Terms & Conditions

Welcome to Blikbook. Thank you for choosing Blikbook as your eTextbook and discussion forum provider. This page (together with the documents referred to on it) tells you the terms on which you may make use of the online book rental service available at www.blikbook.com, the discussion forums section of www.blikbook.com and any application we make available via an app store or otherwise (together, our “Service”). These Terms of Service form the basis of a contract between you and us. Please read these Terms of Service carefully before you start to use our Service. By using our Service, you indicate that you accept these Terms of Service and that you agree to abide by them. If you do not agree to these Terms of Service, please do not use, access (or continue to access) our Service.

1. Information About Us

1.1 www.blikbook.com is a website operated by Blikbook Limited (“Blikbook”, "we" or "us"), incorporated and registered in England and Wales with company number 7331429 whose registered office is at 145-157 St John Street, London, EC1V 4PY, United Kingdom.

Our aim is to make textbooks more accessible and affordable for students and provide a discussion forum for students and their lecturers.

The Service is only available for individuals who are resident in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland. Accordingly please refrain from seeking to create an account and from using our Service if you are resident outside the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland.

1.2 In this paragraph we set out some terms that we use throughout this Agreement: (a) “eTextbook” means a digital version of a book which is made available through our Service that you may purchase a User Subscription for; (b) “Order” means an order that you place through the Site for a User Subscription; (c) “Site” means www.blikbook.com; (d) “Subscription Term” means the duration of your User Subscription for a particular eTextbook; and (e) “User Subscription” means a subscription to access and use your chosen eTextbook for the Subscription Term.

2. Creating An Account

2.1 To use the Service, you need to either create an account on the Site or sign in using Facebook or any other sign in tools we make available. You will keep the password you choose for the Service secure, for your own sole use and you will keep it confidential and not share it with anybody. Whenever applicable, we encourage you to use “strong” passwords (passwords that use a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols) with your account.

2.2 If your lecturer or university provides us with your email address we may automatically create an account for you, which we will then notify you of. You may choose to activate your account by logging in using your email address. You will need to create an account to use the Forums (see clause 14 for more details).

3. Subscriptions

3.1 We offer a digital rental service that enables subscribers to access and read eTextbooks. You may also be able to do certain other things with the eTextbooks such as print and copy sections of any eTextbooks as per your User Subscription.

3.2 To access the eTextbooks, you need to purchase a User Subscription. We explain how you can do this in clause 4 below. Subject to you purchasing a User Subscription for a particular eTextbook, Blikbook grants to you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, personal right to access that eTextbook and use the eTextbook and the Service in accordance with these Terms of Service and your User Subscription.

3.3 During your Subscription Term, you may use our Service to view all content of any and all of the eTextbooks for which you have a valid User Subscription.

3.4 Where you have a valid User Subscription, you may: (a) cumulatively copy and paste between 10% and 30% of an eTextbook for your personal, non-commercial use; (b) cumulatively print between 10% and 30% of an eTextbook for your personal, non-commercial use; and (c) select a maximum of between 5% and 20% of an individual page of an eTextbook as forum reference content to be made available for viewing and discussion by the general public. The specific percentages referred to above that apply to each eTextbook are made clear to you on that eTextbook’s page and depends on each eTextbook publisher’s policies. We have no control over these percentages and our Service makes sure you do not exceed these limits. These limits may also change over time. You must not exceed, nor attempt to exceed, the stated copy, paste or print percentage for each eTextbook.

3.5 You may make notes, highlights and bookmarks on the eTextbooks for which you hold User Subscriptions. You are solely responsible for any notes, highlights, bookmarks or any other personal annotations you make on an eTextbook during your User Subscription. You accept that these notes, highlights and bookmarks constitute a Contribution (as defined below).

3.6 You may not: (a) attempt to copy, modify, duplicate, create derivative works from, frame, mirror, republish, download, display, transmit, or distribute all or any portion of the eTextbook (in whole or in part) in any form or media or by any means, save as expressly permitted under this agreement or applicable law; or (b) attempt to reverse compile, disassemble, reverse engineer or otherwise reduce to human-perceivable form all or any part of the Service, save as expressly permitted under this agreement or applicable law; or (c) access all or any part of the Services in order to build a product or service which competes with the Services; or (d) use the Services to provide any form of services to third parties; or (e) license, sell, rent, lease, transfer, assign, distribute, display, disclose, or otherwise commercially exploit, or otherwise make the eTextbooks (in whole or in part) available to any third party, save as expressly permitted under this agreement or applicable law; or (f) attempt to obtain, or assist third parties in obtaining, access to the Service without a valid User Subscription.

