VitalSource Terms and Conditions of Use

Last Updated Date:  July 13, 2026

These Terms and Conditions of Use (“Terms of Use”) are applicable to you ("User," "you," or "your"), and set forth the terms and conditions for your use of our websites, including the VitalSource Store, Online Bookstore, Virtual Bookstore, or any site run by VitalSource Technologies, Akademos LLC, RedShelf LLC, and Intrepid Learning (the "Sites") and your use of our Bookshelf mobile app and other digital content distribution and learning software (including any associated documentation and any updates to that software), and the digital content that can be read by that software that we make available for access and download from the Sites (respectively, "Software" and "Licensed Content" and together, "Products"). These Terms of Use also apply to any of the services accessible through any Products, Software, or Sites (the "Services"), unless separate or additional terms apply, in which case they will be displayed on-screen or accessible via a link.

The Sites and the Products are operated by VitalSource Technologies LLC ("VitalSource," also "we," "our," and "us"). We are a limited liability company, formed under the laws of the State of Delaware in the United States. Our registered number is 2411480, and our principal office is at 227 Fayetteville Street, Suite 400, Raleigh, NC 27601.

You agree with and accept these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy, Cookies Notice, Refund Policy, and our Online Bookstore’s Rental Terms of Service, Shipping Policy, Marketplace Protection Policy, and Returns Policy, as a condition of your use of the Sites, Products, and Services. If you do not agree with the terms of these Terms of Use, do not access or use the Sites or Products. In the event of a conflict between these Terms of Use and the Refund Policy, the Refund Policy shall control with respect to refunds. We reserve the right to change these Terms of Use and Users of the Sites are advised to please refer back to these Terms of Use periodically to review any changes we may make. Users of Products will be notified with the Terms of Use being displayed on-screen or with a link to the updated Terms of Use when you next start the Software or download new Licensed Content, although no such changes will apply retrospectively. You warrant to us that you have the authority to enter into an agreement with us on the terms of these Terms of Use.

These Terms of Use were last updated on July 13, 2026

License and Use

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access the Sites and any Product for your personal use only. Any commercial use, use in violation of these Terms of Use, or use for data collection and/or profit is not allowed.

You may retrieve and display content from the Sites or any Product on a computer or other device, print and copy individual pages and, subject to the next section, store such pages in electronic form on that device. Additional terms may also apply to certain features, parts or content of the Sites and, where they apply, will be displayed on-screen or accessible via a link ("Other Terms").

You must only use the Sites or Product and anything available from the Sites or a Product for lawful purposes (complying with all applicable laws and regulations), in a responsible manner, and not in a way that might damage our name or reputation or that of any of our affiliates.

You remain responsible for:

• all of your activity on and in connection with the Sites and/or Product;
• all of the content and details that you submit into, or post onto, the Sites or any Product; and
• what you access on the Sites or Product, how you interpret or use the Sites or Product and any actions you may take as a result of using the Sites or Product.

Access to the Sites and Products

Products may only be downloaded, accessed, and used on a computer or other device owned or controlled by you and running the relevant operating system for which the applicable Product was designed, so you must make sure you have a compatible device which meets all the necessary technical specifications to enable you to download any Product and to access and use each downloaded Product.

All purchases of any Products of Licensed Content is subject to VitalSource’s Refund Policy. By using the Products and Sites, you acknowledge that you have read the Refund Policy and agree to be bound by the terms set forth therein.

You will be assumed to have obtained permission from the owner of any computer or other device that is controlled, but not owned, by you to download any Product to that device. You accept responsibility, in accordance with these Terms of Use, for all access to, and use of, any Product by you on any device, whether or not it is owned by you.

You acknowledge that the mobile service provider for any mobile device to which you download, or on which you access or use, any Product may charge for internet access on that device and that you are solely responsible for such charges, if any.

We may restrict access to certain features, parts or content of the Sites or a Product, or the entire Sites or Product, to users who have registered with us. You must ensure that any registration details you provide are accurate and you must keep those details accurate and up to date. VitalSource may remove or restrict access to Licensed Content, if we reasonably determine that we do not possess the appropriate or necessary rights to provide access to such Licensed Content, or where removal is required by applicable law, regulation, or legal process. In the event VitalSource elects to remove Licensed Content from the Services AND SUCH REMOVAL OCCURS WITHIN THE FIRST TWELVE (12) MONTHS FOLLOWING YOUR DATE OF PURCHASE, you agree that your sole and exclusive remedy shall be a refund of all amounts previously paid by you to VitalSource for the removed Licensed Content. IF VITALSOURCE ELECTS TO REMOVE LICENSED CONTENT FROM THE SERVICE MORE THAN TWELVE (12) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF PURCHASE, YOU WILL NOT BE ENTITLED TO A REFUND, EXCEPT WHERE REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

If you choose, or you are provided with, a log-on ID (such as a username and password or other identifier) as part of our security procedures, you must treat such information as confidential and must not reveal it to anyone else. You are responsible for all activities that occur under your log-on ID and must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use or other security breach of which you become aware. We may remove or restrict access where required by law, due to rights restrictions, where we reasonably determine that you have failed to comply with these Terms of Use, or due to operational necessity.

We cannot and do not guarantee the continuous, uninterrupted or error-free operability of the Sites, Services, or Products or that any content of Sites or Products will respond at a certain speed (since this depends on a number of factors outside our control). Specific service level agreements between VitalSource and an institution or other business entity may be a part of another agreement, and such an SLA would not be bound by this paragraph.

We reserve the right to withdraw or suspend the operation of any Product or the Sites, with or without prior notice where reasonably practicable or permitted by applicable law, if we need to do so for security or legal reasons.

You may, at any time, terminate the rights granted to you under these Terms of Use to access and use any Product by permanently uninstalling and deleting your copy of that Product, and removing the specific machine activations you have created.

Paid-for Licensed Content

Downloading paid-for Licensed Content may require you to pay a fee, the amount of which will be as set out on the Sites, unless you have been issued with a code (for example, by an institution with whom you are studying, a publisher or retailer of a publication you have already purchased in hard copy) in which case you may redeem that code for an eligible download.

Payment for all orders must be made by credit or debit card via the checkout page. We use a reputable third-party payment services provider to process all payments. Payment is accepted by most major credit and debit cards. Payment is taken, in full, immediately. You should be aware that online payment transactions are subject to validation checks by your card issuer and we are not responsible if your card issuer declines to authorize payment for any reason. It is possible that your card issuer may charge you an online handling fee or processing fee and we are not responsible for such charges.

The relevant download will be made available immediately when payment is authorized or you enter a valid code. You acknowledge that there are no refunds once you authorize payment or enter a valid code, except where required by applicable law, and, therefore, you will have no right to change your mind (sometimes known as a ‘cooling off’ right) once the download has started.

Where you pay to download any paid-for Licensed Content, we warrant that it will, when downloaded, substantially comply with the description provided by us at the point of download and that any services we provide through it will be provided with reasonable care and skill. 

