Terms of Use

DATED 2022-10-28 · VERSION 20221101_rev01 · COMPARED WITH 20211204_rev01 · ARCHIVE SNAPSHOT

Full text changes — 20211204_rev01 to 20221101_rev01

COLOUR MARKS THE SEVERITY OF A FLAGGED CLAUSE · + AND − MARK ADDED AND REMOVED

 **Terms of Use**
+Updated October 28th, 2022
   Welcome to ScientificAmerican.com, a service of Scientific American, a division of Springer Nature America, Inc. Please read these Terms of Use. By using this website, you accept all the terms and conditions below. You may wish to print this page for your reference.
 These Terms of Use apply only to individual licenses to Scientific American or to visitors without any license to the site. If you are affiliated or employed by an institution that has an Institutional License to Scientific American, please consult your librarian for the terms that govern your use, which are set forth in the Institutional License agreement.
   **I.** **General Provisions**
 ScientificAmerican.com includes both free and fee-based services. This document outlines Terms of Use for both free and fee-based services that you have purchased or may purchase in the future.
 We invite you to bring to our attention any material on this website that you believe to be inaccurate. Please forward a copy, link, or appropriate reference of the material to Editors at editors@sciam.com, along with an explanation of the error.
   **II. Free Services on ScientificAmerican.com**
  ScientificAmerican.com features both free and fee-based content services. Non-registered site visitors have limited access to site content and features. Visitors are encouraged to register an account on ScientificAmerican.com to take advantage of additional free content and services, including the ability to comment on blog posts and to subscribe to free newsletters.
 . Site Registration
+    When you Register an account on ScientificAmerican.com, you become eligible for additional content and services. You will be asked to provide your first and last name, your email address (subject to verification) and a password. You will also be asked to create a screen name. The screen name will be displayed if you choose to comment on a blog hosted on ScientificAmerican.com. You will use your email address and password to sign on to ScientificAmerican.com. The password you create is for your individual use only. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any password you use to access either free- or fee-based services, and agree that Scientific American will have no obligations with regarding thereto.
+    When you Register an account on ScientificAmerican.com, you become eligible for additional content and services. You will be asked to provide your first and last name, your email address (subject to verification) and a password. You will also be asked to create a screen name. The screen name will be displayed if you choose to comment on a blog hosted on ScientificAmerican.com. You will use your email address and password to sign on to ScientificAmerican.com. The password you create is for your individual use only. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any password you use to access either free- or fee-based services, and agree that Scientific American will have no obligations regarding thereto.
     As a registered user, you are eligible for free newsletters and announcements of special offers when opted in, as well as new products and services from Scientific American.
     ScientificAmerican.com registration does not accept unverifiable email addresses.
     Site registration is required to purchase fee-based products and services on ScientificAmerican.com.
 **III. Fee-Based Products and Services**
 Scientific American offers a variety of special editions, archival issues, eBooks, digital subscriptions and print-digital subscriptions on ScientificAmerican.com. This section outlines the Terms and Conditions for the purchase of these products and services.
 . Print Subscriptions
+    Print subscriptions to Scientific American are offered on an annual basis, comprising 12 monthly issues of Scientific American. Print subscriptions include access to corresponding digital issues and articles on ScientificAmerican.com, as well as corresponding mobile issues available in our iOS and Android Apps. Full Archive plans include all subscription issues available in the Archive. Please [contact customer service](https://www.scientificamerican.com/page/contact-us/) for more information.
+. Digital Subscription Plans
+    Scientific American offers a variety of digital subscription plans for Scientific American, Scientific American Mind, and Space & Physics. Digital subscription plans to Scientific American and Scientific American Mind are priced based on the depth of archival content included in the subscription plan. With the exception of Full Archive subscriptions, archival entitlements are offered on a rolling basis. This means that as new issues come out, old issues are no longer accessible.
+. Digital Subscription Formats
+    Scientific American and Scientific American Mind Digital Subscriptions provide flexibility. Digital subscribers may read feature articles directly on ScientificAmerican.com provided that they are logged-in. They may also download PDFs of issues and/or articles included in their subscription. Scientific American and Scientific American Mind subscribers are also entitled to corresponding mobile issues available in our iOS and Android Apps. We do not offer an App for Space & Physics at this time.
+    Archival content may not available in all digital formats.
+    _Exclusions_: Scientific American subscriptions exclude Scientific American Mind and Space & Physics paid content. Scientific American Mind digital subscriptions exclude Scientific American and Space & Physics paid content. Space & Physics subscriptions exclude Scientific American and Scientific American Mind paid content.
