Terms of Use
Welcome to CGOA’s Community and Website
These Terms of Use set forth the Agreement between you and the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) regarding your use of our website (www.crochet.org), specifically including each community you join as a member or visit as a prospective member (collectively CGOA Community and Website). Please read this Agreement, because it contains important information about your content (owned by you), how members share information, our limitation of liability to you, and your agreement to resolve any disputes by individual arbitration.
If you cannot agree to these Terms of Use, don’t use or visit the CGOA community or website.
The CGOA site enables members, for free or for a fee, to participate in a community, online courses, events, and subscriptions dedicated to providing education, embracing innovation, and creating connections while setting the national standard for crochet. People who engage with the CGOA site do so to invite members to connect, to message, and to exchange information and content. They also engage with the site to encourage others to join CGOA as members.
Who can engage with the CGOA community and website?
You must be at least the age of majority in the state or country where you live to create or participate in or use the Website. People who have joined CGOA as teen members (ages 16 to 18) may also use the site, provided they agree to these terms.
Registration
As a CGOA member, you will validate your account to join the site and participate in the community. Your member profile with CGOA will be managed according to our Privacy Policy. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password.
Privacy
Our privacy practices are spelled out in our Privacy Policy, which is part of this Agreement. By joining a CGOA community, you are sharing personally identifiable information with other CGOA members and with CGOA. When you visit our Website, you are sharing personally identifiable information with us.
Acceptable Use
When you create or join any CGOA groups or sites, you agree to follow the CGOA Acceptable Use Policy at all times. We reserve the right, but have no obligation or liability for, monitoring any interactions with other CGOA members or community administrators. You may submit a complaint or concern about another Member to cgoa@crochet.org.
Termination
You may close your Member account at any time by going to account settings and disabling your account. We may terminate your account if you violate the CGOA Acceptable Use Policy or for any other reason. We may suspend your use of the CGOA community and website at any time for any reason, without any notice.
Feedback
We welcome your feedback and suggestions about how to improve CGOA. Submit feedback at cgoa@crochet.org. By submitting feedback, you agree to grant us the right to use it for free.
Your Content
Unless CGOA and you have entered into a separate agreement stating otherwise, you keep complete ownership of all content and activity shared by you in the CGOA community. You give us permission to ensure that your content, data, and activity show up. It is your responsibility to make sure you have permission to use content that you post in CGOA communities.
Your Content Defined
All material that you upload, publish, or display to others via the CGOA community is your content, unless provided for otherwise. Within the CGOA community, you may add posts, articles, photos, videos, questions, polls, links, files, events, groups, participate in livestream events, and chat with other CGOA members.
License to Use Your Content
You keep complete ownership of all Your Content, but you must ensure that you have the right to share that content. For example, if you are sharing a photo not taken by you or a pattern not written by you, you bear the sole responsibility to ensure that you have permission to share that content. By posting your content in the CGOA community, you grant us a license to show it, but you and your licensors still own it.
Respect the Rights of Others’ User-Generated Content
As CGOA members and visitors, you agree not to use, modify, reproduce, distribute, sell, license, reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise exploit CGOA user-generated content without the prior written permission of the content’s owner. CGOA members and visitors may not use user generated content in connection with: (1) the development of any software program, including but not limited to, training a machine learning or artificial intelligence (AI) system; or (2) providing archived or cached data sets containing user generated content to another person or entity. Except for a public search engine’s use of spiders for creating search indices, you may not use robots, spiders, scripts, services, software or any manual or automatic device, tool, or process designed to data mine or scrape the user generated content, data or information from the CGOA community or website, or otherwise use, access, or collect the user generated content, data or information.
Acceptable Use
You agree to follow the CGOA Acceptable Use Policy. You accept responsibility if your content violates the intellectual property or personal rights of others. You agree to pay all royalties, fees, and any other monies owed to any person in the creation of your content. We are not obligated, but reserve the right, to remove or suspend, in whole or part, content that violates the CGOA Acceptable Use Policy.
Copyright and Trademark Policies
The CGOA Copyright Policy and CGOA Trademark Policy are incorporated by reference into this Agreement. If you believe that your intellectual property is being violated, you can submit a complaint and request for takedown of specific material at cgoa@crochet.org.
