Terms and conditions of use and contract concerning Alma Media Group’s news, informative and entertainment content

This is an unofficial translation. In case of discrepancies between the original Finnish language version and the English text, the Finnish version shall prevail.

as of 1 January 2024

1. Scope of application of the terms and conditions

Welcome to the digital services offered through Alma Media Corporation’s (Business ID 1944757-4) and its subsidiaries’ (hereinafter collectively and individually referred to as “Service Provider”) websites and applications for various devices, including news, informative and entertainment content, discussion forums, prize draws and competitions, digital editions, newsletters, electronic databases and online stores (hereinafter each referred to as “Service”).

The use of the Service is subject to the following terms and conditions of use and contract (hereinafter referred to as “the Terms of Use”), which the User must carefully read before using the Service. The Terms of Use are binding on the User, regardless of whether the use of the Service requires registration or not.

The User may be either a corporate customer or a consumer customer. “Corporate customer” refers to a company or entity whose representative has the right to use the Service under a separate written agreement or an online service order. If there are any inconsistencies between the separate written agreement between the Service Provider and the corporate customer and these Terms of Use, the terms and conditions of the separate written agreement shall take precedence. The terms and conditions of any separate agreement shall be considered a trade secret of the Service Provider, and they shall not be disclosed to third parties and the related information shall not be used for purposes other than the implementation of cooperation related to the Service.

Certain parts of the Service may include specific terms and conditions that apply in place of or in addition to the Terms of Use. The specific terms and conditions applicable to each Service are available in the Service concerned.

If the User can order the Service Provider’s applications from application stores, the terms and conditions of the application store in question shall additionally be applied to the use of the Service.

The Service may contain and provide access to materials and services provided by the Service Provider’s partners, the use of which may be subject to a charge and requires accepting separate terms of use. These Terms of Use shall also apply, where applicable, to printed magazines purchased either separately or together with the digital service.

2. Definitions

“Material” (hereinafter Material) refers to material in the Service in whichever format, such as listings, articles, images, advertisements, videos and comments. Material may be information produced by the Service Provider, the User or a third party for the Service or information collected in connection with the use of the Service about the User’s activities in the Service.

Depending on the Service, the User may use the Service either without registration or as a registered user. “User” refers to a private individual or a representative of a corporate customer.  

3. Entry into force of the agreement

The use of the Service shall be considered a confirmation of the User’s acceptance of the Terms of Use in force from time to time (including any service-specific specific terms and conditions). If the User does not agree with the Terms of Use or any part thereof, they shall not be allowed to use the Service.

With regard to the User, the agreement between the Service Provider and the User for the use of the Service enters into force when the User accepts these Terms of Use by using the Service. With regard to the sections requiring registration, the agreement enters into force for the User once the User has provided the information necessary for registration or log-in and thus registered, and for the Service Provider when the Service Provider has approved the User’s registration or log-in to the Service. The entry into force of the Agreement may be subject to the express acceptance of the Terms of Use. If the Service Provider does not grant the registered User the right to use the Service or part thereof, the User may not use such Services or parts thereof that require registration.

With regard to corporate customers, both the User and the organisation represented by the User are jointly and severally fully liable for the User’s actions in relation to the Service Provider and third parties, including any use of the Service in violation of these Terms of Use and other applicable terms or legislation. A corporate customer is responsible for ensuring that the Users using the Service under its access right review these Terms of Use and other applicable terms and conditions and comply with them. The User is independently responsible for complying with the Terms of Use and other applicable terms and conditions and legislation, even if the organisation represented by the User has ordered the Service subject to a charge for the User under a separate agreement and agreed to pay the resulting fees.

The use of paid Services requires the payment of the price indicated in connection with the Service. If the User is about to enter paid sections of the Service, this is clearly indicated in the Service. With regard to paid Services, the agreement between the Service Provider and the User enters into force with regard to a consumer customer once the Service Provider has sent an order confirmation and with regard to a corporate customer after they have submitted an order or assignment in the Service or otherwise. If the Service Provider has sold the Service to a consumer customer via telemarketing, the agreement becomes binding on the consumer customer after the consumer customer has accepted the offer confirmed in writing by the Service Provider to the consumer customer after the call. If the consumer customer does not accept the offer, the agreement is not binding on the consumer customer and the consumer customer is not required to pay for the order. The above does not apply if the consumer customer has contacted the Service Provider on their own initiative or if the Service Provider has contacted the consumer customer at their express request.

The Service Provider reserves the right to refuse to accept an order for a paid Service for a justified reason, such as previous payment default or actions contrary to the Terms of Use and the Service Provider’s instructions. Information provided in the Service cannot be considered a binding offer of the Service Provider, unless expressly stated otherwise.

If the time or date for the commissioning of the paid Service is not agreed in writing, the Service Provider shall commence the delivery of the Service within a reasonable time after the conclusion of the agreement. Unless otherwise agreed, the Service Provider has the right to wait for the payment transaction to be verified before it starts the provision of the paid Service. A paid order binding on the Service Provider is established once the Customer’s payment transaction is approved.

4. Registration

The use of some Services or parts thereof requires registration with the Service. In some Services, subscribing to a print version of a magazine also automatically entitles use of its digital version. In this case, the User can decide for themselves whether they use any digital Services that require registration with the Service. Different registration and log-in solutions may be available for the Services. The User also undertakes to comply with the terms and conditions of the registration and login solution used at any given time.  

