Acceptable
Internet Use Policy
(Rules and Regulations)
BTES
has designed this Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") in
order to encourage the responsible use of BTES’s networks,
systems, services, web sites and products (collectively, “the
service”) by our customers and other users of the BTES
Internet Service (collectively, "Users"), and to enable
us to provide Users with secure, reliable and productive services.
By using BTES, Users consent to be bound by the terms of this
AUP.
This AUP is considered non-exclusive. BTES reserves the
right to modify this AUP in its discretion at any time. Such
modifications will be effective when posted. Any use of the
service after such modification shall constitute acceptance
of such modification.
General Conduct.
The BTES Internet service must be used in a manner that is
consistent with the intended purpose of the Service and
may be used only for lawful purposes. Users shall not use
the service in order to transmit, distribute or store material:
(a) in violation of any applicable law or regulation, including
export or encryption laws or regulations; or (b) that may
expose BTES to criminal or civil liability. Users are further
prohibited from assisting any other person in violating
any part of this AUP.
BTES reserves the right to disconnect service
for failure to comply with any portion of this policy. Any
violation of this policy may result in prosecution under
state and/or federal law and/or termination of service.
Resale of Services
The resale of BTES products and services is not permitted
unless specifically permitted and documented in a written
agreement. Customers are not permitted to distribute BTES
services outside of their household.
Commercial Services
BTES provides residential service (including email addresses
and web space) for non-commercial use only. Customers with
residential accounts who wish to run mail or web servers
may be required to upgrade to a commercial account.
Responsibility for Content.
BTES takes no responsibility for any material created or
accessible on or through the service. BTES is not obligated
to monitor or exercise any editorial control over such
material, but reserves the right to do so. In the event
that BTES becomes aware that any such material may violate
this AUP and/or expose BTES to civil or criminal liability,
BTES reserves the right to block access to such material
and suspend or terminate any User creating, storing or
disseminating such material. BTES further reserves the
right to cooperate with legal authorities and third parties
in the investigation of alleged wrongdoing, including disclosing
the identity of the User that BTES deems responsible for
the wrongdoing.
Inappropriate Content.
Users shall not use the service to transmit, distribute or
store material that is inappropriate, as reasonably determined
by BTES, or material that is indecent, obscene, pornographic
(including child pornography), defamatory, libelous, threatening,
abusive, hateful, or excessively violent.
Users shall not use the service to harm or attempt to harm
minors in any way.
Intellectual Property.
Material accessible through the service may be subject to
protection under privacy, publicity, or other personal
rights and Intellectual Property rights, including but
not limited to, copyrights and laws protecting patents,
trademarks, trade secrets or other proprietary information.
Users shall not use the service in any manner that would
infringe, dilute, misappropriate, or otherwise violate
any such rights. If you use a domain name in connection
with any of the services offered by BTES, you must not
use that domain name in violation of the trademark, service
mark, or other rights of any third party.
Harmful Content
Users shall not use the service to transmit, distribute
or store material that contains a virus, worm, Trojan horse,
or other component harmful to the BTES service, any other
network or equipment, or other Users.
Fraudulent/Misleading Content
Users shall not use the BTES service to transmit or distribute
material containing fraudulent offers for goods or services,
or any advertising or promotional materials that contain
false, deceptive, or misleading statements, claims, or representations.
In addition, Users are prohibited from submitting any false
or inaccurate data on any order form, contract or online
application, including the fraudulent use of credit cards.
Email and Unsolicited Messages
Users
shall not use the service to send unsolicited e-mail messages,
including, without limitation, bulk commercial advertising
or informational announcements ("spam").
Further, Users are prohibited from using the service of another
provider to send spam or to promote a site hosted on or connected
to the BTES service. In addition, Users shall not use the
service in order to (a) send e-mail messages which are excessive
and/or intended to harass or annoy others, (b) continue to
send e-mail messages to a recipient that has indicated that
he/she does not wish to receive them, (c) send e-mail with
forged TCP/IP packet header information, (d) send malicious
e-mail, including, without limitation, "mailbombing",
(e) send or receive e-mail messages in a manner that violates
the use policies of any other internet service provider,
or (f) use an e-mail box exclusively as a storage space for
data.