CGOA Community and Website Materials
All right, title, and interest in CGOA community and website materials, including the CGOA buttons, badges, logos, widgets, text, images, design, software, documentation, source code, algorithms, graphics, photographs, video and audio files, other files, data, and the selection, arrangement, structure, coordination, and “look and feel” (excluding your content, user-generated content, third-party web services or third-party content linked to or posted within the CGOA website and community) are the property of the Crochet Guild of America and/or its licensors. The CGOA name and logo, the CGOA mark, and the CGOA logo are trademarks and service marks of CGOA. We retain all right, title, and interest in and to these materials, except as expressly provided in these terms. You agree not to use, modify, reproduce, distribute, sell, license, reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise exploit the CGOA community and website materials without our express written permission.
CGOA Licenses for You
Subject to these terms, including our CGOA Acceptable Use Policy, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive license to use and access the CGOA community and website. Except for the rights and license granted in these terms, we reserve all other rights and grant no other rights or licenses, implied or otherwise.
No Endorsement
Please note that the CGOA community and website may contain access to third-party content and other interactions over which we have no control. We assume no responsibility for, nor do we endorse, screen, or approve the content, offerings, or materials made available to you within the CGOA community and Website. Similarly, we assume no responsibility for the conduct of people who participate in our community.
Disclaimers and Limits of Liability
CGOA is providing the website and community as an opportunity to connect with others, on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without warranty of any kind, express or implied. Without limiting the foregoing, CGOA expressly disclaims all warranties and conditions of merchantability, title, accuracy and completeness, uninterrupted or error-free service, fitness for a particular purpose, quiet enjoyment, and noninfringement, and any warranties arising out of course of dealing or trade usage.
CGOA makes no promises concerning, and expressly disclaims all liability for: content posted by any member, community administrator, or third party, any third-party website, third-party product, or third-party service listed on or accessible to you, including an integrated service provider, the quality or conduct of any third party, administrator, or member you encounter in connection with your use of the CGOA community and website.. CGOA makes no warranty that our website or community will meet your requirements, the website and community will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free, the results or information that you may obtain from the use of the community or website will be accurate or reliable, or the quality of any products, services, information, or other material purchased or obtained by you on the website or in the community.
You agree that to the maximum extent permitted by law, CGOA will not be liable to you under any theory of liability. Without limiting the foregoing, you agree that CGOA will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or exemplary damages, loss of profits, business interruption, reputational harm, or loss of data (even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages or such damages are foreseeable) arising out of or in any way connected with your use of, or inability to use, the CGOA community and website.
Your sole remedy for dissatisfaction is to stop using the CGOA website and/or community.
CGOA’s maximum aggregate liability to you for losses or damages that you suffer in connection with the CGOA website or community is limited to your member dues paid to CGOA in the twelve (12) months before the action giving rise to liability.
Indemnification
You agree to release, indemnify, and defend CGOA from all third-party claims and costs (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to: your use of the website and community, your content, your conduct or interactions with other CGOA members, or your breach of any part of this Agreement. We will promptly notify you of any such claim, and will provide you (at your expense) with reasonable assistance in defending the claim. You will allow us to participate in the defense, and will not settle any such claim without our prior written consent. We reserve the right, at our own expense, to assume the exclusive defense of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you. In that event, you will have no further obligation to defend us in that matter.
Dispute Resolution, Arbitration, and Class Action Waiver
We hope that CGOA can resolve any issues you may have. However, if that does not work, then both parties agree to resolve any dispute arising out of these terms exclusively by individual, binding arbitration. The term “dispute” is to be given the broadest possible meaning that will be enforced, and will include disputes related to your use of the CGOA community and website, this Agreement (including the scope of this provision), regardless of whether such disputes are based in contract, tort, statute, fraud, unfair competition, or some other legal theory. Privacy disputes shall be resolved by the mechanisms outlined in our Privacy Policy.
Each party here agrees to try in good faith for 30 days to informally resolve any dispute before starting arbitration. A party that intends to seek arbitration must first send the other a written notice that describes the nature and basis of the dispute as well as the relief sought. If you want to send such a notice to us, send it to cgoa@crochet.org. If we send such a notice to you, we will send it to the email address associated with your account. If the parties do not reach an agreement to resolve the dispute within 30 days after the date the notice was sent, then the parties may start arbitration.
