Important Information

The Sims Online™ is a constantly evolving game and environment. Features and content may change from time to time, and particular features and content may not always be available.

The Sims Onlineis a live game you play via the Internet, allowing you to play with thousands of other fans. AN INTERNET CONNECTION IS REQUIRED TO PLAY. Internet service providers usually charge a monthly fee to provide this access. ELECTRONIC ARTS CHARGES A MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION FEE FOR THIS ONLINE PRODUCT, separate from your Internet access charges. The first month of this fee is included in the purchase price of The Sims Online CD game. YOU MUST BE 13+ TO REGISTER FOR THIS GAME. After your first month, you can use your credit card or alternate payment options to buy more time or you may purchase The Sims Online Game Time™ cards at your local retailer or through www.store.ea.com. Online game play and use of a Game Time Card subject to The Sims Online User Agreement and Terms of Service. The Sims Online service is available in English only.
EA RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TERMINATE THE SIMS ONLINE SERVICE AFTER 90 DAYS NOTICE.

THE SIMS ONLINE™ User Agreement

The Sims Online Game (the "Game"), is an online game service and a game-specific web site brought to you by MAXIS, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. The Game is offered through the EA.com Service, run by EA.com Inc., a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. Electronic Arts and its subsidiaries and affiliates are referred to as "EA" in this Agreement.

Your Agreement

By registering for and participating in the Game, you fully and unconditionally agree to the terms of this User Agreement, the EA.com Terms of Service (which includes our Rules of Play and the EA.com Membership Agreement) at http://www.ea.com/global/legal/tos.jsp, our Privacy Policy at http://www.ea.com/global/legal/privacy.jsp and the decisions of EA, which are final and binding. The EA.com Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy are incorporated, in full, into this User Agreement.
If you have questions about our rules, please contact us by sending an email to TOS@ea.com.

About Children

This game is not intended for children under the age of 13. You consent to the following:

I understand that if my child registers for the Game, he or she will provide personal information to EA during registration. I understand that when my child plays the Game and uses Game related services (including message boards and chat), my child will participate in online chat with other people, post and receive information from Game related message boards, receive communications from EA, and may complete voluntary surveys and participate in contests or other events. EA may collect information concerning my child's play experience and other data related to the Game, and this information may be collected actively (by a direct request) or passively (by simply recording information about my child's activities). I hereby grant permission to EA to collect this information and to store the personal information of my child in its databases.

I further consent to my child's disclosure of personal information about him or herself and others in the Game and through the use of Game related services, including message boards, chat, contests, and surveys.

By accepting this User Agreement and registering your copy of the Game, you consent to your child's participation in the Game and to EA's use, collection, storage and disclosure of information about your child as stated above.

A Player's Disclosure of An Age 12 or Under On Your Account May Lead to Termination of Your Account

We strongly discourage the disclosure of personal information during game play, and we strongly discourage use of the Game by children under 13.

If EA discovers that someone is playing on your Account and disclosing his or her age as 12 or under, EA may suspend your Account and ask you to sign a form confirming consent to your child's participation in the Game and to his or her disclosure of personal information. Until we have confirmation of the above, we may not release your Account. If we do not hear from you within thirty (30) days, we may terminate your Account. You are responsible for all subscription fees while your Account is suspended.

YOU FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT IF A CHILD DISCLOSES HIS OR HER AGE ON TSO OR TSO RELATED SERVICES WHILE USING YOUR ACCOUNT, EA MAY TERMINATE YOUR ACCOUNT AT EA'S SOLE DISCRETION.

YOU FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT IF A PLAYER ON YOUR ACCOUNT DISCLOSES HIS OR HER AGE AS TWELVE YEARS OLD OR YOUNGER, EA MAY TERMINATE YOUR ACCOUNT REGARDLESS OF THE ACTUAL AGE OF THE PLAYER.

It is solely your responsibility to prevent your child from playing and/or disclosing his or her age and personal information during use of TSO and TSO related services.