3.7 You will use your best efforts to prevent any unauthorised access to, or use of, the Service through your account information or your User Subscription. In the event of any such unauthorised access or use, you will promptly notify Blikbook.

3.8 It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the necessary technology to use our Service. Our Service is currently designed specifically for use by laptop and desktop systems.

3. Making an Order

4.1 Please check that the details in on your Order are complete and accurate before you commit yourself to the User Subscription. If you think that there is a mistake, please make sure that you ask us to confirm any changes by emailing support@blikbook.com.

4.2 Please ensure that you read, understand and accept these Terms of Service before you submit the Order.

4.3 We are under no obligation to accept an Order, but once we do and you have paid for your Order and been granted a User Subscription we will provide you with access to your chosen eTextbook(s) in accordance with these Terms of Service. Please note that the Services commence from this time. We do not offer refunds for unused or partially used User Subscriptions. The only circumstance in which we may offer you a refund is if we are not able to provide you with access to your chosen eTextbook as the publisher has ceased to allow Blikbook to provide access to such eTextbook through the Service.

4.4 The duration of your User Subscription period for any particular eTextbook may vary. When you choose to purchase a User Subscription, you will choose the length of your Subscription Term. The Subscription Terms available for each eTextbook will appear on each eTextbook's product page and will be visible during the Order process. You may be able to renew your subscription of eTextbooks when your User Subscription expires.

5. Trial Period

5.1 We offer a free 14 day trial of our Service. You must create an account on our Service or otherwise sign into our Service (for example, by using Facebook) to take advantage of this free trial. Free trials will only be offered to new subscribers to our Service. The free trial is available only once to any one user of our Service. Your free trial will begin from the date you first register to use our Service and the free trial will end at midnight on the fourteenth day after it begins. You will be granted a User Subscription for two eTextbooks during your free trial. You will be under no obligation to purchase our Service at the end of the free trial (although we hope you like our Service so much that you do). These Terms of Service apply for the whole of the 14 day trial period. By using the 14 day trial you indicate that you accept these Terms of Service and that you agree to these Terms of Service.

6. Availability of the Services

6.1 We will endeavour to provide you with access to the Service at all times. However, this is not always possible. If the Service is going to be inaccessible for any period of time (for example for maintenance of our servers), we will notify you, where possible, by placing a notice on our Site. Sometimes, providing you with this notice will not be possible, where, for example, emergency maintenance work is required. Whenever the Service is inaccessible we will endeavour to restore the Service as soon as possible.

7. Acceptable Use

7.1 You may use our Service only for lawful purposes.

7.2 You may not use our Service in any way that breaches any applicable local, national or international law or regulation or to send, knowingly receive, upload, download, use or re-use any material which does not comply with our content standards in clause 8 below.

7.3 You also agree not to access without authority, interfere with, damage or disrupt any part of our Service or any network or equipment used in the provision of our Service.

7.4 We may from time to time provide certain features which allow you to interact on our Site or through our Service such as chat rooms and other non-instantaneous methods of communication including, but not limited to, ratings, comments and reviews.

7.5 Generally, we do not moderate any interactive service we provide although we may remove content in contravention of these Terms of Service as set out below. If we do decide to moderate an interactive service, we will make this clear before you use that service and normally provide you with a means of contacting the moderator, should a concern or difficulty arise. You understand and agree that you may be exposed to content that is inaccurate, objectionable, inappropriate, or otherwise unsuited to your purpose, and you agree that we shall not be liable for any damages you allege to incur as a result of such content.

7.6 If you have any complaints or concerns about any material which appears on our Site or Service, please contact support@blikbook.com.

8. Content Standards

As you are aware, there are sections on the Site and elements of the Service where you can create a profile, engage with other users, leave comments and questions and consult with other users of the Site or the Services about the eTextbooks.

You must comply with the Rules of Acceptable Use when using the Service.

