Last Updated October 13, 2023
The Civics Credentialing Passport service (“CC Passport” or “Service”) is offered by Team Democracy, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization (later referred to as “Service Provider”) to users of the Service (later referred to as “User(s)”). The Service forms part of the multi-platform Civics Credentialing System (“CCS”)
The primary purpose of CC Passport is to enable individuals and organizations to receive, upload, explore, request, curate, enhance and share digital badges and badge portfolios based on the Open Badges standard (“OB Standard”). CC Passport also includes a small scale service for Users to create and issue badges to themselves and others. CC Passport provides an online environment for Users to engage with organizations and other Users, using Badges, commentary and other digital content to socialize learning and achievement and build online communities for civic engagement.
CC Passport is part of a larger service called the Civics Credentialing System (“CCS”), which includes Open Badge Factory (“OBF”). OBF is a large-scale service for organizations as badge issuers, used by Team Democracy to issue digital badges to recipients. CC Passport also relies on the CCS website which is used to integrate information, engagement, support and services for the system as a whole.
These Terms of Use apply to three User levels: 1) Individuals who interact with the public Service website but do not register as Individual Users; 2) Individual Registered Users, who hold free accounts on the service; and 3) Customer Organization Users, who register and may pay a subscription fee to the Service.
The Service consists of a cloud-based platform, where Individual Registered Users can accept, store, display and share digital Badges. The User acknowledges that the Service Provider makes no representations or certifications about badges which may be found on the Service.
The Service is the default badge acceptance and storage destination for badges issued by Team Democracy on OBF. Individual Registered Users may also store other badges that comply with the Open Badge Standard. Customer Organization Users may in the future use the Service to host their own group environments, called Spaces, for sharing and displaying badges.
By using the Service the User accepts these Terms of Use.
The overall purpose of the CCS is to create a system of credentials based on badges that represent pro-democracy commitments, education, actions and broader forms of recognition in the community. Badges can be shared on the service, through social media, and through other means to display a commitment to constitutional democracy and encourage others to participate.
The CCS is focused on the following goals:
The CCS and the credentials provided through it support and strengthen the processes, institutions, and activities that sustain our democratic republic. A constitutional democracy is designed with checks and balances where robust disagreements and vigorous debates are not only inevitable, but are key to its success. The guiding principles and guidelines defined here ensure that CCS cultivates the behaviors and activities that make these debates constructive. Credential issuing organizations in CCS abide by the following principles and guidelines:
By creating a User account in the CCS, the User assures the Service Provider that he/she is at least 16 years old and if under 16 years, authorized by his/her parents.
Subject to the User´s acceptance of and continuing compliance with these Terms of Use, the Service Provider grants to the User a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the CCS solely for the purpose of receiving, managing, displaying, sharing and publishing badges and badge portfolios. The User agrees not to use the CCS for any other purpose. The CCS shall not be used in any other manner than via specified interfaces and according to given instructions and these Terms of Use provided by the Service Provider.
Except as specifically allowed in these Terms of Use, the User is not entitled to use, copy, reproduce, republish, store, modify, transfer, display, encode, transmit, distribute, lease, license, sell, rent, lend, convey, upload or otherwise transfer, assign or make publicly available its User account, the CCS, a part thereof, or the material contained therein, in any way. The User is not entitled to adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble or attempt to discover the source code, underlying ideas, algorithms, methods, techniques, file formats or programming interfaces of, or create derivative works from the CCS or any part thereof, except to the extent permitted under the applicable law. The User is not entitled to remove, modify, hide, obscure, disable or modify any copyright, trademark or other proprietary rights notices, marks, labels or any other branding elements contained on or within the Service, falsify or delete any author attributions, legal notices or other labels of the origin or source of the material, or misrepresent the source of ownership of the CCS.
The license of the User terminates immediately if it attempts to circumvent any technical protection measures used in connection with the CCS or if the User otherwise uses the CCS in breach of any of these Terms of Use.
The User promises that the information the User provides or provided in connection with registration to, and use of the CCS is true and accurate. The use of the CCS requires a username and a personal password or other user identification method approved by the Service Provider (hereinafter referred to as “User ID”). Unless otherwise agreed, the User ID requires a valid email address of the User for generating the username.
The User must keep the password required for the use of the CCS secret and not disclose it to anyone. User may not assign or transfer its User ID to a third party and may not allow a third party to use the CCS with its User ID. If a third party has obtained the User´s password, or if the User has a reason to believe that a third party has obtained its password, the User must immediately inform the Service Provider. The User is solely responsible for actions taken by using its User account until it has informed the Service Provider of the loss of the password and the Service Provider has had a reasonable time to prevent the use of the CCS with the User ID.
