Contributors. If you operate a blog, comment on a blog, post material to the Network, post links on the Network, or otherwise make (or allow any third party to make) material available by means of the Network (any such material, “Content”), You are entirely responsible for the content of, and any harm resulting from, that Content. That is the case regardless of whether the Content in question constitutes text, graphics, an audio file, or computer software. By making Content available, you represent and warrant that:

the downloading, copying and use of the Content will not infringe the proprietary rights, including but not limited to the copyright, patent, trademark or trade secret rights, of any third party;
if your employer has rights to intellectual property you create, you have either (i) received permission from your employer to post or make available the Content, including but not limited to any software, or (ii) secured from your employer a waiver as to all rights in or to the Content;
you have fully complied with any third-party licenses relating to the Content, and have done all things necessary to successfully pass through to end users any required terms;
the Content does not contain or install any viruses, worms, malware, Trojan horses or other harmful or destructive content;
the Content is not spam, is not machine- or randomly-generated, and does not contain unethical or unwanted commercial content designed to drive traffic to third party sites or boost the search engine rankings of third party sites, or to further unlawful acts (such as phishing) or mislead recipients as to the source of the material (such as spoofing);
the Content is not pornographic, libelous or defamatory (more info on what that means), does not contain threats or incite violence towards individuals or entities, and does not violate the privacy or publicity rights of any third party;
your blog is not getting advertised via unwanted electronic messages such as spam links on newsgroups, email lists, other blogs and web sites, and similar unsolicited promotional methods;
your blog is not named in a manner that misleads your readers into thinking that you are another person or company. For example, your blog's URL or name is not the name of a person other than yourself or company other than your own; and
you have, in the case of Content that includes computer code, accurately categorized and/or described the type, nature, uses and effects of the materials, whether requested to do so by YourLocalBlog or otherwise.

Advertising. Although YourLocalBlog utilizes reputable advertising networks to provide the advertising that appears throughout the Network, YourLocalBlog cannot guarantee that the content of the advertising will be deemed appropriate for your audience; YourLocalBlog will not be liable for any damages to your organization due to display of such advertising.

Upon notification of advertising that is deemed offensive or inappropriate, YourLocalBlog will take the appropriate steps to review the advertising and determine whether it meets the Network's editorial guidelines. If the advertising is deemed offensive or inappropriate, it will be removed from the Network as soon as is practicable.
Plus and Premium subscribers agree to only upload coupons for products and services which they can honor, and agree to abide by all advertising laws governing their geographic area. YourLocalBlog is not liable for damages or misunderstandings arising between bloggers and customers who are introduced via the Network.

