Terms of Service

Effective Date: August 21, 2026 · Last Updated: September 6, 2026

Welcome to MatthewArdenFoss.com (“Website,” “I,” “me,” or “my”). These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of MatthewArdenFoss.com and the compositions, scores, recordings, writings, educational materials, products, services, and other content made available through the Website.

The Website serves as a platform for Matthew A. Foss to publish, share, promote, and sell his original musical compositions and writings relating to classical music, composition, music theory, music history, education, and related subjects.

By accessing or using the Website, purchasing a score, downloading materials, submitting information through the Website, or otherwise using its services, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use the Website.

1. Purpose of the Website

The purpose of this Website is to provide a centralized location for the publication, presentation, promotion, and sale of the musical and written work of Matthew A. Foss.

Content may include original compositions, musical scores, recordings, program notes, essays, articles, educational materials, analysis, research, commentary, information concerning current or future creative projects, and materials available for purchase or download.

The availability of any composition, score, recording, article, essay, or other work through the Website does not place that work in the public domain or constitute a waiver or transfer of copyright.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, all rights in original works by Matthew A. Foss are reserved.

2. Copyright and Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise indicated, original content published on the Website, including my musical compositions, scores, recordings, writings, essays, articles, program notes, educational materials, graphics, and other original creative works, is owned by Matthew A. Foss and is protected by applicable copyright and intellectual property laws.

Publication, sale, download, or display of a work through the Website does not constitute a transfer, assignment, waiver, or abandonment of copyright or other intellectual property rights.

All rights not expressly granted are reserved.

Except as expressly permitted by these Terms, a license accompanying a particular work, a separate written agreement, or applicable law, my original musical compositions, scores, recordings, writings, and other copyrighted materials may not be reproduced, distributed, published, performed, recorded, arranged, adapted, sold, licensed, or otherwise exploited without permission.

3. Musical Compositions and Scores

Musical compositions and scores made available through the Website remain protected by copyright unless expressly stated otherwise.

The ability to view, stream, preview, purchase, or download a score does not constitute a transfer of copyright or ownership of the underlying work.

Where I make a score available for free download, the download itself does not waive my copyright. Any additional permissions associated with that score will be identified separately where applicable.

Scores offered for purchase remain subject to the license and usage provisions contained in these Terms and any additional terms accompanying the particular work.

4. Purchases and Payment Through PayPal

Certain scores, products, commissions, licensing arrangements, services, or other transactions offered through the Website may require payment.

Payments made through the Website may be processed using PayPal or another third-party payment processor identified at the time of purchase.

When you submit payment through PayPal, payment information is provided directly to PayPal and is subject to PayPal's applicable terms, conditions, and privacy practices. Depending on the payment method selected, PayPal may collect information including your email address, billing information, credit or debit card information, bank-account information, or other information necessary to complete the transaction.

I do not intend to directly receive or store complete credit card numbers, debit card numbers, bank-account credentials, PayPal passwords, or other sensitive payment credentials processed directly by PayPal.

By making a purchase or submitting payment through the Website, you agree to provide accurate and complete information and authorize the applicable payment processor to charge the amount displayed or otherwise agreed upon for the transaction.

Prices, fees, deposits, and other charges will be identified through the Website or communicated to you before payment is required.

For commissions, licensing arrangements, performances, custom work, teaching, or other professional services, additional payment terms—including deposits, installment schedules, cancellation terms, and refund policies—may be established in a separate written agreement.

I am not responsible for interruptions, errors, security incidents, payment holds, account restrictions, or other issues arising solely from PayPal's or another third-party payment processor's systems or services.

5. Digital Score Sales and Refunds

Unless otherwise expressly stated at the time of purchase, sales of digital musical scores and other downloadable digital products are final once the product has been delivered or made available for download.

Because digital products cannot ordinarily be returned once delivered, refunds, exchanges, and cancellations are generally not available after delivery.

If you experience a technical problem receiving or accessing a purchased score, receive an incorrect or defective file, are charged incorrectly, or experience another problem with your order, please contact me at matthewardenfoss@outlook.com. I will review the issue and, where appropriate, may provide a corrected file, replacement, or refund.

