These Terms of Use (Agreement) constitute the contractual relationship of binding between you and Times Internet Limited, and its subsidiaries, affiliates, and related entities such as TRTClub Inc. d/b/a Abound (collectively, The Readers Time, Inteliqo Researcher and Services, we, us, or Company) in respect to your use and access to and use of www.readerstime.in (the “Platform”) and all the related services, content, and other features provided using any device or other medium.

By selecting the option of you agrees, using the Platform, or any other Services, you confirm that you have read the Platform, understood the Platform, and agree to be legally bound by this Agreement. You declare and certify that you are of legal age (eighteen years old or over) and you are legally permitted to employ and conclude this binding Agreement.

Minor Users: The Platform and Services are not open to persons under the age of eighteen, except under the close supervision and direction of a parent or legal guardian, and the use of the accounts of such guardian.

User Registration: Before uploading content, sending comments or using some of the Services, you should register and provide the correct information in the form of full legal name, date of birth, electronic mail address, physical residence address, and telephone contact number.

Definition of User: In this Agreement, the term User, you, or your means any person that uses the Platform to host, publish, share, transact, display, or upload information, content, or opinions and includes other parties that interpretatively use the Platform of the Company.

MANDATORY NOTICE: This Agreement has terms that bind you to binding arbitration, give up your right to have your trial in a jury, and demand indemnity. These are the terms that materially impact on your legal rights. CAREFULLY REVIEW ALL SECTIONS.

Amendments: The Company has the absolute right to alter, make amendments, update or supplement this Agreement at any time without giving any notice. It is entirely upon you, to periodically examine these Terms in order to keep them in compliance. The future usage of the Platform or Services after any alteration amounts to your approval and consent to be bound to such changes.

Assumption of Risk: You clearly understand and agree that that have all use of the Platform and Services, all at your own risk. The Company specifically denies any liability of any harm, damage or loss to you in connection with your use of the Platform or Services.

Third-Party Services: In case you subscribe, access, or use third-party services with our Platform, you expressly accept and consent to act in accordance with the terms of use and the legal terms of use of such third-party portals and affiliate websites. The affiliates are each a third-party beneficiary of this Agreement with the full power to exercise rights and restrictions which are included herein. You are aware that reward points, balance credits or benefits earned by affiliates are in such affiliate sole discretion, can be terminated without notice and have no value until redeemed as per applicable terms. The Company has also not taken, and will not take, any duty of care or liability towards any third-party and you do confirm that we will not have any losses of any kind, direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential, or any fraud caused by the internet. The relevant third party should be addressed with complaints of frauds.

Class Action Waiver: THIS is an agreement, in which you agree to waive the right to pursue litigation in court and to serve as a plaintiff or class member in any class action.

The Company has the unilateral right to suspend or cancel, discontinue, alter, or change any channels, products, services, content, features, or functionalities that the Platform offers any time without prior notice. Any change will be posted on the Platform so that you can refer to it.

Referral and Rewards Programs: The Company has the option of suspending, terminating, revising or ending referral offers, rewards programs, terms and conditions related to them and the ability to refer others whenever we deem it appropriate. Referral links/codes can also stop operating after discontinuance or change. When you take part in such programs, you will be held accountable to look at the current offers and be bound to its changes. The only way to resolve the conflict over changes is to stop participating in the program.

The Company may charge subscription charges, membership fees, or fees to any product, service, or feature of the Platform in giving reasonable prior notice to Users. The Company reserves the exclusive right to suspend, cancel, terminate or alter rewards, referral offers, terms and conditions and program functionalities at any time. You can join because you realize that it is your duty to learn about active offers and agree to changes. Program withdrawal is necessary in the case of non acceptance.

This type of property belongs to the company and is exclusive to its product range. In the absence of a declaration to the contrary, all copyright and intellectual property in the contents of the material on the Platform, such as text, audio, video, graphical images, trademarks, logos and other content, belong to Times Internet Limited, its parent company, affiliates and associates, and are safeguarded by the provisions of applicable Indian, United States, and international laws.

