LiveTouch.net : Acceptable Use Policy

Acceptable Use Policy

Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
This agreement sets forth the Standard Terms and Conditions that apply to subscriber use of LiveTouch.net (LiveTouch.net). Subscriber henceforth agrees to comply with all provisions and policies set forth in this agreement. This policy replaces and overrides any previous Acceptable Use Policies offered by LiveTouch.net, Inc. In the event of any conflict between any provision(s) in this agreement and any provision(s) of a Service Level Agreement (SLA) that has been executed between the subscriber and LiveTouch.net Inc. the SLA provision(s) shall take precedence.

User Agreement:
LiveTouch.net strives to protect network resources and preserve the privacy and security of our customers while recognizing our position in the internet community as a whole. By becoming a subscriber to LiveTouch.net you agree to this Acceptable Use Policy. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless LiveTouch.net and LiveTouch.net from any claims resulting from your conduct and/or use of the service which damages you or another party. If you are dissatisfied with your service or any of its terms, conditions, rules, policies, guidelines, or practices, your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue using the service by canceling your account by contacting LiveTouch.net at 510-748-1500, option 2. Accounts left active will be billed accordingly.

Accounts connected to LiveTouch.net via a dedicated circuit including, but not limited to, wireless, ISDN, DSL, Ethernet feed, T1 or T3, and accounts with dedicated or colocated servers of any type, require thirty (30) days written notice of cancellation, to be delivered to LiveTouch.net via certified mail, with a return receipt. Cancellations via e-mail or fax are not acceptable and will not be accepted as a valid form of cancellation.

LiveTouch.net will make all possible efforts to maintain our network and deliver the best quality service, and does not take responsibility for Acts Of God, terrorism, or other circumstances outside of our direct control (local telephone exchange company issues, backbone provider issues, Denial of Service attacks, or customer hardware/software issues).

LiveTouch.net service is provided on an "as is" ; and "as available" basis. LiveTouch.net does not warrant that the service will be error-free or that any information, software, or other material accessible via the Internet will be free of viruses, worms, trojan horses, or other harmful components. LiveTouch.net does not guarantee the quality and reliability of networks outside of our direct control. LiveTouch.net is not responsible for the performance of any services provided by organizations outside of LiveTouch.net, including the quality of a subscriber's phone lines, the speed of Internet connections not owned or operated by LiveTouch.net, and the operation or reliability of any Internet server or computer not owned or operated by LiveTouch.net. This provision will survive termination of service with LiveTouch.net.

LiveTouch.net is not responsible for long distance and/or toll charges or any other charges incurred when using our dial-up numbers. It is the sole responsibility of the subscriber to check with their local telephone exchange company to ensure that calling any of our access numbers is a local call.

LiveTouch.net makes no expressed or implied warranties or endorsements including, but not limited to, warranties of title, non-infringement or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose regarding any merchandise, information, or service provided through LiveTouch.net or on the Internet generally. No advice or information given by LiveTouch.net, its employees, affiliates, vendors, or contractors shall create a warranty. This provision will survive termination of service with LiveTouch.net.

Under no circumstances shall LiveTouch.net, its employees, affiliates or contractors be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages that result in any way from any:

Use of your account or the service or your inability to use the service access of the internet or any part thereof;

Your reliance on or use of information, services, or merchandise provided on or through the service or that result from mistakes, omissions, interruptions, deletion of files, er rors, defects, delays in operation or transmission, or any failure of performance. LiveTouch.net's failure to enforce strict performance of any provision of this Policy shall not be construed as a waiver;

Conduct that violates the law, regulations, or the accepted norms of the Internet community, whether or not expressly mentioned in this policy, is prohibited. LiveTouch.net reserves the right at all times to prohibit activities that damage our commercial reputation and goodwill or that of our customers and users.

This provision will survive termination of service with LiveTouch.net.

Account Limitations:
LiveTouch.net service is provided for use in strict accordance with all federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations. Use of LiveTouch.net service to assist any other person or entity to violate any federal, state or local laws, ordinances or regulations is prohibited. Such activities include but are not limited to:

Transmittal of any material that violates any applicable local, state or federal law (such as copyrighted material);

Intentionally spreading computer viruses, spyware, trojans, malware, bots, or similar programs;

gaining or attempting to gain unauthorized access to any network;

conducting or participating in illegal gambling.