Ad/Subscription Revenue – Free blogs and free directory listing pages may contain advertising or coupons; the ad/subscription revenue generated by displaying this content is the property of YourLocalBlog.com and is not shared with the blogger who maintains the free blog or free listing page. (To remove all ads from your free pages, you can purchase a paid subscription to the network.)
Fees and Payment. Optional paid services including Plus and Premium blog plans are available on the Network. By selecting a paid service you agree to pay YourLocalBlog the subscription fees indicated for that service (the payment terms for which are described below). Payments will be charged on the day you sign up for a paid service and will cover the use of that service for the period as indicated. Paid service fees are not refundable.
Paid Services.
- Fees; Payment. By signing up for a Plus or Premium account you agree to pay YourLocalBlog subscription fee indicated at http://www.yourlocalblog.com/startablog.php
- in exchange for the services and length of term agreed upon. YourLocalBlog reserves the right to adjust subscription fees for blog accounts at any time without notice (since subscribers pay in advance, this will only affect the cost of future subscription periods). Paid services will not auto-renew for the next subscription period unless agreed upon by the blogger at time of sign up (as of 1/10/10, the Network does not offer automatic renewal).
- Support. There are currently no additional support services available to bloggers beyond the tutorials/FAQs available on the Network. However, YourLocalBlog, at its discretion (we love to keep customers happy!), may respond to support requests to provide additional assistance; however, we cannot guarantee issues will be resolved to your satisfaction.
Responsibility of Network Visitors. YourLocalBlog has not reviewed, and cannot review, all of the material, including computer software, posted to the Network, and cannot therefore be responsible for that material's content, use or effects. By operating the Network, YourLocalBlog does not represent or imply that it endorses the material there posted, or that it believes such material to be accurate, useful or non-harmful. You are responsible for taking precautions as necessary to protect yourself and your computer systems from viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and other harmful or destructive content. The Network may contain content that is offensive, indecent, or otherwise objectionable, as well as content containing technical inaccuracies, typographical mistakes, and other errors. The Network may also contain material that violates the privacy or publicity rights, or infringes the intellectual property and other proprietary rights, of third parties, or the downloading, copying or use of which is subject to additional terms and conditions, stated or unstated. YourLocalBlog disclaims any responsibility for any harm resulting from the use by visitors of the Network, or from any downloading by those visitors of content there posted.
Content Posted on Other Networks. We have not reviewed, and cannot review, all of the material, including computer software, made available through the Networks and webpages to which YourLocalBlog.com links, and that link to YourLocalBlog.com. YourLocalBlog does not have any control over those non-YourLocalBlog Networks and webpages, and is not responsible for their contents or their use. By linking to a non- YourLocalBlog Network or webpage, YourLocalBlog does not represent or imply that it endorses such Network or webpage. You are responsible for taking precautions as necessary to protect yourself and your computer systems from viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and other harmful or destructive content. YourLocalBlog disclaims any responsibility for any harm resulting from your use of non-YourLocalBlog Networks and webpages.
Copyright Infringement and DMCA Policy. As YourLocalBlog asks others to respect its intellectual property rights, it respects the intellectual property rights of others. If you believe that material located on or linked to by YourLocalBlog.com violates your copyright, you are encouraged to notify YourLocalBlog. YourLocalBlog will respond to all such notices, including as required or appropriate by removing the infringing material or disabling all links to the infringing material. In the case of a visitor who may infringe or repeatedly infringes the copyrights or other intellectual property rights of YourLocalBlog or others, YourLocalBlog may, in its discretion, terminate or deny access to and use of the Network. In the case of such termination, YourLocalBlog will have no obligation to provide a refund of any amounts previously paid to YourLocalBlog.
Intellectual Property. This Agreement does not transfer from YourLocalBlog to you any YourLocalBlog or third party intellectual property, and all right, title and interest in and to such property will remain (as between the parties) solely with YourLocalBlog. YourLocalBlog, YourLocalBlog.com, the YourLocalBlog.com logo, and all other trademarks, service marks, graphics and logos used in connection with YourLocalBlog.com, or the Network are trademarks or registered trademarks of YourLocalBlog or YourLocalBlog's licensors. Other trademarks, service marks, graphics and logos used in connection with the Network may be the trademarks of other third parties. Your use of the Network grants you no right or license to reproduce or otherwise use any YourLocalBlog or third-party trademarks.
Improper Use (Spam Blogs). If a user duplicates content across multiple blogs, these blogs will be treated as spam blogs and the user will be warned by email to remove spam blogs. If user does not comply, YourLocalBlog.com reserves the right to delete the spam blog(s) from the Network.
Changes. YourLocalBlog reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify or replace any part of this Agreement. It is your responsibility to check this Agreement periodically for changes. Your continued use of or access to the Network following the posting of any changes to this Agreement constitutes acceptance of those changes. YourLocalBlog may also, in the future, offer new services and/or features through the Network (including, the release of new tools and resources). Such new features and/or services shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
