Scribd, Inc. Global Terms of Use

MATERIAL
FIRST SEEN 2026-09-04 · VERSION 20260904_rev01 · COMPARED WITH 20260821_rev01

What changed, in plain language

Scribd rewrote the governing-law sentence for its U.S. customers. Instead of just saying New York law applies to the Terms, it now says New York law plus the Federal Arbitration Act and federal law apply to the Terms and to any dispute of any kind between you and Scribd. Wording for Mexico and Netherlands customers is unchanged.

Changes that may affect you

New York law now applies to any dispute, not just the contractMATERIAL
JURISDICTION

Before, New York law was said to govern the Terms themselves. Now it is written to cover "any dispute of any sort" between you and Scribd. If you live in a state with stronger consumer protection laws, Scribd will argue New York law applies to your claim instead of your home state's law. Many state consumer protection laws still apply no matter what a contract says, but this wording gives Scribd a stronger argument.

“You agree that these Terms and any dispute of any sort between You and the Company are and will be governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict of laws principles”

What you can do — If you have a dispute with Scribd, ask a lawyer or your state attorney general's office whether your home state's consumer protection law still covers you — this clause does not automatically cancel those rights.

Federal Arbitration Act added to the governing lawMATERIAL
FORCED ARBITRATION

Scribd added the Federal Arbitration Act to the list of laws that govern your relationship. That law is what courts use to enforce arbitration clauses and to push disputes out of court. Scribd's arbitration rules already existed and did not change here, but naming this law makes those rules harder to fight.

“and by the Federal Arbitration Act and applicable federal law”

What you can do — Read section 15 of the Terms in full to see whether Scribd offers a window to opt out of arbitration, and act before that window closes if you want to keep your right to sue in court.

Changelog

  1. ± CHANGEDGoverning law now covers any dispute, not just the Terms

    The old wording said New York law governs and interprets the Terms. The new wording says you agree that both the Terms and any dispute of any sort between you and Scribd are governed by New York law. That reaches beyond contract questions to other kinds of claims you might bring.

    For the Company's customers, these Terms will be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of law.

    By using the Services, You agree that these Terms and any dispute of any sort between You and the Company are and will be governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict of laws principles, and by the Federal Arbitration Act and applicable federal law.

  2. + ADDEDFederal Arbitration Act named as governing law

    The clause now says the Federal Arbitration Act and applicable federal law also govern. The Federal Arbitration Act is the law courts use to enforce arbitration agreements, which makes Scribd's existing arbitration terms harder to challenge.

    and by the Federal Arbitration Act and applicable federal law

  3. ± CHANGEDAgreement is now tied to simply using the service

    The new sentence opens with "By using the Services, You agree," framing your acceptance of New York law as something you do just by using Scribd rather than as a plain statement of which law applies.

    For the Company's customers, these Terms will be governed

    By using the Services, You agree that these Terms and any dispute of any sort between You and the Company are and will be governed

  4. ± CHANGEDMexico and Netherlands customers unchanged

    The sentences saying Mexican law applies to Scribd Mexico customers and Dutch law applies to Scribd Netherlands customers were left exactly as they were.

    For customers of Scribd Netherlands B.V., these Terms will be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the Netherlands.

    For customers of Scribd Netherlands B.V., these Terms will be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the Netherlands.

Full text changes — 20260821_rev01 to 20260904_rev01

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

163163## 15.0 Dispute Resolution.
164164
165165**PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING YOUR RIGHT TO FILE OR PARTICIPATE IN A LAWSUIT IN COURT.**
166166
167167### 15.1 Governing Law
168168
169For the Company's customers, these Terms will be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of law. For customers of Scribd México S.A. de C.V., these Terms will be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the United Mexican States (México). For customers of Scribd Netherlands B.V., these Terms will be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the Netherlands.
169By using the Services, You agree that these Terms and any dispute of any sort between You and the Company are and will be governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict of laws principles, and by the Federal Arbitration Act and applicable federal law. For customers of Scribd México S.A. de C.V., these Terms will be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the United Mexican States (México). For customers of Scribd Netherlands B.V., these Terms will be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the Netherlands.
170170
171171### 15.2 Informal Dispute Resolution Procedure
172172
173173If a Dispute (as defined below) arises between Us, We are committed to working with You to try to reach a reasonable resolution. For any such Dispute, both parties acknowledge and agree that they will first use good faith efforts to settle the Dispute informally and directly through consultation and negotiations before initiating any formal dispute resolution proceeding in arbitration or otherwise. Such informal resolution requires first sending a written description of the dispute to the other party. For any Dispute You initiate, You agree to send the written description of the Dispute along with the email address associated with Your account, if applicable, to Scribd, Inc., 460 Bryant Street, Ste. 300, San Francisco, CA 94107, and to [legal@scribd.com](mailto:legal@scribd.com). The written description must be on an individual basis and provide, at minimum, the following information: Your name and contact information; a description of the nature or basis of the claim or dispute; the specific relief sought; and proof of Your relationship with Us. Unless the parties agree to extend the period for informal resolution, if the Dispute is not resolved within sixty (60) days after receipt of the written description of the Dispute, You and the Company agree to the further Dispute resolution provisions below.
174174
175175The informal dispute resolution procedure in this section 15.2 is a prerequisite and condition precedent to commencing any formal dispute resolution proceeding. The parties agree that any relevant limitations period and filing fees or other deadlines will be tolled while the parties engage in this informal dispute resolution procedure.