RELIGION NEWS SERVICE
TERMS and CONDITIONS
RNS Products
This page provides the terms of sale and purchase for Religion News Service digital products, including digital wire subscriptions, one-time re-publication purchases, and press release distribution packages (each, a “Product” and collectively, the “Products”), offered by Religion News Service (“RNS” or “we” or us”). Your purchase of Product from RNS constitutes your agreement to be bound by these Terms and Conditions of Sale (“Terms and Conditions”) and any additional terms we provide.
THIS IS A LEGAL AGREEMENT. BY PURCHASING THE PRODUCT, YOU ARE ACCEPTING AND AGREEING TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. YOU REPRESENT AND WARRANT THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT, AUTHORITY, AND CAPACITY TO ACCEPT AND AGREE TO THESE TERMS & CONDITIONS. YOU REPRESENT THAT YOU ARE OF SUFFICIENT LEGAL AGE IN YOUR JURISDICTION OR RESIDENCE TO PURCHASE AND USE THE PRODUCT AND TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ANY OF THE PROVISIONS OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, YOU SHOULD NOT PURCHASE THE PRODUCT.
We reserve the right to change these Terms and Conditions at any time, so please review the Terms and Conditions each time prior to making a purchase. Every time you purchase Product from RNS, the Terms and Conditions in force at that time will apply between you and RNS. If you have any questions regarding these Terms and Conditions, you can contact us utilizing the contact information provided in the “Contact Us” section of these Terms and Conditions.
As a consumer, you have certain legal rights. The disclaimers, exclusions, and limitations of liability under these Terms and Conditions will not apply to the extent prohibited by applicable law. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, including exclusions relating to product or services that are faulty or not as described, or the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages or other rights. For a full description of your legal rights, you should refer to the laws applicable in your country or jurisdiction. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions will affect those other legal rights.
1. General Terms and Conditions of Sale:
In general, the contents of RNS, including Religionnews.com or rns.org (the “Site”), are intended for your personal, non-commercial use. There are no “paywalls” to access and read RNS content. However, all materials published or available on the Site (including, but not limited to text, photographs, images, illustrations, designs, audio clips, video clips, “look and feel,” metadata, data, or compilations, collectively the “Content”) are protected by copyright and owned or controlled by RNS or the party credited as the provider of the Content. RNS also owns copyrights in the selection, coordination, compilation, and enhancement of such Content. You shall abide by all copyright notices, information, and restrictions contained in any Content accessed through the Site.
Except as expressly permitted by RNS in writing, you may not copy, reproduce, recompile, decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, distribute, publish, republish, display, perform, modify, upload, create derivative works from, sell, license, edit, frame, or in any way exploit any part of the Site. You may not recirculate, redistribute, republish, relicense, or resell the Content without RNS’ express, prior written consent through purchase of either a wire subscription or one-time republication license. Nothing contained in these Terms and Conditions or on this Site should be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, any license or right to use any Content in any manner without the prior written consent of RNS or such third party that may own the Content or intellectual property displayed on this Site. Unauthorized use, copying, reproduction, recompiling, decompiling, disassembling, reverse engineering, distribution, publication, republication, display, performance, modification, upload, creation of derivative works, sale, licensing, editing, framing, or any other misuse of any of the Content is strictly prohibited. Any use of the Content other than as expressly permitted by these Terms and Conditions will violate the Terms and Conditions and may infringe upon RNS’ rights or the rights of the third party that owns the affected Content.
2. RNS Wire Subscription (the “Subscription”):
You may purchase from RNS a wire subscription to the Content. Your purchase includes only the individual or entity identified at purchase of subscription or license. If you purchase a subscription, then RNS grants to you a limited license to republish specific content identified by you in the subscription respectively, to your own news outlet, provided that you retain all RNS copyright and other proprietary notices, including attribution to RNS with a statement “This material is used by permission of Religion News Service.” You shall not republish the specific content identified by you in the subscription to any other news outlet. You agree that any other use will violate the Terms and Conditions and the terms of the subscription and may infringe upon RNS’ rights or the right of the third party that owns the affected Content. RNS does not own and thus cannot license for republication any content not owned by RNS, including but not limited to content owned by the Associated Press, The Conversation, or any other third-party content that is published on the Site. You must contact those third-parties to obtain a license for republication for their content. Nothing on this Site, in these Terms or Conditions, or in the subscription or license should be construed as giving any rights in third-party content.