Prohibited Uses

You are prohibited from and agree not to:

• rent, lease, loan, sell, license, or transfer access to the Sites or Product to any third party or exploit the Sites or Product for commercial purposes or otherwise use any information on the Sites or in a Product (either directly or indirectly) for profit or gain;
• use, choose, or select the username of another party with the intent to impersonate that party, to otherwise deceive us or any party, or to otherwise engage in fraudulent behavior;
• use, choose, or otherwise select the username that is subject to the rights of another party, without that party’s express authorization;
• use, choose, or otherwise select a username containing any terms which would be vulgar, obscene, lewd or otherwise offensive in nature;
• copy or store any Product or the Sites (or any part thereof) other than for your own non-commercial, personal use;
• store the Sites or any Product on a server or other storage device connected to a network or create a database;
• interfere with, disrupt, alter, translate, or modify the Sites or Product or any part thereof, or create an undue burden on the Sites or Product or the networks or services connected to the Sites or Product, nor attempt to circumvent the security of any servers on which the Sites or Product is hosted;
• reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or reverse compile the Sites or any Product;
• introduce software or automated agents or scripts to the Sites or Product so as to produce multiple accounts, generate automated searches, requests and queries, or to strip, scrape, or mine data from the Sites or Product;
• transmit, distribute, introduce or otherwise make available in any manner through the Sites or Product any computer virus, keyloggers, spyware, worms, trojan horses, time bombs or other malicious or harmful programming;
• use any Product of the Sites in a way that might damage our name or reputation or that of any of our affiliates;
• export any Product in breach of the applicable export or import laws of any country;
• publicly display, perform, republish, or reproduce any Product or any product we make available for download from the Sites (including without limitation by way of email, newsgroups, file or discussion areas, intranet or internet site or any other means);
• tamper with, bypass or alter any security, digital rights management, or other licensing enforcement procedures relating to the Product, Sites or Services; or
• otherwise, do anything not expressly permitted by these Terms of Use.

All rights granted to you under these Terms of Use will terminate immediately in the event that you are in breach of any term of the Terms of Use.

To do anything with any Product that is not expressly permitted by these Terms of Use, you will need a separate license from us. Please contact us, using the Contact Us details at the end of these Terms of Use.

Privacy and Collection and Use of Information

You acknowledge that when you download, install, or use the Products, you also may be required to provide certain information about yourself as a condition to downloading, installing, or using the Products or certain of its features or functionality, and the Products may provide you with opportunities to share information about yourself with others. All collection and use of your personal data submitted to us (via our Sites or any Product) is governed by our Privacy Policy and Cookies Notice, which is expressly made part of these Terms of Use. If you have not already read our Privacy Policy and Cookies Notice, you should do so now. By downloading, installing, using, and providing information to or through the Products or Sites, you consent to all actions taken by VitalSource with respect to your information in compliance with the Privacy Policy.

We may collect and process information relating to your access and use of the Sites, Products, and Services, including technical data, usage metrics, and interaction data (such as features used, session activity, highlights, notes, navigation patterns, performance information, and similar activity).

We may aggregate and de-identify such data so that it does not identify you or any individual user. We may use the aggregated and de-identifyied data for our legitimate business purposes, including to operate, maintain, secure, support, analyze, improve, and develop the Sites, Products, and Services, to conduct analytics, and to enhance functionality and user experience. We may also use aggregated and de-identified data to develop, train, and improve data-driven automated, or machine learning-enabled features, provided that such use does not identify you and does not disclose or compromise any personal information.

For clarity, VitalSource does not acquire ownership of Your Content (defined below) or your interaction data as a result of such data use, and any use of aggregated or de-identified data is solely for the internal product and services improvement and not for the purpose of identifying individual users.

Additional information regarding automated and artificial intelligence-enabled features is provided in the “Artificial Intelligence and Automated Features” section below.

Intellectual Property

All Products are licensed to you, not sold. VitalSource and its licensors retain all right, title, and interest in and to the Products at all times.

All intellectual property rights in any content of the Sites, the Licensed Content, and in each Product (including VitalSource®, VitalSource Bookshelf®, VitalSource Bookshelf +, and other trademarks, text, graphics, software, photographs and other materials, images, videos and audio) (collectively, "Content"), other than Your Content, are owned by VitalSource or our licensors. Except as expressly set out herein, where necessary for viewing the Content on the Sites or your browser, or as permitted by applicable law which may not be excluded or limited, nothing in these Terms of Use gives you any rights in respect of any intellectual property owned by us or our licensors and you acknowledge that you do not acquire any ownership rights by downloading the Sites or any Product or any of its content.

In the event you print off, copy or store pages from the Sites (only as permitted by the "License and Use" section of these Terms of Use), you must ensure that any copyright, trademark or other intellectual property right notices contained in the original content are reproduced and are not modified in any manner.

The Software may contain code, commonly referred to as open source software, which is distributed under any of the many known variations of open source license terms, including terms which allow the free distribution and modification of the relevant software’s source code and/or which require all distributors to make such source code freely available upon request, including any contributions or modifications made by such distributor (collectively, "Open Source Software"). Please note that, to the extent that any Software contains any Open Source Software, that element only is licensed to you under the relevant license terms of the applicable third party licensor ("Open Source License Terms") and not under these Terms of Use, and you accept and agree to be bound by such Open Source License Terms. A copy of the source code for any Open Source Software contained in any Software and the relevant Open Source License Terms will be made available to you upon request.

Artificial Intelligence and Automated Features

Certain features of the Sites, Products, or Services may incorporate automated, algorithmic, or artificial intelligence-enabled functionality, including features designed to support discovery, personalization, accessibility, analytics, security, and product improvement (“AI Features”).

AI Features may process information related to your use of the Sites, Products, or Services, including interaction data, usage patterns, and system performance data, in order to operate, maintain, secure, support, and improve the functionality and user experience of the Sites, Products, and Services.

Any data used in connection with AI Features is processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Where data is used for training, testing, or improving AI Features, such data is aggregated and/or de-identified so that it does not identify you or any individual user.

For clarity:

• VitalSource does not use Licensed Content, including publisher-provided content, to train public, open, or third-party artificial intelligence or machine learning models
• VitalSource does not permit Licensed Content to be used in a manner that would disclose, reproduce, or substitute for the original Licensed Content
• VitalSource does not sell or license Your Content or user interaction data for use in public, open, or third-party artificial intelligence or machine learning models

AI Features are provided for informational and assistive purposes only. Output generated by AI Features may be inaccurate, incomplete, or inappropriate in certain contexts and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional judgment, academic evaluation, or independent review. You are responsible for how you use, interpret, and rely on any output generated by AI Features.

VitalSource may modify, limit, suspend, or discontinue AI Features at any time, with or without notice where reasonably practicable or permitted by applicable law, and does not guarantee the availability, accuracy, or performance of any AI Feature.

Content

We may change the format and Content of the Sites, with or without prior notice where reasonably practicable or permitted by applicable law. We reserve the right to change the design, features and/or functionality of any Product or Service by making the updated Product or Service available for you to download or, where your device settings permit it, by automatic delivery of updates. You are not obliged to download any updated Product or Service, but we may cease to provide and/or update content to prior versions of any Product or Service and, depending on the nature of the update, in some circumstances you may not be able to continue using a Product or Service until you have downloaded the updated version.

We will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by a distributed denial-of-service attack, viruses, or other technologically harmful material that may infect your computer equipment, computer programs, data, or other proprietary material due to your use of the site or to your downloading of any material posted on it, or on any third-party website linked to it. It is your responsibility to implement appropriate IT security safeguards (including anti-virus and other security protections) to satisfy your particular requirements as to the safety and reliability of the Sites, Products, or Services.

We may, but are not obliged to, make updates available to any Product or Service or its content and we may cease to make such updates available at any time, with or without prior notice where reasonably practicable or permitted by applicable law.

The information made available through the Sites, Products, or Services may not always be accurate, complete, or current. You are responsible for verifying information before relying on it, and we encourage you to notify us of any inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated Content or information.

Your Content

"Your Content” means any content, data, or information that you submit, upload, create, post, annotate, highlight, note, or otherwise make available through the Sites, Products, or Services, including questions-submitted, notes, highlights, annotations, comments, and other user-generated materials, but excluding Licensed Content, platform-generated data, system logs, and aggregated or de-identified usage or interaction data.