Third Party Rules; Usenet.
Users may have access through the service to search engines,
subscription Web services, chat areas, bulletin boards,
Web pages, USENET, or other services that promulgate rules,
guidelines or agreements to govern their use. Users must
adhere to any such rules, guidelines, or agreements. Users
who post messages to Usenet newsgroups are responsible
for becoming familiar with any written charter or FAQ governing
use of such newsgroups and complying therewith. Regardless
of such policies, Users may not (a) post the same message,
or a series of similar messages, to one or more newsgroups
(excessive cross-posting or multiple-posting, also known
as "Usenet spam"), (b) cancel or supersede posts
not originally posted by such User, unless such User does
so in the course of his/her duties as an official newsgroup
moderator, (c) post any message with forged packet header
information, or (d) post messages that are excessive and/or
intended to annoy or harass others, including, without
limitation, chain letters.
System and Network Security.
Users are prohibited from violating or attempting to violate
the security of the service network, including, without
limitation, (a) accessing data not intended for such User
or logging into a server or account which such User is
not authorized to access, (b) impersonating BTES personnel,
(c) attempting to probe, scan or test the vulnerability
of a system or network or to breach security or authentication
measures without proper authorization, (d) attempting to
interfere with, disrupt or disable service to any user,
host or network, including, without limitation, via means
of overloading, "flooding", "mailbombing", "denial
of service" attacks or "crashing", (e) forging
any TCP/IP packet header or any part of the header information
in any e-mail or newsgroup posting, (f) taking any action
in order to obtain services to which such User is not entitled,
or (g) attempting to utilize another User's account name
or persona without authorization from that User, (h) using
packet sniffers, network probing tools, or any type of
program/script/command designed to interfere with or capture
data.
Users are also prohibited from attempting any action designed
to circumvent or alter any method of measuring or billing
for the BTES services. Violations of system or network security
may result in civil or criminal liability. BTES will investigate
occurrences which may involve such violations and may involve,
and cooperate with, law enforcement authorities in prosecuting
Users who are involved in such violations.
Although not required, it is the responsibility of the User
to provide antivirus and firewall protection for their end
system. BTES may provide limited antivirus scanning of email
through its email servers but does not guarantee virus-free
email and will not be held liable for viruses, trojan horse
programs, or any other malicious programs or scripts received
by users.
Monitoring the Services
BTES has no obligation to monitor the Services, but may
do so and disclose information regarding use of the Services
for any reason if BTES, in its sole discretion, determines
that it is reasonable to do so, including but not limited
to: satisfy laws, regulations, or governmental or legal requests;
operate the Services properly; or protect itself and its
customers.
BTES reserves the right to monitor the network and services
by means including but not limited to: (a) port scans, (b)
server transaction logs, (c) bandwidth utilization, (c) server
resource utilization, (d) access and firewall violations.
BTES reserves the right to block ports, addresses, subnets,
or networks of any offending services or entities in the
interest of maintaining network stability. Such blocks will
be on an as needed basis and will be removed when appropriate
action has been taken by those controlling the offending
network(s).
Users have the responsibility to monitor their accounts
for access to newsgroups and Web sites that may contain improper
material.
Users may notify BTES of the continual receipt of e-mail
that users view as illegal or that is unsolicited.
Users
must not design or provide systems used for the collection
of information about others without their explicit knowledge
and consent
Suspension; Termination.
Any User which BTES determines to have violated any element
of this AUP may be subject to a suspension or termination
of service, and if BTES deems it necessary, immediate suspension
or termination of such User's service without notice. BTES
may take such further action as BTES determines to be appropriate
under the circumstances to eliminate or preclude repeat
violations, and BTES shall not be liable for any damages
of any nature suffered by any Customer, User, or any third
party resulting in whole or in part from BTES's exercise
of its rights under this AUP. Violations of this AUP may
be reported at the following link: abuse@btes.tv. Among
other things, the AUP prohibits sending unsolicited e-mail
messages including bulk commercial advertising or informational
announcements ("Spam") and BTES will immediately
terminate any account which it believes, in its sole discretion,
is transmitting or is otherwise connected with any Spam.