Prohibited Activities: You agree not to:

• Use framing to surround trademarks, logos or proprietary details.
• Erase, cover up or destroy copyright notice, proprietary marks, credit lines, date lines, source identifiers, or other marks.
• Adjust proprietary marks in terms of size, color, position, or style.

All violations would be harshly pursued to the limit that would be allowed under the law.

The Company hereby gives you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable, personal, and limited right of access and usage of the Platform only to personal or internal purposes, with full conformity to this Agreement.

Limitations: You specifically enter into an agreement that you will not (and will not allow third parties to): Duplicate copy or reproduce any part of the Platform or Services.

Restrictions: You expressly agree not to (and not to permit third parties to):

• Bring back, un-assemble, decompose or otherwise find out a source code (unless legal restrictions permit it)
• Sell, assign, sublicense, grant security interests in or transfer rights to the Platform or Services.
• Alter the Platform or make altered versions without express written permission.
• Attempt unauthorized entry to computer systems, software, networks, or Content. Repost Content or materials without having written consent.

Termination Rights: We may, without any warning or responsibility, terminate this Agreement, refuse service, limit access, or discontinue the delivery of the Platform or Services (wholesomely or otherwise) to a person or entity, at any time, and with or without reason.

Identity Verification: We can develop identity verification as a platform access condition. We can store and share personal data with our business partners and regulators as explained in our Privacy Policy, such as in the context of know-your-customer (KYC) regulations and regulations.

Third-Party Content: The Company is not responsible in any way as to the content, accuracy, reliability, and availability of third-party materials or services that can be accessed on our Platform.

Any use or attempted use of the Services that:

• Is used illegally, maliciously or fraudulently. Impairs, disables, damages or overburdens servers or any networks.
• Invades the use and pleasure of the Platform by others.
• Hacks into accounts, systems or networks by hacking, password mining or any other method.
• Gathers information or systems with no purpose to access them by User.
• Acquires materials using a channel that is not strategically offered.

Further Prohibitions: In relation to use of the Platform, you will not:

• Post or send illegal, malicious, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive or offensive material.
• Fraudulent identities or falsification of identities, deception by posing as someone or something and falsification of affiliation.
• Post or transmit content of which you have no legal right to copy or display.
• Upload viruses, malware, corrupted and harmful software.
• Erase author credits, copyright messages or company names.
• Send unwanted advertising, publicity, spam messages, chain letters, pyramid schemes or solicitation.
• Break local, state, national, or international laws.
• Violate patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets or other proprietary rights.
• Erase or edit other people’s posts.
• Probe, scan, test vulnerability, or breach authentication.
• Register and or unsubscribe without express permission.
• Get or gather facts about other people, their contact details.
• Access (or copy) Platform content using automated (robots, spiders, scrapers) methods.

Enforcement: The Company may spy on the use of Platforms and take legal measures against perceived breaches, such as benefit suspension, account suspension, or the termination of access. We can also collaborate with law enforcement and other forces involved in investigations of possible wrongdoings or crimes. We may share information as we find it necessary to do so in order to meet legal and regulatory requirements, legal procedures, or to fulfill our government or any other legal requirement, and may also edit, decline to post, or delete any content as we see fit, subject to the limitations of the Privacy Policy.

Reimbursement: You will reimburse the Company all damages, losses, cost, and expenses (including attorneys, accountant, and professional advisor fees, and expert fees) involving your illegal or forbidden use of the Platform

Copyright Compliance: The Company has the right to end user uploaded material that violates an intellectual property right without or with notice as per the legal provisions such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Submissions: All of your personal information, photos, posts, messages, files that you post, upload or download on the Platform or any social media page thereof via email, chat, posting, messaging, uploading, or downloading (together, “Submissions”) are at your own risk with no privacy guaranteed.

Some of the services need User registration. Registration requires registration process whereby one has to give current, complete and accurate information as requested. You will choose a username and password.