Payment Terms

9.1 The price of any User Subscription will be listed on the specific eTextbook page of the Site. Prices include VAT. Prices will vary between eTextbooks.

9.2 Prices are liable to change at any time, but changes will not affect any Orders we have accepted, save in the case of an obvious pricing mistake, whereby we will notify you as soon as we can about the pricing issue. You may be able to cancel an Order once we notify you.

9.3 Payment for all User Subscriptions must be by credit or debit card at the point of ordering. We accept payment via Maestro, Visa Delta, Visa and MasterCard. We will charge your credit or debit card at the point of order.

9.4 Should you choose to pay by credit or debit card, once your Order has been confirmed your credit or debit card will have been authorised and the amount marked for payment. Payment is made directly to BlikBook.

10. Intellectual Property Rights

We are the owner or the licensee of all intellectual property rights in our Service, and in the material published on it. This includes the eTextbooks and the design, look and feel of the website. Those works are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All such rights are reserved.

11. Our Liability

11.1 We have taken every care in the preparation of our Service. However, you acknowledge that: (a) the Service has not been developed to meet your individual requirements and that it is therefore your responsibility to ensure that the facilities and functions of the Service meet your requirements; (b) you have sole responsibility for use of the Service and decisions taken from such use and your use of the Service is at your own risk; (c) the Service may not be free of errors or bugs and that your use may be interrupted or affected as a result of such errors or bugs;

11.2 As such, the Service is provided to you on an "AS IS" basis and we give no warranty, representation, condition or commitment of any kind in relation to the performance, quality or suitability of the Service.

11.3 Save as set out in these Terms of Service, all warranties, representations, conditions and all other terms of any kind whatsoever implied by statute or common law are, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, excluded.

11.4 You acknowledge that Blikbook provides you with third party content, which we are not responsible for and we accept no responsibility for any reliance of whatsoever nature that you place on content that we provide access to through the Service.

11.5 Nothing in these Terms of Service shall limit or exclude the liability of either party for: (a) death or personal injury resulting from negligence; or (b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or (c) any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded by law.

11.6 Blikbook’s maximum aggregate liability under or in connection with each User Subscription whether in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise, shall in all circumstances be limited to a sum equal to the price you paid for such User Subscription and where any liability is not related to a User Subscription, our maximum aggregate liability, whether in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise, shall be limited to the amount you have paid to us over the three months previous to the event giving rise to any such liability.

12. Suspension and Termination

If you do not comply with these Terms of Service we may take any or all of the following actions: (a) immediate, temporary or permanent withdrawal of your right to use our Service; (b) immediate, temporary or permanent removal of any posting or material uploaded by you to our Service; (c) issuing of a warning to you; (d) legal action against you including proceedings for reimbursement of all costs on an (including, but not limited to, reasonable administrative and legal costs) resulting from the breach; (e) disclosure of such information to law enforcement authorities as we reasonably feel is necessary. The responses described in this clause are not limited, and we may take any other action we reasonably deem appropriate.

13. The Forums

We also operate course specific forums and cross course forums. In these terms, we refer to these forums as the “Forums”.

If you are a lecturer using Blikbook to operate a Forum for your class you must provide use with the course details. This information includes but is not limited to the course code, course name, timetable, number of students and the course reading list.

If you are a lecturer, you may provide us with student email addresses for each Blikbook forum you set up. Please make sure you have the students’ permission to send us their email addresses.

If you are a lecturer you may post material in any forum you have created or any cross course forum. You will be notified about any postings in every forum for which you are creator. You may change the frequency of the notifications in the settings section of Blikbook.

If you are a student you may post material in any cross course forum and in your course specific forums. You are under no obligation to post any material.

You confirm that any images, sounds, text or information that you submit or create (“User Content”) whilst using the Forums will meet the Rules of Acceptable Use. Please note that we may suspend your account, terminate your account or take such other appropriate action that we deem necessary if you do not use Blikbook or the Forums in accordance with the Rules of Acceptable Use set out below.

In respect of any User Content that you, as a lecturer, post in each of the forums you create for specific courses, you give us permission to display your User Content on Blikbook (or any other website we use from time to time). We will not display or reproduce such user content elsewhere without your permission and you remain the owner of any intellectual property rights that exist in such user contributions.