When you submit, post, upload, or otherwise interact with or publish Your Content in connection with the Sites, Products, or Services, you grant us, affiliates, successors, and authorized representatives a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, unlimited, irrevocable, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable right and license to any and all underlying copyright, trademark, and publicity rights you may have in Your Content including, without limitation, the right to use, publish, distribute, copy, display, modify, create derivative works from, and otherwise use Your Content in any media known now or in the future without the need to obtain any further consent or permission, collectively for operating, improving, and supporting the Sites, Products, and/or Services. We are not required to host, display, or distribute Your Content and may remove Your Content where reasonably necessary to operate the Sites, Products, or Services, comply with law, or enforce these Terms of Use. Further, by posting Your Content, you represent and warrant that you own Your Content, or otherwise have the right to grant the licenses set forth herein, and the posting of Your Content in connection with the Products or Services does not violate the copyright, trademark, privacy or publicity rights of any third party.

You may not post or share Your Content that is unlawful, misleading, abusive, invasive of another person’s privacy, or that involves unsolicited communications, commercial solicitations, or deceptive practices. Prohibited content includes spam, hidden or restricted-access material, unauthorized collection of personal information, unapproved commercial activity, content posted without required consent, impersonation, account misuse, or any attempt to interfere with, disrupt, bypass, or compromise the security, functionality, or operation of the Sites, Products, or Services, including through automated means, malicious code, or misuse of platform features. You may not use Your Content or information obtained through the Services to harass, harm, or exploit others, or to sell, transfer, or otherwise misuse accounts or profiles.

Products for Download

VitalSource makes available Products for download by you through the Sites. Prices are displayed with the applicable Product or Service. Prices and availability of all Products and Services are subject to change at any time, with or without prior notice where reasonably practicable or permitted by applicable law, before we accept your order. Prices may or may not be inclusive of applicable sales, use, or other taxes; however, such taxes shall be identified, calculated and collected at the point of sale. A confirmation email will be provided after the checkout for each order. We are not responsible for any interruption to or failure in any communication or process, howsoever caused, which results in an order, or in any payment or payment details not being received or processed by us. A payment will be regarded as received when we are able to credit or transfer the amount required into our designated bank account. Products and their download are subject to these Terms of Use.

Third-Party Links and Tools

The Sites and certain Products may include links to external sites or applications owned, operated, or produced by third-party organizations independent of us, which may include links to third-party offers and promotions. We include the links for convenience only, to provide you with access to information, products or services that you may find useful or interesting. We have not verified and are not responsible for the content of these sites or for anything provided by them and do not guarantee that such content or offers will be continuously available. The fact that we include links to such external sites does not imply any endorsement, sponsorship or recommendation of, or association with, their operators or promoters or any content or offers on them.

Certain tools, devices, software programs, or other features available on or through the Sites or Products may be provided by third parties. These tools are provided or made available as a convenience to you. Such tools, devices, software programs, or other features are not owned or operated by us and we are not responsible for examining their content, availability, accuracy, adequacy, timeliness, validity, copyright compliance, legality, decency, quality, completeness, or any other aspect.

Accessibility

VitalSource is committed to making the Sites, Products, and Services accessible to users with disabilities and to supporting inclusive access to digital learning materials. We strive to design and maintain the Sites, Products, and Services in a manner consistent with generally recognized accessibility standards, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), where reasonably practicable.

Accessibility of Licensed Content may vary depending on the nature of the content and the manner in which it is provided by third-party publishers or content providers. While VitalSource works with publishers and partners to support accessible formats and features, VitalSource does not warrant that all Licensed Content will be accessible to all users or compatible with all assistive technologies.

Certain accessibility features may depend on device capabilities, operating systems, browser configurations, user settings, or third-party technologies, and VitalSource does not guarantee that all features will function in all environments.

If you experience difficulty accessing any part of the Sites, Products, or Services, or require assistance with accessibility-related issues, you may contact VitalSource through the support channels identified in the “Contact Us” section. We will make reasonable efforts to review and address accessibility-related feedback in accordance with applicable law.

Nothing in this section is intended to create any contractual warranty, obligation, or standard of care beyond those required by applicable law.

Our Liability

Nothing in these Terms of Use is intended to limit or exclude our liability to you or the liability of our licensors to you:

• for death or personal injury caused by our negligence; or
• for fraudulent misrepresentation,
• or to exclude, restrict or modify rights which you may have under any law which may not be excluded, restricted or modified by agreement ("Your Consumer Rights"). You can find out more about Your Consumer Rights from consumer organizations and bodies such as your relevant consumer protection authorities.

Subject to the above (including Your Consumer Rights) and to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we or our licensors shall not be liable to you for:

• any business losses;
• any losses that were not reasonably foreseeable; or
• any failure to perform, or delay in performance of, any of our obligations that is caused by events outside our reasonable control.

If you suffer any loss in connection with the Sites or Products, you must take all reasonable steps to minimize your loss, including notifying us without delay if there are steps we can take to help minimize your loss. Any liability we do have for losses you suffer shall not, in aggregate, exceed the total fees paid by you for the relevant paid-for Product in respect of which the liability arises.

Limitation of Liability. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, VITALSOURCE AND/OR ITS LICENSORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING ANY CLAIMS FOR LOST PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, INABILITY TO STUDY, TEACH OR LEARN, LOST INFORMATION OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE VITALSOURCE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, OR SITES. WITHOUT EXPANDING THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY CAP SET FORTH ABOVE, VITALSOURCE’S SOLE OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY UNDER THESE TERMS OF USE IN THE AGGREGATE IS (I) THE REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR OF THE MEDIA ON WHICH THE VITALSOURCE PRODUCT IS PROVIDED, (II) VITALSOURCE SECURING THE RIGHTS TO CONTINUE USING THE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, OR SITES, OR (III) A REFUND OF THE PURCHASE PRICE PAID FOR THE VITALSOURCE PRODUCT. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THIS EXCLUSION AND LIMITATION MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE.

EXCEPT AS SET FORTH HEREIN AND TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE VITALSOURCE PRODUCTS, SITES, AND SERVICES ARE FURNISHED BY VITALSOURCE TO YOU ON AN "AS IS" AS-AVAILABLE BASIS. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY TYPE NOT EXPRESSLY STATED IN THESE TERMS OF USE, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT ARE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED BY VITALSOURCE AND ITS LICENSORS. NO REPRESENTATION OR DEMONSTRATION SHALL CONSTITUTE A WARRANTY OF THE PRODUCT UNLESS EXPRESSLY INCORPORATED IN THESE TERMS OF USE.

Limitation of Time to File Claims. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM YOU MAY HAVE ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OF USE OR THE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, OR SITES MUST BE COMMENCED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUES OTHERWISE SUCH CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM IS PERMANENTLY BARRED. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS OF TIME TO BE CONTRACTUALLY IMPOSED IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES SO THIS LIMITATION MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE.

Indemnification

To the fullest extent of applicable law, you agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless VitalSource and its officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, successors, and assigns from and against any and all losses, damages, liabilities, deficiencies, claims, actions, judgments, settlements, interest, awards, penalties, fines, costs, or expenses of whatever kind, including attorneys’ fees, arising from or relating to your (i) use or misuse of the Products, Services, or Sites, (ii) breach of these Terms of Use, or (iii) content you submit or make available through the Products or Sites that is misappropriated or infringes any patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, moral, or any other intellectual property rights of any third parties.

Claims of Infringement and DMCA Takedown Procedures

VitalSource respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects users of the Sites, Products, and Services to do the same. It is VitalSource’s policy to respond to notices of alleged copyright infringement that comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (“DMCA”) within a reasonable time. Copyright owners or their authorized agents may submit a compliant takedown notice if they believe infringing material is available through the Services. All notices and counter-notices must be accurate and submitted under penalty of perjury, and misuse of the process may result in legal liability. Submissions may be shared with affected parties, including contact information, and by submitting a notice or counter-notice you acknowledge that you have no expectation of privacy in that submission.

