PLEASE READ THESE TERMS OF USE CAREFULLY. BY USING THE SERVICE, YOU AGREE TO THESE TERMS OF USE, WHICH CONTAIN MANDATORY ARBITRATION FOR RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES BETWEEN YOU AND KOBO. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS OF USE, PLEASE DO NOT USE THE SERVICE.
Rakuten Kobo Inc., located in Toronto, Canada, and its subsidiaries (“Kobo”, “we” “our” and/or “us”) operate websites (including online storefronts), mobile applications, and a digital reading platform that enable customers to read or listen to written or creative works, including eBooks, audiobooks, or any literary works made available (“Digital Content”) using a variety of electronic devices, software applications, widgets, and other services, and provide an account that you may use to access Digital Content (“Kobo Account”) (collectively, the "Service”). Kobo is part of the Rakuten Group, which includes the affiliates and subsidiaries of our parent company, Rakuten Group, Inc., based in Tokyo, Japan (collectively, “Rakuten Group”). More information about Rakuten is available at http://global.rakuten.com/corp/about/company.
Your access to the Service, including your registration for and use of a Kobo Account (either directly through the Service or via third-party authentication services that are not owned or controlled by Us, such as those provided by Facebook, Inc., Google LLC, or other Rakuten Group entities) and any other interactions with Us are bound by these terms of use (“Terms of Use”), whether you are or are not a Customer (as defined in Section 4 below) of the Service. You are only authorized to access and use the Service (regardless of whether your access or use is intended) if you agree to abide by all applicable laws and with these Terms of Use.
NOTICE REGARDING DISPUTE RESOLUTION: THESE TERMS OF USE CONTAIN PROVISIONS THAT GOVERN HOW CLAIMS YOU AND KOBO HAVE AGAINST EACH OTHER ARE RESOLVED (SEE SECTION 13 “DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION AGREEMENT” BELOW), INCLUDING AN OBLIGATION TO ARBITRATE DISPUTES, WHICH WILL, SUBJECT TO LIMITED EXCEPTIONS, REQUIRE YOU TO SUBMIT CLAIMS YOU HAVE AGAINST US TO BINDING ARBITRATION.
Kobo reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to change, modify, add, or delete portions of these Terms of Use at any time. You are responsible for reviewing these Terms of Use for changes and you should review these Terms of Use regularly. Kobo will provide you with notice of material changes, such as by sending an email, posting to our website, providing a notice through the Service, or other reasonable means. Changes to these Terms of Use are effective upon receipt of such notice, or upon your continued use of the Services, whichever is sooner.
If you do not comply with these Terms of Use at any time, Kobo reserves the right to immediately cancel, terminate, or suspend your access to the Service (or any part thereof) or your Kobo Account, if any. Kobo may initiate this right of termination or suspension, without notice, for reasons that may include the following:
In Kobo’s sole discretion and without prior notice or liability, Kobo may discontinue, modify, or alter any aspect of the Service including, but not limited to:
You agree that any termination or cancellation of your access to, or use of, the Service may be carried out without prior notice. If you do not abide by the terms of these Terms of Use, you agree that we may immediately deactivate or delete your Kobo Account, if any, and all related information or files or bar any further access to such information or files or the Services (or part thereof). Further, you agree that Kobo shall not be liable to you or any third-party for any termination or cancellation of your access to, or use of, the Services. You acknowledge that your only right with respect to any dissatisfaction with any modification or discontinuation of or to the Services, or any policies or practices by Kobo in providing the Services, including without limitation any change in content, is to cease using the Services and cancel or terminate your subscription or Kobo Account, as applicable.
All Digital Content is the exclusive property of the publisher or its licensors and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. The download of, and access to any Digital Content is available only to Customers and is intended only for such Customers’ personal and non-commercial use. Any other use of Digital Content downloaded or accessed from the Service is strictly prohibited. The access to Digital Content is provided by Kobo’s grant of licenses to Customers, the access being restricted and defined by the license parameters. Customers may not modify, transmit, publish, participate in the transfer or sale of, reproduce, create derivative works from, distribute, perform, display, or in any way exploit, any of the content of any Digital Content, in whole or in part. By downloading or otherwise accessing Digital Content from the Service, the Customer hereby acknowledges and agrees to these terms.