LiveTouch.net service is not to be used in any manner that infringes upon the rights of any third party, including but not limited to intellectual property rights or publicity rights (e.g., the unauthorized reproduction, distribution or misappropriation of copyrighted material, such as downloading software, music and video files or audio sounds and video images). LiveTouch.net service is not to be used to invade the privacy of any third parties, for example gathering electronic mail addresses, passwords, or other personal contact information without their express consent.

Monitoring of Content:
LiveTouch.net does not routinely monitor service to examine content transmitted through it or stored by users on it. However if LiveTouch.net is made aware of content that in LiveTouch.net's sole discretion violates this Acceptable Use Policy, local, state, or federal laws, LiveTouch.net has the right, but not the obligation, to monitor traffic, and/or to edit, remove, or deny access to such content. LiveTouch.net also may elect to block incoming content that it believes, in its discretion, constitutes an unsolicited electronic mail message (SPAM), chain letter, virus, trojan horse, or other content that threatens LiveTouch.net service or equipment.

When necessary to properly operate LiveTouch.net service, to protect LiveTouch.net's rights or the rights of third parties, or as may be required by law, regulation, government agency or court order, LiveTouch.net may electronically monitor LiveTouch.net services. LiveTouch.net may disclose content or records concerning your account as required satisfying any law, regulation, government request or court order.

Subscribers agree to make reasonable efforts to respond to any request by a government agency, copyright holder or its agents, or industry association regarding alleged violations of federal, state, or local laws, or any requests by LiveTouch.net or its personnel regarding violation of this Acceptable Use Policy. Subscriber's failure to respond to such a request may result in suspension or termination of service, if LiveTouch.net determines, in its sole discretion, that the subscriber's alleged actions violates this Acceptable Use Policy.

Denial-of-Service attacks, pinging, flooding, attempts to breach authentication or security measures, or any unauthorized attempts to gain access to any other account, host, or network, including, but not limited to, the use of port scanners is strictly prohibited, and will result in immediate termination of service without notice.

Spam:
Unsolicited commercial email (UCE) is defined by LiveTouch.net as any electronic communication (e-mail, ICQ, IRC,Instant Messenger, SIP, etc…) sent for purposes of distributing commercial information of any kind. This includes general advertising and solicitations including the buying or selling of products or services, or any transfer of funds or any other type of UCE sent to a recipient who has not specifically agreed to receive such communication(s) from you.

Unsolicited bulk e-mail (UBE) is defined by LiveTouch.net as any electronic communication (e-mail, ICQ, IRC, Instant Messenger, etc…) to multiple recipients who have not specifically agreed to receive such communication(s) from you.

Use of the LiveTouch.net network, servers or services to transmit any UCE or UBE is expressly prohibited, as is hosting web sites or services on a server which are advertised in any UCE/UBE. LiveTouch.net also prohibits the sending of any fraudulent, malicious, harassing, false or misleading electronic communications, including, without limitation, chain letters, pyramid schemes, or e-mails with forged headers. Posting off-topic advertisements to Usenet or other discussion groups, ICQ, Instant Messenger, etc., is also expressly prohibited. Additionally, LiveTouch.net customers are expressly prohibited from ending any UCE/ UBE from our network or any email from another network that in any way references a document, image, or web site that resides on the LiveTouch.net network or in one of our data centers.

Violations of this type may result in t he termination of the offending LiveTouch.net account. Our customers are ultimately responsible for any violations of the AUP by their clients, and any violation of the AUP by a client of a LiveTouch.net customer shall be deemed a violation of the AUP by such LiveTouch.net customer.

Customers whose actions directly or indirectly result in LiveTouch.net IP space being listed in any of the various abuse databases or blacklists may be subject to having the offending domain(s), server(s), or user(s) immediately removed from our network. In addition, if LiveTouch.net in its sole discretion determines that a customer is in violation of our AUP, LiveTouch.net may, at its sole discretion, restrict, suspend or terminate a customer's account. LiveTouch.net will, in most cases, attempt to contact the customer prior to suspension or termination of a server or servers, but cannot guarantee prior notification. Any server suspended or terminated for AUP violations will be reconnected only after the customer agrees to cease all activities that violate the LiveTouch.net AUP and pays all applicable reconnect fees and related charges. Any server suspended a second time for AUP violations WILL be immediately and permanently removed from our network.