Notice of Claimed Infringement

If you believe that any material made available through the Sites, Products, or Services infringes a copyright you own or control, you may submit a written notification of claimed infringement to VitalSource at [email protected] that includes the following information:

1. A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright interest;
2. Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works;
3. Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and information reasonably sufficient to permit VitalSource to locate the material;
4. Information reasonably sufficient to permit VitalSource to contact the complaining party, such as an address, telephone number, and email address;
5. A statement that the complaining party has a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
6. A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright interest.

Counter-Notification

If you believe that material you posted was removed or access to it was disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification, you may submit a counter-notification in writing to VitalSource at [email protected] that includes the following information:

1. Your physical or electronic signature;
2. Identification of the material that has been removed or to which access has been disabled and the location at which the material appeared before it was removed or disabled;
3. A statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good faith belief that the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification; and
4. Your name, address, telephone number, and email address, and a statement that you consent to the jurisdiction of the federal court located within the district in which your address is located (or, if outside the United States, the federal court for the Eastern District of North Carolina), and that you will accept service of process from the person who provided the original notification or an agent of such person.

Upon receipt of a valid counter-notification, VitalSource may forward it to the original complaining party and may restore the removed Content in accordance with the DMCA, unless the copyright owner files an action seeking a court order against the user.

Repeat Infringers

In accordance with the DMCA and other applicable law, VitalSource may, in appropriate circumstances and in accordance with applicable law, terminate or suspend access to the Sites, Products, or Services for users who are deemed to be repeat infringers.

Policies

When using the Services or Products, you must comply with all applicable policies, including the following policies, and any others referenced herein in these Terms of Use. These policies are incorporated by reference into these Terms of Use and may be updated periodically. Applicable policies include, without limitation, the Privacy Policy, Cookies Notice, Refund Policy, and any Product-specific terms.

Governing Language and International Users

These Terms of Use are written in English. Any translations of these Terms of Use are provided for convenience only. In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the English-language version and any translated version, the English-language version shall control.

The Sites, Products, and Services are controlled and operated by VitalSource from the United States. VitalSource makes no representation that the Sites, Products, or Services are appropriate, lawful, or available for use in all jurisdictions. Access to the Sites, Products, or Services may not be legal for certain persons or in certain countries, and users who access the Sites, Products, or Services from outside the United States do so at their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with all applicable local laws and regulations.

Nothing in these Terms of Use is intended to limit or exclude any mandatory consumer rights or protections that may apply under applicable local law and that cannot be waived by contract.

General

You may not transfer or assign any or all of your rights or obligations under these Terms of Use.

Our failure to enforce any of our rights does not result in a waiver of that right.

If any provision of these Terms of Use is found to be unenforceable, all other provisions shall remain unaffected.

These Terms of Use, together with any Other Terms, policies, or additional terms referenced herein, constitute the entire agreement between you and VitalSource regarding the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior or contemporaneous agreements, communications, or understandings, whether written or oral.

VitalSource may update or modify these Terms of Use in accordance with the update mechanisms described herein. Any such updates will become effective upon posting or upon your continued use of the Sites, Products, or Services, as applicable, except where a different effective date is required by applicable law.

Mandatory Arbitration. These Terms of Use shall be governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina without giving effect to any conflicts of laws principles. You agree that any claim, dispute, suit, action, controversy or proceeding ("Dispute") arising out of or relating to these Terms of Use or the breach, termination, enforcement, interpretation or validity thereof (collectively, "Disputed Claim(s)") will be resolved, upon notification by you or us, exclusively and finally by binding arbitration. The Arbitration of the Dispute will be conducted by the American Arbitration Association pursuant to its Commercial Arbitration Rules (including, without limitation, the Supplementary Procedures for Consumer-Related Disputes, if applicable). Neither you nor we will have the right to litigate arbitrated Disputed Claims in court or to have a jury trial on Disputed Claims or to engage in pre-arbitration discovery, except as provided for in the applicable arbitration rules or by written agreement of the parties involved. The arbitration may be conducted by telephone, online, or based solely upon written submissions.

A party who desires to initiate arbitration must provide the other party with a written Demand for Arbitration as specified in the AAA Rules. The arbitrator will be either a retired judge or an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of North Carolina and will be selected by the parties from the AAA's roster of consumer dispute arbitrators. If the parties are unable to agree upon an arbitrator within ten (10) business days of delivery of the Demand for Arbitration, then the AAA will appoint the arbitrator in accordance with the AAA Rules. An award of damages, if any, must be consistent with the terms of Limitation of Liability section of these Terms of Use as to the types and the amounts of damages for which a party may be held liable. The arbitrator may award declaratory or injunctive relief only in favor of the claimant and only to the extent necessary to provide relief warranted by the claimant's individual claim.

Notwithstanding any choice of law provision included in these Terms of Use, this arbitration is subject to the Federal Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. §§ 1-16) and not by any state arbitration law. The arbitration will take place exclusively in Raleigh, North Carolina. In connection with any arbitration proceeding, each party must submit or file any Disputed Claim that would constitute a compulsory counterclaim (as defined by Rule 13 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure) within the same proceeding as the Dispute to which it relates. Each party involved will bear its own cost of any legal representation, discovery or research required to conduct and complete arbitration. The existence or results of any arbitration will be treated as confidential. The arbitrator will not have the authority to award exemplary or punitive damages.

Class Action Waivers. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, you and us each waive any right to bring or participate in any Dispute as a class, collective, consolidated, representative, or private attorney general action. This waiver applies whether the Dispute is brought in arbitration or in court.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the AAA Commercial Arbitration Rules, the arbitrator shall have no authority or jurisdiction to hear any Dispute on a class, collective, consolidated, representative, or private attorney general basis, or to consolidate, join, or otherwise combine the Disputes of more than one person in a single proceeding.

If the waiver of class, collective, representative, or private attorney general Disputes in this Section is found to be void or unenforceable, any such Disputes shall be resolved exclusively in a court of competent jurisdiction and not in arbitration.  

Limitation on Injunctive Relief.

YOU AGREE THAT YOU WILL NOT SEEK, AND YOU SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO OBTAIN, ANY COURT OR OTHER ORDER OR ACTION THAT WOULD INTERFERE OR PREVENT THE DEVELOPMENT, USE, OR EXPLOITATION OF THE SITES, PRODUCTS, SERVICES, OR ANY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OWNED, LICENSED, USED, OR CONTROLLED BY ANY OF US OR ANY OF OUR LICENSORS, INCLUDING YOUR CONTENT.

This section shall survive any expiration or termination of your relationship with VitalSource.

Termination

We may terminate, disable, lock, block or suspend your access to the Sites, Products, or Services if you fail to comply, or if we reasonably determine that you have failed to comply, with any of the Terms of Use. In the event of such termination, you must cease all use of the Sites, Products, or Services and VitalSource may immediately revoke your access to the Sites and/or Products.

All provisions which by their nature are intended to survive termination will survive the termination of these Terms of Use regardless of the reason for such termination.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, comments, or requests regarding these Terms of Use, please contact us:

• via email at [email protected];
• at http://support.vitalsource.com; or
• write to us at the following address:

VitalSource Technologies LLC

227 Fayetteville Street
Suite 400
Raleigh, NC 27601

VitalSource Privacy Policy

Effective Date and Last Updated: July 13, 2026

This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) is meant to help you understand the personal information that VitalSource Technologies LLC, our affiliate VST Limited (UK), Akademos LLC, RedShelf LLC, and Intrepid Learning (collectively, “VitalSource”) collect, why we collect it, and how you can manage it. The Policy applies to personal information that is collected when you or others interact with VitalSource, our websites (such as vitalsource.com and bookshelf.vitalsource.com, and the websites associated with the above entities) (collectively, “Sites”), any VitalSource-owned web retail store, or our products and services such as Bookshelf, Bookshelf Online, Bookshelf +, VitalSource Engagement Dashboard, VitalSource and Bookshelf mobile applications, Intrepid Platform, Acrobatiq Platform, reader software, digital content, other products controlled, owned, or licensed by VitalSource, or any other products or services that include a link to this Policy (collectively, “Products” and “Services”).