Your use of the Kobo Plus subscription service is also subject to the provisions set out below.
Kobo Plus subscribers may read their choice of eBooks from a selected set of Digital Content for a monthly fee. The Digital Content available to subscribers will vary and Kobo makes no guarantees about the availability of such Digital Content.
When a credit card is being used for a purchase, Kobo may obtain pre-approval from the credit card company for an amount up to the amount of the order. Billing to the credit card occurs at the time of purchase, or shortly thereafter.
You may cancel your membership by using the “Cancel my subscription” button on the Kobo "My Subscriptions". Except as otherwise set out in these Terms of Use and the Terms of Sale (for provision of license to Digital Content), if you cancel your membership, you will not receive a refund of any membership fees already paid. When your membership is cancelled, the Digital Content from your subscription associated with your Kobo Account will be removed from your devices and applications.
Restrictions apply on the number of eBooks (including audiobooks) subscribers can simultaneously download. Subscribers can download a maximum of 15 eBooks simultaneously for offline reading. If the subscriber has already downloaded 15 eBooks, the eBook which has been on the device the longest will be automatically removed when he/she downloads a new eBook. Kobo reserves the right to unilaterally alter these offline reading rules without notice.
Kobo may also take steps to prevent fraud, such as restricting the number of titles that may be accessed at one time, and monitoring Kobo Accounts for any activity that may violate these Terms of Use. If Kobo discovers any type of fraud, Kobo reserves the right to take enforcement action including the termination or suspension of a Kobo Account.
Your use of the Audiobooks subscription service is also subject to the provisions set out below.
Kobo Audiobook subscription subscribers may listen to a choice of Audiobooks from a selected set of Digital Content for a monthly fee. The Digital Content available to subscribers will vary and Kobo makes no guarantees about the availability of such Digital Content.
The fees for Audiobook subscription plans will be stated at the time of your purchase and outlined in our help pages. The fees for membership plans may vary. Fees may be subject to tax and are non-refundable except in the specific circumstances described in these Terms of Use.
Audiobook subscription credits are only redeemable for audiobook content. These credits have no cash value and are non-transferable. Kobo will not offer refunds on credits. Customers may only accrue a maximum of 24 credits in their Kobo Account at any given time.
All credits are valid while the Customer is a Kobo Audiobook subscriber. Credits will only expire once a Customer cancels their subscription. Upon cancelation, a Customer will have a period of 6 months from the date of cancelation to spend their unused credits. Any credits that remain after 6 months will expire and will no longer be available for use.
Following the initial payment, unless you cancel your subscription, you will be charged the then-applicable membership fees and any taxes, using the payment method we have on file for you.
Only Customers may purchase Digital Content on the Service.
The Service accepts the following credit cards: Visa and MasterCard.
Depending on the country in which you are making your purchase, the following payment methods may also be available: American Express, Visa Debit, PayPal, iDeal and JCB.
When a credit card is being used for a purchase, Kobo may obtain pre-approval from the credit card company for an amount up to the amount of the order. Billing to the credit card occurs at the time of purchase, or shortly thereafter.
The Service is open to the public but certain portions, components, content and features of the Service are only available to individuals who enter into a contract with Kobo for the provision of the Service by registering with Kobo, creating a Kobo Account, and agreeing to these Terms of Use and acknowledging Kobo’s Privacy Policy at the time the Kobo Account is created (each, a "Customer"). If the individual remains a Customer and their Kobo Account is active, Customers will have ongoing access to and will be able to receive, amongst others, the following additional services and functionality of the Service:
These terms apply to all users of the Service, whether or not you are a Customer.
Violations of system or network security may result in civil or criminal liability. Kobo will investigate occurrences which may involve such violations and may cooperate with law enforcement authorities in prosecuting any user (whether a Customer) who is involved in such violations.