+    Print subscriptions to Scientific American are offered on an annual basis. Print issues are delivered monthly with a combined issue in July/August. Print subscriptions include access to digital issues and articles on ScientificAmerican.com, as well as mobile issues available in our iOS and Android Apps. Scientific American print and Scientific American Digital plans include all subscription issues available in the Archive. Please [contact customer service](https://www.scientificamerican.com/page/contact-us/) for more information.
+. Digital Subscription Formats.
+    Scientific American Digital Subscriptions provide flexibility. Digital subscribers may read feature articles directly on ScientificAmerican.com provided that they are logged in. They may also download PDFs of issues and/or articles included in their subscription. Scientific American subscribers are also entitled to corresponding mobile issues available in our iOS and Android Apps.
+. Archival content may not available in all digital formats.
 . Subscription Continuous Service Guarantee
+    Scientific American, Scientific American Mind, Health & Medicine, and Space & Physics subscriptions purchased on ScientificAmerican.com are sold on a continuous service basis. You authorize Scientific American to charge your credit card for the renewal price in effect at the end of your subscription term, and annually thereafter, unless you tell us to stop. If your credit card cannot be charged, you will be invoiced. Subscriptions may be canceled at any time by contacting customer service. You will receive a refund on all unprocessed issues.
+    Scientific American, Scientific American Digital, and Unlimited subscriptions purchased on ScientificAmerican.com are sold on a continuous service basis. You authorize Scientific American to charge your credit card for the renewal price in effect at the end of your subscription term, and annually thereafter, unless you tell us to stop. If your credit card cannot be charged, you will be invoiced. Subscriptions may be canceled at any time by contacting customer service. You will receive a refund on all unprocessed issues.
 . Subscription Cancellation Policy
     Customers can cancel their subscription at any time and receive a refund for the unused portion of their subscription.
 . Synching of print/digital subscription plan service
+    For subscriptions purchased by phone or by mail, your digital subscription will begin with your first print issue. For subscriptions purchased at ScientificAmerican.com, your digital access begins with the current issue at time of purchase. In the event that we must future start the print component of your subscription plan because we are out of inventory on an issue, your digital content entitlements will be synched with the expire issue of the print component with your subscription. Example: You purchase a 12-issue print/digital subscription plan. Your digital entitlements start with the January 2019 issue. We are unable to start the print component of your subscription until the February 2019 issue. Your digital entitlements are extended through January 2020 issue rather than expiring with the December 2019 issue. This policy ensures that customers receive 12 months of synched print/digital service.
+    For subscriptions purchased by phone or by mail, your subscription needs to be [activated on ScientificAmerican.com](https://www.scientificamerican.com/page/frequently-asked-questions/subscriptions/). For subscriptions purchased at ScientificAmerican.com, your digital access begins immediately at the time of purchase. In the event that we must future start the print component of your subscription plan because we are out of inventory on an issue, your subscription expire date, not it's first print issue date, determines the length of your digital access. This policy ensures that customers receive 12 months of synched print/digital service.
 . Single Issue Purchases, Special Collections, and eBooks
     The purchase of a current or archival issue of Scientific American, Scientific American Mind, a Special Collection, including Scientific American Classics, entitles the customer to a PDF-download from ScientificAmerican.com as well as browser-based access where available. The purchase of a single issue or Special Collection from ScientificAmerican.com excludes any interactive mobile editions available for purchase via iTunes or Google Play, or any other online marketplaces.
     Scientific American offers a variety of eBooks, which are available for purchase on ScientificAmerican.com, and are available in two different eBook formats. eBook purchases are for personal use only. Printed books and their corresponding eBooks are sold on third party sites.
     Single issue digital sales are final.
 . Other Products and Services
+    Scientific American may offer other products and services on ScientificAmerican.com, including merchandise and travel programs through our travel partner, [Insight Cruises](http://www.insightcruises.com/). Unless the product or service offered specifically references the inclusion of fee-based content, the purchase of any other product or service on ScientificAmerican.com excludes any entitlement to fee-based digital or print content.
+    Scientific American may offer other products and services on ScientificAmerican.com, including merchandise. Unless the product or service offered specifically references the inclusion of fee-based content, the purchase of any other product or service on ScientificAmerican.com excludes any entitlement to fee-based digital or print content.
 . Service Emails
     Consumers who purchase the fee-based products and services agree to receive email communications from Scientific American in connection with providing the fee-based Services ("service emails"). The service emails may include account related billing information, renewal information, and new issue/content availability notifications.
 **IV. Fee-Based Service Charges**
 Certain features of this site are available only through the purchase of individual issues or a digital subscription or print/digital subscription plan ("Fee-Based Services").