This website is a service made available by Westlaw Business, a Thomson Reuters business, and its affiliates (collectively referred to in this document as "Westlaw Business"). All use of this website, including content, information, and services provided on this website, is subject to the following terms of use (“Terms”), which constitute a legal agreement between you and Westlaw Business. By accessing, browsing, or using this website or its content, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. We may update these Terms at any time, with or without notice to you. Each time you access this website, you agree to be bound by the Terms then in effect.

License
By offering this website for use, we provide you with a worldwide, nonexclusive, nontransferable, revocable, limited license to access and make personal use of the information and services on this website, strictly subject to and in accordance with these Terms. We reserve the right to terminate this license at any time and for any reason. Your failure to comply with these Terms will result in automatic termination of this license, without prior notice, and you must immediately destroy all copies of downloaded materials in your possession or control. Except for the limited license set forth in these Terms, Westlaw Business does not grant you any express or implied rights or licenses under any patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other proprietary or intellectual property rights.

Usage Restrictions
By using this website, you agree that:

  • You shall not use, intentionally or unintentionally any of the content, information, or services on this website in a manner contrary to or in violation of any applicable international, federal, state, or local law, rule, or regulation having the force of law, including, but not limited to, the CAN SPAM Act, HIPPA, and any rules of any national or other securities exchange, including, without limitation, the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, or the NASDAQ. We are not a consumer reporting agency, and you shall not use any of the content, information, or services on this website as a factor in establishing a consumer's eligibility for credit or insurance to be used primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, for employment purposes, or for any other purpose authorized under section 1681b of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C.A. § 1681b);
  • You shall not use this website in any manner that could harm, infect, take over, disable, overburden, or otherwise impair any of our computer systems, including, but not limited to, the servers, networks, and other components connected to or used for this website;
  • You shall not interfere with any other party's use and enjoyment of this website, or of any of the content, information, or services provided on this website;
  • You shall not forge headers or otherwise manipulate identifiers in order to disguise or alter the origin of any content transmitted through the services or develop restricted or password-only access pages, or hidden pages or images (those not linked to from another accessible page);
  • You shall not upload, post, or otherwise transmit any content that you do not have a right to transmit under any law or under contractual or fiduciary relationships (such as inside information, proprietary and confidential information learned or disclosed as part of employment relationships or under nondisclosure agreements);
  • You shall not upload, post, or otherwise transmit any material that contains software viruses or any other computer code, files, or programs designed to interrupt, destroy, or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment;
  • You shall not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any services, accounts, computer systems, or networks connected to any server used for this website, through password mining, hacking, or any other means;
  • You shall not seek to gain access to any materials or information through any means not intentionally made available by us, including, but not limited to, the sharing of passwords. For purposes of this agreement, “authorized user” shall be anyone who has accessed content through the open web or with a password assigned to and intended for use by that user;
  • You shall not reproduce, duplicate, copy, download, sell, resell, or otherwise exploit this website, or any portion hereof, for commercial purposes without Westlaw Business' prior written consent;
  • You shall not use any framing techniques to enclose any portion of this website (including, but not limited to, images, text, page layout, and form) without Westlaw Business' prior written consent;
  • You shall not make any use of the trademarks, service marks, trade names, logos, and graphics on this website without Westlaw Business' prior written consent;
  • You shall not use any network monitoring or discovery software to determine the site architecture, or extract information about usage, individual identities, or users;
  • You shall not use any robot, spider, other automatic software or device, or manual process to monitor or copy our website or the content, information, or services on this website without Westlaw Business' prior written consent;
  • You shall not collect any email addresses made available on this site for purposes of promotions or marketing campaigns;
  • You shall not distribute, on or through this website, any advertising; promotion; solicitation for goods, services, or funds; or solicitation for others to become members of any enterprise or organization without West's prior written permission; and
  • You shall not use or otherwise export or re-export this website, or any portion thereof, in violation of the export control laws and regulations of the United States of America.

Any unauthorized use terminates the license granted hereby.

