Shop.org User Agreement

By joining and using the Shop.org Blog, you agree that you have read and will follow the rules and guidelines set for this venue for communication for Shop.org and its members. Please take a moment to acquaint yourself with these guidelines.

1. Antitrust Compliance. Shop.org and its members are responsible for antitrust compliance. This responsibility extends beyond antitrust violations to any activity or conduct which might appear, directly or circumstantially, to result in antitrust violations. It is imperative that all members observe the following guidelines. Penalties for violating federal antitrust law are severe and the boundaries between lawful and unlawful conduct are imprecise.
   (a) Do not discuss or address price, fees, costs, or other similar matters with other members, and do not do anything that might directly or indirectly affect such prices, fees, or costs. Messages should not be posted if they encourage or facilitate members to arrive at any agreement that either expressly or impliedly leads to price fixing. The following are examples of topics that should not be discussed or addressed: costs, discounts, profit levels, production schedules or cost margins, possible increases or decreases in prices, salaries, standardization or stabilization of prices, pricing procedures, credit terms, or control of sales.
   (b) Do not discuss plans of your company in geographic or product markets, or describe relationships with particular customers or vendors in detail. Any information that is considered strategically critical to your company should not be conveyed to others on this site. Information that conveys your company’s response to generic trends is permissible. Boycotts or refusals to deal with certain firms or companies can also be violations of the antitrust laws. Messages that encourage or facilitate an agreement about the following subjects are inappropriate: market shares, sales territories, or markets, allocation of customers or territories, selection, rejection, termination of customers or suppliers, or plans or decisions to do business or not to do business with certain companies or firms.
2. Exclusive Ownership. By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material and such material is owned exclusively by the posting party. In addition, the posting party grants Shop.org and users of this Blog the nonexclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information and other material. Submitting material that is the property of another without the specific consent of its owner is a violation of this User Agreement and may also subject you to legal liability for infringement of copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights.
3. Defamatory, Obscene or Illegal Comments. Any material that is obscene, defamatory, illegal, profane, libelous, threatening, harassing, abusive, hateful, or embarrassing to another person or any other person or entity may not be posted. Blog content must comply with all applicable laws. Ethnic slurs and personal insults are also forbidden. The posting party must show proper consideration for others’ privacy and for topics that may be considered objectionable or inflammatory.
4. Non-Endorsement of Company, Individual, Product or Service. Shop.org does not endorse any company, individual, product or service posted on this Blog. This Blog is intended to be used as an educational tool that allows members to comment on e-commerce related topics, not as a vehicle for selling goods or services. The appearance of the name of a company, individual, product, or service does not indicate that Shop.org in any way recommends or endorses that particular company, individual product, or service.
5. Links to Other Websites. Shop.org does not claim ownership of any link posted on this site to an external website. Further, Shop.org does not endorse any links to external websites that may be posted on this site. Members must not post any content that they do not have the right to make available. Members must also not post any link that contains software viruses or any other computer code, files, or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment.
6. Ability to Revoke Access to Blog. In the event of any violations of this User Agreement or applicable law, Shop.org reserves the right in its sole discretion to revoke Blog access to any person or company. Additionally, Shop.org reserves the right to take down the Blog at any time without incurring liability. Shop.org management reserves the right to delete posts or comments at any time for any reason. Shop.org may take these actions at any time for any reason, although Shop.org is under no obligation to do so.
7. Authorized User. Other than Shop.org staff and directors, only members of Shop.org and employees of Shop.org member companies are authorized users and may post comments to the Blog. By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that she or he is an authorized user. Shop.org reserves the right to revoke access to any person or company posting on this Blog without authority to do so. 7. Disclaimer. Shop.org does not control the content posted on this site and, as such, does not guarantee the accuracy, integrity or quality of such Content. This site is provided as a service of Shop.org. Shop.org accepts no responsibility for the opinions and information posted on this site by others. Shop.org disclaims all warranties with regard to information posted on this site, whether posted by Shop.org or any third party; this disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall Shop.org be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this site.