Submission Guidelines   |   Terms of Service

Submission Guidelines

The Missoula Independent's website at missoulanews.com provides opportunities for readers who wish to discuss content we publish, or debate issues more generally. We invite you to submit your comments, photos and videos and hope that you'll take the opportunity to participate in our interactive forums and share your original content with our community of readers. Our aim is to ensure this platform is inclusive and safe, and that missoulanews.com is the place on the Internet where you will always find lively, entertaining and, above all, intelligent discussions. In order to keep these online discussions enjoyable and interesting for all of our users, we ask that you follow the guidelines outlined below.

Participants who egregiously, persistently or willfully ignore the submission guidelines or terms of service will have their posting privileges for missoulanews.com withdrawn.

By submitting content, you agree to abide by the following rules :

• You agree not to submit inappropriate content. Inappropriate content includes any content that:
  - infringes upon or violates the copyrights, trademarks or other intellectual property rights of any person
  - is libelous or defamatory
  - is obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit
  - is fraudulent;
  - is designed to interrupt, or destroys or limits the functionality of, any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment;
  - interferes with or disrupts the website, services connected to the website, or otherwise interferes with operations or services of this website in any way, including through the use of JavaScript, ActiveX, or other coding;
  - violates a person's right to privacy
  - violates any local, state, national, or international law
  - contains or advocates illegal or violent acts
  - degrades others on the basis of gender, race, class, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual preference, disability, or other classification
  - is predatory, hateful, or intended to intimidate or harass
  - contains advertising or solicitation of any kind, including "junk mail," "chain letters," or unsolicited "spamming"
  - misrepresents your identity or affiliation
  - impersonates others
• You agree that you are fully responsible for the content that you submit. Should you discover that any content you have posted violates these rules, you agree to notify Independent Publishing, Inc. via email at editor@missoulanews.com; or by standard mail at Editor, Independent Publishing, Inc., 317 S. Orange St., Missoula, MT 59801; or by calling 406- 543-6609. You will indemnify Independent Publishing, Inc. and its parent and affiliates, and its and their directors, officers, managers, employees, shareholders, agents, and licensors, from and against losses, expenses, damages, and costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, resulting from any claim brought by any third party relating to content you have posted.
• You understand and agree that we are not responsible for any user submitted content. You further understand that we have the right, but not the obligation, to monitor submissions and we may remove content that we deem inappropriate for any reason whatsoever without consent. We further reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to remove a user's privilege to post content on our site.
• You certify that you are at least 13 years of age. If you are under the age of 13, please do not submit any content to us. If you are under the age of 18 but at least 13 years of age, you may submit content only with the permission of, and under the supervision of, a parent or legal guardian. If you are a parent or legal guardian agreeing to these rules for the benefit of an individual between the ages of 13 and 18, please be advised that you are fully responsible for his or her submissions and any legal liability that he or she may incur.
• You certify that you have the permission of others who have contributed to or are featured in any content that you submit. If there are any individuals under the age of 18 in any photos, video, or other content that you submit, you must obtain the permission of each such individual's parent or legal guardian prior to submitting the content.
• You acknowledge and agree any use and/or reliance on any information obtained through the interactive forums at your own risk. We are not in any manner endorsing the content of the interactive forums and cannot and will not vouch for its reliability.
• For any content that you submit, you give us permission to use such content. You hereby grant to Independent Publishing, Inc. a royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, exclusive, and fully transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, incorporate into other works, distribute, perform, display, and otherwise exploit such content, in whole or in part in any form.

The website belongs to the Missoula Independent, but the conversation belongs to everybody. We want this to be a welcoming space for intelligent discussion, and we expect participants to help us by notifying us of potential problems and encouraging each other to keep conversations inviting and appropriate. If you spot something problematic in community interaction areas, please report it. When we all take responsibility for maintaining an appropriate and constructive environment, the debate itself is improved and everyone benefits.

In short:

If you show reasonable respect for other users, you should have no problems.

Don't act like a jerk. You'll be more admired for sharing your intelligence, wisdom and generosity of spirit.

Take some responsibility for the quality of the conversations in which you're participating. Help make missoulanews.com an intelligent place for discussion, and it will be.

TERMS OF SERVICE

1. Thank you for visiting missoulanews.com (the "Service"), operated by Independent Publishing, Inc. ("Us," "We," or "Our"). General readers ("Visitors") who post material ("Content") to the Service or otherwise provide Us with certain personal information shall become members of the Service ("Members"), subject to the terms set forth herein (this "Agreement"). By using this Service, Members agree to be bound by all of the terms of this Agreement and by the missoulanews.com Submission Guidelines.

2. The Service is currently free to all users. We reserve the right to change the terms of this Agreement, modify any features of the Service, or discontinue the Service at any time. By registering for this Service and/or continuing to use this Service, you agree to be bound by such changes.

