Valve Developer Community:Terms of Use
Valve Corporation's Community Web Sites
Valve Corporation ("Valve") hosts community web sites (the "Sites") for users to share information about Valve games ("Game Sites," such as the Team Fortress wiki) and development based on the Source® engine (the "Developer Sites," such as the Valve Developer Community). While Valve will provide information and contribute to the discussions, much of the value comes through the contributions of individual users ("You") via posts of text or images or edits to posts (collectively, "Posted Material"). Here are terms on which the Sites are made available to You.
By accessing a Site, You agree to these terms:
Your License to Valve and Other Users.
Game Sites
With regard to Posted Material that You post, edit, or otherwise contribute to a Game Site, You grant (a) to all users of the Game Site a nonexclusive, nontransferable license to use the Posted Materials for personal use, and (b) to Valve a worldwide, nonexclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, fully paid up license, in connection with Valve products and services, to: (1) make, use, copy, modify, create derivative works of such Posted Material, (2) publicly perform or display, import, broadcast, transmit, distribute, license, offer to sell, and sell, rent, lease or lend copies of the Posted Material (and derivative works thereof), and (3) sublicense to third parties the foregoing rights, including the right to sublicense to further third parties. Your license to other users is further subject to the terms of the users' valid license(s) to Valve games, including the Steam Subscriber Agreement.
Developer Sites
With regard to Posted Material that You post, edit, or otherwise contribute to a Developer Site, You grant to Valve and to all users of the Developer Site a worldwide, nonexclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, fully paid up license, in connection with the Source engine and Source SDK (and games, mods and other products based thereon), to: (1) make, use, copy, modify, create derivative works of such Posted Material, (2) publicly perform or display, import, broadcast, transmit, distribute, license, offer to sell, and sell, rent, lease or lend copies of the Posted Material (and derivative works thereof), and (3) sublicense to third parties the foregoing rights, including the right to sublicense to further third parties. Your license to other users is further subject to the terms of the users' valid license(s) to the Source engine and/or Source SDK (and games, mods and other products based thereon).
The License to You.
Two different licenses govern Your use of materials on the Sites.
a. With respect to Posted Material contributed by users of a Developer Site, the contributing user (and/or Valve, to the extent Valve has such rights to license or sublicense) grants You a worldwide, nonexclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free, fully paid up license, in connection with the Source engine and Source SDK (and games, mods and other products based thereon), to: (1) make, use, copy, modify, create derivative works of such Posted Material, (2) publicly perform or display, import, broadcast, transmit, distribute, license, offer to sell, and sell, rent, lease or lend copies (and derivative works thereof) of the Posted Material, and (3) sublicense to third parties the foregoing rights, including the right to sublicense to further third parties.
b. With respect to other parts of a Developer Site (such as these terms of use and the fixed sections of the main page) and with respect to all material on a Game Site, Valve and/or the contributing user grants You a nonexclusive, nontransferable license, for the duration of Your session of using the Site, to download such materials to one (1) computer, solely for your personal use.
No Expansion of Other Licensed Rights.
Your license with respect to the Posted Material is further subject to the terms of Your valid license(s) to the applicable Valve game, the Source engine and/or Source SDK. These terms of use in no way expand the terms of Your existing license(s).
Conduct on the Sites.
You may not reveal, share or otherwise allow others to use Your Site login name and password. You agree that You will be personally responsible for the use of Your Site login name and password and for all of the communication and activity on the Site that results from use of Your login name and password. Your online conduct and interaction with other subscribers should be guided by common sense and basic etiquette. In all activities on and related to the Sites, You agree to abide by the conduct rules posted here. You agree that You will not include in any Posted Material any information or assistance regarding software or hardware processes or functionality that may give a player an unfair competitive advantage when playing multiplayer versions of any Steam Software, other Valve products, or modifications thereof ("Cheats"), nor regarding the direct or indirect disabling, circumvention, or otherwise interference with the operation of any software designed to prevent or report the use of Cheats.
Your Warranties.