Termination. YourLocalBlog may terminate your access to all or any part of the Network at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice, effective immediately. If you wish to terminate this Agreement or your YourLocalBlog.com account (if you have one), you may simply discontinue using the Network. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if you have a Plus or Premium account, such account can only be terminated by YourLocalBlog if you materially breach this Agreement and fail to cure such breach within thirty (30) days from YourLocalBlog’s notice to you thereof; provided that, YourLocalBlog can terminate the Network immediately as part of a general shut down of our service. All provisions of this Agreement which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including, without limitation, ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity and limitations of liability.
Disclaimer of Warranties. The Network is provided “as is”. YourLocalBlog and its suppliers and licensors hereby disclaim all warranties of any kind, express or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. Neither YourLocalBlog nor its suppliers and licensors, makes any warranty that the Network will be error free or that access thereto will be continuous or uninterrupted. You understand that you download from, or otherwise obtain content or services through, the Network at your own discretion and risk.
Limitation of Liability. In no event will YourLocalBlog, or its suppliers or licensors, be liable with respect to any subject matter of this agreement under any contract, negligence, strict liability or other legal or equitable theory for: (i) any special, incidental or consequential damages; (ii) the cost of procurement or substitute products or services; (iii) for interruption of use or loss or corruption of data; or (iv) for any amounts that exceed the fees paid by you to YourLocalBlog under this agreement during the twelve (12) month period prior to the cause of action. YourLocalBlog shall have no liability for any failure or delay due to matters beyond their reasonable control. The foregoing shall not apply to the extent prohibited by applicable law.
General Representation and Warranty. You represent and warrant that (i) your use of the Network will be in strict accordance with the YourLocalBlog Privacy Policy, with this Agreement and with all applicable laws and regulations (including without limitation any local laws or regulations in your country, state, city, or other governmental area, regarding online conduct and acceptable content, and including all applicable laws regarding the transmission of technical data exported from the United States or the country in which you reside) and (ii) your use of the Network will not infringe or misappropriate the intellectual property rights of any third party.
Indemnification. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless YourLocalBlog, its contractors, and its licensors, and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents from and against any and all claims and expenses, including attorneys' fees, arising out of your use of the Network, including but not limited to your violation of this Agreement.
Miscellaneous. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between YourLocalBlog and you concerning the subject matter hereof, and they may only be modified by a written amendment signed by an authorized executive of YourLocalBlog, or by the posting by YourLocalBlog of a revised version. Except to the extent applicable law, if any, provides otherwise, this Agreement, any access to or use of the Network will be governed by the laws of the state of Florida, U.S.A., excluding its conflict of law provisions, and the proper venue for any disputes arising out of or relating to any of the same will be the state and federal courts located in Pinellas County, Florida. Except for claims for injunctive or equitable relief or claims regarding intellectual property rights (which may be brought in any competent court without the posting of a bond), any dispute arising under this Agreement shall be finally settled in accordance with the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules of the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service, Inc. (“JAMS”) by three arbitrators appointed in accordance with such Rules. The arbitration shall take place in Pinellas County, Florida, in the English language and the arbitral decision may be enforced in any court. The prevailing party in any action or proceeding to enforce this Agreement shall be entitled to costs and attorneys’ fees. If any part of this Agreement is held invalid or unenforceable, that part will be construed to reflect the parties’ original intent, and the remaining portions will remain in full force and effect. A waiver by either party of any term or condition of this Agreement or any breach thereof, in any one instance, will not waive such term or condition or any subsequent breach thereof. You may assign your rights under this Agreement to any party that consents to, and agrees to be bound by, its terms and conditions; YourLocalBlog may assign its rights under this Agreement without condition. This Agreement will be binding upon and will inure to the benefit of the parties, their successors and permitted assigns.

Notes on Blogging Safety (Especially important on a location-based blog!)
YourLocalBlog is designed to help people share information and get better connected with those in their community. However, it's important to understand that any information posted to your Profile or blog is viewable by any user of the Network throughout the entire World Wide Web. Therefore, YLB encourages bloggers to use discretion when posting information of a personal nature.

For instance, if you own a business, you might deem it to be a wise business decision to post the location of your business on the map (to "geotag" it), and to provide store hours and contact information in your Profile and on your blog. However, we do not recommend geotagging or posting your home address or posting your personal phone number on the Network. User agrees that YLB will not be liable for any damages due to malicious use of information uploaded or shared via the network.