Nothing in this section limits any refund, cancellation, or other consumer right that cannot lawfully be waived under applicable law.

6. License and Usage Rights for Purchased Scores

Purchasing a musical score grants the purchaser a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to download and use the purchased score for lawful personal study, rehearsal, educational use, and public performance, subject to these Terms and any additional license terms identified with the particular composition.

Purchase of a score includes permission to publicly perform the purchased composition, provided that I am notified of the performance. Performers, ensembles, schools, universities, orchestras, organizations, or other parties presenting the work should notify me at matthewardenfoss@outlook.com and, when reasonably available, provide the name of the composition, performing ensemble or performer, performance date, and location.

Notification is intended to ensure that I am aware of performances of my work and can maintain accurate records of where and when my compositions are being performed. Unless otherwise stated for a particular work, no additional permission from me is required for a live public performance once the score has been lawfully purchased and the required notification has been provided.

Purchase of a score does not transfer copyright or ownership of the musical composition or score. All copyright and other intellectual property rights remain with Matthew A. Foss unless expressly transferred through a separate written agreement.

Unless expressly authorized, purchasers may not:

Resell, redistribute, share, upload, publish, or otherwise provide copies of purchased scores to others;
Make purchased scores publicly available online or through file-sharing services;
Claim ownership or authorship of a purchased composition or score;
Create, publish, distribute, or sell unauthorized arrangements, adaptations, editions, or derivative versions of a purchased work;
Remove or alter copyright notices, attribution information, or other rights-management information; or
Use a purchased score beyond the rights granted by these Terms or any separate license accompanying the work.

The public-performance permission granted through purchase applies to live public performances of the composition. It does not, unless separately authorized, grant permission to commercially record, reproduce, distribute, livestream, broadcast, synchronize with film or other media, publish, arrange, adapt, or otherwise commercially exploit the composition.

Where separate licenses, permissions, royalties, reporting obligations, or performing-rights requirements apply to a particular use or performance, the purchaser, performer, ensemble, or presenting organization remains responsible for satisfying those requirements.

7. Performance of My Music

A lawfully purchased score includes permission to perform the composition publicly in accordance with Section 6, provided that I am notified of the performance.

To notify me of an upcoming performance, please contact matthewardenfoss@outlook.com and, when reasonably available, include:

The composition being performed;
The name of the performer, ensemble, school, university, orchestra, or organization;
The date of the performance; and
The location or venue of the performance.

I welcome performances of my music and request this information so that I can remain aware of performances and maintain records of the performance history of my compositions.

Public-performance permission does not automatically include permission for commercial recording, distribution, livestreaming, broadcasting, synchronization, arrangement, adaptation, publication, or other uses beyond the live performance itself. Please contact me separately regarding those uses.

Questions regarding performances, commissions, recordings, arrangements, synchronization, publication, licensing, or other uses of my music may be directed to matthewardenfoss@outlook.com.

8. Recordings, Audio, and Video

Recordings, audio samples, videos, and other media available through the Website may be protected by copyright independently from the underlying musical composition.

Where I own the applicable rights, those materials may not be copied, downloaded, redistributed, reproduced, sampled, synchronized, sold, or commercially exploited without permission except as expressly authorized or permitted by law.

Some recordings or videos may include performances by musicians, ensembles, conductors, venues, recording organizations, or other third parties who retain rights in their respective contributions.

The appearance of such material on the Website does not transfer third-party rights to me or to visitors or purchasers.

9. Writings, Essays, and Educational Materials

My original essays, articles, program notes, analyses, educational materials, commentary, and other writings published through the Website are protected by copyright.

Visitors may read and reference publicly available materials for lawful personal, educational, scholarly, or research purposes.

Reasonable quotation for purposes such as scholarship, criticism, commentary, teaching, or research may be permitted under applicable law. Where my writing is quoted or referenced, appropriate attribution should be provided.

Publication of an article or educational resource through the Website does not grant permission to reproduce, republish, sell, or distribute the work in full without authorization.

