Terms of Use

Erie Reader — Flagship Multimedia, Inc. — Effective July 24, 2026

1. Acceptance of These Terms

These Terms and Conditions govern your use of eriereader.com and related digital services operated by Flagship Multimedia, Inc. ("the Erie Reader," "we," "us"). By using the site, you accept these terms. If you do not accept them, do not use the site.

We may update these terms from time to time. The effective date above reflects the most recent revision, and continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

2. Our Content and Intellectual Property

All content published by the Erie Reader—articles, photographs, illustrations, designs, and layouts—is protected by copyright and owned by Flagship Multimedia, Inc. or its licensors.

You may read, link to, and share our content for personal, noncommercial purposes.

You may not republish, reproduce, scrape, or redistribute our content, in whole or substantial part, without written permission. Brief quotation with attribution and a link is welcome.

"Erie Reader" and "Best of Erie" are marks of Flagship Multimedia, Inc. and may not be used in a way that suggests endorsement or affiliation without permission.

3. User Submissions and Comments

Where the site permits comments, letters, event listings, or other submissions:

You retain ownership of what you submit, but you grant the Erie Reader a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide license to publish, edit, excerpt, and archive your submission in print and digital form, with or without attribution as context requires.

You represent that your submission is your own work, is accurate to your knowledge, and does not infringe anyone else's rights.

You may not post content that is defamatory, harassing, threatening, obscene, knowingly false, or unlawful; that discloses another person's private information; that impersonates any person; or that constitutes spam or commercial solicitation.

We may remove any submission and restrict any user's access at our sole discretion, with or without notice. We are not obligated to publish, retain, or monitor submissions, and we are not responsible for their content.

Submissions of editorial work (pitches, freelance articles, photography) are governed by separate agreements with our editorial staff, not by this section.

4. Contests, Promotions, and Reader Voting

The following applies to contests, giveaways, and reader polls we operate, including Best of Erie voting, except where specific published rules for a given contest provide otherwise—in which case the specific rules control.

Participation is open to individuals 18 or older residing in the United States, unless otherwise stated. Employees of Flagship Multimedia, Inc. and their immediate families are ineligible for prizes.

No purchase or payment is necessary to enter or win, and a purchase does not improve odds of winning.

One entry or ballot per person unless stated otherwise. We may disqualify entries or ballots that we determine, in our sole discretion, to be duplicative, automated, fraudulent, or cast in violation of the applicable rules, and we may adjust results accordingly.

Winners and results are determined as described in the applicable contest materials, and our determinations are final.

Prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash unless stated otherwise. Winners are responsible for any applicable taxes.

5. Third-Party Links

The site may link to third-party websites. We do not control and are not responsible for their content, policies, or practices. A link is not an endorsement.

6. Disclaimers

The site and its content are provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including warranties of accuracy, completeness, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. We work hard to get things right—and correct the record when we don't—but we do not warrant that the site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure.

7. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Flagship Multimedia, Inc., its officers, employees, and contributors will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages arising from your use of the site or reliance on its content. Our total liability for any claim arising from these terms or the site will not exceed one hundred dollars ($100). Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so portions of this section may not apply to you.

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Flagship Multimedia, Inc. from claims, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your submissions to the site or your violation of these terms.

9. Governing Law and Venue

These terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any dispute arising from these terms or the site shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Erie County, Pennsylvania.

10. General

If any provision of these terms is found unenforceable, the remainder stays in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it. These terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any specific contest rules, are the entire agreement between you and us regarding use of the site.

11. Contact

Questions about these terms: contact@eriereader.com, or by mail to Flagship Multimedia, Inc., PO Box 10963, Erie, PA 16514.