Electronic Communications
When you register for access to this website or subscribe to our email newsletter, you consent to receive communications from Westlaw Business electronically. We will communicate with you about this website and related products and services by email or by posting notices on this website. You agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures, and other communications that we provide to you electronically satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.

Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks
The technology and content provided on this website is owned by or licensed to Westlaw Business and protected by United States and international intellectual property laws. Westlaw Business and its licensors retain all proprietary rights to that content and technology. Please see our separate notice for additional information.

You may not republish, reproduce, modify, participate in the transfer or sale of, create new or derivative works from, or display the content or service provided by this website in whole or in part without express consent of Westlaw Business. For purposes of these Terms, “modify” shall include the removal or modification of hyperlinks included in the original content. You may reference the content on this website or quote de minimis portions of the content, provided that citation and a link to the original contents are also included in the referencing material.

Any use of content from this website must include all copyright and other notices contained herein. Copying or distributing the content of this website is strictly prohibited without the consent of Westlaw Business.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
WE PROVIDE THIS WEBSITE ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS. WE MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE OPERATION OF THIS WEBSITE, OR THE CONTENT, INFORMATION, OR SERVICES INCLUDED ON THIS WEBSITE. YOU AGREE THAT YOUR USE OF THIS WEBSITE IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, WESTLAW BUSINESS AND THOMSON REUTERS DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS AND IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. WE WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OF ANY KIND ARISING FROM THE USE OF THIS SITE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, AND PUNITIVE DAMAGES.

Privacy
Please review our privacy statement for a description of our privacy practices and an explanation of how we may use any personal information we collect on this website.

No Legal Advice
The information and services on this website are not intended to and shall not be used as legal, investment, or any other form of investment advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed. You use the content, information, and services on this website at your own risk. Please see our separate legal notice for additional information.

Advertisers
This website may contain advertising and sponsorship. Advertisers and sponsors are responsible for ensuring that material submitted for inclusion on this website is accurate and complies with applicable laws. Westlaw Business will not be responsible for the illegality of, or any error or inaccuracy in, advertisers' or sponsors' materials, or for the acts or omissions of such advertisers or sponsors.

Registration and Account Information
Certain sections of this website require you to register as a user or create an account. By registering or creating an account, you agree to provide accurate and complete information and to inform Westlaw Business of any changes to that information. Each registration is for a single user only, unless otherwise expressly provided on the registration page, and the sharing of passwords is strictly prohibited. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and password and for restricting access to your computer, and you agree to accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account or password. In case of misuse, we may terminate further access or take such other action as we, in our sole discretion, deem appropriate. If you believe there has been unauthorized use, you must notify Westlaw Business immediately.

Westlaw Business reserves the right at any time to modify access requirements to require registration or re-registration or charge fees for access to this website and its content in whole or in part. Should Westlaw Business require a fee at some point in the future for access to currently open portions of this website, you will receive advance notice and have the opportunity to accept or decline future access to Westlaw Business products and services, including this website.

Termination
You acknowledge and agree that Westlaw Business , in its sole discretion, may terminate your website access if your conduct is found to be unlawful, inconsistent with, or in violation of, the letter or spirit of these Terms, including, without limitation, for nonpayment of any real or imputed fee for use of the site. Westlaw Business shall not be liable to you or any third party for termination of website access. Should you object to any of these Terms, or to any subsequent modifications thereto, your only recourse is to immediately discontinue use of the website.

Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold Westlaw Business and its officers, directors, employees, affiliates, agents, licensors, and suppliers harmless from and against all claims, losses, expenses, damages, and costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, resulting from any violation of these Terms by you.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota, and any action arising out of or relating to these Terms shall be filed only in state or federal courts located in Minneapolis or St. Paul, Minnesota, and you hereby consent and submit to the personal jurisdiction of such courts for the purpose of litigating any such action.

Severability of Provisions
If any provision of these Terms is unlawful, void, or unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from the remaining provisions and shall not affect their validity and enforceability.

Contact Information
If you have any questions about these Terms, or about the content, information, or services on this website, or to see permission to republish or reproduce this content in whole or in part, you may contact Westlaw Business using any of the methods described on our contact us page.