The American Arbitration Association (AAA) will administer the arbitration, and the arbitration will be governed by the AAA’s Commercial Arbitration Rules and Supplementary Procedures for Consumer Related Disputes, as modified by these terms. Those rules and information about how to start arbitration are available at www.adr.org or by calling 1-800-778-7879. The arbitrator is bound by these terms. The arbitration will be conducted through the submission of documents, by phone, or in person in the county where you live or at another mutually agreed-upon location.
The arbitrator’s award will be final and specifically enforceable under applicable law, and judgment may be entered upon it in any court with jurisdiction. The arbitration costs, including arbitrator compensation, will be shared between you and us according to the AAA’s Commercial Arbitration Rules and Supplementary Procedures for Consumer-Related Disputes.
Any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted only on an individual basis and not in a class, consolidated, or representative action. By agreeing to these terms, you are waiving the right to participate in a class action. Further, unless the parties mutually agree otherwise, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding. If a claim proceeds in court rather than through arbitration, the parties waive any right to a jury trial.
This section does not prevent either party from litigating any dispute in small claims court; (apply to disputes arising out of or related to infringement or other misuse of our intellectual property rights; or prevent either party from bringing a dispute to the attention of any federal, state, or local government agencies.
If you do not want to be bound by this binding arbitration provision and class action waiver, you must notify us within 30 days of the date that you first accept or receive these terms by sending a written notification to cgoa@crochet.org that includes your actual name and CGOA member number, address, and a clear statement that you do not wish to resolve disputes with CGOA through arbitration.
Privacy and Use Policy
CROCHET GUILD OF AMERICA has created this Privacy Policy to explain why we collect particular information and how we protect your privacy in our community and website. To fully understand your rights, we encourage you to read this Privacy Policy as well as our Terms of Use. CROCHET GUILD OF AMERICA reserves the right at any time and without notice to change this Privacy Policy by posting such changes on our website. Any such change will be effective immediately upon posting. Questions regarding this statement should be directed to cgoa@crochet.org.
Information We Collect and How We Use That Information
Our registration and member forms require users to give us contact information that may include name, e-mail address, address, interests, and other similar information.
We do not store sensitive information from our visitors, such as credit card or social security numbers.
We will never sell membership information to a third party.
Use by CROCHET GUILD OF AMERICA
When you create an account with CROCHET GUILD OF AMERICA, you will receive regular emails from us updating you on noteworthy developments at CROCHET GUILD OF AMERICA or in the field of Crochet. If you do not wish to hear from us, simply use the unsubscribe feature on these emails and/or contact us directly. Understand that when you unsubscribe, you will no longer be in the CGOA information chain so will likely miss updates regarding both CGOA business and CGOA fun!
Security
All conference registration and membership information provided to CROCHET GUILD OF AMERICA is secured and accessible only by designated CROCHET GUILD OF AMERICA personnel. Internet data transmissions are never 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of transmitted information.
Member Directory
CROCHET GUILD OF AMERICA maintains a member directory for the purpose of helping members of our community connect with one another. If you are a current CROCHET GUILD OF AMERICA member, other current CROCHET GUILD OF AMERICA members have access to the complete directory. You control what information is published in the member directory.
Conference, Class, and Retreat Privacy
Conference, class, and Retreat registrants will be included in the list of attendees distributed only to attendees. The purpose of this list is to encourage networking and connection. This list is not to be used for unsolicited commercial or other purposes. The information on the list will be limited to name, organization, city, and state.
Abuse Reporting and Privacy Inquiries
Users wishing to report abuse or to inquire about privacy concerns are invited to contact us at cgoa@crochet.org.
Acceptable Use Policy
We seek to make the CGOA community and website a positive experience for all. CGOA expects everyone using the platform to adhere to a few basic rules:
- No violation of laws or regulations or violations of intellectual property or personal rights of others.
- No violence, threats of violence, or threats of harm.
- No harassment or attack of a person or a community based on attributes such as race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, or disabilities.
- No sexualization of minors, nonconsensual sex trafficking, or forced labor.
- No viruses, malware, phishing, or spam.
No direct or indirect participation in, or intervention in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for elected public office. CGOA is a 501(c)(3), as such, political speech could jeopardize our status as a federally recognized non-profit organization.
Copyright Infringement Policy
CGOA expects members and guests to respect the intellectual property rights of others.