In this Policy, “you,” “yours,” and similar expressions refer to users of our Sites, Products, or Services as well as any other individuals whose information we collect and process. References to “we,” “us,” “our” refer to VitalSource.

By interacting with VitalSource through our Sites, Products, or Services, you are acknowledging that you have read, understood, and accept this Policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use the Sites, Products, or Services.

This Policy does not extend to anyone whose personal information is not under our control or management, including data that is collected by third-party websites that you may visit before or after the Sites, and which are not governed by this Policy. We are not responsible for the data protection or privacy policies of any third-party websites, and accept no responsibility or liability for their actions or policies.

Information We Collect and Receive

In order for you to access and use our Sites, Products, and Services, we may collect and process certain types of personal information as you interact with us. For example, we may collect personal information from website visitors, potential customers, users of our Products and Services (such as students), higher education institutions, other businesses that license our Products and Services, and content owners whose content appears in our Sites, Products, and Services. Depending on your activities on our Sites, Products, and Services, the personal information we collect and receive may include personal information you provide to us directly, or that others (such as educational institutions and faculty) may provide about you:

• Information you provide to us by completing forms on our website or applications: For example, your name, contact, address and email information, and any other information you may provide to our 24/7 Live Support, or through our Products.
• Information you provide to us by contacting us, including any personal information you may provide to us when you email or call us, such as name, phone number, employer, and any other details you provide in your communications. We may also request your contact information for the purposes of having someone contact you for additional information, or in response to your request for information from us;
• Transaction information when you purchase our Products and Services: This may include, for example, information about which Products and Services you have purchased, obtained, or considered purchasing, as well as other consumer-related purchasing data;
• Information about your activity when using our Products and Services: This may include information we collect from the device you use, such as your IP address, the type of device or browser you use, information about your interaction with and usage of the Products, Services, and Sites, including applications, widgets, and advertisements.
• Information about your geolocation, such as physical location based on IP address, device data, or region;
• Professional or employment information you provide to us or that we receive from you or your educational institution;
• Physical characteristics or descriptions, for example, if you upload a photograph of yourself or your ID;
• Non-public education information we may receive under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. § 1232g, 34 C.F.R. Part 99)), such as education records, grades, transcripts, class lists, and student schedules; and
• Inferences we draw from your personal information, such as a profile reflecting your preferences, characteristics, and behavior with our Products, Sites, and Services.
  • Within the last year, VitalSource has collected all these categories of personal information for its business purposes described in “How We Use Personal Information” below.
  • You may choose not to provide us with personal information we may request, but in general, the personal information we request is required for us to provide the Products and Services and the lack of such personal information will prevent us from doing so.
  • Please note that personal information does not include aggregated or anonymized information from which individual identities have been removed.

Information from Children

VitalSource does not solicit, collect, or knowingly retain personal information from individuals who are enrolled exclusively in K-12 educational programs. VitalSource does not provide Products or Services to K-12-only institutions and does not operate as a service provider to such institutions for purposes of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act or any analogous state law. Children under the age of 13 are not permitted to register for or use our Sites, Products, or Services.

The only circumstance in which VitalSource may receive personal information from a user who is at least 13 years of age but under the age of 18 is when that individual is concurrently enrolled in both a secondary school and a higher education institution as a college-level student. In that case, the individual is treated as a higher education student for all purposes under this Policy, and their personal information is collected, used, and retained solely in connection with that higher education enrollment.

If VitalSource becomes aware that it has received personal information from a minor who does not meet the dual-enrollment criteria described above, that information will be promptly deleted and will not be used for any purpose prior to deletion. If you believe VitalSource has inadvertently received personal information from an ineligible minor, please contact us at [email protected].

VitalSource does not use personal information of known minor users to serve targeted or behavioral advertising, to train artificial intelligence or machine learning models, or for any purpose unrelated to the higher education services through which that user is enrolled. We apply privacy-protective default settings to accounts associated with known minor users and do not employ manipulative design features on any surface accessible to minors. We do not collect personal information from users under the age of 16 in the European Union without legally valid consent.

How We Collect Personal Information

Personal Information You Provide Directly. We collect the personal information you provide to us directly when you take actions such as filling out a form on our Sites; registering for an account with us; contacting us by email, letter, or phone; interacting with us on social media; interacting with our Products, Services, or Sites; or engaging in a transaction with us.

Personal Information Provided About You. We also collect personal information about you provided to us by others in order to enable you to use our Products and Services. For example, educational institutions and their personnel may create student accounts with us so that their students can use our Products and Services. These educational institutions authorize us to collect or provide us with personal information about their students to enable their students to use our Products and Services. Please note that VitalSource also offers educational institutions the ability to utilize certain Products without enabling VitalSource to collect or use student personal information, such as name or login credentials. Specifically, VitalSource, through our integration partners, utilizes reference accounts in order to create and manage content through Bookshelf accounts. In such instances, VitalSource only uses and stores the reference account number for the student account, along with the content made available to the student and the student’s notes and highlights, in managing these accounts.

Depending on the context and the Product or Service, VitalSource may act as a data controller or as a data processor on behalf of its customers.

Automatically Collected Personal Information - Cookies and Tracers. A cookie is a small file that is placed onto your device (e.g., computer, smartphone or other electronic device) that stores information when you visit a website. We may use cookies and similar technologies (e.g., web beacons, pixels, ad tags and device identifiers) to operate, secure, and improve the Sites, Products, and Services. Cookies help us recognize users, remember preferences, enable core functionality, analyze usage, and support performance, and security.

Cookies used by VitalSource generally fall into the following categories:

• Essential Cookies: These cookies are necessary for the operation of the Sites, Products, and Services, including enabling core functionality such as authentication, security, and accessibility. Essential Cookies cannot be disabled through our systems.
• Functional and Performance Cookies: These cookies help us understand how users interact with the Sites, Products, and Services, measure performance, and improve functionality and user experience.
• Analytics Cookies: These cookies collect information about usage patterns, features accessed, and interactions with the Sites, Products, and Services, which helps us analyze and improve our offerings.
• Advertising or Marketing Cookies (where applicable): These cookies may be used to deliver information about products or services that may be relevant to you, subject to your preferences and applicable law.

You can control the use of cookies through your browser settings, device controls, and, where available, cookie preference tools. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the availability or functionality of the Sites, Products, or Services.

For more information about the Cookies we use and how to manage your preferences, please review our Cookie Policy available at: https://www.vitalsource.com/cookies.

How We Use Personal Information

VitalSource may use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

• To meet any contractual obligations with you;
• To provide and deliver our Products, Services, and Sites and related support;
• To allow you to log into and access your account;
• To process any purchases, transactions, or payments made on our Sites;
• To keep your information and our systems secure such as by detecting security incidents, and to be able to verify your identity and contact information;
• To alert you about product updates, special offers, updated information, and other news, services, and products from VitalSource, our partners, or carefully selected third parties, provided that you have not opted out of these communications;
• For testing, research, analysis, and product development, including to develop and improve our content, Sites, Products, and Services;
• To ensure our content, Sites, Products, and Services are functional, efficient, and relevant to you and your interests;
• To respond to your inquiries and requests;
• To respond to law enforcement requests and as required by applicable law, court order, or governmental regulations; and
• To evaluate or conduct a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of our assets.

VitalSource does not use personal information of dual-enrolled minor students for any purposes other than those of the education institution through which they are enrolled, unless that personal information is de-identified. VitalSource does not use any minor user’s personal information for behaviorally-targeted advertising purposes.

Additional information regarding automated and artificial intelligence–enabled processing is provided in the “Artificial Intelligence and Automated Processing” section below.

