Arbitration and Class Action Waiver
Arbitration and Class Action Waiver
Last Updated: 01 June 2021
PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING YOUR RIGHT TO FILE A LAWSUIT IN COURT.
You and TUDO agree that these Terms affect interstate commerce and that the Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of these arbitration provisions.
This Section is intended to be interpreted broadly and governs any and all disputes between us, including but not limited to claims arising out of or relating to any aspect of the relationship between us, whether based in contract, tort, statute, fraud, misrepresentation, or any other legal theory; claims that arose before this Agreement or any prior agreement (including, but not limited to, claims related to advertising); and claims that may arise after the termination of this Agreement. The only disputes excluded from this broad prohibition are the litigation of certain intellectual property and small court claims, as provided below.
By agreeing to these Terms, you agree to resolve any and all disputes with TUDO as follows:
Initial Dispute Resolution: Most disputes can be resolved without resort to litigation. You can reach TUDO's support department by sending an email to inquiry@tudo.app. Except for intellectual property and small claims court claims, the parties agree to use their best efforts to settle any dispute, claim, question, or disagreement directly through consultation with the TUDO support department, and good faith negotiations shall be a condition to either party initiating a lawsuit or arbitration.
Binding Arbitration: If the parties do not reach an agreed-upon solution within a period of thirty (30) days from the time informal dispute resolution is initiated under the Initial Dispute Resolution provision above, then either party may initiate binding arbitration as the sole means to resolve claims, subject to the terms set forth below. Specifically, all claims arising out of or relating to these Terms or previous versions of these Terms (including the Terms' or Privacy Policy's formation, performance, and breach), the parties' relationship with each other, or your use of the Platform shall be finally settled by binding arbitration, as described below.
Where the relief sought is $10,000 or less and you do not wish to bring the claim in small claims court, the arbitration will be conducted online by an online arbitration provider of our choosing in accordance with their applicable Arbitration Rules & Procedures effective at the time a claim is made. Currently, to start, you may initiate arbitration proceedings on the FairClaims website. You are responsible for your own attorneys' fees unless the arbitration rules or applicable law provide otherwise.
Where the relief sought is $10,001 or more, the resolution shall be in accordance with the JAMS Streamlined Arbitration Procedure Rules for claims that do not exceed $250,000 and the JAMS Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures for claims exceeding $250,000 in effect at the time the arbitration is initiated, excluding any rules or procedures governing or permitting class actions. To start an arbitration with JAMS, you must do the following: (a) write a Demand for Arbitration that includes a description of the claim and the amount of damage(s) you seek to recover (you may find a copy of a Demand for Arbitration at www.jamsadr.com); (b) send three copies of the Demand for Arbitration, plus the appropriate filing fee, to JAMS, Two Embarcadero Center, Suite 1500, Los Angeles, California 94111; and (c) contact us by sending an email to inquiry@tudo.app. with the subject line “ATTN: Legal” and attach the electronic copy of the Demand for Arbitration. You will be required to pay $250 to initiate an arbitration against us. If the arbitrator finds the arbitration to be non-frivolous, TUDO will pay all other fees invoiced by JAMS, including filing fees and arbitrator and hearing expenses. You are responsible for your own attorneys' fees unless the arbitration rules and/or applicable law provide otherwise.
The arbitrator, and not any federal, state, or local court or agency, shall have exclusive authority to resolve all disputes arising out of or relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, or formation of these Terms or the Privacy Policy, including but not limited to any claim that all or any part of these Terms or Privacy Policy is void or voidable, whether a claim is subject to arbitration, or the question of waiver by litigation conduct. The arbitrator shall be empowered to grant whatever relief would be available in a court under law or in equity. The arbitrator's award shall be written and shall be binding on the parties and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.
The parties understand that absent this mandatory arbitration provision, they would have the right to sue in court and have a jury trial. They further understand that, in some instances, the costs of arbitration could exceed the costs of litigation and the right to discovery may be more limited in arbitration than in court.
If you are a resident of the United States, arbitration may take place in the county where you reside at the time of filing. For individuals residing outside the United States, the arbitration shall be initiated in the State of California, United States of America. You and TUDO further agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of any federal or state court in Los Angeles County, California in order to compel arbitration, to stay proceedings pending arbitration, or to confirm, modify, vacate, or enter judgment on the award entered by the arbitrator.
Class Action Waiver: The parties further agree that the arbitration shall be conducted in their individual capacities only and not as a class action or other representative action, and the parties expressly waive their right to file a class action or seek relief on a class basis. YOU AND TUDO AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. If any court or arbitrator determines that the class action waiver set forth in this paragraph is void or unenforceable for any reason or that arbitration can proceed on a class basis, then the arbitration provisions set forth above shall be deemed null and void in their entirety and the parties shall be deemed to have not agreed to arbitrate disputes.
Exception: Litigation of Intellectual Property and Small Claims Court Claims: Notwithstanding the parties' decision to resolve all disputes through arbitration, either party may bring enforcement actions, validity determinations, or claims arising from or relating to theft, piracy, or unauthorized use of intellectual property in state or federal court or in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to protect its intellectual property rights ("intellectual property rights" means patents, copyrights, moral rights, trademarks, and trade secrets, but not privacy or publicity rights). Either party may also seek relief in a small claims court for disputes or claims within the scope of that court's jurisdiction.
30-Day Right to Opt-Out: You have the right to opt-out and not be bound by the arbitration and class action waiver provisions set forth above by sending (from the email address you use on TUDO) written notice of your decision contact us by sending an email to inquiry@tudo.app with the subject line, "ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER OPT-OUT." The notice must be sent within thirty (30) days of the later of the Effective Date of these Terms or your first use of the Platform; otherwise, you shall be bound to arbitrate disputes in accordance with the terms of those paragraphs. If you opt-out of these arbitration provisions, TUDO also will not be bound by them.
Changes to This Section: TUDO will provide thirty (30) days' notice of any changes affecting the substance of this Arbitration and Class Action Waiver section by posting on the TUDO Terms of Use website, sending you a message, or otherwise notifying you when you are logged into your account. Amendments will become effective thirty (30) days after they are posted on the TUDO Terms of Use website or sent to you.
Changes to this section will otherwise apply prospectively only to claims arising after the thirtieth (30th) day. If a court or arbitrator decides that this subsection on "Changes to This Section" is not enforceable or valid, then this subsection shall be severed from the section entitled “Arbitration and Class Action Waiver,” and the court or arbitrator shall apply the first Arbitration and Class Action Waiver section in existence after you began using the Platform.
Survival: This Arbitration and Class Action Waiver section shall survive any termination of your Account or the Platform.Third-Party Beneficiary: You and TUDO acknowledge that any third-party consumer reporting agency that TUDO uses to perform background checks on Service Providers is an express and intended third-party beneficiary of this arbitration provision and as such, the terms of this Arbitration provision will inure to the benefit of the consumer reporting agencies and may be enforced by them. Accordingly, you agree that any dispute that arises between you and a consumer reporting agency that relates to or arises out of this Agreement or any aspect of your relationship with TUDO will be resolved by binding arbitration. If any court or arbitrator determines that this third-party beneficiary subsection is void or unenforceable for any reason, then this subsection shall be severed from the section entitled “Arbitration and Class Action Waiver,” and the remainder of the section shall remain enforceable, meaning that the class action waiver and the mutual obligation to resolve disputes between you and TUDO through binding arbitration remains enforceable.
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