Acceptable Use
Policy
Revision date: 3/14/2007
MrNussbaum.com
respects that the Internet provides a forum for free and open
discussion and dissemination of information. However, when there are
competing interests at issue, MrNussbaum.com reserves the right to take
certain preventive or corrective actions. In order to protect these
competing interests, MrNussbaum.com has developed an Acceptable Use
Policy ("AUP"), which supplements and explains certain terms of each
customer's respective service agreement, and is intended as a guide to
the customer's rights and obligations when using MrNussbaum.com'
services. This AUP will be revised from time to time.
One
important aspect of the Internet is that no one party owns or controls
it. This fact accounts for much of the Internet's openness and value,
but it also places a high premium on the judgment and responsibility of
those who use it, both in the information they acquire and in the
information they disseminate to others. When subscribers obtain
information through the Internet, they must keep in mind that
MrNussbaum.com cannot monitor, verify, warrant or vouch for the
accuracy and quality of the information they acquire. For this reason,
the subscriber must exercise his or her best judgment in relying on
information obtained from the Internet, and also should be aware that
some material posted to the Internet may be sexually explicit or
otherwise offensive. Because MrNussbaum.com cannot monitor or censor
the Internet, and will not attempt to do so, MrNussbaum.com cannot
accept any responsibility for injury to its subscribers resulting from
inaccurate, unsuitable, offensive or illegal Internet communications.
When
subscribers disseminate information from the Internet, they must keep
in mind that MrNussbaum.comdoes not review, edit, censor or take
responsibility for any information its subscribers may create. When
users place information on the Internet, they have the same liability
as other authors for copyright infringement, defamation and other
harmful speech. Also, because the information created is carried over
MrNussbaum.com' network and may reach a large number of people,
including subscribers of MrNussbaum.com, subscribers' postings to the
Internet may affect other subscribers and may affect MrNussbaum.com'
goodwill, business, reputation or operations. For these reasons,
subscribers violate MrNussbaum.com policy and the Service Agreement
when they, their customers, affiliates or subsidiaries engage in the
following prohibited activities:
Adult-Oriented Content:
MrNussbaum.com does not allow adult content and will suspend/terminate any offending account.
Defamatory or Abusive Language:
Using MrNussbaum.com' network as a means to transmit or post negative, defamatory, harassing, abusive or threatening language.
Forging of Headers:
Forging or misrepresenting message headers, whether in whole or in part, to mask the
originator of the message.
Illegal or Unauthorized Access to Other Computers or Networks:
Accessing,
illegally or without authorization, computers, accounts or networks
belonging to another party, or attempting to penetrate security
measures of another individual's system (often known as "hacking").
Also, any activity that may be used as a precursor to an attempted
system penetration (i.e., port scan, stealth scan or other
information-gathering activity).
Distribution of Internet Viruses, Worms, Trojan Horses or Other Destructive Activities:
Distributing
information regarding the creation of and sending Internet viruses,
worms, Trojan horses, pinging, flooding, mail bombing or denial of
service attacks. Also, activities that disrupt the use of or interfere
with the ability of others to effectively use the network or any
connected network, system, service or equipment.
Facilitation a Violation of this AUP:
Advertising,
transmitting or otherwise making available any software, program,
product or service that is designed to violate this AUP, which includes
the facilitation of the means to spam, initiation of pinging, flooding,
mail bombing, denial of service attacks and piracy of software.
Export Control Violations:
Exporting encryption software over the Internet or otherwise, to points outside the United States.
Usenet Groups:
MrNussbaum.com
reserves the right not to accept postings from newsgroups where we have
actual knowledge that the content of the newsgroup violates the AUP.
Other Illegal Activities:
Engaging
in activities that are determined to be illegal, including, but not
limited to, advertising, transmitting or otherwise making available
ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, fraudulently charging credit cards and
pirating software.
Other Activities:
Engaging in activities, whether lawful or unlawful, that MrNussbaum.com determines to be harmful to its subscribers,
operations, reputation, goodwill or customer relations.
As
we have pointed out, the responsibility for avoiding harmful activities
just described rests primarily with the subscriber. MrNussbaum.com will
not, as an ordinary practice, monitor the communications of its
subscribers to ensure that the comply with MrNussbaum.com' policy or
applicable law. However, when MrNussbaum.com becomes aware of harmful
activities, it may take any action to stop the harmful activity,
including, but not limited to, removal of information, shutting down a
web site, implementing screening software designed to block offending
transmissions, denying access to the Internet, or any other action
deemed appropriate by MrNussbaum.com.
MrNussbaum.com is also
aware that many of its subscribers are themselves providers of Internet
services, and that information reaching MrNussbaum.com' facilities from
those subscribers may have originated from a customer of the subscriber
or from another third party. MrNussbaum.com does not require its
subscribers who offer Internet services to monitor or censor
transmissions or web sites created by customers of its subscribers.
MrNussbaum.com reserves the right to directly take action against a
customer of its subscribers. Also, MrNussbaum.com may take action
against the MrNussbaum.com' subscriber because of activities of a
customer of the subscriber, even though the action may affect other
customers of the subscriber. Similarly, MrNussbaum.com anticipates that
subscribers who offer Internet services will cooperate with
MrNussbaum.com in any corrective or preventive action that
MrNussbaum.com deems necessary. Failure to cooperate with such
corrective or preventive measures is a violation of MrNussbaum.com
policy.
MrNussbaum.com
will not intentionally monitor private electronic mail messages sent or
receive by its subscribers, unless required to do so by law,
governmental authority or when public safety is at stake.
MrNussbaum.com may, however, monitor its service electronically to
determine that its facilities are operating satisfactorily. Also,
MrNussbaum.com may disclose information, including, but not limited to,
information concerning a subscriber, a transmission made using our
network, or a web site, in order to comply with a court order,
subpoena, summons, discovery request, warrant, statute, regulation or
governmental request. MrNussbaum.com assumes not obligation to inform
the subscriber that subscriber information has been provided and, in
some cases, may be prohibited by law from giving such notice. Finally,
MrNussbaum.com may disclose subscriber information or information
transmitted over its network where necessary to protect MrNussbaum.com
and others from harm, or where such disclosure is necessary to the
proper operation of the system. However, MrNussbaum.com will never sell
information to other services or outside companies.
MrNussbaum.com
expects that its subscribers who provide Internet services to others
will comply fully with all applicable laws concerning the privacy of
online communications. A subscriber's failure to comply with those laws
will violate MrNussbaum.com policy. Finally, MrNussbaum.com wishes to
emphasize that, in signing the Service Agreement, subscribers indemnify
MrNussbaum.com for any violation of the Service Agreement, law or
MrNussbaum.com policy resulting in loss to MrNussbaum.com or the
bringing of any claim against MrNussbaum.com by any third party. This
means that, if MrNussbaum.com is sued because of a subscriber's or
customer of a subscriber's activity, the subscriber will be responsible
for payment of any damages awarded against MrNussbaum.com, plus costs
and reasonable attorney's fees.
We
hope this AUP is helpful in clarifying the obligations of Internet
users, including MrNussbaum.com and its subscribers, as responsible
members of the Internet. Any complaints about a subscriber's violation
of this AUP should be sent to mrn@mrnussbaum.com.