A natural person of at least 15 years of age can register as a User, either as a private individual or as a representative of a corporate customer. Persons aged 15–17 and other persons without legal capacity can only use the Services subject to a charge with the prior consent of their custodian or legal guardian, unless the transaction is customary and of minor significance considering the circumstances or the transaction takes place using funds earned by the person themselves.

When registering, the User must provide all the information marked as mandatory. Registration in the Service requires a valid e-mail address, as the completion of the registration usually requires the processing of a confirmation e-mail sent to the User’s email. The Service Provider has the right to decide, without giving any reason, whether the Service Provider accepts the registration of a User or not. When granting access rights to an organisation or educational institute, the Service Provider may allow the use of the Service on the basis of IP address authentication, in which case the use of the Service will not require each user to have a username and password.

The User shall create a username and password upon registration, which the User undertakes to keep confidential and not disclose to third parties. For corporate customers, the contact person of the organisation may also manage the access rights of the Users belonging to the organisation of the Service’s corporate customer, if this policy has been agreed with the Service Provider. Unless otherwise agreed, the username and password are user-specific. The User is responsible for all actions taken using their credentials.

The User is responsible for the information provided by them being accurate and up to date. The User shall not link the email addresses of other persons to their account or impersonate another person. The User undertakes not to create more than one user account in the Service. However, a person may have different user accounts in employee and consumer roles (professional use and private use). If the User otherwise wishes to create more than one user account in the same Service, the separate written permission of the Service Provider must be obtained. In the event of any changes in the User’s information, the User shall promptly notify the Service Provider of such changes, such as a change in valid e-mail address.

The User undertakes to notify the Service Provider immediately if the User suspect that their credentials have been disclosed to third parties. Measures taken using the User’s credentials are binding on the owner of the credential until the Service Provider has acknowledged receipt of the User’s notification of the disclosure of the credentials. The Service Provider reserves the right to close the access right of the User’s credentials at any time if the Service Provider suspects that credentials are being abused.

The Service Provider has the right to change the User’s username, password or other information if these cause conflict or overlap in the Service Provider’s information systems or the Service Provider has other reasonable grounds for the change.

5. Availability of the Services and limitations of access right

The Services are available with the latest versions of the most common operating systems and browsers. The sites are mostly responsive, i.e. scalable according to the size of the terminal device. If this is not the case, an attempt is made to indicate this in connection with the Service. Applications are available on platforms for which a specific requirement level has been defined.

The User has the right to use the Service according to these Terms of Use for purposes that are in compliance with laws and good practice. The Service Provider grants the User limited access rights to the Service and the Materials included in the Service. The User has the right to create one copy of the Materials for the purpose of using the Service. The User has the right to use the Material for personal non-commercial purposes in professional and private use only, however always taking into account the limitations of access right described in these Terms of Use.

Considering the above, the Service Provider grants the User the right to view and download the Materials included in the Service and print them out for the personal use of the User only. This granting of access right is not an indication of transferring the proprietary right to the Materials or any copies thereof. Access rights are subject to the following restrictions:

1. The User does not have the right to edit the Materials in any way or copy the Materials, display them in public or in any other way disclose the Materials (including the database or computer programs included in the Service) or use them for commercial purposes, unless otherwise expressly indicated in the Terms of Use.
2. The User does not have the right to collect parts of the Service and form them into another service or material portfolio.
3. The User is liable for keeping any copyright and other right-related notifications included in the Materials in any printouts and copies of the Materials downloaded by the User;
4. Besides the Terms of Use, the User is liable to comply with any additional terms and conditions specific to a product or a service included in the Service.
5. Upon termination of the access right, the User must stop using the Service, including, but not limited to, the related Materials in their entirety (except in cases where the law requires the retention of the Materials).

The Service is targeted primarily at Finland.

The Service Provider does not grant the User any rights other than those based on compelling legislation or expressly specified in the Terms of Use. For the sake of clarity, the above also applies to the Material sent by the Service Provider to the User by e-mail, such as newsletters.

6. Data protection

The Service Provider is the controller in relation to the User’s personal data obtained in connection with the Service and processes the User’s personal data to provide the Services pursuant to these Terms of Use. The personal data processed consists of information submitted by the User when placing a Service order or otherwise using the Service. A digital Service uses cookies and other similar technologies. The Service Provider processes cookies and the User’s personal data in accordance with the Alma Media Group’s Privacy policy (available at https://www.almamedia.fi/en/tietosuoja/data-privacy/) and legislation on data protection.      

If a User acting as the contact person for a corporate customer provides the Service Provider with the personal data of other Users, for example, for opening user accounts, they are responsible for the said Users being aware of the disclosure of their data to the Service Provider and of the terms and conditions applicable to the Service.

The Service Provider has the right to send the Service User customer communications e.g. via the Service, by e-mail and by phone or SMS message. The User is deemed to have received and understood the notifications sent to the User no later than the seventh day after the notification was sent to the User. The User always has the right to opt-out of marketing messages, regardless of the type of subscription. If the User does not want to receive any customer communications from the Service, they shall terminate the Agreement on the use of the Service.