The Service Provider reserves the right to terminate the User´s access to the CCS without prior notice if the User violates these Terms of Use. The Service Provider is entitled to prevent access to the CCS if it has reason to believe that the User is engaged in illegal activity or has compromised other Users’ or Service Provider´s data security or privacy or if the Service Provider receives a notice that the User´s password has been obtained by a third party.
No devices or connections necessary for the use of the CCS are provided subject to these Terms of Use. User is responsible for purchasing, maintaining and updating such devices and connections (including data security) and for any costs related thereto.
The CCS is free to Individual Users.
Organizations may pay annual subscriptions to use the CCS.
When the User uses the CCS or sends email to the Service Provider, the User is communicating with the Service Provider electronically. The User consents to receive communications from the Service Provider electronically. The Service Provider will communicate with the User by email or by posting notices on the CCSwebsite. The User agrees that all agreements, notices, disclosures and other communications that the Service Provider electronically provides to the User satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing and/or signed.
The Service Provider either owns the Intellectual Property Rights to the CCSor has acquired the necessary rights or licenses in the Intellectual Property Rights. Portions of the Intellectual Property Rights may have been licensed to the Service Provider or published on the CCS website by third parties.
The Service Provider shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to the CCS as well as any material in or provided through the CCS, including any copyright, patent, trademark, design right, trade secret and any other intellectual property rights (hereinafter referred to as “Intellectual Property Rights”). The User shall not receive any ownership rights to the CCS by using the CCS or, for example, by downloading material from or submitting material to the CCS. Unless expressly authorized by mandatory legislation, the CCS may not be copied, reproduced or distributed in any manner or medium, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of the Service Provider. All rights not expressly granted to the User herein are reserved by the Service Provider.
The Service Provider strongly encourages Users who notice possible copyright infringements on the CCS website to contact the Service Provider at ccs@teamdemocracy.org.
The materials and information and any Intellectual Property Rights related thereto which the User inserts into the Service (User Content) remain the property of the User or, if provided by a third party, remain the property of that third party, unless otherwise assigned.
The User grants the Service Provider a non-exclusive, royalty-free perpetual license to use the User Content throughout the world, as the Service Provider sees fit in its sole discretion, for the purpose of providing the CCS.
The Service Provider is responsible for technical implementation and maintenance of the CCS. Scheduled and unscheduled changes and breaks in service may occur. The Service Provider may suspend the CCS when necessary, for example, for installation, amendment or maintenance work or if laws, regulations or authorities so require, or if there are other justifiable reasons for suspension. The Service Provider aims to ensure that the suspension is as short as possible. The Service Provider will make an effort to inform Users at a reasonable time in advance of substantial changes and breaks in service on the login page of the CCS, and in the support area of the website. However, the Service Provider reserves the right to perform some updates without advance notice.
A back-up of the service content is made once each day. The back-up is made in case the service content needs to be restored due to, for example, a technical problem. However, User content cannot be restored if the User accidentally deletes User content. The Service Provider permits User content to be stored on the CCS website, but is not responsible for any loss of User content.
The Service Provider has the right to terminate the CCS at its sole discretion. The Service Provider will aim to provide reasonable advance notice of such termination of the Service.
It is the responsibility of the User of the CCS to make sure that he/she has the right to use the images, content and email addresses that he/she uses in issuing his/her own badges. The User agrees not to use the CCS in such a manner or otherwise submit any material that violates any Intellectual Property Rights, privacy, publicity or any other rights of others; or would be illegal or violate the norms of polite behavior or the Purposes and Guiding Principles outlined above. The Service Provider is not responsible for possible violations of Users.
The User shall use the CCS in a manner that does not cause harm to the Service Provider, other Users, or third parties. If the Service Provider receives a notice claiming that the User has submitted any offending material, the Service Provider is entitled to remove such material, remove the User or User organization’s environment, or prevent their use of the Service without notice.
Any User who is found to have, or is reasonably suspected to have, violated the rules of conduct provided above, may be barred from using the CCS, in the Service Provider’s sole discretion, and may be subject to other legal remedies.
The CCS website may include links to other websites solely as a convenience to Users. The Service Provider does not endorse any such linked sites or the information, material, products or services contained on other linked sites or accessible through other linked sites. Further, the Service Provider makes no express or implied warranties with regard to the information, material, products or services that are contained on or accessible through linked sites.