In respect of any other User Content not covered by the lecturer licence above, you give us unlimited permission to use your User Content and allow others to do the same for no fee. In legal terms this means that you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free and perpetual licence to use, copy, reproduce, distribute, adapt, re-format, modify, publish, translate, licence, sub-licence, assign, transfer and sell the User Content anywhere and in any form. You give up any moral rights that you might have in the User Content.

Our right to use your User Content does not in any way affect your privacy rights and we will only use information that identifies you as set out in our Privacy Policy.

We do not check or moderate any User Content before it is added to the Forums by users. We may later check, moderate, reject, refuse or delete any User Content if anybody objects to it, or we think that it breaks any of the Rules of Acceptable Use.

Please note that while we allow users to post material anonymously on Blikbook, you need to be signed in to post material and we will be able to identify who has posted. We may disclose this at our discretion.

14. Rules of Acceptable Use

n addition to the other requirements within these Terms of Service, this section describes specific rules that apply to your use of Blikbook (the “Rules of Acceptable Use”).

When using the Service you must not:

create more than one account on Blikbook (however, you may connect all your social networks or other communication tools accounts, that we support, to your account on the Service);
give any false information in your account details;
permit another person to use Blikbook under your name or on your behalf;
use Blikbook if we have suspended or banned you from using it;
advertise your business or organisation or advertise the business or organisation of another person;
send junk, spam or repetitive messages;
engage in any illegal or unlawful conduct;
modify, interfere, intercept, disrupt or hack Blikbook;
misuse Blikbook by knowingly introducing viruses, Trojans, worms, logic bombs or other material which would harm Blikbook or any Blikbook user’s own equipment;
collect any data from Blikbook other than in accordance with these Terms of Use;
submit or contribute any content that contains nudity or violence or is abusive, threatening, obscene, untrue or offensive;
abuse, harm, bully another user, member of staff or social networking user;
submit or contribute any User Content without the permission of the content owner; or
submit or contribute any information or commentary about another person without that person’s permission.

You must keep your account password private and safe. If you think anyone else is using your account, change your password straight away and let us know.

15. Links From Our Service

Where our Service contains links to other sites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your information only. We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources, and accept no responsibility for them or for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them.

16. Trade Marks

"Blikbook" is a trade mark of Blikbook Limited.

17. Variations

We may revise these terms of use at any time by amending this page. You are expected to check this page from time to time to take notice of any changes we make, as they are binding on you, although we will notify you of any material changes.

18. Force Majeure

We shall not be liable to you for any delay or non-performance of our obligations under these Terms arising from any cause beyond our control including, without limitation, any of the following: act of God, governmental act, war, fire, flood, explosion, communications failure or civil commotion.

19. Waiver

No forbearance or delay by us in enforcing our rights shall prejudice or restrict our rights, and no waiver of any such rights or of any breach of any contractual terms shall be deemed to be a waiver of any other right or of any later breach.

20. Assignment

You may not assign purport to assign any User Subscription or without the prior written consent of Blikbook. Blikbook may assign the whole or part of its rights and obligations under these Terms.

21. Assignment

You may not assign purport to assign any User Subscription or without the prior written consent of Blikbook. Blikbook may assign the whole or part of its rights and obligations under these Terms.

22. Third Party Rights

This agreement does not confer any rights on any person or party (other than the parties to this agreement and, where applicable, their successors and permitted assigns) pursuant to the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

The English courts will have jurisdiction over any claim arising from, or related to, a visit to our Service or use of our Services, although you will have the right to bring proceedings in your country of residence. These terms of use and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them or their subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales.

23. Jurisdiction and Applicable Law

24. BlikBook Referrals

Referrals must come via your individual, provided during the sign up profile.

Your referrals must complete the sign-up process with a valid email address.

To qualify for a free chapter, your referred friend must either:

ask an admin approved question, or  
rent a chapter or a whole book

Failure to complete this will not count in part or whole towards free chapters.

Free chapters are for one month and cannot be used to make up a purchase.

Maximum of five free chapters, per individual applies.

Credits will be applied to both accounts within five business days.

Fair usage applies. (That is, if we believe that a user is abusing the system, we reserve the right to withdraw this offer.)

25. Your Concerns

If you have any concerns about material which appears on our Service, these Terms or anything else concerning Blikbook please contact support@blikbook.com.