The personal information of the authors of texts published on the discussion forum is, in principle, confidential information that the Service Provider will not disclose to third parties, with the exception of situations where the User has personally disclosed their personal information. The Service Provider has the right to disclose the User’s personal data to an authority by order of an authority or a court, and if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the content or activity published by the User meets the statutory definition of an offence or that an offence has been committed and its investigation can be facilitated by disclosing the User’s name and contact information and an authority presents a justified and legal request concerning this. If there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that content published by the User infringes the rights of a third party, the Service Provider shall also have the right to disclose the User’s personal information to the actual rightsholder of the content published by the User or their representative.

7. Paid sections

The Service may include both paid and unpaid sections. A paid Service can be subject to a registration fee as well as a fee for using the Service, such as a fee based on the period of use.

Certain parts of the paid Services may be invoiced. Otherwise, corporate customers and consumer customers pay for the paid Services at the time of ordering the Service in the ways possible at the time of ordering, such as by card or online banking payment.

Unless otherwise agreed in a separate agreement, paid Services will be charged based on the price valid at the time of order. The valid prices and pricing criteria, any exceptional prices (e.g. special offers) and the subscription terms applicable to paid Services are displayed in each Service.

The prices published on the website of the Services always indicate whether the price includes VAT or whether VAT will be added to the price. The prices do not include any delivery and handling fees, which are separately stated at the time of order and in the order confirmation.

An introductory period possibly offered to new subscribers can only be ordered once. If the introductory offer has already been used, the normal price according to the price list will be charged for the next new order.

The prices of the Services are valid until further notice or during a separately specified period. The Service Provider reserves the right to change the prices and pricing criteria of the Services at any time and to change free Services to paid Services or vice versa. The pricing of the Services may be changed, for example, in situations where the production, procurement or other costs of the Service have changed materially or there is a material change in the conditions of the Service that could not have been taken into account when concluding the agreement. The changes will enter into force at the announced time and will apply from the moment of entry into force to all orders starting from their next billing period, unless otherwise agreed. Increased costs resulting from legislation, regulations or actions by the authorities will increase the prices immediately, starting from the date on which the new regulations enter into force and will apply to all orders.

The User shall inform the Service Provider of a valid e-mail address for any notifications. Price changes are notified in the following way to Users with a valid subscription to a paid Service: to billing customers, in connection with the invoice, and to non-billing customers by e-mail or otherwise in writing (e.g. at log-in or elsewhere in the Service) a minimum of 30 days before the next billing or charging time. The User shall be deemed to have received notice of the price increase within 7 days of the sending of the invoice or e-mail. If the User does not accept the price change, the User shall have the right to terminate the Service upon the entry into force of the new prices by giving at least 7 days’ notice before the entry into force of the new prices.

The Service Provider may request guarantees from a User who uses paid Services, which the User must provide to the Service Provider. The Service Provider requires strong authentication from consumer customers and a Business ID or similar registration number from corporate customers if the paid Services ordered by the customer are charged by invoicing instead of advance payment.

The term of payment for invoiced customers is 14 days net, unless otherwise stated. Invoices sent by the Service Provider shall be paid by the due date. In case of late payment, the Service Provider has the right to charge interest for late payment in accordance with the Finnish Interest Act as well as the reminder and collection costs in accordance with the Finnish Debt Collection Act. If an invoiced customer has not paid the overdue invoice and the related collection and other similar costs within one week from the date of sending the payment reminder, the Service Provider has the right to prevent and restrict the use of the Service, such as by suspending or terminating the order with immediate effect. The Service Provider may charge a fee for re-opening the Service, for example once late payment has been received.

If the access right to the Service and its pricing are based on a number of users reported to the Service Provider, the User that has placed the order on behalf of the organisation shall inform the Service Provider in advance and agree on more extensive access rights if the agreed number of users is exceeded.

If the information provided by the User which impacts on the pricing and invoicing, such as the number of users of the organisation, is found to be incorrect, the Service Provider may collect the charges from the User based on the actual data retroactively. The Service Provider shall not be obliged to refund incorrect charges collected on the basis of outdated information provided by the User.

The User does not usually have the right to cancel paid Services after an order placed by the User has been electronically received and processed.  

8. Consumer customer’s right of cancellation

These cancellation terms shall only apply unless otherwise agreed in the special terms and conditions of the Service. Insofar as the Service involves goods and/or services subject to the Finnish Consumer Protection Act, the paid parts of the Service are primarily considered to be electronically provided goods and/or services referred to in chapter 6, section 16, subsection 1 of the Consumer Protection Act that are not covered by the provisions of chapter 6, section 14 of the Consumer Protection Act regarding the right of cancellation in distance selling. There is no right of cancellation if the electronic delivery of the digital content has been started by, for example, activating the right to read by logging in to the Service or the Service has been provided in full before the end of the cancellation period, and the consumer has given their express prior consent to the fact that the performance of the agreement will begin during the period of the right of cancellation, and has given their consent to the loss of the right of cancellation. If the Service contains digital content, it is deemed to have been delivered once the Service Provider has made it technically available to the User. Moreover, there is no right of cancellation if the agreement concerns the delivery of an individual newspaper, magazine or periodical.