10. User Responsibilities

When submitting information through the Website, making a purchase, subscribing to communications, or otherwise interacting with Website features, you agree to provide information that is accurate to the best of your knowledge.

You may not impersonate another person or knowingly provide false, fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading information.

Contact forms and other communication features may not be used to transmit spam, unsolicited advertising, harassment, threats, fraudulent requests, malicious code, unlawful material, or content intended to interfere with or misuse the Website or its services.

You are responsible for ensuring that your use of the Website, purchased materials, downloads, and communication features complies with these Terms and applicable law.

11. Prohibited Uses

You agree not to use the Website to:

Reproduce or distribute my copyrighted works without authorization;
Sell or commercially exploit my compositions, scores, recordings, or writings without authorization;
Share purchased digital scores in violation of the license granted through these Terms;
Claim authorship or ownership of my compositions or writings;
Create or distribute unauthorized arrangements or adaptations of protected works;
Remove copyright notices, attribution information, watermarks, or other rights-management information;
Systematically scrape or extract substantial amounts of Website content for unauthorized commercial purposes;
Attempt to interfere with the security or operation of the Website;
Introduce viruses, malicious software, or harmful code;
Use Website forms or services to send spam, fraudulent messages, or abusive communications;
Use the Website for fraudulent or unlawful purposes; or
Violate the intellectual property or other legal rights of another person.

12. Artificial Intelligence and Automated Use

Unless expressly authorized in writing, the availability, purchase, or download of content through the Website does not grant permission to use my original musical compositions, scores, recordings, writings, or other copyrighted works to train, develop, fine-tune, evaluate, or improve artificial intelligence or machine-learning models.

Automated scraping, bulk downloading, data mining, or systematic extraction of my copyrighted works for the creation or development of commercial datasets, generative systems, or similar technologies is prohibited except where such restriction is prohibited by applicable law.

Nothing in this section is intended to restrict uses that cannot lawfully be restricted under applicable law.

13. Commissions and Professional Services

Information concerning commissions, performances, collaborations, teaching, speaking, licensing, or other professional services may be provided through the Website.

Information displayed on the Website concerning these services does not by itself constitute a binding offer or agreement.

Any commission, performance arrangement, licensing agreement, teaching engagement, custom work, or other professional relationship may be subject to mutually agreed terms and, where appropriate, a separate written agreement.

If a separate written agreement applies to a particular transaction or professional relationship, that agreement will govern the matters specifically addressed by it.

14. Third-Party and Public-Domain Materials

The Website may discuss, quote, reproduce, link to, or otherwise reference compositions, scores, recordings, photographs, writings, historical documents, or other materials created or owned by third parties.

Some materials discussed through the Website may be in the public domain, while others may remain protected by copyright or other intellectual property rights.

My inclusion, discussion, or use of third-party or public-domain material does not constitute a claim of ownership over material that I do not own.

15. External Links and Third-Party Services

The Website may contain links to or use services provided by external websites and third parties, including payment processors, publishers, ensembles, universities, streaming platforms, social media platforms, music organizations, retailers, analytics providers, email providers, or other resources.

These third-party websites and services operate independently from the Website.

I am not responsible for their availability, content, security, privacy practices, terms, policies, or actions.

A link to or use of an external service does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of all content, products, services, practices, or opinions associated with that third party.

16. Classical Music Scholarship and Commentary

Articles and other writings on the Website may discuss composers, compositions, musical techniques, historical events, recordings, performances, scholarship, and other subjects relating to classical music.

Such writings may contain analysis, interpretation, criticism, commentary, and personal or scholarly opinion.

While I make reasonable efforts to provide accurate information, musicological and historical scholarship can involve conflicting sources, disputed dates, differing interpretations, attribution questions, and evolving research.

Accordingly, information presented through the Website should not necessarily be treated as the sole authoritative source for academic, historical, or professional research.

17. Copyright Concerns

I respect the intellectual property rights of others and intend to use third-party materials only where I have appropriate permission or where their use is otherwise permitted by law.