3. One-time Republication License (the “license”):
RNS-owned articles and media assets (i.e., articles and photos) can be licensed for one-time republication. By requesting any license for one-time republication, you agree that have read and agree to be bound by the terms of this page and the Terms and Conditions of Sale. At this time, if you seek to license for one-time republication of an RNS-owned photo, please contact us at religionnews.com/contact. This functionality of one-time republishing of RNS articles is not appropriate for RNS wire subscribers, as wire subscriptions cover these republications. However, should a subscriber choose to publish an RNS image in a context other than the original material, a republication license must be obtained.
You may purchase from RNS a one-time republication license to the Content, including articles, photos, or articles and photos. Your purchase includes only the individual or entity identified at purchase of subscription or license. RNS grants to you a limited license to republish specific content identified by you in this license to your own news outlet, provided that you retain all RNS copyright and other proprietary notices, including attribution to RNS with a statement “This material is used by permission of Religion News Service.” You shall not republish the specific content identified by you in this license to any other news outlet. You agree that any other use will violate the Terms and Conditions of the Site and may infringe upon RNS’ rights or the right of the third party that owns the affected Content. RNS does not own and thus cannot license for republication any content not owned by RNS, including but not limited to content owned by the Associated Press, The Conversation, or any other third-party content that is published on the Site. You must contact those third-parties to obtain a license for republication for their content. Nothing on this Site, in these Terms or Conditions, or in this license should be construed as giving any rights in third-party content.
4. Press Release Distribution Service
RNS will distribute press releases that offer information about newsworthy events, products, announcements, business updates, and developments. The ReligionNews.com Press Release Service offers the opportunity to deliver your press release to a niche audience including mainstream and religious press, policymakers, advocacy groups, faith denominations, academics, and religion-interested consumers.
Distribution Time
- Customer orders submitted before 12 PM ET Monday through Friday will be released by 12 PM ET following business workday.
- Customer orders submitted after 12 PM ET Monday through Friday can be released by 6 PM following business workday.
RNS reserves the right to review all press releases submitted, and reserves the sole discretion to accept and release submissions it deems consistent with its corporate values and the “charitable and educational” mission of its parent, Religion News Foundation, a §501 (c)(3) organization. To this end, RNS reserves the right to refuse distributing press releases that do not meet our standards or violate any of our policies. This would include any submissions that contain opinion statements; explicit or threatening content; copyrighted content; or other material that could be considered offensive or defamatory.
If RNS, in its sole and unfettered discretion, determines that any submission is objectionable, RNS will revert to the customer on the status of their order within 48 hours from time of order submission. If the submission is not within RNS’s guidelines and will not be released, RNS will refund any paid fees. Alternatively, RNS may offer customer the opportunity to revise its submission in a manner acceptable to RNS.
5. Payment and Billing
By providing a credit card or other payment method accepted by RNS, you represent and warrant that you are authorized to use the designated payment method and that you authorize us (or our third-party payment processor) to charge your payment method for the total amount of your order (including any applicable taxes and other charges). If the payment method you provide cannot be verified, is invalid or is otherwise not acceptable, your order may be suspended or cancelled. You must resolve any problem we encounter in order to proceed with your order.
When you purchase a Product, the price will be made clear during the order process. You agree to pay the price that is stated at the time of your order, as well as any applicable taxes. You also agree to the billing frequency stated at the time of your order. Discount eligibility is determined at the time of the order and cannot be applied retroactively. All prices are in United States Dollars, unless otherwise stated.
Your subscription may not include access to all areas of the Product, and you may have to pay additional fees for full access. These additional charges will be clearly stated. When you use digital Products, you may incur other additional charges from third party service providers, such as telecommunications fees, data fees, or service provider fees. You are responsible for paying any additional charges.
If you believe someone else has used your account or you are being charged for a Product you do not have, please Contact Us.
We will charge or debit your payment method at the beginning of your subscription or, if applicable, at the end of your trial period. For one-time purchases, we will charge or debit your payment method at the time of purchase. For subscription purchases, billing will continue according to the cycle stated at the time of your order. All subscriptions are renewed automatically. In most cases, you will be notified in advance of impending renewals, and you expressly agree to wait the application of New York General Obligations Law section 5-903 and any similar laws.
6. Availability
Products are subject to availability, and we reserve the right to impose quantity limits on any order, to reject all or part of an order, and to modify the content, type, and availability, and to discontinue offering, any Product without prior notice. The price for any Products is subject to change at any time, but changes will not affect any order for Product you have already placed. RNS calculates and charges sales tax in accordance with applicable laws.
7. Cancellation and Refunds
You can change or cancel your subscription at any time by Contacting Us. Cancellations are effective the following billing cycle.
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate any subscription or Product for any reason, with or without notice and without further obligation.
We reserve the right to issue refunds or credits at our sole discretion. If we issue a refund or credit, we are under no obligation to issue the same or similar refund in the future.
