Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

The Acceptable Use Policy applies to all persons and entities (refered to as, ‘customers’ or ‘you’) using the products and services of Ripple Web including Internet service. The policy is designed to protect the security, integrity, reliability, and privacy of both the Ripple Web network and the products and services Ripple Web offers to its customers.  Ripple Web reserves the right to modify this policy at any time, effective immediately upon posting of the modification. Your use of Ripple Web’s products and services constitutes your acceptance of the AUP in effect at the time of your use. You are solely responsible for any and all acts and omissions that occur during or relating to your use of the service, and you agree not to engage in any unacceptable use of the service.

What Uses are Prohibited?

Unacceptable use includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:

1. Posting, transmission, re-transmission, or storing material on or through any of Ripple Web’s products or services, if in the sole judgment of Ripple Web such posting, transmission, re-transmission or storage is:

• in violation of any local, state, federal, or non-United States law or regulation (including rights protected by copyright, trade secret, patent or other intellectual property or similar laws or regulations);
• excessively violent, incites violence, threatens violence, or contains harassing content or hate speech;
• child pornography
• creates a risk to a person’s safety or health, creates a risk to public safety or health, compromises national security, or interferes with a investigation by law enforcement;
• fraudulent, unfair or deceptive under the consumer protection laws of any jurisdiction, including chain letters and pyramid schemes;
• defamatory or violates a person’s privacy;
• promotes illegal drugs, violates export control laws, relates to illegal gambling, or illegal arms trafficking;
• is otherwise malicious, fraudulent, or may result in retaliation against Ripple Web by offended viewers.

Each customer shall be responsible for determining what laws or regulations are applicable to his or her use of the products and services.

2. Operating IRC or IRC bots on the Ripple Web network.

3. Installation or distribution of “pirated” or other software products that are not appropriately licensed for use by customer.

4. Deceptive marketing practices.

5. Unauthorized access to or use of data, systems or networks, including any attempt to probe, scan or test the vulnerability of a system or network or to breach security or authentication measures (including those belonging to Rippleweb and its customers or other internet servers) without express authorization of the owner of the system or network

6. Actions that restrict or inhibit anyone – whether a customer of Ripple Web or otherwise – in his or her use or enjoyment of Ripple Web’s products and services, or that generate excessive network traffic through the use of automated or manual routines that are not related to ordinary personal or business use of Internet services.

7. Introduction of malicious programs into the Ripple Web network or servers or other products and services of Ripple Web (e.g., viruses, trojan horses and worms).

8. Causing or attempting to cause security breaches or disruptions of Internet communications. Examples of security breaches include but are not limited to accessing data of which the customer is not an intended recipient, or logging into a server or account that the customer is not expressly authorized to access. Examples of disruptions include but are not limited to port scans, flooding, mail bombing, packet spoofing and forged routing information.

9. Executing any form of network monitoring that will intercept data not intended for the customer.

10. Circumventing user authentication or security of any host, network or account.

11. Interfering with or denying service to any user other than the customer’s host (e.g., denial of service attack).

12. Using any program/script/command, or sending messages of any kind, designed to interfere with, or to disable a user’s terminal session.

13. Furnishing false or incorrect data on the order form contract (electronic or paper) including fraudulent use of credit card numbers or attempting to circumvent or alter the processes or procedures to measure time, bandwidth utilization or other methods to document ‘use’ of Ripple Web’s products or services.

14. Mass mailing, sending of any unsolicited email or SPAM is strictly prohibited. Servers sending SPAM will be suspended and repeat offenders will be terminated.

15. Harassment, whether through language, frequency, or size of messages.

16. Solicitations of mail or any other E-mail address other than that of the poster’s account or service, with the intent to harass or collect replies.

17. Creating or forwarding “chain letters” or other “pyramid schemes” of any type.

18. Use of unsolicited E-mail originating from within the Ripple Web network or networks of other Internet Service Providers on behalf of or to advertise any service hosted by Ripple Web or connected via the Ripple Web network.

19. Exporting, re-exporting, or permitting downloads of any content in violation of the export or import laws of the United States or without all required approvals, licenses and exemptions.

No failure or delay in exercising or enforcing this policy shall constitute a waiver of the policy or of any other right or remedy. If any provision of this policy is deemed unenforceable due to law or change in law, such a provision shall be disregarded and the balance of the policy shall remain in effect.

Abusable Resources

Upon notification of the existence of an abusable resource (e.g., open news server, unsecured mail relay, or smurf amplifier), the customer shall immediately take all necessary steps to avoid any further abuse of such resource. Any abuse of an open resource that occurs after the customer has received such notification shall be considered a violation of this policy and enforced as such.

Enforcement

Ripple Web may without notice to you, suspend your service or remove any content transmitted via the Ripple Web service if it discovers facts that lead it to reasonably believe your service is being used in violation of this AUP. You must cooperate with Ripple Web’s reasonable investigation of any suspected violation of the AUP. Ripple Web will attempt to contact you prior to suspension of network access to your server(s), however, prior notification is not assured.

You are strictly responsible for the use of your Ripple Web service in violation of this AUP, including use by your customers, and including unauthorized use. Ripple Web will charge you a hourly rate for security breach recovery (currently $100.00) plus the cost of equipment and material needed to (i) investigate or otherwise respond to any suspected violation of this AUP,  (ii) remedy any harm caused to Ripple Web or any of its customers by the use of your service in violation of this AUP, (iii) respond to complaints, and (iv) have Ripple Web’s Internet Protocol numbers removed from any “blacklist” such as SPEWs or other abuse databases.

Questions?

If you are unsure of whether any contemplated use or action is permitted, please contact Ripple Web at abuse@rippleweb.com