Single User Accounts: This is a registration of a single individual user. The Company keeps the information of the registration maintained after the cancellation in accordance with the applicable laws.

Account Security: You have a full responsibility to keep your password and account confidential.

• Providing other people with accounts and passwords.
• Proxying, or proxy servers that store the content of Caching Platform to be accessed by unregistered individuals.
• Allowing multiple network users to access single accounts.

Should we have a reasonable doubt that an account is being either used or abused in a harmful way, we may cancel access immediately and not give a notice in addition to blocking all users of that IP address.

Account Activity Responsibility: You are entirely responsible of all the activities that take place under your account. You will also inform the Company upon detecting any unauthorized use of the account or security breach. The Company will not be responsible to losses caused by the use of wrong passwords or accounts by other people. Nevertheless, on the one hand, you can be subjected to losses incurred by the Company or the third party as a result of using accounts without authorization.

The Company can offer personal Subscription Services to Users, such as premium access to content held behind paywalls. By becoming a subscriber, you will enjoy access to high-end content, comments, and the content that our editorial team chooses. The Company reserves the right to change any content that will be behind paywalls at its sole discretion, and any editorial decision is final and non-debatable.

Subscription Variations: Subscription based Services can vary depending on the country and device. Price and subscription packages can change with time. The Company has complete discretion in regard to the determination of subscription prices.

Payment Information: When you use a subscription, you should give all the payment and other adequate information. Information submitted by you concerning payment methods, represents, warrants and guarantees that you have the authority to buy subscriptions through such methods. Under circumstances when payment authorization is not made or is later cancelled, we can cancel the subscription access or the whole Platform access instantly. Under suspicious conditions, we can communicate with issuing banks, payment providers, police, or other relevant individuals.

The Company subscribes to the services of third party payment gateways. You consent to supplying your information and details to such third-party payment service providers.

Refunds: If you are entitled to receive a refund under these Terms, we will credit the same to the same method of making payment, unless out of time, in which case we will notify you.

The Company will strive to activate subscriptions in as short a time as possible but does not promise activation within a given time frame. The offer to purchase a subscription is made by you by providing payment and subscription information. We only accept your offer once the payment details and the email address are verified, and then grant us access to the subscription. The Company will have the free will to accept or to shun any offer without any reason.

Pricing: The prices of subscriptions will be shown on the sign-up pages or at the time of signing up. The place of display could be different at different times, regions or countries. You do acknowledge paying the fees at quoted rates at the time of buying your subscription and at quoted rates at specified rates. The Company can also have fixed-term or fixed-frequency offers occasionally in respect of certain Services. The currency of payment will be quoted at the time of order and will vary depending on the Service, and your country of residence. The eligibility to receive discounts is based on the time of subscription and it cannot be altered within the period of subscription. We will never surprise you with the price and will always inform you in advance about the rise in costs and will give you the option to cancel in case you do not want to pay the new prices.

Taxation: Subscriptions and subscription based Services are liable to the existing tax laws of the United States or India. Tax is charged on the use of content on the Platform and Services to the Users in India, the United States, and all over the world. Otherwise stated, costs on Platform include relevant taxes, such as Goods and Services Tax (GST) or other taxation.

Pricing Errors: You admit that Platform content can be affected by technical glitches or bugs, such as price listings and subscription information. In the case of a technical glitch or error on our part that causes us to state a price in error, and then we do not have an obligation to do so even in the circumstances that we have accepted your offer incorrectly. We have the right to inform you about pricing mistakes. On the notification, you can cancel the subscription at will and get the money back in full, or pay the appropriate price. In case you reject one of them, we could cancel your access to subscription and give back the money. The Company exercises good faith in deciding whether actual pricing mistakes have taken place.

Additional Costs: Other than subscription expenses, you have to pay the cost of internet connection, communication fee, and other expense or cost associated with accessing the Services. As an illustration, mobile network operators can bill the data or messaging services.

You have the option of Subscription based Services with terms and period on the Platform.