Customers that LiveTouch.net determines in its sole discretion to be in violation of the LiveTouch.net AUP may be subject to additional fees or fines including, without limitation, any applicable reconnect fees.

Violation of LiveTouch.net UCE/UBE policy may be reported to abuse@LiveTouch.net.
Customers seeking to send any opt-in or permission-based email marketing should read Opt-in/Permission-Based Email to see our guidelines for sending this type of communication.

Opt-in/Permission-based e-mail:

While LiveTouch.net prohibits the use of its systems or network to send unsolicited email (UCE/UBE)as described above, customers may send permission-based email marketing, subject to the guidelines provided herein. Permission-based marketing is defined as electronic marketing that an end user specifically agrees to receive. This is also referred to as opt-in electronic marketing. All recipient information for such marketing conducted by LiveTouch.net customers must be documented and catalogued by the customer. This information is to include date, time, originating IP and the location from which the email address or other recipient information was obtained. Additionally, a customer must at a minimum comply with the following guidelines, and any additional guidelines established by LiveTouch.net from time to time in its sole discretion, to engage in permission-based email marketing without violating the AUP:

All commercial or bulk email originating from a LiveTouch.net customer on the LiveTouch.netnetwork must have a working unsubscribe link. The customer must honor all requests to unsubscribe within 24 hours. Additionally, there must be text in the email stating that while all requests to unsubscribe are honored, it may take up to 24 hours to process.

All commercial or bulk email originating from a LiveTouch.net customer on the LiveTouch.net network must clearly list the email address to which the email was originally sent (the intended recipient's email address) in the body of the message OR in the 'TO:' line of the email.

All LiveTouch.net customers sending commercial or bulk email must have a working abuse@ address from EVERY domain associated with the email campaigns. Additionally, the abuse@ address must be prominently posted on the front page of the associated web site. Customers must answer all messages sent to the abuse@ address.

All LiveTouch.net customers sending commercial or bulk email must register the abuse@ address for every domain associated with commercial email they send at http://www.abuse.net.

All LiveTouch.net customers sending commercial or bulk email must have a Privacy Policy/AUP posted for each domain associated with the email campaign.

All commercial or bulk email sent must include information about where the email address was obtained in the body of the email. For example: "You opted-in to receive this email promotion from our web site."

All LiveTouch.net customers sending commercial or bulk email must answer all complainants' requests for details regarding where the complainant opted-in to receive electronic marketing within 24 hours. This information must include the date, time, originating IP and the location from which the email address or other recipient information was obtained. Instructions on how to get this information must be stated clearly in the body of the email. For example, a statement similar to the following must be present in the body of the email: "If you would like to learn more about how we received your email address, please contact us at abuse@domain.com."

All requests for opt-in information must be responded to within 24 hours.

All LiveTouch.net customers sending commercial or bulk email must be able to track and identify anonymous complainants. There are several software packages that can help accomplish this.
If a LiveTouch.net customer is using an affiliate program to send commercial or bulk email through the LiveTouch.net network and the affiliate program becomes subject to repeated abuse by users, the customer must discontinue use of the affiliate program or be subject to immediate suspension or cancellation.

All customers of LiveTouch.net are required to have up-to-date and valid contact information on file with their registrar for any domains hosted on the LiveTouch.net network. Any domain found to have outdated or false information in the registry entry for the domain is subject to suspension or cancellation if the erroneous information is not corrected within 24 hours of notice sent to the customer by LiveTouch.net, the registrar, or GoDaddy.

Disclaimer:
LiveTouch.net reserves the right to test portions of any customer's email list in response to complaints and request opt-in information from a random sample of that list at any time.

LiveTouch.net reserves the right to determine in its sole discretion the validity of any customer's email list. Any list LiveTouch.net determines in its sole discretion to be in violation of this AUP must be removed immediately or the customer will be subject to immediate suspension or termination. Repeated violations will result in permanent suspension.

LiveTouch.net reserves the right to test and otherwise monitor customer's compliance with the above guidelines and requirements at any time during the customer's term of service at LiveTouch.net.

