Terms of Use

The Terms of Use Agreement

Halfstepup.com (halfstepup.com, LLC) is an online music education service that allows Members to view streaming videos, audio files, text and music notation in order to learn about the creation of music. The services (“website services”) offered by halfstepup.com (or “we”) include (among other features) the halfstepup.com website (the “website”), streaming video, streaming audio content, articles, and notated musical examples pertinent to the music lessons, and the creation of personal profiles in order for the Users to communicate with the teachers and administrators of the lessons and other services, and to communicate with other users who have registered on the Website. Services may be added or removed by halfstepup.com at any time, and member profiles may be removed without notice at any time upon violation of these terms of use.

This agreement sets forth the legally binding terms for your use of the website services. You agree to be bound to this agreement whether you are a registered member of the site or a “visitor” (or unregistered user) of the site; in other words, anytime you access the website you are bound by these terms. The term “user” refers to a registered member or a visitor. You may only access the website if doing so does not violate any applicable laws in your area.

This is the only agreement of this nature that will be used by us, and may be modified periodically. It is the responsibility of the user to check for updates to this agreement, though we will inform users of the website of any changes whenever it is possible and practical to do so.

Videos, Musical Examples, & Articles

All of the videos on the website are property of halfstepup.com and cannot be used in whole or in part in any way without the prior written consent of the website.

All of the musical examples on the website are either public domain or else belong to the website and it’s contributors unless otherwise noted. Unauthorized use of these examples constitutes copyright infringement.

All of the articles are written by teachers and other contributors and are credited to those people appropriately. These articles cannot be used in whole or in part in any way without the prior written consent of the website. Unauthorized use of this material may constitute plagiarism.

Uses of the Website Services

The website services are for personal use only and may not be used in connection with any commercial endeavors not endorsed by halfstepup.com. This includes collecting and/or soliciting user information, advertising for yourself or other businesses, among other activities. Appropriate legal action will be considered for any illegal or unauthorized use of the website or its services.

Profiles, Warnings, and Bans

Members can create profiles for reasons mentioned in the opening paragraph. Each person may have one and only one profile. Halfstepup.com may at any time issue to any member a warning, temporary ban or permanent ban at any time if any of these terms are violated. Members may also be warned or banned at any other time deemed necessary by the website. Members who receive a permanent ban may not re-enroll as a member of the site.

User-Submitted Content

The following is a partial list of the kind of Content that is prohibited to post on or through the website services:

• Material that is offensive and/or promotes racism, hatred, bigotry, physical harm, harassment of any sort, or is exploitative, contains nudity or links to adult websites, or solicits personal information from other users.
• All topics that are not music-related and could cause controversy between different social, political, or ethnic groups.
• Content suggesting that you are or have been using an illegal drug; content that demonstrates how to use/take drugs and/or build apparatus for the purpose of using drugs.
• Anything that can be considered libel or slander, particularly when referring to one of our teachers or contributors.
• Any other content that halfstepup.com finds inappropriate at its discretion.
• Material that is considered to be “Trolling” (posting for the purpose of starting a dispute), “flaming” (messages that harass and attack other users), and “spamming” (posting useless information and/or advertising).

Donations To Halfstepup.com

All money sent via the “Donate to Halfstepup.com” button are considered “donations”. Your donation to Halfstepup.com is voluntary and is not a fee for any services, goods, or advantages, and making a donation to Halfstepup.com does not entitle you to any services, goods, or advantages. We have the right to use the money you donate to Halfstepup.com in any lawful way and for any lawful purpose we see fit, and we are not obligated to disclose the way and purpose to any party unless required by applicable law. Although Halfstepup.com is free, to our best knowledge Halfstepup.com does not have any tax exempt status. Your donation may or may not be tax-deductible; please consult this with your tax advisor. We will not publish/disclose your name and e-mail address without your consent, unless required by applicable law. Your donation is non-refundable.

“Tip” Donations To Authors, Teachers, and Contributors

Any money sent via the “tip” links contained within the “Author Boxes” are considered as donations to Halfstepup.com, and the above terms and conditions apply. Halfstepup.com does pay this money to it’s authors, teachers, and contributors, although various restrictions and fees may apply. Note: At no time will any user be charged an additional fee related to the processing and distribution of these “tip” donations.

Other Legal Information

We are not liable for any damages to you beyond what amount you have paid to us (if any) for any reason.

You agree to indemnify and hold halfstepup.com, and any of its contributors harmless from any loss, liability, claim, or demand made by any party due to your use of the website services in violation of this Agreement and/or arising from a breach of this Agreement and/or any breach of your representations and warranties set forth above and/or if any Content that you post on the website or through the website services causes us to be liable to another.