How Information May Be Shared

VitalSource does not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under applicable U.S. state privacy laws, and we do not share your personal information without ensuring it is protected with appropriate levels of security and confidentiality. We may disclose your personal information to help us provide, improve, promote, and protect our Products and/or Services. Whenever we disclose personal information, we require that the recipient follow all applicable privacy laws, and that they use your information only for the purposes we’ve authorized. We only disclose your personal information for the following business and operational purposes:

• To your educational institution or company: For example, we disclose student personal information to their educational institutions in order to provide the students access to our Products and/or Services. Other companies also may wish to provide our Products or Services to select individuals. We may disclose the personal information of those individuals to those companies in order to provide access to those Products and/or Services.

• To the owners of the content found in our Sites, Products, and Services, but only for the purpose of enabling those content owners to deliver or provide access to Products purchased by you or on your behalf.

• To our service providers: We rely on certain trusted third-party service providers to provide, process, improve, promote, or protect our Products and/or Services. These service providers do things like help us store your data, process your payments, deliver the Products and/or Services to you, improve our advertising, and secure our systems.

• To other users of the Products or Services: If you submit content to publicly accessible portions of the Products or Services, other visitors or users may be able to view your content and personal information that identifies you as the author. Please note that the Products do not permit any student’s account or the content and grades thereon to be viewed or accessed by the general public.

• To other entities within the VitalSource enterprise: We may disclose your personal information to other operations and businesses owned or operated by VitalSource.

• In the event of a change in control: We may disclose personal information to other companies for the purpose of evaluating or conducting a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of our assets.

• As necessary or otherwise required by law: We also reserve the right to disclose personal information when it is reasonably necessary to conduct our business, protect VitalSource’s legal rights and property, and to comply with the law.

You may request a copy of the transfer mechanisms we rely on for specific data transfers by contacting us at [email protected].

Artificial Intelligence and Automated Processing

VitalSource may use automated, algorithmic, and artificial intelligence–enabled processes to support the operation, security, accessibility, personalization, analytics, and improvement of the Sites, Products, and Services. These processes may analyze usage data, interaction data, and system performance information in order to enhance functionality, improve user experience, support accessibility features, detect security issues, and develop or refine product features.

Automated processing is used solely to support and improve the Sites, Products, and Services and is not used to make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on individuals. VitalSource does not use automated processing to determine academic outcomes, or make eligibility, grading, or disciplinary decisions.

Where personal information is used in connection with automated or AI-enabled processes, such information is processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy and is aggregated and/or anonymized where reasonably practicable. VitalSource does not use personal information to train public, open, or third-party artificial intelligence models.

If required by applicable law, individuals may have the right to object to or request limitations on certain forms of automated processing. Requests relating to automated processing may be submitted using the contact information provided in this Privacy Policy.

Protection of Your Personal Information

We take the security of your personal information seriously. VitalSource has therefore put in place commercially reasonable physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the personal information that we collect.

Please remember, however, that the safety and security of your personal information also depend on you. Where you have chosen, or where we have given you, a user name and password for access to certain parts of the Sites, Products, or Services, you are responsible for keeping the user name and password confidential and for using secure connections. No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, so VitalSource cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Data Transfers

Because VitalSource is a US-based company, your personal information may be collected and processed in the United States. Additionally, as part of the Products and/or Services offered to you through our Sites, information that we receive about you may be transferred to and stored in one or more countries other than where you currently reside. For example, this may occur if any of our servers or third-party service providers are located in a country other than yours. These countries may have different data protection laws than your current residence. However, if we transfer your personal information in this way, we will put in place appropriate protection to make sure it is treated in line with this Policy.

By doing business or interacting with us through the Sites, Products, and/or Services, you are consenting to the transfer, storage, and processing of your personal information to and within facilities located in the United States and other locations selected by VitalSource.

In addition, VitalSource participates in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, and the Swiss-US Data Privacy Framework (collectively, the “Data Privacy Frameworks,” or “DPF Principles”) as set forth by the US Department of Commerce regarding the processing of personal information from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Gibraltar, and Switzerland. VitalSource's participation in and adherence to the Data Privacy Frameworks and the DPF Principles applies solely to VitalSource Technologies LLC, its U.S. entity. The Data Privacy Frameworks and DPF Principles do not extend to personal information processed by VST Limited (UK) or any other non-U.S. affiliate. VST Limited (UK) does not participate in the Data Privacy Frameworks and does not claim adherence to the DPF Principles. VitalSource has further certified that we adhere to the principles of the Data Privacy Frameworks. Visit https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/ to learn more about the Data Privacy Frameworks. If there is any conflict between the terms in this Policy and the Data Privacy Frameworks principles, the principles shall govern.

If VitalSource transfers personal information received under the Data Privacy Frameworks to a third party, the third party’s processing of the personal information must also be in compliance with our Data Privacy Frameworks obligations, and we will remain liable under the Data Privacy Frameworks for any failure to do so by the third party, unless we prove we are not responsible for the event giving rise to the damage.

VitalSource is subject to the investigatory and enforcement powers of the US Federal Trade Commission. In certain situations, VitalSource may be required to disclose the personal information we process under the Data Privacy Frameworks in response to lawful requests by public authorities, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements.

If you have a question or complaint about our handling of your personal information under the Data Privacy Frameworks, please contact us at [email protected]. If you have complaints related to the Data Privacy Frameworks that we cannot resolve directly, we have chosen to cooperate with JAMS. JAMS is an alternative dispute resolution provider based in the United States. If you do not receive timely acknowledgement of your DPF Principles-related complaint from us, or if we have not addressed your DPF Principles-related complaint to your satisfaction, please visit https://www.jamsadr.com/dpf-dispute-resolution for more information or to file a complaint. The services of JAMS are provided at no cost to you. As further explained in the DPF Principles, binding arbitration is available to address complaints not resolved by other means. More information can be found here: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/framework-article/ANNEX-I-introduction.

Individuals in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Gibraltar, and Switzerland whose personal information is processed under the Data Privacy Framework have the right to access their personal data held by VitalSource. Such individuals also have the right to request that VitalSource correct, amend, or delete their personal data where it is inaccurate or has been processed in violation of the Data Privacy Framework Principles. In addition, these individuals have the right to choose to limit the use and disclosure of their personal data. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected].

Where Your Data Is Stored

VitalSource stores its primary application data, databases, and system backups on Google Cloud Platform and Amazon Web Services infrastructure located in the United States. We do not sell or transfer your personal data to unaffiliated third parties for their own commercial purposes.

To provide fast, reliable, and secure access to our platforms globally, VitalSource uses Cloudflare as its content delivery network (CDN) and web application firewall (WAF). Cloudflare routes user requests through its global network of edge servers, which are located in data centers around the world, including outside the United States, and primarily in Canada.

This means that when you access VitalSource services, data in transit, including your requests, session information, and page content, may be routed through or temporarily processed at Cloudflare edge servers located in the European Union, United Kingdom, or other jurisdictions outside the United States. This routing is inherent to how CDN technology functions and is designed to improve performance and security for all users.

International Data Transfers Generally

If you are located in the European Union, European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Switzerland, your personal data may be transferred to and processed in the United States and other countries whose data protection laws may differ from those of your home jurisdiction. Where such transfers occur, VitalSource relies on one or more of the following legal mechanisms:

• The EU-US Data Privacy Framework, for transfers from the EU/EEA to the United States
• Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission
• UK International Data Transfer Agreements or Addenda, as applicable
• Other applicable transfer mechanisms recognized under GDPR or UK GDPR

Communications

VitalSource may send communications related to the Sites, Products, and Services, including administrative, transactional, and service-related messages such as account notifications, order confirmations, security notices, and updates to our policies (“Service Communications”). Service Communications are necessary to provide the Sites, Products, and Services and are not subject to marketing opt-out.