If LiveTouch.net determines in its sole discretion that the customer is not in strict compliance with the guidelines for permission-based e-mail marketing, then LiveTouch.net may immediately suspend or terminate the customer's service.

Technical Support:
LiveTouch.net offers free technical support to assist customers with the setup and configuration of LiveTouch.net Internet dialup accounts. Phone based technical support is to be used when a customer requires assistance with problems involving an Internet connection, as well as with problems concerning the sending and receiving of Internet E-Mail, or other problems with connectivity including FTP services, dedicated access.
LiveTouch.net does not offer free support for setting up or writing WWW pages, nor does it offer assistance or training on how to use any operating system, including (but not exclusive to) Windows, MacOS, Linux or Unix. LiveTouch.net does not offer support or training for the use of any program other than those used specifically for e-mail or FTP services.

Credit Card Billing:
LiveTouch.net subscribers who elect to have their monthly service(s) billed automatically to their credit card are billed for the full monthly service on startup. All automatically-billed customers whose expiration dates fall within the current month are charged for a full month of service, regardless of expiration date. Credit cards are run on or about the 5th of each month for that month's service. If a credit card charge is declined, the charge will be resubmitted 48 hours later. If the charege is still declined, an E-mail will be sent to the account in question indicating that the account holder will be given five (5) days to clear the problem through the LiveTouch.net Accounting Department. It is the sole responsibility of the subscriber to check their e-mail. Exceptions will not be made if the subscriber fails to check their e-mail on the LiveTouch.net server, or if the subscriber has not provided LiveTouch.net with a different, valid e-mail address. Customers with repeated declined charges will be required to prepay for service on an annual basis.
Cancellation:

LiveTouch.net subscribers may cancel their account at any time and for any reason. Cancellations requested after the regular billing date will be billed for the whole month of service. Refunds for accounts closed due to a direct violation of LiveTouch.net's Acceptable Use Policy will only be granted at the discretion of LiveTouch.net.

Returned Checks:
At any time a check for payment for services is returned due to insufficient funds, an E-mail will be sent to the account in question indicating that the account holder will be given five (5) days to clear the problem through the LiveTouch.net Accounting Department. It is the sole responsibility of the subscriber to check their e-mail. Exceptions will not be made if the subscriber fails to check their e-mail on the LiveTouch.net server, or if the subscriber has not provided LiveTouch.net with a different, valid e-mail address. There will also be a $25.00 service charge in addition to the amount specified on the returned check which will be payable if the account holder requests the account re-opened.

The e-mail addresses of subscribers are not for sale or commercial distribution. They are not available to third parties without the express prior consent of the subscriber. LiveTouch.net will not share or disclose your personal information except:

When required by law or legal process;
In emergencies where someone's safety is at risk
When in our sole discretion believe it reasonably necessary to protect LiveTouch.net's rights or property or
When a member is violating LiveTouch.net's Acceptable Use Policy and disclosure is required.

Using facilities to engage in activities that violate the Terms of Service of any other network access provider is prohibited. For example, sending unsolicited e-mail (SPAM) through our facilities to the subscribers of any Internet online service provider that disallows SPAM is prohibited.

This policy does not apply to third party web sites, newsgroups and other public forums linked directly to LiveTouch.net's site or its customers.LiveTouch.net is not responsible for the privacy practices, content or use of private information obtained by any third parties. We strongly urge our customers to use caution when deciding to disclose private information to third party sites or public forums. Be sure to review the privacy policy of any third party site before disclosing any private information and contact them directly if you have any questions.

Violation of this Acceptable Use Policy by a customer may result in temporary suspension or permanent termination of service, at the sole discretion of LiveTouch.net.

Law & Forum:
All contracts & transactions between LiveTouch.net and the subscriber and/or user shall be governed by and constructed in accordance with the laws of California and the parties hereto shall submit to the jurisdiction of the California courts. In addition, any controversy or claim, whether occurring under contract or common law, will be settled by arbitration/mediation in the county of Alameda in the state of California, by an arbitrator/mediator in accordance with the procedure set forth in the commercial rules of the American Arbitration Association.

LiveTouch.net reserves the right to add, delete, or modify any provision of this Acceptable Use Policy at any time without notice. Questions regarding acceptable use of LiveTouch.net services should be sent to: support@LiveTouch.net.