In situations other than those described above, the consumer has the right under the Consumer Protection Act to cancel the paid Service within fourteen (14) days of receiving the first paid Service or from the conclusion of the agreement on providing electronically delivered digital content. No reason needs to be provided for the cancellation. The consumer may also exercise the right of cancellation before the arrival of the Service or the order confirmation. Not paying the invoice shall not constitute a cancellation. The consumer may exercise the right of cancellation by making a free-form notification to the Service Provider’s customer service by phone or in writing. The consumer may also exercise the right of cancellation by submitting a written cancellation form. Detailed instructions for submitting a notification of cancellation and the cancellation form are available from the Service’s customer service and at https://www.almamedia.fi/ehdot/.

9. Intellectual property rights related to the Service

The Service and the Materials included in it contain materials protected by copyright as referred to in copyright legislation and international copyright conventions.

The right of ownership of the Service, copyright and all other intellectual property rights related to the Service, its layout, code and the Materials included in the Service (including copyrights, registered and unregistered trademarks and design rights, patents, domain names, business secrets and database rights) belong to the Service Provider, its partners or other rightsholders. Any goodwill resulting from the use of the intellectual property rights belonging to the Service Provider belongs, in full, to the Service Provider.

Any rights not expressly granted in these Terms of Use are reserved. The Service Provider does not grant the User any direct or indirect rights to any intellectual property rights in connection with the use of the Service. Unless otherwise expressly provided by the nature of any individual Service or its terms of use, copying, recording, publishing, reproducing, distributing, editing, assigning, replicating, investigating a vulnerability, making public, commercial use or any other form of exploitation of the content or part of the Service without the prior permission of the rightsholder is prohibited, except for personal retention on a computer or another personal device, or printing or linking to the Service in ways permitted in these Terms of Use.

News headlines may not be used to create a commercial service or as part of a commercial service without the prior written permission of the Service Provider. Moreover, the User does not have the right to collect parts of Service and form them into another service or material portfolio. Using or utilising the content under the contractual licensing provisions of the Finnish Copyright Act is prohibited.

Any text and data mining from the Service is prohibited (including the manner referred to in section 13 b, subsection 1 of the Copyright Act). Without the prior express written consent of the Service Provider, the User is not entitled to use manual or automated software, machines, algorithms, search robots or other technical aids (including, but not limited to, “robot”, “spider”, “scraper” and “offline reader” software) to retrieve information or produce copies of the Service, parts of the Service or the content of the Service, or to make them available to the public. Developing or training artificial intelligence based on the content of the Service is prohibited.

The Service Provider and the names of the Services provided are trademarks and company names of the Service Provider. All rights reserved. Access to the Service cannot be indirectly or otherwise interpreted as granting a license or other access rights to any trademark or name appearing in the Service without the prior written consent of the Service Provider or third party.

If copying, publishing, distributing or making publicly available is permitted by law in special cases (such as the right to cite or scientific mining under section 13 b, subsection 2 of the Copyright Act), it shall take place in accordance with good practice and within the extent required for the purpose, and the User must mention the name of the rightsholder of the Material and its source in a manner required by good practice. However, the mention must not give a false impression of cooperation between the Service Provider and the User.

The User is responsible for any unauthorised use of the content protected by copyright in relation to the Service Provider and other rights-holders in accordance with Section 57 of the Finnish Copyright Act and other rules and regulations concerning the unauthorised use and violation of copyright.

The Service Provider shall not be liable for any infringement of the intellectual property rights of third parties arising from the modification or use of the Service for a purpose for which it was not designed or approved, or from the use of the Service contrary to the instructions given by the Service Provider or in violation of applicable legislation.

Any communications related to the intellectual property rights to the Services as well as reports from holders of copyrights or related rights on violations must be sent to: viranomaiset@almamedia.fi. If offensive, inappropriate and/or otherwise unlawful Material has been submitted to the Service, it can be reported to the said Service’s customer service.

10. Information provided by the User and rights to the Materials

The User shall not communicate any confidential information to the Service Provider through the Service. The User accepts that the information or material provided to the Service Provider by the User through the Service shall not be considered confidential or protected by rights, unless otherwise stated in the additional terms and conditions of the Service concerned. However, the Service Provider understands and complies with the restrictions on the processing of personal data. If the User transmits personal data to the Service Provider through the Service, the User must provide correct information about themselves.
Material submitted to or stored in the Service and accumulated through the use of the Service will become part of Alma Media Group’s electronic databases without compensation and can be published and made available to the public when such databases are published. The Service Provider and its Group companies are free to use, present, modify and publish such information and Materials, except for personal data provided by the User to the Service Provider that can be directly linked to the User. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the User assigns all current and future economic rights to the Materials provided to the Service to the Service Provider. The User grants the Service Provider and its Group companies and partners a worldwide, non-exclusive, transferable, perpetual and irrevocable right, free of charge, to modify (e.g. change the image size, crop the image), copy, publish, use commercially or otherwise as they wish, or otherwise make available to the public, in any service or product, the Material that the User has made available to the Service Provider and/or other Users. The Service Provider may further assign the above-mentioned rights. In addition, the Service Provider may, if it wishes, add its own identifiers to the Materials in order to combine the Materials with the Service.
Materials provided by the User can be used, for example, in the following ways:
• The Materials may be used for statistical purposes without restrictions.
• The Service Provider may decide to give the Materials visibility on social media channels, such as Facebook or Instagram.
• The Materials may be used in digital and print publications belonging to the Alma Media Group.
• The Materials can be used in the Service Provider’s advertising and content marketing in both digital and print media.
• The Materials can be indexed by various search engines, which can make them visible in search engine results. The Service Provider alone makes the decision whether or not to allow the Service and the Material to be indexed.
The Service Provider has the right, but not the obligation, to edit or not publish material submitted by the User for publication in the Service (e.g. discussion groups, comments).
If the User feels that the Material provided by them is being used by Alma Media Group in an unacceptable manner, they must submit a written request for removal, modification or repair of the Material to the Service’s customer service. If the Service Provider considers the deletion request justified, the Material will be removed to the extent possible. The Service Provider shall always have the right to remove any Material from its Service at its own discretion. The User should note that, insofar as the Material has been used in journalistic content production, the removal and editing of the content and the Material contained therein shall be carried out in accordance with the regulations and guidelines of the industry (e.g. Council for Mass Media guidelines and statements). In principle, content published online will not be removed except in exceptional cases.
Unless otherwise mentioned, the User retains the right to use the Materials provided to the Service independently of the Service Provider. The User may not give the impression that the Service Provider is sponsoring or recommending the Materials provided by the User.