You represent, warrant and covenant that: a. You will comply with all applicable laws, regulations and orders of any governmental authority in Your use of the Site(s) and the Posted Materials (including, without limitation, all export control laws, regulations, and orders);
b. You are not located in, under the control of, or a national or resident of any country to which export of any Posted Materials is prohibited by U.S. law, regulation or order;
c. You have a valid and current license for the applicable Valve game, the Source engine and/or Source SDK, and are in compliance with such license in all respects; and
d. You will not upload or otherwise transmit to the Site(s) any Posted Materials that: (1) contain any viruses or other harmful code; (2) violate, misappropriate or infringe any patent, copyright, trademark, trade name, trade dress, trade secret, right of publicity, right of privacy, moral right, right of attribution or integrity or any other personal right or proprietary right of any person or entity; or (3) contain any material that is libelous, defamatory or portrays any person in a false light.
Disclaimer.
THE SITES AND ALL MATERIALS IN THE SITES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND ALL USE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. VALVE DISCLAIMS, AND YOU HEREBY WAIVE, ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES AND LIABILITIES OF VALVE, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARISING BY OPERATION OF LAW OR OTHERWISE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SITES AND ANY MATERIALS IN THE SITES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY: (A) IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE; (B) IMPLIED WARRANTY OF NON-INFRINGEMENT; AND (C) CLAIM IN TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE). WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT VALVE DOES NOT REPRESENT OR WARRANT THAT THE SITES WILL BE ACCESSIBLE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION OR THAT THE SITES, ANY MATERIALS IN THE SITES, OR THE SERVER THAT MAKES THE SITES AVAILABLE ARE FREE FROM ERRORS, DEFECTS, DESIGN FLAWS OR OMISSIONS OR FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS.
Limitation of Liability.
In no event will Valve be liable, whether in contract, warranty, tort (including negligence), product liability, strict liability or other theory, to you or any other person for any damages (including, without limitation, any direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages) arising out of or in connection with any use of, inability to use or results of use of the Sites or any materials in the Sites, even if Valve or its representative has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
Claims of Copyright Infringement.
Valve respects the intellectual property rights of others, and Valve asks that everyone using Valve's internet sites and services do the same. Anyone who believes that his work has been reproduced on a Site in a way that constitutes copyright infringement may notify Valve's copyright agent by providing the following information:
- Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed;
- Identification of the material claimed to be infringing and needs to be removed, including a description of where it is located on the Site so that Valve can locate it;
- Address, telephone number, and, if available, e-mail address, so that Valve can respond to the complaint; and
- A signed statement that the above information is accurate; that the complainant has a good faith belief that the identified use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and, under penalty of perjury, that the complainant is the copyright owner or is authorized to act on the copyright owner's behalf in this situation.
Notices of copyright infringement claims should be sent to the attention of Copyright Agent, as follows:
- By mail Valve Corporation PO Box 1688 Bellevue WA 98009
- By fax 425-827-4843
- By e-mail [email protected]
Valve must receive the complainant's signature by mail or fax before Valve takes any action.
More information about U.S. copyright law can be found at the United States Copyright Office.
Miscellaneous.
No failure or forbearance on Valve's part to exercise its rights or insist upon performance of Your obligations hereunder is to be construed as a waiver or relinquishment of those or any other rights or obligations in that or any other instance; rather, the same shall remain in full force and effect. If any provision of these terms is deemed unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, such provision shall be narrowed in scope or otherwise amended to the extent necessary to make such provision lawful, valid and enforceable while as nearly as possible reflecting the intent of the parties as expressed in these terms, or, if such amendment is impossible, severed from this agreement. No amendment or severing of any provision of these terms shall affect the validity or enforceability of any remaining provisions.
These terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Washington, U.S.A., without reference to its choice of law rules. The provisions of the U.N. Conventions on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods shall not apply. You hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal and state courts located at King County, Washington, U.S.A. with respect to any claim or suit arising out of or in connection with these terms, any Site or any Posted Materials, and agree not to commence or prosecute any such claim or suit except in the aforementioned courts.
This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between You and Valve relating to the subject matter hereof and may not be modified except in a writing signed by a duly authorized employee of Valve. Valve may update these terms from time to time, by posting an update to the Site(s). Your use of the Site(s) after such an update is posted will constitute your acceptance of the updated terms.