One-time purchases cannot be cancelled or refunded.
8. Dispute Resolution
These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of Ohio. You agree to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Columbus, Ohio for any disputes, claim or cause of action arising out of, or relating to or in connection with these Terms and Conditions or your use of Product, including any disputes relating to the existence or validity of these Terms and Conditions, provided that you agree to submit any such disputes, claims or causes of action exclusively to the courts of Columbus, Ohio.
9. Disclaimer
The Product is provided on an “as-is” basis. You use Product at your own discretion and risk. You will be solely responsible for (and RNS disclaims) any and all loss, liability, or damages resulting from your use of Product.
10. Indemnification Limitation of Liability
You will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless RNS and its directors, officers, shareholders, members, managers, and employees from and against any loss, injury, death, damage, liability, claim, deficiency, action, judgment, interest, award, penalty, fine, cost, fees, or expense (including reasonable attorney and professional fees and costs, and the cost of enforcing any right to indemnification hereunder and the cost of pursuing any insurance providers) (“Claims”) arising out of or occurring in connection with (i) your negligence or willful misconduct of including but not limited to: (1) any misuse or modification of Product, (2) any act (or failure to act) by you in contravention of any safety procedures or instructions that RNS provides to you, or (3) the failure to, operate or maintain Product in accordance with the instructions; (ii) your breach of these Terms and Conditions; or (iii) your violation of any law or the rights of a third-party.
Nothing in these Terms and Conditions and in particular within this “Limitation of Liability” section shall attempt to exclude or limit liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE WARRANTY DISCLAIMERS, IN NO EVENT WILL (A) RNS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, SPECIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO THE PRODUCT, EVEN IF RNS KNEW OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, AND (B) RNS’S TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THE PRODUCT, WHETHER IN CONTRACT OR TORT OR OTHERWISE, SHALL NOT EXCEED THE FEES ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU TO RNS FOR THE PRODUCT IN THE PRIOR SIX (6) MONTHS (IF ANY). THIS LIMITATION IS CUMULATIVE AND WILL NOT BE INCREASED BY THE EXISTENCE OF MORE THAN ONE INCIDENT OR CLAIM. RNS DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY OF ANY KIND OF RNS’S LICENSORS.
11. Data Protection
By placing an order for Product, you agree and understand that RNS may store, share, process and use data collected from your order form or phone/fax/email order for the purposes of processing the order. RNS may also share such data globally with its subsidiaries. RNS will protect your information in accordance with the RNS Website Privacy Policy. RNS works with other companies that help RNS provide Product to you, such as credit card processing companies, and RNS may have to share certain information with these companies for this purpose.
12. Electronic Communications
You are communicating with RNS electronically. You agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures and other communications that we provide to you electronically satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing. When you order Product, we collect and store your email address. From that point forward, your email address is used to send you information about RNS’s products and services unless you opt-out of such emails using the opt-out link in the emails.
13. Notifications
RNS may provide notifications to you as required by law or for marketing or other purposes via (at its option) email to the primary email associated with your RNS account, hard copy, or posting of such notice on the RNS website. RNS is not responsible for any automatic filtering you or your network provider may apply to email notifications. RNS recommends that you add [email protected] to your email address book to help ensure you receive email notifications from RNS.
14. Force Majeure
We will not be liable or responsible for any failure to perform, or delay in performance of, any of our obligations under a contract that is caused by an act or event beyond our reasonable control, including without limitation acts of God, strikes, lock-outs or other industrial action by third parties, civil commotion, riot, terrorist attack, war, fire, explosion, storm, flood, earthquake, epidemic or other natural disaster, failure of public or private telecommunications networks or impossibility of the use of railways, shipping, aircraft, motor transport or other means of public or private transport.
15. Protection of Confidentiality of Intellectual Property Rights
Notwithstanding the foregoing, RNS may seek injunctive or other equitable relief to protect its confidential information and intellectual property rights or to prevent loss of data or damage to its servers in any court of competent jurisdiction.
16. Severability
If any part of these Terms and Conditions becomes illegal, invalid, unenforceable, or prohibited in any respect under any applicable law or regulation, such provision or part thereof will be deemed to not form part of the contract between us. The legality, validity or enforceability of the remainder of these Terms and Conditions will remain in full force and effect.
17. Survivability
The obligations in Sections 6 through 16 will survive any expiration or termination of these Terms and Conditions.
18. Waiver
Failure or delay by us to enforce any these Terms and Conditions will not constitute a waiver of our rights against you and does not affect our right to require future performance thereof.
19. Contact Us
You may contact RNS at:
844-767-6397
religionnews.com/contact