11. Links to external sites

The Service Provider may include links to websites or other digital services maintained by third parties in the Service. In some Services, the Service Provider may also allow the User to include links to certain Services that lead outside the Service. The links shall only be placed in separately permitted places in the Service.

The use of links also takes the User away from the Service. The Service Provider does not monitor or check the content of third-party services, and the Service Provider is not responsible for their accuracy, reliability or security. The Service Provider encourages the User to carefully read the terms of use of the linked service before starting to use it. The User uses the linked services at their own risk. The User is aware that although the Service may provide access to the services of third parties, the use of such third-party services may require separate registration and that they may be subject to a charge.

The Links as such do not constitute an indication of ownership or endorsement by the Service Provider of the linked service or any material therein, or that the Service Provider would have the right to use any trademarks, trade names or copyrighted material displayed through such links, or that the owner of the linked service would have the right to use any of the Materials of the Service Provider or its Group companies protected by intellectual property rights.

12. External links to the Service

Linking to the Service must be approved by the Service Provider in writing in advance, unless the link meets the following conditions:

1. the link contains the Service Provider’s web address with only body text and not any trademarks of the Service Provider as such or in logo format;
2. in connection with the link, only individual words or very short extracts are reproduced;
3. when using a link, the linked Service or its subpage opens in an independent browser window and not in a frame in the linking site;
4. the layout, placement and other features of the link do not create the erroneous impression that the linking party or its functions and products are related to the activities of the Service Provider or are sponsored by the Service Provider;
5. the linking does not adversely affect the reputation and trademarks of the Service Provider or companies belonging to the same Group at any given time.

The Service Provider reserves the right to withdraw its consent to the linking at any time at its sole discretion and also to prohibit a link that fulfils the above conditions and is placed in an inappropriate environment at the Service Provider’s discretion or may damage the goodwill associated with the Service Provider or cause damage to the Service Provider.

13. User’s responsibilities

The User undertakes not to interrupt or attempt to interrupt the operation of the Service and to use the Service in accordance with the current Terms of Use, any additional terms and conditions, applicable laws and other regulations and good practice.

The User undertakes to protect and defend the Service Provider, other Users and third parties, and is fully liable for all the costs and damage caused to the Service Provider, other Users and third parties by Material submitted it by it and/or use of the Service in violation of the Terms of Use, any additional terms and conditions and the law or good practice. If the Service Provider becomes liable for compensation in connection with the Material provided by the User, the User undertakes to fully compensate the Service Provider for any losses incurred.

The User undertakes not to use the Service for:

1. any activity that makes it difficult for other Users to use the Service;

2. transmitting spam or other unauthorised communications;

3. appearing as a representative of the Service Provider or any other party without the right to do so;

4. falsifying the header information or processing the tags in a way that aims to conceal the origin of the content transmitted through the Service;

5. publishing or transmitting materials that violate the rights of other persons or entities, are unlawful, degrading, indecent or otherwise infringing, or that unlawfully advertise certain products or services; or

6. collecting or storing the personal data of other Users without the express permission of such Users.

The Service Provider reserves the right to invoke all of its legal rights arising from a breach of these restrictions. The Service Provider has the right, but not the obligation, to inspect the Material provided by the User, to block access to the Service, to slow down its use or to revoke the right to use it or to take other measures (such as editing or removing the Materials) to the extent necessary to comply with an authority’s request or to terminate activities that are not in accordance with the Terms of Use, other additional terms and conditions, legislation or good practice. The Service Provider has the right to use technical means (e.g. blocking lists, automated firewall) to prevent activities that violate the Terms of Use. The User’s basic information will be kept on the block list, even if the User’s other information could be removed from the Service at the User’s request in accordance with data protection legislation.