Auto-Renewal: Customers who use the Platform via Web/Mobile Web/Android application will receive the feature of auto-renewal options. When you use auto-renewal in Web/Mobile Web/Android app, or use Access Services via iOS app, you will have a subscription which automatically renews unless you cancel before renewal to prevent being billed by the renewal term. Before renewal dates we will inform you through email.

Free Trials: The subscriptions commence by the user of the iOS applications at the time that the free trial periods (when available at the Company discretion) end and at the time when the payment of subscription fee is received. The free trials automatically transform into paid subscriptions upon expiry of trial periods. In the case of Android/Web/Mobile Web users, after free trials, no automatic conversion to a paid subscription is performed; Users have to pay after the trial periods.

Subscription Commencement: Subscriptions begin upon receiving payment of subscription fee. Either no cancellation can be done after subscribing to the period term.

Annual Subscriptions: When you are paying on an annual basis and with the option of auto renewal in Web/Mobile Web/Android app or in access Services under the iOS app, then you will be notified at least 15 days prior to any particular renewal of the variable rate to be applied. Provided you do not inform us before your annual subscription expires that you do not want it, your annual subscription is renewed. We shall invoice the subscription through the same mode of payment that we were using before.

Cancellation Rights: You have no right to cancel your subscription or a part of it before the expiry of your current subscription. Though you would inform us of your desire to cancel any time, it only becomes effective at the expiry of your current subscription and then you will not get a refund (except in exceptional cases which are stipulated in these Terms). You can inform us that you want to cancel subscriptions by contacting our team through the specified email address. There should be implementation at least 5 business days prior notice.

Company Termination: The Company may suspend or cancel your subscription at its discretion in case of breach of these Terms with or without notice and without any obligation, including any refund obligation. We also have the right to prepare or cancel subscriptions when we are in a position to do so through events that are not under our control. Under extraordinary conditions, the Company can discontinue the publication of the Platform, Platform content, or even the subscription-based Services. Where possible we shall give a period of at least 15 days notice. In such case, the only thing we do is to pay back the unlapsed term of your subscriptions.

Non-Subscriber Registration: In case, you are a registered User and have not subscribed to Services that are offered on subscription, the Company may suspend or cancel your registration at any time, with or without any notice and without any additional obligation.

Cancellation Requests: If you want to cancel your registration, you can contact the designated support email.

Payment Details: We can change Subscription Fees occasionally and over geographies. Users are asked to review the pricing framework of the Platform at a periodical basis.

Bundled Services: Subscriptions can at the discretion of the Company be provided in packages along with other products/services. When this happens, the terms of payments might vary and be delivered upon purchase or made available on the corresponding platform, on which bundled services/products are offered or sold. You will abide by such terms updated periodically.

You realize and accept that the Company will not be liable or responsible in any case with third-party platforms, websites, products, or services including third-party bundled products/service.

The Company will not be liable to any delay or failure to fulfill performance occasioned by any event that is beyond its reasonable control such as acts of God, natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics, strikes, labor disputes, disruption of the supply chain, and government.

The sole responsibility of the originating party (the “Originator”) is all information, data, text, software, music, sound, photographs, graphics, videos, messages, or other materials (all of which is referred to as Content).

Image Warranties: by posting material that includes images, photographs, pictures, or other graphical material (“Images”), you warrant and represent that:

• Such Images are the copyright property of you, or the copyright holder of such Images has licensed you to use such Images in line with your proposed use and these Terms.
• You have the rights required to sub-license and license as outlined in these Terms.
• All individuals in Pictures have signed to be used in accordance with these Terms, such as distribution, displaying publicly and reproduction.

Rights Representation: You affirm that you are a legitimate owner of lawful rights and title to all Content/Images uploaded on the Platform, that you do not infringe on the intellectual property rights of any person(s) and that you will indemnify the Company and affiliates in case of claims due to Content and Images posted on the Platform.

Prohibited Content: No harmful, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, libelous, privacy-invasive, profane, hateful, racially or ethnically objectionable, or disparaging information or content should be posted or uploaded. The individual who is involved in such activity will be solely liable according to the existing laws.