Kobo shall have the right, but not the obligation, to monitor the content of the Service including any chat rooms and forums, to determine compliance with these Terms of Use and any operating rules established by Kobo and to satisfy any law, regulation or authorized government request. Kobo shall have the right in its sole discretion to edit, refuse to post or remove any material submitted to or posted on the Service. Without limiting the foregoing, Kobo shall have the right to remove any material that Kobo in its sole discretion, finds to be in violation of the provisions hereof, its CONTENT POLICY, or otherwise objectionable. Although Kobo reserves the right to remove, without notice, any posting for any reason, Kobo has no obligation to delete submissions that you may find objectionable or offensive.
You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Kobo and its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents from and against all claims, actions, demands, damages, costs, liabilities, losses and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of your use of the Service.
Kobo, kobobooks.com and related words, domain names and logos are trademarks and the property of Kobo Inc. All other trademarks, product names and company names or logos cited herein are the property of their respective owners.
Kobo has no more editorial control over content than does a public library, bookstore, or newsstand. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including content providers and users, are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and not of Kobo. In many instances, the content available through the Service represents the opinions and judgments of the respective content provider or user. Kobo neither endorses nor is responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, advice or statement made on the Service by anyone other than authorized Kobo employee spokespersons while acting in their official capacities.
Some of the literary works offered on the Service have been identified as being in the public domain by certain content providers. Kobo does not verify the accuracy of public domain designations and is not liable for any damage that may result from the downloading or other use of such literary works by you. If you do not reside in the relevant jurisdiction for which the public domain designation has been made, it is your responsibility to check the laws of your country of residence prior to downloading or accessing such literary works.
Rakuten Kobo Inc. controls the Service from its offices within the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Service can be accessed from all provinces and territories of Canada and from other countries around the world. As each of these jurisdictions has laws that may differ from those of the Province of Ontario, by accessing the Service, if you are located outside of the United States, and except to the extent that applicable local law requires that the law applied for contracts of this type be that of your country of residence, you agree that all matters relating to access to, or use of, the Service, or any other hyperlinked website, shall be governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, and you agree and hereby submit to the non-exclusive personal jurisdiction and venue of the courts of the Province of Ontario and acknowledge that you do so voluntarily and are responsible for complying with all local laws. For all users, but with specific application to users located in the United States, any action relating to the use of the Service or any transaction with us or the relationship between you and us is subject to the Dispute Resolution and Individual Arbitration Agreement clauses in Section 13 below. To the extent any such action relating to the use of the Service or any transaction with us is not required to be arbitrated or filed in small claims court in accordance with the Individual Arbitration Agreement, you and we agree that these Terms of Use will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada, without regard to its conflicts of laws principles, and you and we agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Province of Ontario, Canada.
With respect to Customers who utilize a Kobo device, Kobo reserves the right to display advertisements and offers on your device. These advertisements and offers may be displayed when the device is powered off or in sleep mode, at the bottom of the home screen, as a screensaver, or through other areas in the user interface as Kobo may choose. By agreeing to these Terms of Use, you consent to the receipt of such advertising being selected for and presented to you based on information that may be collected or inferred about you, including demographic information.
We use technologies that maintain records of your browsing sessions, chats, and other activities on the Service. These technologies may include pixels, cookies, chat providers that maintain a transcript of your chats, or other tracking technologies that share some of your interactions with the Service. We use this information for quality control, customer service, fraud prevention and security, and marketing purposes and in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Kobo reserves the right to alter the software of any Kobo device, including enhancements, bug fixes, etc., at any time and in Kobo's sole discretion.
Even if We act in a way that appears to you to be inconsistent with these Terms of Use or fail to enforce any provision herein, Our actions shall not be deemed a waiver or constructive amendment of such provision nor of the right to enforce such provision.
These Terms of Use supersede any prior agreements in relation to the subject matter of these Terms of Use, whether written or oral. For avoidance of doubt, our customer service representatives are not authorized to modify the Terms of Use, either verbally or in writing. If any of your use of the Service is governed by any other agreement, and to the extent that there is an irreconcilable conflict between any such other agreement(s) and these Terms of Use, including any arbitration provision or dispute resolution provision, these Terms of Use will control for that conflict.