By submitting materials to the Service Provider’s servers, for example by e-mail or through the Service, the User accepts and confirms that:

1. The User has taken reasonable steps to find and destroy any viruses or other harmful properties, such as scheduled malware or other components that can affect the programmatic structure of the Service, contained in the Materials before sending them, in order to ensure, among other things, that the Materials are not harmful or detrimental to the Service Provider, other Users or third parties or may cause disruption, blockage or other outages to the Service;

2. The Materials submitted by the User are not in violation of legislation, good practice or otherwise ineligible for publication;

3. The Materials are the User’s own or the User has the unlimited right to provide the Materials to the Service Provider in accordance with these Terms of Use, and that the Service Provider may publish the Materials free of charge and/or include the Materials or part thereof in its own products/services and otherwise utilise the Materials in the ways specified in these Terms of Use without any obligation to pay or any other liability;

4. The User will not record, distribute, transmit or forward Materials which are protected by copyright, trademark or other intellectual property right without the author’s or copyright owner’s permission in or through the Service, and the User will be liable for all costs incurred due to obtaining or using the above-mentioned rights (including Teosto royalties); and

5. The User has the necessary permissions from all persons present in the Material for the Material to be disclosed in accordance with these Terms of Use; and

6. The User shall not make any claims against the Service Provider based on the submitted Materials.

The User is responsible for purchasing and maintaining the necessary hardware, connections and software required for the use of the Service as well as their operating condition. Furthermore, the User is responsible for ensuring that they do not cause any disruption, problems or damage to the Service, Service Provider or other Users of the Service. The customer is responsible for the protection of their own computer, mobile phone, information system or other similar terminal device. Hardware or software that disturbs, burdens or interferes with the Service must be immediately disconnected from the Service. Performing mass mailing in conjunction with the Service is prohibited.

Without prior written consent from the Service Provider, the User is not entitled to use cookies or other similar technologies to collect any data from the Service concerning the Service, its content, Users or Users’ terminal devices for any purpose (including but not limited to, determining Users’ interests or targeting online advertising at their terminal devices).

14. News discussion, discussion forums and blog service

The Users may take part in the Service Provider’s content generation with their own posts in news discussion, discussion forums and/or blog service.

In news discussions and discussion forums, the User can communicate with other Users. In the blog service, the User can start a discussion on a topic of their choice.

The User is legally responsible for the content of their writings and is responsible for all Material published by them, including, but not limited to, text, images, videos, music and other audio material, as well as links. The User shall ensure that they have the copyright and other rights in the Material published by them or that they have the permission to use and disclose the Material in the manner specified in these Terms of Use. The User is responsible for ensuring that the writing they have published in the Service is not in violation of laws or good practice, or the discussion guidelines and rules set by the Service Provider, or in any way offensive or defamatory in content.

The User understands that the promotion of products or services, pornographic content, advertising of alcohol and gambling, as well as other illegal content are prohibited in news discussions, discussion forums and blog services.

A User who has established a discussion in the blog service is responsible for administering and managing the blog and the discussion it has caused on the subject. If the User who administers a discussion in the blog service detects a comment of another User on the blog that violates the rules, the User shall hide that comment from the blog service for review by administrators.

The Service Provider monitors discussions in the news, discussion forums and blog services. The Service Provider shall always have the right, at its sole discretion, to not publish or to remove, in whole or in part, any post and/or images sent by the User from any of the Service Provider’s Services or to edit any post of a User intended to be published or already published in a news discussion, discussion forum or blog service in any manner it deems appropriate.

The Service Provider has the right to restrict the right of a User who violates the Terms of Use to use the Service, for example, by imposing a writing ban on the User who violates the Terms of Use. The decision on imposing a writing ban or its length is made solely at the Service Provider’s discretion. Other Users have the right to notify the Service Provider of any post that they deem inappropriate in the Service. Such notification is submitted through a separately assigned communication channel in each Service.

The Service Provider shall obtain economic copyrights to the Material in the discussions and in the blog service in accordance with these Terms of Use. The rights include the right of further assignment and modification. The material can be stored in a manual or digital archive, from which it can be further assigned as desired by the Service Provider.

The username or name and texts published by the User usually remain visible in the Service even after the termination of the User’s customer relationship.

15. Service Provider’s right to suspend the Service

The Service Provider takes reasonable measures at its disposal to keep the Service operational at all times and without interruptions. Updates to the Service will be provided to the User for a reasonable period of time or for the duration of the agreement.

The Service Provider repairs any possible faults and disruptions without undue delay during normal business hours upon receipt of notification of the fault or disruption. However, the Service Provider is not responsible for the uninterrupted, timely or flawless functionality of the Service or for outages, communication disruptions or any resulting alteration or loss of data etc. caused by technical changes, reforms, technical failures, maintenance or installation work.

The Service Provider has the right to temporarily suspend the Service if laws, decrees or official regulations, instructions or statements, or recommendations from key organisations in the industry so require. The Service Provider shall endeavour to ensure that the interruption does not take longer than necessary.

16. Data security

The Service Provider aims to provide the Service in compliance with the maximum level of data security. The User understands that the open data network is not completely secure in all respects.
The confidentiality of messages sent over the open data network cannot be guaranteed. Users must avoid forwarding personal data or other confidential messages to the administrators by e-mail. The Service Provider shall not be liable for any direct or indirect damage resulting from e-mail messages.