In addition, because damages are often difficult to quantify,
if actual damages cannot be reasonably calculated then
you agree to pay BTES liquidated damages of five dollars
($5.00) for each piece of spam or unsolicited bulk e-mail
transmitted from or otherwise connected with your account,
otherwise you agree to pay BTES's actual damages, to the
extent such actual damages can be reasonably calculated.
BTES may elect to send notice of any violations to the
User before termination, but is not required to do so.
When an account has been terminated or suspended, the reactivation
of the old account or the acquiring of a new account will
only be allowed by express approval of BTES. The account
may be held responsible for any charges associated with
installation or activation, whether it is for a new account
or an existing suspended or terminated account.
Account Usage and Password
You agree that you will be the only user of your email address
and password and that you will not transfer or disclose either
your email address or password to any other person, except
that you may at your own risk and responsibility permit other
members of your family or business associates to access the
BTES service using your email address and password. You shall
ensure that any other such users comply with this Agreement
and the AUP and you will be responsible for all usage of
the Services and any other services accessed through the
Services on your account whether or not authorized by you.
You acknowledge that you are aware that certain content that
may be accessible through the Services may contain material
that is unsuitable for minors. You agree to supervise usage
of the Services through your account by any minors.
Password security is the responsibility of the individual
user.
Storage Space, Bandwidth and Other Limitations
Using
a personal account for commercial, high volume, or any
excessive use is prohibited. If your use impacts BTES's
ability to provide Services or network resources, your use
of the Services can be terminated immediately. Customers
consistently using excessive bandwidth may be required to
upgrade to a higher service level and pay additional fees
in accordance with BTES’s current
applicable published rates for such service level.
The
amount of mailbox storage space per User is limited to
20 megabytes. When a mailbox reaches the limit the User
will not be able to receive e-mail. E-mail that exceeds the
limits will not be delivered.
Personal Web Page
If
you use the personal Web page feature of the Services,
this section shall apply to you in addition to the other
provisions of this Agreement. You acknowledge and agree (i)
that the use of your personal Web page and any content, information,
and all other aspects of your personal Web page will not
violate the AUP, any applicable law, or any rights of another,
(ii) that you are solely responsible for the content, quality,
performance, and all other aspects of the information or
other content contained in or provided through your personal
Web site and (iii) that BTES has no proprietary, financial,
or other interest in any of the content or information that
may be described in or made available through your personal
Web site. BTES may, without prior notice, terminate or suspend
your personal Web page if BTES, in its sole discretion, believes
that you have violated this Section. If BTES provides you
with a domain name that has the names or marks of BTES embedded
therein ("btes.tv Domain Name"), you may use the
btes.tv Domain Name only for the duration of this Agreement.
BTES shall own the btes.tv Domain Name and the btes.tv Domain
Name may be subject to change by BTES or applicable domain
name registry. Other than for identifying the location of
your personal Web site, you may not use the name or any marks
of BTES or any of its affiliates in any press release, promotional
materials, or other manner without the express written approval
of BTES. You shall own all graphics, text or other information
or content supplied by you for incorporation into or delivery
through your personal Web site. BTES shall own any software
developed or modified by BTES and all graphics, text or other
information or content materials supplied by BTES for incorporation
into your personal Web site ("BTES Materials").
You may only use the BTES Material in association with your
personal Web page and only for the duration of this Agreement.
Dialup Service
BTES
provides a local dialup number for customer use. It is
the customer’s responsibility to ensure the number
they use to access the BTES service is local to their calling
area. BTES will not be responsible for any local toll or
long distance charges incurred by a customer through the
use of a toll number.
Dialup services are not intended to be used for dedicated
access. Excessive use of dialup resources is discouraged.