Publisher Requirements: In case, you are a news and current affairs content publisher, you would be required to provide the information about your user accounts to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in accordance with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (“Rules”) and obey all the regulations such as the said Rules. The Company can at its own free will give publishers who have submitted necessary information to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting a verifiable mark that can be seen by all users.

Content Rights: The Company does not have any responsibility towards User Content/Images. But you assign/sell the entirety/part of all the Content/Images to the Company and agree to grant/assign to the Company, and its affiliates, a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, sub-licensable right to use, reproduce, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works based on, distribute, perform, and display such Content/Images (in whole and/or part) of the same throughout the world and/or in any media/technology known or yet to be developed in the world.

Adult Responsibility: You will indicate the reality that you are an adult (18 years old or older) and will be responsible for all the Content that you upload or post or otherwise transmit.

Platform Purpose: The Company strives to offer a web platform on community interactions where individuals would interact and share opinion. The general population post content on the community services; hence, the accuracy, integrity, or quality cannot be ensured. By accessing such Services, you know you can be subjected to the objectionable content.

Chat and Community Guidelines: You are expected not to use the chat and community guidelines services to upload, post, or transmit defamatory, abusive, pervasive, obscene, privacy-invasive, hateful, racially, ethnically, or otherwise objectionable content or opinions.

You will not be able to partake of any cyber stalking or cause any kind of nuisance to any visitor or User of the Platform.

You shall not post, submit, transmit or otherwise carry material or messages that have software viruses, malware or files that are intended to interrupt, destroy or otherwise adversely impact electronic equipment as part of the use of the Platform or as to the capability of another User to conduct real-time interactions.

You will not host, exhibit, publish, upload, alter, transmit, store, modify, update, or share on the Platform any information which:

(i) Is in another person to which you has no right.

(ii) Defames, is obscene, pornographic, and pedophilic, incurs into privacy (including bodily privacy), sexually harasses the gender, libels, is racially/ethnically/generally-offensive, or relates to or encourages money laundering or gambling, or otherwise does not coincide or is in opposition to laws that are in force.

(iii) Is harmful to children

(iv) Violates any patent, trademark, copyright or other property rights.

(v) Breaks any law that is in existence.

(vi) Misleads or lies to the addressee regarding message sources or intentionally conveys patently false information or misleading information which could be reasonably understood to be factual.

(vii) Picks up another identity.

(viii) Poses a threat to the existence, integrity, defense, security, or sovereignty of India, good relations with any other foreign state, civil peace or incites another person to commit a cognizable offense, obstructs the investigation of such an offense, or offends other states.

(ix) Is software viruses or other computer code, programs, files, or software that is meant to disrupt, corrupt, or cripple the functionality of computer resources.

(x) Is patently false and untrue, is written or published in any form with intent to mislead or harass persons, entities, or agencies in order to gain financial gain or to inflict injury.

Enforcement: Anything you post will be compatible with the applicable legislation and can be shut down or investigated by the proper legislation. We reserve the right to end your account as well as block Platform access and delete non-compliant Content in case you are caught acting against laws, regulations, these Terms, or the privacy policy of the Platform. Illicit material will be deleted when there is notification by the government agencies, court orders, or as it is necessary as per the applicable laws.

Any Content or comments made by you will be governed by the Indian laws and can be disabled or investigated according to the corresponding laws. In case, you are found not in compliance with laws, regulations, these terms, or privacy policy, the Company is free to terminate/block your access and use immediately, delete non-compliant Content or comments (though retained information may be required by the law), and resort to the remedies provided by laws.

The Company has a right to maintain records of material sent as per the relevant laws.

Redressal Mechanism: Any complaints or concerns regarding Content or breach of these Terms shall be directed to the designated Grievance Officer for the respective website via written communication or email at their respective email address, signed with electronic signature.

Please note that email addresses provided are for receiving concerns and queries regarding corresponding websites. Print subscription emails can be sent to respective city branches through the designated link for print subscription-related queries.