17. Changes and edits

The Service Provider strives to develop its Services so that they will serve the Users’ current needs. However, an individual User’s personal needs may differ from what is generally considered necessary for a larger group of Users or the Service Provider. The Service Provider has the right to provide the Services in the manner it sees best fit and on the above-mentioned grounds, among others, to change parts of the Service or the requirements for the necessary hardware set for using it, correct errors and deficiencies in the Service, make other changes to the Service, the Materials and the products, programs, services and prices offered in the Service, and to disable parts of the Service, including the functions of the Service, without prior notice. The Service Provider is responsible for ensuring that the changes necessary for the Service are implemented. The Service Provider has the right to restrict the use of certain functions or parts of the Service or the entire Service without prior notice and without liability for compensation. Efforts will be made to notify of any material changes in the paid Services within a reasonable time in advance on a web page related to the Service or to the Customer’s billing or email address.

The Service Provider reserves the right to change and modify the Terms of Use at its sole discretion. Changes to the Terms of Use take effect when notified in the Service or by e-mail. The User must visit the Service website to check the current Terms of Use. Use of the Service after an amendment to the Terms of Use constitutes acceptance of such changes.

If the User does not accept an amendment to the Service or the Terms of Use, the User may terminate the agreement concerning the Service in accordance with the normal terms and conditions regarding termination. If the user terminates an agreement because of an amendment within less than a week of the entry into force of the amendment, the amended terms and conditions shall not be applied during the notice period.

18. Force majeure

The Service Provider is not responsible for delays or errors caused by circumstances beyond the Service Provider’s control (force majeure).

19. Errors in the Service

There is an error in the Service if its quality or delivery method does not match what has been agreed upon. For example, shortcomings attributable to the actions or omissions of the User or a matter that is the responsibility of the User, or an interruption that is not continuous or repetitive and that can be considered minor, in view of the cause and circumstances of the interruption, are not considered to be errors. Furthermore, temporary interruptions caused by the installation and maintenance of the Service are not considered to be errors in the Service.

The User shall inspect the Service without delay and to report any errors immediately. The User has the right to invoke an error by notifying the Service Provider in writing within 14 days after the User has detected the error or when the User should have detected it. Complaints regarding invoicing errors shall be made within seven (7) days of the invoicing date. All complaints regarding the Services must be sent to the e-mail address indicated by the Service Provider in the Service or using an electronic communication channel, if such is a feature of the Service. If the User has not filed a complaint within the time limit set herein, the Service in question shall be deemed to have been approved.

In the event of an error, the User shall primarily have the right to demand that the Service Provider rectify the error, but the Service Provider shall not be obliged to rectify the error if it would result in unreasonable costs or inconvenience.

20. The Service Provider’s limitation of liability

In respect of unpaid parts of the Service, the Service Provider shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential or other damage incurred by the Customer due to the use of the Service, Material or external services linked to the Service, including lost revenue, interruption of business, loss of software or stored data, even if the Service Provider had been informed of the possibility of such damages. In respect of unpaid Services, the Service Provider’s liability is limited to the liability under mandatory legislation.

Regarding paid parts of the Service, the Service Provider is liable only for direct damage caused to the Customer by its negligent conduct in violation of these Terms of Use. The maximum liability of the Service Provider is the price paid by the User for that paid Service. In the case of a fixed-term agreement or an agreement valid until further notice billed as recurring payments, however, the liability for damages is at the most the calculated monthly price for the Service in question at the time of the breach, exclusive of value added tax. Primarily, the User will be compensated for the damage caused by offering them a replacement service corresponding to the amount of compensation or more access rights to the Service.

The Service Provider is not liable for any indirect loss or damage to the User. However, these Terms of Use do not limit the Service Provider’s liability to the extent that it is based on mandatory legislation. The Service Provider is liable for an error in the Service towards the consumer under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act concerning liability for errors, and the consumer’s liability is limited to the minimum liability under the Consumer Protection Act.

The Service Provider is responsible for ensuring that the editorial Material produced by it is lawful and aims for high-quality Materials and Service, but does not guarantee, for any part, the operational reliability of the Service. The Service Provider is not responsible for the contents of the blogs or message boards and discussion forums associated with the Service. The Service Provider does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the Materials or the reliability of any advice, opinion, statement or other information displayed in or distributed through the Service. The use of and reliance on such information is at the User’s own risk and the User is advised to turn to an expert for advice appropriate to their situation. Efforts have been made to carefully ensure the accuracy of the information contained by the Service, but the Service Provider is not liable for the accuracy of the information.

The Service and the Materials are provided “as is” at the time of the deployment of the Service. The Service and the information contained therein are changed from time to time. The Service Provider does not grant other guarantees or liabilities than those specified in these Terms of Use, including guarantees and liabilities for commercial viability, suitability for a specific purpose or non-infringement of rights or guarantees for the functionality of the Service or its content. The Service Provider is not responsible for the provision and accuracy of information outside the Service, for example by resellers, or for content produced by partners, Users or other third parties.

The Service is intended for informational purposes only. The same applies to the investment information sections of other services accessible through the Service (e.g. analyses, stock exchange prices). None of the content of the Service or other services accessible through it or content produced by other parties shall be perceived or considered as investment advice, an offer to buy or sell securities or any other invitation to invest. When making investment decisions and measures, the User shall base them on their own research and assessment of the target company and the risks associated with their investment decision and measures. The Service Provider or its partners are not responsible for the accuracy, suitability or applicability of the Service, other services accessible through it and/or content produced by third parties for the User’s investment purposes and/or decisions or the results of investment decisions and measures made on the basis thereof.