Where permitted by applicable law and subject to your preferences, VitalSource may also send marketing or promotional communications about our Products, Services, events, or offerings (“Marketing Communications”). You may choose whether to receive Marketing Communications and may opt out at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions included in such communications, adjusting your account preferences where available, or contacting VitalSource using the information provided in this Privacy Policy.

Opting out of Marketing Communications will not affect your receipt of Service Communications. VitalSource does not send Marketing Communications to known, minor users and does not use personal information of minor users for marketing or targeted advertising purposes. VitalSource does not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes as defined under applicable U.S. state privacy laws.

SMS and Mobile Messaging (Akademos by VitalSource)

Akademos by VitalSource operates an SMS and mobile message service (the “Mobile Service”) through which we may send you recurring SMS/text messages, including order updates, account alerts, cart reminders, and other promotional or service-related communications. By enrolling in the Mobile Service, you agree to receive such messages from or on behalf of Akademos by VitalSource to the mobile number you provide, even if that number is registered on a state or federal Do Not Call list. Messages may be sent using an automatic telephone dialing system or other technology. Enrollment in the Mobile Service is voluntary and is not required to make purchases or use our Products and Services.

The personal information you provide in connection with the Mobile Service, such as your mobile phone number and message interaction data, is collected and processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy. We use this information to operate the Mobile Service, send requested messages, and, where applicable, for analytics and service improvement. This information is shared only with our mobile messaging service provider (currently Klaviyo) and other service providers as necessary to operate the Mobile Service, and is not sold or shared for cross-context behavioral advertising. You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your mobile messaging data by contacting us at [email protected].

Retention

VitalSource retains personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law, contract, or regulatory obligation. Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the information, the context in which it was collected, and applicable legal or operational requirements. In general:

• Account and Profile Information is retained for the duration of your relationship with VitalSource and for a reasonable period thereafter to support account administration, customer support, legal compliance, and dispute resolution.
• Transaction and Billing Information is retained as required to complete transactions, maintain financial records, comply with tax, accounting, and audit obligations, and resolve disputes.
• Usage, Interaction, and Technical Data is retained for as long as necessary to operate, secure, analyze, and improve the Sites, Products, and Services, after which it may be aggregated, anonymized, or deleted.
• Support and Communications Data is retained for a reasonable period to address inquiries, provide support, and maintain records of communications.

When personal information is no longer needed for the purposes described above, VitalSource will securely delete or anonymize the information in accordance with applicable law and internal data retention policies.

The relevant retention period is determined on a case-by-case basis because it depends on things like the nature of the data, why it is collected, why it is processed, and any legal or operational retention needs. For example, we may retain your data for as long as you are a customer of ours so that we may process and complete any orders you may make with us. When the relevant processing activity has been completed, we may destroy your data, or alternatively anonymize the data such that the data is not personally identifiable.

Legal Basis for Processing - European Residents

Data protection law in the European Economic Area (EEA) requires a lawful basis for collecting and retaining personal information from EU residents. Our lawful bases for processing personal information include:

• Performing the contract(s) we have with you: In certain circumstances, we need your personal data to comply with our contractual obligations, such as to deliver our Products and/or Services, and answer any questions you may have.

• Consent: We may rely on your consent to process your personal information in certain situations. You have the right to withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

• Legal compliance: Sometimes the law requires us to collect, store, or use your data for legal purposes, such as to comply with fraud monitoring and to report illegal activity.

• Legitimate interests: This is a term in data protection law that allows us to process your personal information if we have a legitimate reason to use your data, and only if we do so in ways which do not hurt your interests and rights. For example, we sometimes process your data to pursue our legitimate interests in running our business, including for delivering our Products and/or Services, protecting you from fraud, improving our Products and/or Services, quality assurance, and marketing purposes.

Personal Information Requests Regarding Minor Users

If VitalSource inadvertently receives personal information from an individual who is not a dual-enrolled college student, that information will be promptly deleted and not used for any purpose. Requests concerning personal information of a dual-enrolled minor student may be submitted by contacting us at [email protected]. Where a parent or legal guardian submits a request on behalf of a dual-enrolled minor, VitalSource will cooperate with that request in accordance with applicable law.

Parents or legal guardians of dual-enrolled minor students may request access, review, correction, or deletion of that student’s personal information by contacting VitalSource directly at [email protected]. VitalSource will respond to such requests in accordance with applicable law and the terms of this Policy.

For users between the ages of 13 and 17, VitalSource applies the following additional protections:

• We do not use personal information of known minor users to serve targeted or behavioral advertising.
• We do not use personal information of known minor users to train artificial intelligence or machine learning models without appropriate consent.
• We apply privacy-protective default settings for accounts associated with minor users, consistent with California's Age-Appropriate Design Code.
• We do not employ dark patterns, design features intended to manipulate or mislead users, on any surfaces accessible to minor users.

If student personal information is deleted from the Site, Products, or Services, please be aware that the student and others with access may lose access or functionality relating to the Site, Products, and Services.

California Age-Appropriate Design Code

For users in California under the age of 18, VitalSource complies with the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (AB 2273). We conduct Data Protection Impact Assessments for products and features that are likely to be accessed by minor users, reviewed on a two-year cycle. We apply the highest available privacy settings as the default for known minor users and do not use design features that exploit minors' attention or manipulate their choices.

Personal Information Requests

Where legally applicable, VitalSource offers individuals residing in the European Economic Area and in certain U.S. states the opportunity to choose whether their personal information may be disclosed to third parties or used for a purpose that is materially different from the original processing purpose of the information. To the extent required by the DPF Principles, VitalSource also obtains opt-in consent for certain uses and disclosures of sensitive personal information. Unless VitalSource offers you an appropriate choice, VitalSource uses personal information only for purposes that are materially the same as those indicated in this Policy. To exercise your choices, you may contact VitalSource as indicated below. Unless an exception or exemption applies, these rights may include:

• The ability to request that we provide the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you;
• The ability to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions;
• The ability to request correction of inaccurate personal information;
• The ability to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information; and
• The ability to request data portability;

In California, residents have the right to request that we provide you with information about the financial incentives that we offer to you, if any exists, as well as the right not to be discriminated against for exercising your rights.

Certain information may be exempt from the above requests under certain circumstances. For example, we may retain certain information for legal compliance reasons, and to secure our Services. We may also require certain information in order to provide the Services to you. Accordingly, if you ask us to delete it, you may no longer be able to use the Services or access any of the content you were previously able to access.

You may submit a request using the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Request Form or the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Request Form (for EU residents) available at https://support.vitalsource.com/hc/en-us/requests/new. Residents of California may also designate an authorized agent to make a request on their behalf.

To protect your privacy and security, VitalSource may take reasonable steps to verify your identity before processing or fulfilling your request. We will generally respond to your request within 45 days, unless a longer response time is necessary, in which case we will let you know. Please note that we may retain certain personal information as required or allowed by law or as necessary for our legitimate business purposes.

In situations where we process personal information only on behalf of a customer such as an educational institution, we may refer data requests to the relevant party and cooperate with their handling of the requests.

Nevada Residents

We do not sell your covered information, as defined by Section 1.6 of Chapter 603A of the Nevada Revised Statutes. If you reside in Nevada, you have the right to submit a request regarding the sale of covered information to our designated address: Privacy, 227 Fayetteville Street, Suite 400, Raleigh NC, 27601.

Questions, Comments, or Complaints

If you have questions or comments about this Policy, we invite you to contact us at [email protected], or by visiting https://support.vitalsource.com/hc/en-us/requests/new. If you have an applicable disability, you may also contact us at the above email address to request access to this Privacy Policy in an alternative format.