We ask everyone who visits and uses the CGOA community and website to take care to avoid infringing the copyrights of others. If you infringe the copyrights of others, your content may be removed and you may be suspended as a user in whole or part. It is our policy to disable and/or terminate accounts of users who repeatedly infringe or are charged repeatedly with infringing the copyrights or other intellectual property rights of others.
DMCA Notice
CGOA also provides a mechanism for copyright owners to report a belief about infringing use in the CGOA community and on the website. In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (“DMCA”), we will respond expeditiously to claims of copyright infringement For your convenience, the entire text of the DMCA is linked to here at the U.S. Copyright Office WebService: https://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf
In order to provide us a DMCA complaint notice (“DMCA Notice”), you should write to cgoa@crochet.org and:
Provide your contact information, including your mailing address, telephone number, and, if available, an email address.
Identify the copyrighted work that you claim has been infringed. If multiple copyrighted works are covered by your DMCA Notice, you may provide a representative list of the copyrighted works that you claim have been infringed.
Provide us with information reasonably sufficient for us to locate each allegedly infringing material (e.g, a URL link where the material may be found) that you are requesting to be removed or disabled.
Copyright Complaint Against You
If you receive a notice that a posting or portion of your content has been removed or suspended due to a copyright complaint, that means that we removed it at the request of a content owner. If you believe your content was removed in error, you have the option to file a DMCA counter-notice. When we receive a proper counter-notice, we will forward it to the party who originally complained about the alleged copyright violation.
Please note that there are potentially serious consequences for fraudulent or bad faith submissions. Such consequences may be imposed pursuant to the DMCA under Section 512(f). Before submitting a counternotice, you should be sure that you are the actual rights holder of the content removed or that you have a good faith belief that the content was erroneously removed.
General Legal Terms
Changes to these Terms
We may amend this Agreement (including any policies, such as the Privacy Policy, CGOA Acceptable Use Policy, CGOA Copyright Policy, and CGOA Trademark Policy that are incorporated into this Agreement) at any time in our sole discretion. If we materially amend the terms of this Agreement, such amendment will be effective after we send you notice of the amended agreement. Such notice will be at our sole discretion. Your failure to cancel your account or cease use of CGOA’s community and website, after receiving notification of the amendment, will constitute your acceptance of the amended terms. If you do not agree to the amendments or to any of the terms in this Agreement, your only remedy is to cancel your CGOA membership of CGOA’s community and website.
Governing Law and Jurisdiction
You agree that CGOA is operated in the United States and will be deemed to be solely based in Ohio and a passive service for purposes of jurisdictional analysis.
Use Outside of the United States
CGOA expressly disclaims any representation or warranty that the CGOA community and website comply with all applicable laws and regulations outside of the United States. If you use CGOA’s community and website outside of the United States, you expressly agree that you are responsible for determining compliance with different laws, regulations, or customs that may apply in connection with your use.
Applications and Mobile Devices
To the extent you access CGOA’s community and website through a mobile device, your wireless service carrier’s standard charges, data rates, and other fees may apply.
Notice for California Users and Members
Under California Civil Code Section 1789.3, California web users are entitled to the following specific consumer rights notice: California residents may reach the Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs in writing at 1625 N. Market Blvd., Suite S-202, Sacramento, California 95834, or by telephone at (916) 445-1254 or (800) 952-5210 or Hearing Impaired at TDD (800) 326-2297 or TDD (916) 322-1700.
Assignment
You may not assign or transfer this agreement (or any of your rights or obligations) without CGOA’s prior written consent; any attempted assignment or transfer without prior written consent will be void. CGOA may freely assign or transfer this Agreement, binding the parties and their respective legal representatives, successors, and assigns.
Electronic Communications Concerning Terms of Use
You consent to receive communications from CGOA by email per this Agreement and applicable law. You acknowledge and agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures, and other communications that we provide to you electronically will satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.
Contact
Feel free to contact us at cgoa@crochet.org with any questions about these terms.
Agreement to Terms
When you use CGOA’s community or website, you agree to the terms of use (including the Privacy Policy and CGOA Acceptable Use Policy, regardless of whether you are a registered user or current member.
Changes to CGOA’s Community and Website
CGOA is always trying to improve your experience. We may need to add or change features and may do so without notice to you.
Adopted: 6/4/2025