If the User does not install the updates provided by the Service Provider within a reasonable time, the Service Provider shall not be liable for errors in the Service.

The Service Provider makes no warranties about the protection of the Service. The Service Provider cannot guarantee the security of the data transmitted through the Service. The Service Provider does not guarantee that the Service or the Materials sent through the Service do not contain viruses or other harmful components. The User accepts that the Service Provider is not responsible for any material or data sent or received or not sent or not received by the User.

These limitations of liability shall not apply if the Service Provider has caused the damage intentionally or through gross negligence.

21. Transfer of the agreement

The Service Provider shall have the right to transfer the agreement to a company belonging to the same group of companies with it and, in connection with a business transfer, to the party receiving the business. The User shall not have the right to transfer the agreement.

22. Expiry of the agreement

In one-time Services, the agreement remains in force until the ordered Service has been delivered to the User. Due to its nature, an order for a one-time paid Service cannot be terminated if the Service has already been delivered in whole or in part. In other respects, the agreement shall be valid in accordance with the order confirmation and/or specific terms and conditions of the Service either for a fixed period or until further notice by either party. Fixed-term agreements cannot be terminated within the fixed term. An agreement that is valid until further notice can be terminated by consumers with a period of notice of thirty (30) days, unless otherwise agreed. For corporate customers, the notice period is three (3) months, unless otherwise agreed.

By terminating an agreement valid until further notice, the User may terminate the order at the end of the period already paid for, provided that the notice of termination is submitted at least 7 days before the end of the period already paid for. In other situations, the termination of the agreement terminates the order 30 days after the termination and the User shall pay the Service subscription price according to the normal price list for the period used by the time of termination and for the period of notice. The Service Provider may charge the consumer customer reasonable compensation for the costs incurred due to the termination of the Service. For corporate customers, payments due in the current billing period will not be credited.

The User may terminate the agreement by notifying the Service Provider’s customer service. The agreement may also be terminated in the self-service section of the Service, if such a functionality of the Service is available. The termination of an agreement concerning a paid Service (e.g. a digital subscription to a magazine) is not the same as terminating the log-in solution or user account used for using it. In order to be able to use other services of the Alma Media Group despite the termination of the individual Service, the User should not request the deletion of the user account used in the Service, such as one linked to their Alma ID.

The Service Provider may terminate the agreement by notifying the User of the termination of the agreement and the date of termination. As a rule, the date of termination is no earlier than 7 days after the date of sending the notice of termination. For justified reasons, the Service Provider may terminate the agreement with immediate effect without first sending a separate notice of termination to the User. For example, repeated or serious violations of the Terms of Use shall be considered as a justified reason.

Both parties have the right to cancel the agreement if the other party is in material breach of the agreement and has not remedied its actions to comply with the agreement within a week after receiving a written notice.

Not paying an invoice or not using the Service or part thereof do not constitute a termination of the agreement and do not serve as grounds for the immediate termination of the Service and reimbursement of the subscription fee. If the User has purchased both print and digital versions of a magazine (so-called combined subscription), the User is not entitled to a refund on the grounds that the User has not used the digital Service at all.  

23. Effects of the expiry of the agreement

Upon the termination of the agreement for any reason, the User’s right to use the Service shall cease and the User’s customer account concerning the Service shall be closed.

The User understands and accepts that, upon the termination of the agreement, the Service Provider has the right to erase all data concerning the User and any Materials produced by the User and submitted to the Service. The Service Provider is not liable to deliver the materials to the User; instead, the User is responsible for any backup copies of its materials.

Notwithstanding the termination of the Agreement, the rights, obligations and responsibilities of the parties under the Terms of Use that are relevant even after the termination of the customer relationship (including liability for damages) shall remain in force. Should the agreement end due to the User having breached these Terms of Use, the Service Provider shall not be liable to reimburse the User for the already paid price for the remaining unused period of the paid Service.

24. Applicable law and dispute resolution

These Terms of Use shall be governed by the laws of Finland, with the exception of its conflict of laws provisions. These Terms of Use shall not restrict the consumer’s rights according to mandatory Finnish legislation. If the Service Provider and the User cannot reach an agreement through negotiations in the event of a dispute, the dispute shall be settled in the Helsinki District Court as the court of first instance.

A consumer Customer can also bring the dispute to the general court of first instance of their municipality of residence and/or request a recommended decision from the Consumer Disputes Board (www.kuluttajariita.fi).

Consumer Disputes Board

Hämeentie 3

PO Box 306

FI-00531 HELSINKI, FINLAND

Before bringing the dispute to the Consumer Disputes Board, we recommend that the User contact the Consumer Advisory Services.

1. The Service Provider’s contact information:

In matters concerning the Service, please contact

Alma Talent Oy, Alvar Aallon katu 3 C, FI-00100 Helsinki, Finland, e-mail kl.asiakaspalvelu@almamedia.fi, tel.: +358 (0)10 665 101.

Alma Media Suomi Oy, Alvar Aallon katu 3 C, FI-00100 Helsinki, Finland, e-mail digitilaus@iltalehti.fi, tel.: +358 (0)10 665 100.

Kotikokki net Oy, Alvar Aallon katu 3 C, FI-00100 Helsinki, Finland, e-mail kotikokki@almamedia.fi, tel.: +358 (0)10 665 100.

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