TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE AND DISCLAIMER

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE WEBSITE.

1. General:

This website is owned and operated by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (hereafter "The Department"). By using this website, you signify that you have read, understand and agree to all these terms and conditions of use. If you do not agree to these terms and conditions of use, please do not use this website. The Department reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, add, remove or otherwise change any portion of these terms and conditions at any time. Please check these terms and conditions periodically for changes. Your continued use of this website following the posting of changes to these terms and conditions shall mean that you fully accept all such changes.

2. Restrictions on Use of Materials:

No information, services, products, Forums (as defined in section 3 below) or other materials (hereafter collectively "Materials") provided in or through this website or any website owned, operated, licensed or controlled by The Department may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted or distributed in any way or for any purpose, except that you may download one copy of the Materials on any single computer for your private, noncommercial viewing purposes. Any modification of the Materials or use of the Materials for any other purpose may be a violation of The Department's trademark, copyright and other proprietary rights and of the trademarks, copyrights and other proprietary rights of the owners of Materials provided in or through this website. For the purposes of these terms and conditions, the use of the Materials on any other website or networked computer environment is expressly prohibited.

3. Forums and Public Communication:

As used in these terms and conditions, "Forum" means any chat area, bulletin board, or e-mail function provided in or through this website. You shall not upload to, distribute through, or otherwise publish in or through the website any content which is libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, threatening, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, abusive, illegal, or otherwise objectionable that would constitute or encourage any criminal offense, would violate the rights of any person or organization, or would otherwise give rise to any liability or violate any law. The Department reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to remove any e-mail, posting, or other content from this website.

The Forums shall be used only in a noncommercial manner. Without the express written approval of The Department, you shall not distribute or otherwise publish any Materials in or through this website which contain any solicitation of funds, promotion, advertising, or through this website which contain any solicitation of funds, promotion, advertising, or solicitation for goods or services. You acknowledge that soliciting other persons to join or become members of any commercial online service or other organization is expressly prohibited.

By uploading Materials to any Forum or submitting Materials to The Department, you automatically grant (or warrant that the owner of such rights has expressly granted) to The Department a perpetual, royalty-free, irrevocable, nonexclusive right and license to use,reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate,create derivative works from, and distribute such materials or incorporate such Materials into any forum, medium, or technology now known or later developed. In addition, you warrant that all so-called "moral rights" in such Materials have been waived.

4. Right of Publicity

The name of The Department is subject to The Department's exclusive right of publicity. Except as expressly approved in writing by The Department, The Department's name shall not be used for any purpose, including, but not limited to, advertising or promoting goods, services or organizations.

5. Jurisdictional Issues:

This website is controlled and operated by The Department from its offices in the County of Los Angeles, State of California, United States of America. The Department makes no representation or warranty that the Materials provided in or through this website are appropriate or available for use in other locations. Those who choose to access this website do so on their own initiative and are solely liable and responsible for compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws.

6. No Endorsement:

The Materials provided in or through this website contain, without limitation, facts, views, opinions, recommendations, statements, advice, viewpoints, teaching methods, training methods, information, website links and materials of third party persons and organizations. The Department does not represent or endorse in any way whatsoever the availability, accuracy, currency, completeness, content, reliability, or effectiveness of any such fact, view, opinion, recommendation, statement, advice, viewpoint, teaching method, training method, information, website link or material. You acknowledge that any use of, or reliance upon, any such fact, view, opinion, recommendation, statement, advice, viewpoint, teaching method, training method, information, website link or material shall be at you sole liability, responsibility and risk.

7. Disclaimer:

The materials provided in or through this website are provided "as is" and without warranties of any kind whatsoever, either express or implied. To the fullest extent permissible pursuant to applicable law, The Department, its affiliates, licensors, employees, agents and contractors (including, without limitation, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services(DPSS)), disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to: (1) warranties as to the availability, accuracy, currency, completeness, content, reliability or effectiveness of the Materials Provided in or through this website, (2) warranties of fitness for a particular purpose, (3) warranties of merchantability and (4) warranties against infringement. The Department does not warrant that the functions contained in the Materials will be uninterrupted or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that this website or the server that makes it available are free of computer viruses or other harmful components. The Department does not warrant or make any representations whatsoever regarding the use or the results of the use of the Materials provided in or through this website in terms of the correctness, accuracy, reliability or otherwise. You (and without limitation, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS)) assume the entire cost and responsibility of all necessary servicing, repair or correction.

8. Limitation of Liability:

Under no circumstances, including, but not limited to, negligence, shall The Department, its affiliates, licensors, employees, agents or contractors (including, without limitation, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social services (DPSS)), be liable or responsible for any indirect, consequential, special or incidental damages, that result from the use of, or the inability to use, the Materials provided in or through this website or from Materials obtained from or any other user of this website, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

In no event shall the total liability of The Department, its affiliates, licensors, employees, agents and contractors (including, without limitation, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS)), to you for all damages, injuries, losses and causes of action (whether in contract, tort (including, without limitation, negligence) or otherwise) exceed the amount, if any, paid by you to The Department for accessing this website.

9. Other:

These terms and conditions shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of law. You hereby consent and submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of California for all purposes involving this website and further consent that the venue for any action brought involving this website shall be exclusively in the County of Los Angeles, State of California. If any provision of these terms and conditions is determined, by a court of competent jurisdiction, to be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from these terms and conditions and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. This is the entire agreement between you and The Department, its affiliates, licensors, employees, agents and contractors (including, without limitation, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS)), relating to the subject matter herein.