1. Agreement to Terms By accessing or using the services provided by Central Maine Online, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree to these terms, you may not access or use our services.

2. Ownership and Intellectual Property Rights Central Maine Online retains sole and exclusive ownership of all intellectual property rights to the website, including, but not limited to, the design, code, structure, and any other elements created by Central Maine Online. Clients do not acquire any ownership or rights to the website they commission.

Clients retain intellectual property rights only to the content they have directly contributed, such as text, images, or other materials they have supplied. However, by providing such content, the client grants Central Maine Online a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, and publish the content for the purpose of fulfilling the terms of the agreement.

3. Payment Terms Clients agree to pay all fees and charges associated with the services rendered by Central Maine Online as outlined in the agreed-upon project proposal or invoice. Late payments may result in additional fees or suspension of services.

4. Restrictions on Transfer and Reuse Clients are strictly prohibited from transferring, sublicensing, reusing, or repurposing any part of the website, including images, content, code, or other elements created by Central Maine Online, without explicit prior written consent. Any violation of this clause will be considered a breach of these Terms and Conditions and may result in legal action.

5. Work Refusal, Termination, and Account Cancellation Central Maine Online reserves the right to refuse or cancel work at its sole discretion in the event of a violation of these Terms and Conditions. Additionally, Central Maine Online may terminate accounts or services if the client engages in any activity deemed offensive, unethical, illegal, or contrary to the company’s values. Specific examples of prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to:

• Submitting or requesting content that infringes on third-party intellectual property rights.

• Engaging in fraudulent activities or misrepresentation.

• Breaching confidentiality agreements or violating privacy laws.

Clients will not be entitled to a refund in cases where termination arises from a breach of these Terms and Conditions.

6. Indemnification and Release of Liability Clients agree to indemnify and hold Central Maine Online harmless from any claims, damages, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

• The use of content submitted by the client.

• The client’s misuse of the website or its features.

• Issues arising from hosting, domain names, or third-party integrations.

Central Maine Online is not responsible for losses, interruptions, or damages resulting from technical issues beyond its control, including server outages, cyberattacks, or third-party service failures.

7. Prohibited Actions Clients may not modify, reproduce, reverse-engineer, create derivative works from, or distribute any part of the website, including its design, code, or content, without explicit written permission from Central Maine Online. Any unauthorized use will be treated as a violation of intellectual property rights and pursued to the fullest extent of the law.

8. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the State of Maine, without regard to its conflict of laws principles. Any disputes arising under or in connection with these Terms and Conditions will be resolved exclusively through binding arbitration in Kennebec County, Maine. The decision of the arbitrator will be final and binding on all parties.

9. Amendments to Terms and Conditions Central Maine Online reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time. Clients will be notified of any changes, and continued use of services constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms and Conditions.

10. Entire Agreement These Terms and Conditions constitute the entire agreement between the client and Central Maine Online, superseding any prior agreements, understandings, or communications, whether written or verbal.

11. Content Limitations for Services and Portfolio Pages

• Services Page: Content on the services page is limited to a maximum of 1,000 words and no more than 10 images. Additional content exceeding these limits may require adjustments or incur additional fees, which will be communicated to the client in advance.

• Portfolio Page: The portfolio page is limited to a maximum of 300 images. Clients are responsible for providing properly formatted and labeled images. Requests to exceed this limit may require additional fees or a customized hosting solution.

12. Design Customizations The $99 setup and $35 per month pay-as-you-go website plan includes a standard template design. Clients may request alterations to the color scheme and fonts at no additional cost. However, structural modifications to the design, such as layout changes or custom configurations, will be billed at a rate of $50 per hour.

13. Additional Functionality Integration of additional functionality, such as e-commerce platforms, booking systems, or custom forms, is not included in the standard website plan. These features can be added upon request and will be billed at $50 per hour.

14. Content Updates Changes to the website, including updating content, images, or other elements, will be billed at a rate of $50 per hour. Clients are encouraged to consolidate updates to minimize costs.

15. Support and Maintenance Central Maine Online will provide ongoing support for WordPress updates, plugin updates, and necessary maintenance for websites hosted by Central Maine Online at no additional cost. This does not include additional features, content updates, or extensive troubleshooting requests, which will be billed at $50 per hour.

16. Training and Tutorials Training and tutorials are available upon request and will be charged at a rate of $50 per hour. Clients may request documentation or one-on-one sessions to better understand how to manage their website effectively.

Central Maine Online reserves the right to determine whether submitted content complies with these guidelines and will work with clients to ensure adherence while maintaining high-quality design and performance standards.

By engaging Central Maine Online’s services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms and Conditions in full.