If you believe material appearing on the Website infringes copyright or other intellectual property rights that you own or control, please contact:

Matthew A. Foss
Email: matthewardenfoss@outlook.com

Please identify the material at issue, its location on the Website, the work you believe has been infringed, and sufficient information for me to evaluate and respond to the concern.

18. Accuracy and Availability

I make reasonable efforts to maintain accurate and current information on the Website.

However, I do not guarantee that every page, composition listing, biography, performance date, article, link, score, price, description, download, or other item will always be complete, current, accurate, or free from errors.

I may correct errors or omissions and may modify, remove, update, suspend, or discontinue Website content where appropriate.

19. Changes to the Website and Services

I reserve the right to modify, update, add, suspend, restrict, or discontinue any part of the Website or the products, materials, features, or services offered through it at any time.

This may include changes to available compositions, scores, recordings, writings, downloads, pricing, payment methods, licensing options, commission availability, educational materials, or other content and services.

I may also correct errors in descriptions, pricing, availability, or other information appearing on the Website.

Where a change affects an existing purchase, commission, license, or other agreement, the terms applicable to that transaction or separate written agreement will continue to govern unless otherwise agreed or required by applicable law.

I am not obligated to maintain any particular composition, score, recording, article, product, feature, payment method, or service on the Website indefinitely.

20. Suspension or Termination of Access

I reserve the right, to the extent permitted by applicable law, to restrict, suspend, or terminate access to all or part of the Website or its services where I reasonably believe a user has violated these Terms, infringed intellectual property rights, engaged in fraudulent or unlawful activity, attempted to interfere with the operation or security of the Website, or otherwise misused the Website or its services.

Termination or restriction of access does not transfer, waive, or otherwise affect my intellectual property rights and does not authorize continued reproduction, redistribution, resale, or exploitation of materials obtained through the Website beyond rights that lawfully survive termination.

21. Privacy

Use of the Website is also subject to the Website's separate Privacy Policy where personal information is collected through contact forms, newsletter subscriptions, analytics, cookies, purchases, payment processing, or other services.

The Privacy Policy describes the collection, use, storage, and sharing of personal information associated with the Website.

22. Disclaimer of Warranties

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Website and its content, products, downloads, and services are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.

I do not guarantee that the Website will always be available, uninterrupted, secure, or error-free.

I also do not guarantee the continued availability of particular scores, recordings, articles, links, downloads, products, or other materials.

Nothing in these Terms excludes warranties or rights that cannot lawfully be excluded under applicable law.

23. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, I will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages arising from or relating to access to or use of the Website, inability to use the Website, or use of its content, products, downloads, or services.

I am not responsible for losses resulting solely from the acts, omissions, interruptions, or failures of independent third-party services, including payment processors, hosting providers, email providers, analytics services, or other external platforms, except to the extent responsibility cannot lawfully be excluded.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited under applicable law.

24. No Professional or Legal Advice

Articles, commentary, educational materials, and other informational content appearing through the Website are provided for artistic, scholarly, informational, or educational purposes.

Nothing on the Website constitutes legal advice.

Any discussion of copyright, licensing, publishing, royalties, performance rights, or similar legal matters should not be relied upon as a substitute for advice from a qualified professional.

25. Changes to These Terms

I may revise these Terms from time to time to reflect changes to the Website, products, services, business practices, third-party services, or applicable legal requirements.

When these Terms are revised, the “Last Updated” date at the beginning of this document will be updated.

Unless otherwise required by applicable law, revised Terms will become effective when posted to the Website or on another effective date identified with the revised Terms.

Your continued use of the Website after revised Terms become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms to the extent permitted by applicable law.

26. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

Any dispute arising from these Terms or use of the Website will be subject to the jurisdiction of the appropriate courts in Texas, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

27. Contact Information

Questions concerning these Terms, purchases, payments, scores, compositions, permissions, licensing, performances, copyright, or other matters relating to the Website may be directed to:

Matthew A. Foss
Composer
Email: matthewardenfoss@outlook.com
Website: www.matthewardenfoss.com

For questions concerning a specific purchase or payment, please include sufficient information to identify the transaction.

Please do not send credit card numbers, bank-account information, PayPal passwords, or other sensitive financial credentials by email.