We do not promise to monitor communications during the Game, and we do not pre-screen content in the Game, on message boards or other chat. It is your responsibility to monitor what your child sees, does, and says online, not EA's. However, we may take the above action when it is reported that young children are playing the Game and disclosing their age. We encourage players to make such reports to EA through Game support, or to the complaint e-mail address for the area in which the incident occurred. We are not responsible for failing to discover disclosures or receive complaints, or failing to suspend or terminate Accounts at any particular time or at all.

Parental Guidance

The Game has been given a "Teen Interactive" rating, which means that parents may find it inappropriate for use by persons under the age of 13. While EA may choose to take action against inappropriate game play, chat or links to the Game, it is possible that, at any given time, there may be language or other material accessible on or through the Game and/or the EA.com Service that may be inappropriate for children or offensive to some users of any age. EA has established a Terms of Service, http://www.ea.com/global/legal/tos.jsp, for players accessing the Game and the EA.com Service, and the Game gives players the ability to filter out certain content and to ignore other players. However, the Game may still contain Content that parents or guardians may find inappropriate for children, or that a user of any age may find objectionable. EA does not pre-screen the materials or communications transmitted by each player.

Parental Controls

Parental Controls are available in the Game. Parental Controls allow a parent or guardian to limit their teenager's interaction with other players in the Game. An adult can use the profanity filter to block certain language. If the adult turns on the Parental Controls, then the teenager can only chat and interact in game with the people the adult has authorized to do so through use of a Parental Control password.

The Sims Online Message Boards,
Chat, and Player Communications

You must follow EA.com's standards for appropriate online content. No exceptions. Please don't speak in an offensive manner on our Message Boards or in chat. Remember, if you wouldn't say something in front of a room full of people you've never met or in the work place, don't have your Sim character say it in our Game or on our message boards.

We reserve the right to monitor your communications in the Game or on the message boards. Your communications are not private, and you have no expectation of privacy in the Game or on the Boards. Any personal information that you communicate in-game or on our message boards will be seen by others and may be used by them to send you unwanted messages or communications or otherwise contact you. We strongly encourage you not to disclose personal information. EA is not responsible for information that you choose to communicate to others in the Game or on the Boards, or the results of any such communications.

If you encounter something you don't want to see, you can report it in game to the Game support, or to the complaint e-mail address for the area in which the incident occurred. (Remember, Game Support will not ask you for your password or account information.) Your good judgment in making reports, particularly about the opinions of others, is important and appreciated. Remember, EA does not endorse or oppose the opinions of any player, but we may take issue with the manner in which an opinion is expressed.

The Game also allows you to filter chat. You can use this feature to reduce your exposure to words you do not wish to see.

Reading the game help documents (found online at www.thesimsonline.com or in-game through the "help" button), or reading and posting on the web site on the message boards, or asking other players in the game is a great way to learn how to use these tools.

Official Communications

Official The Sims Online email communications are an important component of the Game. When you register for The Sims Online, you agree to receive these communications from us. Email communications include Welcome, new player, and newsletter emails that provide important game information, hints, and tips. We will also send you email to communicate game enhancements, patches, and other service related information.

Information Collection

When you connect to the Game, you consent to EA's routine retrieval of information about your use of the Game from the computer you use to log into The Sims Online. This may include information about your computer's hardware, IP address, and any data related to use of the Game's software. This information may or may not be associated with your account identification number (the unique number given to your account when you use EA.com). We do not collect other personal information in this manner, but we may record your in-game chat and messaging. We use this information for two purposes. First, we use the information from all users, in the aggregate, to determine usage patterns in the Game. This helps us improve the Game. Second, we use this information to enforce our Terms of Service and provide you with Customer Support when you need it.

Conducting Yourself Online

You are responsible for following EA.com's Online Conduct rules at all times (see the EA.com Terms of Service, http://www.ea.com/global/legal/tos.jsp,), whether in-game, on the message boards, or any other place online. You must also follow the instructions of EA's personnel while playing the Game or interacting with others on our sites. All of the rules are important, and you've got to follow them all, but we want to emphasize a few of the rules and we've got a few more that are important to the Game.

Do not defraud or cheat other players in the game. This includes, but is not limited to, exploiting the game's trade interface to acquire another player's in-game assets without the agreed-upon repayment or refusing to provide an agreed-upon in-game service after collecting in-game payment.
Do not create inappropriate and/or obscene account names, game names, or other publicly viewable content. Strong vulgar language, crude or explicit sexual references, discussions of illegal drugs, and hate speech are always inappropriate.
Don't harass! We do not tolerate harassment of any kind, including racial harassment, religious, and sexual harassment. If someone asks you to stop a certain line of communication or behavior, and you do not, your actions may constitute harassment. Move on. Players are strongly encouraged to use the in-game tools to ignore players that bother them before reporting them. Choose whom you interact with.
Please pay attention to the subject matter on the Message Boards. Purposely derailing discussion threads on the forums for the Game with irrelevant, disruptive posts is a violation of the EA.com TOS and this User Agreement.
Don't participate in antisocial, disruptive, or destructive acts in the Game or on the message boards. This includes but is not limited to, "flaming" (making insulting criticisms or remarks to incite anger), "spamming" (sending numerous and or unwanted and disruptive amounts of messages), and "trolling" (intentionally inciting negative disruption, such as posting a thread to make purely negative or disruptive comments).
Don't use the in-game petitioning system for reporting anything other than Terms of Service (TOS) violations. Don't spam or otherwise abuse EA's email addresses or abuse our technical and customer support services or representatives. Repeated misuse of the in-game TOS reporting system for non-TOS issues, sending excessive messages to our staff, making physical threats, or using abusive language, may result in sanctions up to and including the termination of your Account.
Do not attempt to get a password, account information, or other private information from any other player. Remember: EA employees will NEVER ask for your password. Don't give your password, reminder words, or billing information out to anyone.
Do not misrepresent yourself as an Electronic Arts employee, or attempt to coerce another player through such misrepresentation.
Do not attempt to interfere with, hack into or decipher any transmissions to or from the servers running The Sims Online game service or its website.
Do not upload files that contain viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time bombs, cancel bots, corrupted files, or any other similar software or programs - no matter what you call it - that may damage the operation of another's computer or property. We strongly recommend you use virus checking software and a firewall to protect your own computer from infection.
Do not post messages for any purpose other than personal communication. Do not transmit advertising, promotional materials, spam (or any duplicative and unsolicited messages), chain letters, pyramid schemes, or make any commercial use of the Game or the EA.com Service.
You may not harvest or otherwise collect information about other players in the Game or on our website and/or provide (whether or not for a fee) this information to another person or entity.
Report bugs to us via the appropriate forums on the Game's website. Don't exploit any bug in the Game or EA.com Service to gain unfair advantage in the Game, or communicate the existence of any such bug (either directly or through public posting) to any other user of the Game so that it can be abused.
Don't attempt to defraud a Customer Service Representative. Don't report false bugs, report false loss of wealth or game statistics, or accuse other players of wrongdoing without basis in fact.

Content Creation in the Game

In addition to the EA.com Terms of Service, http://www.ea.com/global/legal/tos.jsp, terms regarding your rights and responsibilities regarding copyright, trademarks, and other proprietary rights, you acknowledge and agree that all characters created, items acquired and developed, and content uploaded to the Game or its website as a result of, or for, game play are part of the Game and are the sole intellectual property of EA. You agree that you may upload or otherwise transmit on or through the Game only Content (as defined in the EA.com TOS) that is not subject to any intellectual property or other rights of any third party.

Official Service

The Sims Online Game has been designed by EA for play only on the EA.com Service. The Game and its software are licensed to you for your personal play on the EA.com Service only. You may not play the Game on any service that is not controlled by or authorized by EA. Electronic Arts does not grant you a license to use the Game or its software for any other purpose. You may not create, use or provide any server emulator or other site where the Game may be played, or post or distribute any utilities, emulators or other software tools related to The Sims Online Game without the express written permission of EA.

You may not reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the Game's software, including any proprietary communications protocol used by the Game. You acknowledge that you do not have the right to create, publish, distribute, create derivative works from or use any graphics, audiovisual display, software programs, utilities, applications, emulators or tools derived from or created for the Game, unless specifically authorized in writing by EA.

Software and Data Updates

EA may make changes to, or reset certain features or data parameters of its software to correct defects, design errors, flaws or other issues. These changes or resets may affect characters under your control and may cause you setbacks within the Game world. In no event will any of these changes obligate EA to make any adjustments, refunds, reimbursements, etc. to your Account or to any of your characters or in-game assets.

Account Information

It is your responsibility to keep your Account information up-to-date, including your address and email address. You can do this using the customer account management features on The Sims Online game website at www.thesimsonline.com.

Account Transfers

You may only transfer ownership of your Account through the Account Transfer service provided by EA for the Game. Any other transfer of ownership may result in termination of your Account. Further, EA will only recognize the original registrant as the Account owner, unless a valid transfer has taken place through EA's Account Transfer service. If the Account Transfer service is not used, if there is a dispute over ownership of the Account, the Account will be returned to the original registrant. If the Account Transfer service is used, the new owner keeps the Account. EA does not arbitrate disputes between players about Account ownership. Transferring your Account is not a right: if EA terminates your Account, we have no obligation to let you transfer it to someone else instead. While EA provides a system for transferring Account ownership for the Game, EA and its subsidiaries do not assume any responsibility for the integrity, content, community reputation, or any other element of perceived value regarding the Account being transferred. Electronic Arts is not responsible for any oversight of the transfer of Accounts beyond the mechanics of actual ownership transference.

Termination

In addition to the termination provisions in the EA.com Terms of Service, http://www.ea.com/global/legal/tos.jsp, you agree that if the EA.com Service, the Game or your account is terminated or cancelled at any time, for any reason: (1) you will not be entitled to any refund or proration of any fees or unused access time; (2) you will lose any characters developed or items accumulated and you will not have the right to transfer, sell or otherwise assign any characters or items to anyone else; and (3) when applicable, you may not access the Game in any manner or for any reason, including via any other Account. EA reserves the right to terminate the Game or the EA.com service at any time without further obligation to you.

If EA terminates an Account, EA shall have the right to terminate any other Account that shares the member name, phone number, email address, Internet Protocol address or credit card number with the terminated Account. Members whose Accounts have been terminated by EA may not access the Service in any manner or for any reason, including through any other Account, without the express written permission of EA. Active Members may not knowingly allow former Members whose Accounts have been terminated to use the active Members' Accounts or User IDs.

Indemnification

At EA's request, you agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless EA, its licensees, distributors, content providers and other Members of the Game and EA.com Service, from all liabilities, claims and expenses, including attorneys' fees, arising from breach of this Agreement by you. EA reserves the right, at its own expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you hereunder, and in such event, you shall have no further obligation to provide indemnification for such matter.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY

To the maximum extent allowed by law, EA, its licensors and subcontractors do not warrant any connection to, transmission over, or results or use of, any network connection or facilities provided (or failed to be provided) through the Game or the EA.com Service. You are responsible for assessing your own computer and transmission network needs. EA makes no warranty with respect to any related software or hardware used or provided by EA in connection with the Game except as expressly stated in the documentation of the Game CD.

You expressly agree that use of the Game and the EA.com service is at your sole risk.

The Game and EA.com service is provided on an "as is," "as available" basis, unless such warranties are legally incapable of exclusion. EA and its licensors and affiliates disclaim all implied warranties and conditions, including without limitation any implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement of third party rights, and those arising from a course of dealing or usage of trade, regarding the EA.COM service, the game, and the internet. EA, and its licensors assume no responsibility for any damages suffered by you, including, but not limited to, loss of data, items or characters from delays, nondeliveries, errors, system down time, misdeliveries, or service interruptions caused by EA or its licensors and subcontractors, or by your or any other member's own errors and/or omissions.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

You acknowledge and agree that EA shall not assume or have any liability for any failure to act or action by EA, its content providers, other members or licensors with respect to conduct, communication or content on the EA.com service, including on the message boards or in the Game. EA shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, exemplary, or consequential damages in connection with the Game or the EA.com service. Your sole and exclusive remedy in any dispute with EA, or for any breach of any implied or express warranty, or for breach of this agreement, is termination of your Account. In no event will EA's entire liability to you exceed the total amount paid by you for the Game CD and the fees paid by you for the access to the Game through the EA.com service. Because some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for certain damages, in such states, EA's liability is limited to the full extent permitted by law.