PLEASE READ THIS SECTION (“Dispute Resolution and Individual Arbitration Agreement”) CAREFULLY. IT MAY SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT YOUR RIGHTS, INCLUDING YOUR RIGHT TO FILE A LAWSUIT IN COURT OR TO PURSUE CLAIMS IN A CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE CAPACITY.
Binding Arbitration. If a Dispute cannot be resolved through negotiations during the Initial Dispute Resolution Period, then either you or Kobo may elect to have the Dispute finally and exclusively resolved by binding arbitration, unless an exception applies as stated below. To begin an arbitration proceeding, you must send us an email requesting arbitration and describing your claim to [email protected]. This email must be sent at least ten (10) days before you initiate an arbitration proceeding against us.
Except in the event of a Mass Arbitration (as defined below), the arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) in accordance with the AAA Rules effective as of the date of the Notice of Dispute, which are available at https://go.adr.org/consumer-arbitration, as modified by this Dispute Resolution and Individual Arbitration Agreement. If, for any reason, AAA is unable to administer the arbitration, then except as otherwise stated below, you may file your Dispute with any national arbitration company that handles consumer arbitrations following procedures that are substantially similar to the AAA Rules.
Arbitration hearings may be conducted by videoconference unless the arbitrator believes an in-person hearing is necessary. In such instances, the location of an arbitration hearing will be decided pursuant to the AAA Rules.
The arbitrator will make a decision in writing but need not provide a statement of reasons unless requested by a party. The arbitrator must follow applicable law. The arbitrator has the authority to issue any relief that may be available in law or equity. The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding on you and Kobo, and any award of the arbitrator may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.
The arbitrator shall determine the scope and enforceability of this arbitration agreement, including whether a Dispute is subject to arbitration. The arbitrator has authority to decide all issues of validity, enforceability, or arbitrability, including, but not limited to, where a party raises as a defense to arbitration that the claims in question are exempted from the arbitration requirement or that any portion of this agreement is not enforceable.
If a lawsuit filed in court includes claims or requests for relief that are arbitrable and claims or requests for relief that are not, you and Kobo agree that any non-arbitrable claims or requests for relief shall be stayed pending the completion of the arbitration of the arbitrable claims or requests for relief.
You and Kobo hereby waive any right to a jury trial of any Dispute. The arbitration will be heard and determined by a single arbitrator. You and Kobo agree that the arbitration will be kept confidential and that the existence of the proceeding and any element of it (including, without limitation, any pleadings, briefs or other documents submitted or exchanged and any testimony or other oral submissions and awards) will not be disclosed beyond the arbitration proceedings, except as may lawfully be required in judicial proceedings relating to the arbitration, by applicable disclosure rules and regulations of securities regulatory authorities or other governmental agencies, or as specifically permitted by state law. Any party to the arbitration may at any time serve an offer of compromise in writing upon any other party to the action.
If any provision of this Dispute Resolution and Individual Arbitration Agreement is found to be invalid or unenforceable, then that specific provision shall be of no force and effect and shall be severed, but the remainder of this Dispute Resolution and Individual Arbitration Agreement shall continue in full force and effect. No waiver of any provision will be effective or enforceable unless recorded in a writing signed by the party waiving such a right or requirement. Such a waiver shall not waive or affect any other portion of these Terms of Use. Section 13 will survive the termination of your relationship with us. The foregoing severance provision shall not apply to the prohibition against class actions in Section 13(d) below. This means that if the prohibition against class actions is found to be unenforceable for any reason, the entirety of Section 13 of these Terms of Use (but only Section 13) shall be null and void.