3. You represent that you have read and agree to abide by the Submission Guidelines.

4. This Service (including, but not limited to, text, photographs, graphics, video and audio content) is protected by copyright under the laws of the United States and other countries. All individual articles, Content and other elements comprising this Service are also copyrighted works. You must abide by all additional copyright notices or restrictions contained in this Service. By posting content on the Service, you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant to Independent Publishing, Inc. a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, fully paid, worldwide license to use, copy, modify, adapt, publish, create derivative works from or incorporate into other works such Content, derive revenue or other remuneration from, communicate to the public, distribute, perform or display Content that you post (in whole or in part) worldwide and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form. Independent Publishing, Inc. shall not be limited in any way in its use, commercial or otherwise, of any Content appearing on the Website. Independent Publishing, Inc. is and shall be under no obligation to pay you or any Member any compensation for Content posted, or to respond to any of your or other Members' postings.

5. (a) Except for Content you have posted on the Service, or unless expressly permitted, you may not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, enter into a database, display, perform, modify, create derivative works, transmit, or in any way exploit any part of this Service, except that you may download material from this Service for your own personal use. You may not distribute any part of this Service over any network, including a local area network, nor sell or offer it for sale. In addition, these files may not be used to construct any kind of database. (b) Neither you nor any third party shall make use of the contents of the Service in any manner that constitutes an infringement of our rights, including copyright or that has not been authorized by us. (c) Just as missoulanews.com requires users to respect our copyrights, and those of our affiliates and partners, we respect the copyrights of others. If you believe in good faith that your copyrighted work has been reproduced on our site without authorization in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, you may notify our designated copyright agent by mail at Copyright Agent, Independent Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 8275, Missoula, MT 59807.

6. We do not review Content posted by Members before it is posted on the Service, and therefore we do not guarantee the accuracy, integrity or quality of your Content or the Content of other Members and cannot assure that harmful, inaccurate, deceptive, or objectionable Content will not appear on the Service. You agree that under no circumstances will Independent Publishing, Inc. be liable in any way, and that Independent Publishing, Inc. shall be held harmless for any Content, including, but not limited to, for any errors or omissions in your Content or the Content of other Members, or for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of your posting or the posting of other Members made available in connection with this Service, or generally for the accuracy, reliability, or quality of Content provided throughout the Service.

7. We may provide links to other websites or resources of possible interest to Members or Visitors. Because we have no control over such websites or resources, you acknowledge and agree that Independent Publishing, Inc. is not responsible for the availability of such web sites or resources, and does not endorse and is not responsible or liable for any content, advertising, products, or other materials on or available from such websites or resources. You also acknowledge and agree that We shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any such websites or resources. You understand that any such website are subject to the policies and procedures of the operator of such website.

8. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Independent Publishing, Inc. and its parent and affiliates, and their directors, officers, managers, employees, shareholders, agents, and licensors, from and against all losses, expenses, damages and costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, resulting from any violation of this Agreement or the missoulanews.com Discussion Guidelines, or the failure to fulfill any obligations relating to your account incurred by you or any other person using your account. We reserve the right to take over the exclusive defense of any claim for which we are entitled to indemnification under this Section. In such event, you shall provide us with such cooperation as is reasonably requested by us.

9. This Service is available "as is." We do not warrant that this Service will be uninterrupted or error-free. There may be delays, omissions, interruptions and inaccuracies in the news, information or other materials available through this Service. We are not responsible for the availability or content of other services that may be linked to this Service. We do not make any warranties, express or implied, including without limitation, those of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to this Service or any information or goods that are available or advertised or sold through this Service. We do not make any representations, nor do we endorse the accuracy, completeness, timeliness or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement or other material or database displayed, uploaded or distributed in this Service or available though links in this Service. We reserve the right to correct any errors or omissions in this Service. Although we intend to take reasonable steps to prevent the introduction of viruses, worms, "Trojan horses" or other destructive materials to this Service, we do not guarantee or warrant that this Service or materials that may be downloaded from this Service do not contain such destructive features. We are not liable for any damages or harm attributable to such features. If you rely on this Service and any materials available through this Service, you do so solely at your own risk.

10. Independent Publishing, Inc., its parent and affiliates, and their directors, officers, managers, employees, shareholders, agents and licensors are not liable for incidental, indirect, consequential, special, punitive, or exemplary damages of any kind, including lost revenues or profits, loss of business or loss of data, in any way related to this Service or for any claim, loss or injury based on errors, omissions, interruptions or other inaccuracies in this Service (including without limitation as a result of breach of any warranty or other term of this Agreement). Any claim against us shall be limited to the amount you paid, if any, for use of this Service.

11. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the United States and the state of Montana. BY CONTINUING TO USE MISSOULANEWS.COM, YOU AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT.