- This article is about technical information on Scratch. For the general rules in the Scratch Community that were formerly called the Terms of Use, see Community Guidelines.
The Scratch Terms of Use (commonly abbreviated ToU), officially declared and made public on June 4, 2014,[1] are different from the Community Guidelines and state firmly more specific and legal terms of use. The terms of use refer to the Scratch program and website and state the behavior expected from Scratchers, any rules unclear by the Community Guidelines, and issues related to what can be done with the Scratch program both legally and to projects uploaded to the Scratch website. The actual Scratch Terms of Use can be viewed here.
Development
Specific development of a new Terms of Use was generally unspoken of, but at one point in time Lightnin requested for a new general rule outline to be created on the Scratch Wiki.[citation needed] The forums often hold many questions related specifically to rules that are very unclear. With the increasing popularity of Scratch and users who do not understand the rules or desire proof, the Terms of Use provide out in legal format the policies of Scratch.
Information
A summary of the Terms of Use can be read below:
 Warning: | This is a summary provided for informational purposes only and is not legally binding in the way that the actual Terms of Use are. In the case of any differing information between this and the actual Terms of Use, the actual Terms of Use apply. |
1. User Agreement
1.1 This part explains what Scratch is, who the Scratch Team is, what the Terms of Use are, and why they exist. Users must agree with these conditions if they want to use the Scratch website.
1.2 This part explains the Privacy Policy, what it is, and that users must agree to it if they want to use Scratch.
1.3 Scratch is open to all ages, and all comments, projects, etc., should be appropriate to everyone.
1.4 The Terms of Use can change from time to time. When using Scratch, users must agree to the latest revision, which can always be found here.
2. Account Creation and Maintenance
2.1 Some parts of Scratch are limited to an account. Creation is optional, but if a user created one, Scratch will ask for some information. It explains the Privacy Policy, and why it should be read for additional information.
2.2 Users are responsible for their account, password, and identity. If anyone hacks an account, anything they do is the account owner's fault, not anyone else's.
2.3 Users must never use another's Scratch account without permission.
2.4 Account names cannot be changed. If a user wants a different account name, they have to create a new account and copy their existing projects over by hand.
2.5 If a user feels someone has hacked their account, they should change their password or contact help@scratch.mit.edu
3. Rules of Usage
3.1 Users must be respectful to the ones around them in Scratch. This section outlines things that are disrespectful on Scratch.
3.3 Users must follow general laws and use common sense while using Scratch.
3.4 Users should not impersonate anyone else on Scratch.
3.5 Users should not use Scratch in any way to disrupt the service (e.g. making projects deliberately made to crash the player).
3.6 Commercial use of Scratch is technically allowed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike License, but should not be done in ways that are harmful to the community.
3.7 Users should not post links to anything outside the Scratch website that go against the Terms of Use.
4. User-Generated Content and Licensing
4.1 This part explains what user-generated content is: any projects, comments, forum posts, etc.
4.2 When posting user-generated content, users must have the legal right to use anything it contains.
4.3 All user-generated content is public, and with attribution, may be freely remixed or used.
4.4 All user-generated content must have been created with Scratch, not a modified version.
4.5 Rarely, a user may be exposed to inappropriate content on Scratch. If anything inappropriate is seen on Scratch, it must be immediately reported.
4.6 This part explains that the Scratch Team can modify, move, or delete anything that does not follow these Terms of Use or the Community Guidelines.
4.7 This part explains that the Scratch Team has no part in most of the user-generated content created; it is provided on an as-is basis.
5. Scratch Content and Licensing
5.1 The Scratch Team owns Scratch, its code, and everything else on the Scratch website besides user-generated content.
5.2 All sounds, images, and other support materials may be used however wished. They are under the same license as all projects are.
5.3 The source code for Scratch 1.4 is available, but also copyrighted.
5.4 This part lists trademarks owned by the Scratch Team, such as the Scratch website, the Scratch Cat, and Gobo.
5.5 Some of the support materials are trademarked by third parties.
6. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
6.1 If a user feels something on the Scratch website invades their copyright, they can send a request to copyright@scratch.mit.edu
6.2 If a user's content was taken down for copyright, they may send a request to put it back up, with a brief explanation, to copyright@scratch.mit.edu.
7. Suspension and Termination of Accounts
7.1 The Scratch Team has the right to take down accounts for violations of the Community Guidelines or Terms of Use.
7.2 If a user would like to delete their account, they may email help@scratch.mit.edu (now outdated as accounts can be deleted from Account Settings)
8. Third Party Websites
8.1 The Scratch Team is not responsible for third-party websites users link people to.
9. Indemnification
This section explains that users must help indemnify Scratch, or protect it from liability (being held responsible for problems involving another user on Scratch)
10. Disclaimer of Warranty
This section explains that Scratch is provided as-is and is not warranted.
11. Limitation of Liability
This section explains that the Scratch Team is not responsible for damage it causes to anyone, even if they have been warned of the possibility of it.
12. Jurisdiction
This section explains that Scratch is a U.S. organization. Users must make sure they abide by their local laws when using Scratch in another country.
13. Choice of Law and Venue
Any action against the Terms of Use should be brought up in a Suffolk County court in Massachusetts.
14. Choice of Language
The Terms of Use has translated versions, but they are not official. The English version will always govern.
15. No Waiver
The Terms of Use may not be waived (given up). If the Scratch Team fails to assert any of these rules, it does not count as a waiver.
16. Entire Agreement
This Terms of Use is considered complete and overrides any previous agreement by the Scratch Team.