The User’s access to and use of linked sites, including information, materials, products and services on linked sites or available through linked sites, is solely at the User’s own risk and governed by the terms of service of the linked site. If there is any conflict between these Terms of Service and any of the terms or notices set forth on any other website, then the terms of that other website will control the User’s use of that link. The User should review the terms of use for each link so that he/she understands all of the terms that will apply.
The CCS is provided on an “as-is” basis without warranties of any kind. The Service Provider, and its officers, directors, subsidiaries, affiliates, employees, representatives, agents, licensors or their respective successors and assigns (collectively, “its Others”) does not warrant that the CCS will function without interruptions or error-free. Service Provider and its Others shall not be liable for the correctness, exhaustiveness or reliability of the information or other material presented on the CCS nor for the content or other features of the products or services offered on or conveyed through the CCS.
THE SERVICE PROVIDER AND ITS OTHERS HEREBY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL EXPRESS, IMPLIED, AND STATUTORY WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, SATISFACTORY QUALITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TO THE FULL EXTENT SUCH WARRANTIES MAY BE DISCLAIMED BY LAW. THE SERVICE PROVIDER AND ITS OTHERS DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY FOR THE ACTS, OMISSIONS AND CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTIES IN CONNECTION WITH OR RELATED TO USER’S USE OF THE CCS.
The Service Provider will not be liable for failure or delay in performance of its obligations under these Terms of Service due to any cause beyond the Service Provider’s reasonable control, including, but not limited to: (i) acts of God; or (ii) failure or disruptions in third-party-controlled or operated communications facilities; or (iii) worms, viruses and other disabling or disruptive software, communications or files.
The Service Provider and its Others shall not be liable for direct or indirect damages caused by a possible delay, a change, or a loss of a service, product or material transferred through the CCS. The Service Provider and its Others are not liable for direct or indirect damages caused by interruptions and disturbances including loss or delay of data or changes in data due to technical defects or maintenance. Further, the Service Provider and its Others disclaim any liability for direct or indirect damages caused to the User by harmful programs (virus, worms etc.) or by incorrect content in the CCS. Service Provider and its Others bear no liability for damages caused by the User or by a third party.
The Service Provider and its Others are never liable for any indirect or unforeseeable damages caused to the User under any circumstances.
The User shall be liable and agree to indemnify and hold the Service Provider and its Others harmless from and against all damages, costs, expenses and liabilities which are caused by the User or his/her unlawful behavior or infringement of these Terms of Use or his/her violation of any rights of a third party through use of the Service or content related thereto.
IN NO EVENT SHALL THE TOTAL LIABILITY OF THE SERVICE PROVIDER AND OTHERS TO USER FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING UNDER OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT EXCEED THE MAXIMUM ANNUAL AMOUNT PAID BY THE USER FOR THE CCS.
THE USER AGREES TO RELEASE, REMISE, ACQUIT AND DISCHARGE THE SERVICE PROVIDER AND ITS OTHERS FROM ANY CLAIMS, ACTIONS, DEMANDS, COSTS AND EXPENSES OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR TORT, AT LAW OR IN EQUITY, OR BY STATUTE OR OTHERWISE, HOWSOEVER CAUSED, WITH RESPECT TO THE USER’S USE OF, OR THE SERVICE PROVIDER’S OPERATION OF, THE SERVICES AND THE CCSWEBSITE, EXCEPT AS MAY BE SET OUT IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH.
The Service Provider shall have the right to terminate or suspend the CCS immediately if the User violates these Terms of Use.
The User is entitled to stop using the CCS and to delete their environment at any time. In this case, all content is permanently deleted.
The Service Provider has the right to terminate the CCS at its sole discretion. The Service Provider will aim to provide reasonable advance notice of such termination of the CCS. No refund will be payable to the User in the event of such termination of the CCS.
The Service Provider is physically located within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the United States of America. These Terms of Use will be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the laws of the United States of America applicable therein and shall be treated in all respects as a Pennsylvania contract, without reference to the principles of conflicts of law. In the event of a dispute, User agrees to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of Pennsylvania’s courts.
The Service Provider makes no representation that the CCS and all materials on the CCS website are appropriate or available for use in any particular location. Those who choose to access the CCS or the CCS website do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable.
The Privacy Policy document complements the Terms of Use and is incorporated into these Terms of Use by reference.
The Service Provider reserves all rights to make changes in the Service’s Terms of Use and features. The most current version of Terms of Use can be viewed by visiting the CCS website. Substantial changes to the Terms of Use will be announced on the login page of the CCS. User’s continued use of the CCS after such notice shall be deemed acceptance of any changes.
If you have questions regarding these Terms of Use, please contact the Service Provider at ccs@teamdemocracy.org