BTES reserves the right to manage dialup resources for the
benefit of all customers. Dialup services are subject to
idle time-outs. An idle time-out is the disconnection of
a session when a dial-up account is idle for a specified
period of time and no interactive, human generated data appears
to be received from the remote user's computer system. Automated
data is not considered interactive or human generated and
is also subject to idle time-out. Examples of automated data
include, but are not limited to data generated by an automatic
re-dialer, script or other program that runs on the user's
computer system for the purpose of avoiding inactivity disconnects.
In using dialup services from BTES, you will not resell
any services or offer public information services over dial-up
accounts (unlimited usage or otherwise), nor permit more
than one log-on session to be active at one time on analog
dial-up accounts.
Disclaimer of Warranties and Limitation of Liability
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. YOU ASSUME TOTAL RESPONSIBILITY
FOR USE OF THE SERVICES AND THE INTERNET AND ACCESS THE SAME
AT YOUR OWN RISK. BTES EXERCISES NO CONTROL OVER AND HAS
NO RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER FOR THE CONTENT ACCESSIBLEOR
ACTIONS TAKEN ON THE INTERNET AND BTES EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS
ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCH CONTENT OR ACTIONS. BTES SHALL
NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT,
SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND INCLUDING BUT
NOT LIMITED TO ANY LOSS OF USE, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF
PROFIT, LOSS OF INFORMATION OR DATA, OR INTERRUPTED COMMUNICATIONS,
ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS TERMS OF SERVICE. UNDER
NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL BTES BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD
PARTIES FOR AN AMOUNT GREATER THAT THAN THE TOTAL AMOUNT
OF SERVICE FEES PAID BY YOU DURING A SIX MONTH PERIOD.
DISCLAIMER
OF WARRANTIES. THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS
IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS. BTES MAKES NO
WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, WRITTEN OR ORAL, STATUTORY, EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, INFRINGEMENT,
OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. BTES DOES NOT WARRANT
THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE
OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFULCOMPONENTS.
Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless BTES and
its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, employees, agents,
suppliers, or other partners from any and all third party
claims, liabilities, costs, and expenses, including reasonable
attorneys fees, arising from your use of the Services, your
violation of this Agreement, or your violation of any rights
of another.
Miscellaneous
This Agreement and the AUP constitute the entire agreement
between you and BTES with respect to your use of the Services.
BTES may assign this Agreement and your rights and obligations
under this Agreement, in whole or in part, at any time without
notice to you. You may not assign this Agreement without
BTES's prior written consent. BTES's failure to insist upon
or enforce strict performance of any provision of this Agreement
shall not be construed as a waiver of any provision or rights.
If any provision of this Agreement is held to be unenforceable,
the unenforceable provision shall be construed as nearly
as possible to reflect the original intent of the parties
and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and
effect.
BTES COMPLAINT RESPONSE PROCEDURES.
BTES’s dedication to customer service means that BTES
takes seriously and responds to all complaints about its
subscribers' use of the Internet. This means complaints by
both BTES service subscribers and complaints by other Internet
users. BTES believes that its customers should be able to
enjoy full use of the Internet without interference by persons
who use the Internet in an improper or unlawful manner. BTES
will respond to any complaint that involves online activities
that are Prohibited Activities under the BTES’s Policies.
BTES will follow the Complaint Response Procedures described
below to respond to complaints from Users and others about
BTES service Users. Under these procedures, Internet users
-- including BTES service Users -- are responsible for monitoring
use of the Internet by others. BTES will issue warnings to
its Users, suspend subscribers' accounts and even cancel
accounts when it learns of continuing improper activities.
Complaints may be submitted in any of the following forms:
- by e-mail at abuse@btes.tv,
- by fax to 423-793-5546; or
- by mail to BTES
P.O.
Box 549
Bristol, TN 37621.
If you register a complaint with the BTES Customer Service
department, you should submit the following information:
- The email address or IP address of the BTES service User
involved, and if possible, any other information about
the User, such as his or her name and address;
- A detailed description of the activities involved;
If possible, the specific category or categories of Prohibited
Activity you believe is involved in the activities; 4. The
dates the activities took place, e.g., the date information
was posted. |