VitalSource strives to satisfy our customers’ and visitors’ privacy concerns. However, if you have contacted VitalSource about your issue and are still unhappy with our response, and if you are also a resident of the European Economic Area, subject to applicable law, you may contact your local Data Protection Authority (DPA) regarding your issue. VitalSource commits to cooperating with the panel established by the DPA, and to comply with the advice given by the panel with regard to data transferred from the EU. More information about local DPAs is available here.

If you have any questions, comments, or requests regarding this Policy, please contact us by post or email using the following contact information:

VitalSource Technologies LLC

ATTN: Info Data Sec and Privacy Officer

227 Fayetteville Street

Suite 400 Raleigh NC, 27601

[email protected]

Updates and Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. If we do, we’ll let you know about any material changes, either by notifying you on this webpage or by sending you an email. Any updates to this Policy will not apply retroactively. By continuing to use our Sites, Products, and/or Services after a change, you are accepting the terms of this Policy.

Vitalsource Cookie Policy

Last Updated Date: July 13, 2026

This website (the “Site”) is operated by VitalSource Technologies LLC and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, agents, representatives, including our affiliate VST Limited (UK), RedShelf LLC, Akademos LLC, and Intrepid Learning (collectively, “VitalSource,” “we,” “us”, “our” or other similar expressions). VitalSource provides services that relate to digital course materials and eTextbooks. For more information visit our About Us page.

This policy explains how VitalSource uses cookies and related technologies when you visit or use our Site or Services, including any of our desktop applications, mobile applications, communications, websites (such as www.vitalsource.com and www.bookshelf.vitalsource.com), any VitalSource owned web retail store, our products known as Bookshelf, Bookshelf Online, VitalSource Engagement Dashboard, VitalSource and Bookshelf mobile applications, Intrepid Discover Platform, Intrepid Learning Platform, Acrobatiq Platform, reader software, digital content, other products controlled owned or licensed by VitalSource, and any other products or services that include a link to this Policy (collectively, the “Services”). In this Cookie Policy, any use of the words "you," "yours," or similar expressions refers to users of this Site and our Services, as well as any other individuals whose information we collect and process.

We use cookies and related technologies to operate, improve, and protect our Site and Services. We ask that you read this Cookie Policy carefully as it contains important information on our use of cookies or similar technologies on our Site. This policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy, which explains how and why we collect, store, use and share personal information, and our Terms and Conditions of Use.

This Cookie Policy is effective from July 13, 2026.

Our Site

This Cookie Policy only relates to your use of our websites listed above (the “Site”). Throughout our Site we may link to or embed content and features from other websites owned and operated by third parties who may also use cookies or similar technologies in accordance with their own separate privacy and cookie policies. We do not control these third-party websites and associated cookies. We encourage you to read the privacy notices of these sites to understand their privacy practices and your options. VitalSource is not responsible for the content on other websites.

What Cookies Are

A cookie is a small file that is placed onto your device (e.g., computer, smartphone, or other electronic device) that stores information when you visit a website. Pixel tags (also called web beacons, clear gifs, or tags) are a similar technology that consists of small images or snippets of code that can allow the website to function and can help the website owners understand how you interact with websites and emails.

Why We Use Cookies

VitalSource uses cookies and related technologies on our Site to help us recognize your device as a repeat visitor, and enable certain Site features and functionalities. Some of this data will be aggregated or statistical, which means that we will not be able to identify you individually.

Specifically, we use cookies and other similar technologies on this Site:

• Recognize you whenever you visit this Site (this speeds up your access so you do not have to log in each time);
• Support security and authentication features on our Site;
• Obtain information about your preferences and use of our Site;
• Carry out research and statistical analysis to help improve our content, products, and services, and to help us better understand our users’ requirements;
• Improve the speed and performance of our Site and Services;
• Make your online experience more enjoyable and efficient, and to keep our advertising relevant to your interests, subject to your preferences and applicable law; and
• Keep track of the items stored in your shopping cart and take you through the checkout process.

Types of Cookies

Cookies are typically classified as either “session cookies,” which do not stay on your device after you close your browser, or “persistent cookies,” which will usually remain on your device until you delete them from your cache, or they expire. Sometimes cookies are placed by us (“first-party cookies”) and sometimes they are placed by others (“third-party cookies”).

The cookies that we place on your device may include:

• Essential cookies: these cookies are essential for you to be able to navigate our Site and use its features. Without these cookies, the services you have asked for could not be provided.
• Performance cookies: these cookies collect information about how you use our Site, for example, which pages you go to most often. These cookies do not collect personally identifiable information about you. The information collected by these cookies is used in aggregate and is not used by us to identify you individually.
• Functionality cookies: these cookies allow our Site to remember the choices you make (such as your user name, language, last action, and search preferences) and provide enhanced, more personal features. The information collected by these cookies is used in aggregate and is not used by us to identify you individually.
• Marketing cookies: also known as advertising cookies, these cookies are used to deliver advertisements more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement on our Site and help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. This is sometimes referred to as online behavioral advertising. In some cases, our partners may use cookies to provide us with information about your interactions with their services. These cookies remember that you have visited a website, and this information is shared with other organizations such as advertisers. Those third-party cookies would be subject to the third party service’s policies.

You can opt-out of online behavioral advertising cookies and similar technologies by using the Digital Advertising Alliance’s Consumer Choice Tool available here, or if located in the European Union you can make your choices here. Please note you may continue to receive generic ads.

Consent to Use Cookies

The first time you visit our Site, a cookie notice is displayed describing our use of cookies and linking to this Cookie Policy. Where required by applicable law, we will obtain your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device or browser. For more information on how to administer your preference, please see “Managing Cookies” section below.

Managing Cookies

You can opt-out of all non-Essential cookies by clicking on the “Reject All” button on the cookie banner at the bottom of the Site homepage. In addition, your browser may give you the ability to control some types of cookies. If you want to customize the kinds of cookies you can control, you can change your browser settings so that certain types of cookies are not accepted. Please be aware that the cookie selections you make for this Site may override your browser or any adblocker settings.

If you turn off any cookies, please be aware that you may lose some of the functionality of this Site. For more information about cookies and how to disable them please check the following resource: http://www.allaboutcookies.org/

For more information about targeted advertisements and/or to learn how to opt out of advertising cookies, please visit the below independent associations. You can visit these independent associations’ websites to opt out of all cookies served by their members. These independent websites are not sponsored by or affiliated with VitalSource.

• Network Advertising Initiative (NAI)
• Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA)  
• European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA)
• Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC)

When opting out, a cookie will be set to let advertisers know not to use your data for targeted advertising purposes. You will still see advertisements, but they will not be tailored to your interests. If you opt-out of these targeted advertising cookies, your opt-out will be specific to the web browser or mobile device from which you accessed the opt-out. If you use multiple devices or browsers, you will need to opt-out each browser or device that you use.

Your Privacy Rights

VitalSource takes measures to review cookie providers and, where possible, endeavors to restrict its cookie providers from using personal information for their own unique purposes outside of the contracted services. Certain consumer privacy laws may provide residents with additional rights regarding our use of their personal information, where applicable.

To exercise any of these rights, or change your current preferences, please email us at [email protected]. Please note that Essential Cookies are required for the operation of our Site and you are not able to opt-out of Essential Cookies.

How to Contact Us

Please contact us if you have any questions about this Cookie Policy or the information we hold about you. You can reach us by email at [email protected].

Our Do Not Track Policy

Certain browsers have “do not track” features that allow you to tell a website not to track you over time and across websites. These features are not all uniform. We do not currently respond to those signals. If you block cookies, certain features on our sites may not work. If you block or reject cookies, not all of the tracking described here will stop. Do Not Track signals do not affect the placement of Essential Cookies. Many of these options are specific to your device or browser. Learn more about Do Not Track.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. If we do, we’ll let you know about any material changes, either by notifying you on the Site or by sending you an email. If you keep using our Site or Services after a change, that means you accept this Policy.