Terms of Participation on Social Media Sites

The Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) operates branded pages, listservs, blogs, discussion groups and accounts on various social networking sites and platforms (including accounts with STLE in the name, profile or logo), and makes networking functions available on the STLE Website (www.stle.org) (collectively, the “STLE Social Media Sites”). By using and/or joining the STLE Social Media Sites, users agree that they have read and will follow the following Terms of Participation:

1. STLE has made the STLE Social Media Sites available for the purpose of providing forums for the discussion of issues relating to tribology and lubrication engineering. Users should assume that any and all information posted may become publicly available, regardless of the privacy restrictions to which the Sites are subject.

2. Communications among STLE Social Media Site users are not to be relied on as professional opinions or advice, and such responses are not intended to constitute technical guidelines or to supplant individual judgment with respect to methods, practices and procedures.

3. Users should exercise both common sense and courtesy in the messages they transmit on STLE Social Media Sites and may not use STLE Social Media Sites to transmit defamatory, obscene and otherwise offensive communications.

4. Users may not disclose any confidential or proprietary information of STLE or third parties, including member, vendor, exhibitor, employee, finance or other sensitive information.

5. Users are prohibited from using the STLE Social Media Sites to communicate in a manner that may violate federal or state antitrust laws. For example, users should recognize that discussions concerning prices, market share, sales territories, membership restrictions and standardization and certification may raise particular antitrust concern. The same rules against illegal agreements in restraint of trade that apply at members' meetings apply to communications on the STLE Social Media Sites.

6. Users may not post or distribute files, articles or other information subject to trademark, copyright or other proprietary rights (including, without limitation, the STLE name, logo and other intellectual property) without the express consent of the owner of the rights. Although social media sites are designed for “sharing,” intellectual property laws still apply.

7. Users may not endorse products or services in the name of STLE.

8. Users may not post photographs taken at STLE’s events without STLE’s permission.

9. Users may not post commercial messages advertising or selling goods or services.

10. Users must respect the security of STLE Social Media Sites and may not attempt to gain access to areas private to STLE or their members.

11. Users are prohibited from using STLE Social Media Sites for any purpose that may be illegal. For example, the STLE Social Media Sites may not be used to solicit or disseminate information having to do with, or to conduct any activity relating to, illegal drugs, pornography, gambling, spreading computer viruses, software infringement, trafficking in credit card codes or other crimes.

12. STLE Social Media Sites may not be used in a manner that violates the bylaws or any other policies, procedures, rules or regulations of STLE.

13. STLE reserve the right to terminate the participation on an STLE Social Media Site of any user who does not abide by these terms.

Disclaimer and Legal Notice
The views expressed on the STLE Social Media Sites are those of the individual contributors. They do not and should not be construed as representing the views of STLE. STLE makes no warranty, guarantee or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information posted on the STLE Social Media Sites, whether posted by STLE or any third party, and STLE assumes no responsibility or liability regarding the use or misuse of such information for any purpose. STLE disclaims any responsibility to maintain copies of any information posted on the STLE Social Media Sites or to assure that such information is deleted. Unless specifically stated otherwise, STLE does not endorse, approve, recommend or certify any information, product, process, service or organization presented or mentioned on the STLE Social Media Sites, and information from STLE Social Media Sites should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. NEVERTHELESS, STLE RETAINS THE RIGHT TO MONITOR POSTED INFORMATION AND REMOVE MESSAGES OR MATERIALS THAT IT BELIEVES DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF PARTICIPATION OR ARE NOT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF STLE.

By posting material to an STLE Social Media Site, the posting party represents and warrants that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. In addition, the posting party grants the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers and users of the STLE Social Media Site the nonexclusive, unrestricted, royalty-free right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print and use such information or other material. Anyone who believes material posted on this site infringes on his or her copyrighted work should refer to the Procedures for Requesting Removal of Infringing Material.

Choice of Law
This Agreement shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of Illinois irrespective of its choice of laws rules. In addition, users consent to be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts of Cook County, Illinois in the event of any dispute between the parties.

Amendment
STLE reserves the right to modify the rules of these Terms of Participation as it determines from time to time in the best interests of STLE, provided all STLE Social Media Site users are notified prior to any such change.

Copyright © 2017 Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. All rights reserved.