Exception - Mass Arbitration Process Requirements before NAM. Notwithstanding the parties’ decision to have arbitrations administered by AAA, if twenty-five (25) or more demands for arbitration are filed relating to the same or similar subject matter and sharing common issues of law or fact, and counsel for the parties submitting the demands are the same or coordinated, you and we agree that this will constitute a “Mass Arbitration.” If a Mass Arbitration is commenced, you and We agree that it shall not be governed by AAA Rules or administered by AAA. Instead, a Mass Arbitration shall be administered by National Arbitration & Mediation (“NAM”), a nationally recognized arbitration provider, and governed by the NAM rules in effect when the Mass Arbitration is filed as modified by this Agreement, including the NAM Mass Filing Supplemental Dispute Resolution Rules and Procedures, but excluding any rules that permit arbitration on a class-wide basis (collectively, the “NAM Rules”). The NAM Rules are available at www.namadr.com or by calling 1-800-358-2550. You and We agree that your and Our counsel shall engage in good faith and with the assistance of a Procedural Arbitrator to devise and implement procedures that ensure that arbitration remains efficient and cost-effective for all parties. Either party may engage with the NAM to address reductions in arbitration fees.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary above, you and Kobo agree that if either party fails or refuses to commence the Mass Arbitration before NAM rather than AAA, you or Kobo may seek an order from a court of competent jurisdiction compelling compliance with this agreement and compelling administration of the Mass Arbitration before NAM. Pending resolution of any such requests to a court, you and Kobo agree that all arbitrations comprising the Mass Arbitration (and any obligation to pay arbitration fees) shall be stayed. You and Kobo acknowledge that either party’s failure to comply with this paragraph would irreparably harm the other, and you and Kobo agree that a court may issue an order staying the arbitrations (and any obligation to pay arbitration fees) until any disagreements over the provisions of this paragraph are resolved by the court. If for any reason the provisions in this Section 13(F) only are found to be unenforceable, or if for any reason NAM declines to administer the Mass Arbitration, then the Disputes comprising the Mass Arbitration shall be administered by AAA consistent with the provisions of Section 13(C) of this Dispute Resolution and Individual Arbitration Agreement.
Last updated: November 2025
| Event Name | Categorization of Event | Description of the Event |
|---|---|---|
| WifiSetup | n/a | When the Wifi Setup screen is shown on EPD (i.e. Wifi Setup option has been chosen) |
| WifiToggle | FTE | System Wifi On/Off status. Triggered every time the user switches wifi on/off but not cases where wifi loses connectivity and reconnects. |
| DesktopSetup | n/a | When the desktop Setup Screen is shown on EPD (ie the "no wifi" option has been chosen) |
| Sign-in | n/a | When user requests sign in screen, or when sign in screen shown. |
| FailedSync | Sync | If a sync operation fails for any reason including cancellation |
| RemoveContent | Library | When user removes content from the library by undownloading (archiving) it or deleting it from the library |
| DownloadContent | Library | When user downloads a book from cloud to local storage. If DownloadAll is used, this event does not fire (e.g. do not fire event 50 times if DownloadAll is used on a 50 book library. |
| DownloadAll | Library | When user downloads all books from cloud to local storage using Download All functions. |
| Sideload | Library | When a user sideloads an epub |
| TimeSincePluggedIn | Battery | When a user plugs in their device to a computer. The system will capture how long it has been since the device was last plugged in, and also what battery level the device was plugged in at. |
| Annotations View | ReadingExperience | When user changes view in annotations view (EPD) only |
| /Settings | When the user goes to settings screen on the EPD | |
| TrackingOptOut | Settings | Event fired when user has opted in/out of tracking analytics on EPD |
| AutoColorToggled | Light | System Wifi On/Off status. Triggered every time the user switches wifi on/off but not cases where wifi loses connectivity and reconnects. |
| AmbientLightSensorToggled | Light | When a user disables auto brightness. |
| AddToCollection | Library | When a user selects the "Add to Collection" overflow menu item from either a library item overflow menu or the item details page overflow menu. |
| MainNavOption | Home | User clicks on the main nav on EPD. |
| Ascm Reminder | Library | If the user tries to sideload an ascm file instead of Adobe DRM EPUB/PDF< educate them that they need to use ADE (only prompt user once) |
| SyncReminder | Sync | If user has not synced in 60 days, show a dialog prompting them to sync (only prompt user once) |
| BatteryLevelAtSync | Battery | When user syncs, send up current battery level, (so this can be used to trigger CRM low battery email) |
| LaunchBetaFeature | Settings | When user click on a beta feature on EPD |
Last updated: November 2025
