Acceptable Use Policy

BlackStone Networks has formulated this Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”) in an effort to promote responsible use of our network, systems, services, web site, and products (“BlackStone Networks’ Networks, Services and Products”) by our customers and other users of the BlackStone Networks’ Networks, Services and Products (collectively, “Users”).

By using BlackStone Networks’ Networks, Services and Products, Users consent to be bound by the terms of this AUP. BlackStone Networks reserves the right to modify this AUP in its discretion, at any time. Modifications will be effective upon posting. Any use of BlackStone Networks’ Networks, Services and Products after such modification shall constitute acceptance of the modifications in question.

  • Introduction
  • Customer Responsibilities
  • Prohibited Conduct
  • Customer Use of the BlackStone Networks Outbound Relay Service and Backup MX Service
  • Violations and Enforcement

Introduction

BlackStone Networks’ AUP for products and services is designed to help protect BlackStone Networks, its customers, and the Internet community in general from fraud, abuse of resources and irresponsible or illegal activities.

BlackStone Networks makes no guarantee regarding, and assumes no liability for, the security and integrity of data or information a user transmits via the Service or over the Internet, including data information transmitted via any server designated as “secure.” BlackStone Networks does not monitor, exercise control over, or accept responsibility for the content of information passing through its network. All persons and organizations, including BlackStone Networks customers, who transmit information over or who publish information that is made accessible through BlackStone Networks‘ network are responsible for the content of the information and for complying with the laws applicable to its publication. BlackStone Networks will cooperate with legal authorities in the investigation of suspected criminal or civil violations.

Customer Responsibilities

Each BlackStone Networks customer (including commercial, carriers and ISP/resellers) is responsible for the activities of its own customers or end-users and, by accepting service from BlackStone Networks, agrees to inform its customers and/or end-users of this AUP or its own Acceptable Use Policy, which must be co-extensive and consistent with these terms.

Prohibited Conduct

BlackStone Networks‘ services may only be used for lawful and appropriate purposes. Customers may not transmit, retransmit, redirect, or store material in violation of Federal or state laws or regulations, industry or community standards, including, but not limited to, obscenity, indecency, defamatory or material infringing trademarks or copyrights. BlackStone Networks customers may not abuse or fraudulently use BlackStone Networks‘ products and services, nor allow such use by others. The following illustrate some, but not all, uses that are prohibited under this AUP:

  1. Child Pornography: It is illegal under federal child exploitation statutes to possess, produce, receive, transport or distribute by any means, including computer, visual depictions of “sexual intercourse” and/or “sexually explicit conduct” involving persons under the age of 18.
  2. Inappropriate Content: Using the services to transmit, distribute, redirect, or store material that, as reasonably determined by BlackStone Networks, is inappropriate, obscene, defamatory, libelous, threatening, abusive, hateful or which contains or incites violence.
  3. Denial of Service: Engaging in activity that may or will interfere with the service of another user, host or network on the Internet. Users are also prohibited from activity considered a precursor to attempted security violations including, but not limited to, any form of scanning, probing, or other testing or information gathering activity, without prior express written consent from BlackStone Networks‘ IP Security Manager.
  4. Distribution of Viruses: Distribution of software, programs or messages that may cause damage or annoyance to persons, data, and/or computer systems. Hosts not timely secured or removed by customers may be blocked by BlackStone Networks from accessing the network.
  5. Forging Headers: Forging or misrepresenting a message header of an electronic transmission originating or passing through BlackStone Networks‘ network.
  6. Email Spamming

Customer Responsibilities

Each BlackStone Networks customer (including commercial, carriers and ISP/resellers) is responsible for the activities of its own customers or end-users and, by accepting service from BlackStone Networks, agrees to inform its customers and/or end-users of this AUP or its own Acceptable Use Policy, which must be co-extensive and consistent with these terms.

Prohibited Conduct

BlackStone Networks‘ services may only be used for lawful and appropriate purposes. Customers may not transmit, retransmit, redirect, or store material in violation of Federal or state laws or regulations, industry or community standards, including, but not limited to, obscenity, indecency, defamatory or material infringing trademarks or copyrights. BlackStone Networks customers may not abuse or fraudulently use BlackStone Networks‘ products and services, nor allow such use by others. The following illustrate some, but not all, uses that are prohibited under this AUP:

  1. Child Pornography: It is illegal under federal child exploitation statutes to possess, produce, receive, transport or distribute by any means, including computer, visual depictions of “sexual intercourse” and/or “sexually explicit conduct” involving persons under the age of 18.
  2. Inappropriate Content: Using the services to transmit, distribute, redirect, or store material that, as reasonably determined by BlackStone Networks, is inappropriate, obscene, defamatory, libelous, threatening, abusive, hateful or which contains or incites violence.
  3. Denial of Service: Engaging in activity that may or will interfere with the service of another user, host or network on the Internet. Users are also prohibited from activity considered a precursor to attempted security violations including, but not limited to, any form of scanning, probing, or other testing or information gathering activity, without prior express written consent from BlackStone Networks‘ IP Security Manager.
  4. Distribution of Viruses: Distribution of software, programs or messages that may cause damage or annoyance to persons, data, and/or computer systems. Hosts not timely secured or removed by customers may be blocked by BlackStone Networks from accessing the networkForging Headers:
  5. Forging or misrepresenting a message header of an electronic transmission originating or passing through BlackStone Networks‘ network.
  6. Email Spamming [or Mailbombing]: The transmitting of unsolicited email to multiple recipients, sending large amounts of email repeatedly that annoys, harasses or threatens another person or entity, or attempts to use BlackStone Networks servers as a mail drop or name server for SPAM or sending unsolicited bulk email from another Internet service provider’s network advertising or implicating any service hosted or provided by BlackStone Networks, including without limitation email, web hosting, FTP and DNS services. The sending of email with added words/characters in an attempt to bypass Bayesian filters is prohibited. For bulk emailers on the BlackStone Networks network – removal of complainants is required, as is the creation of a master no-send list. Bulk emailers may also be required to provide the complete confirmed opt-in information for each complainant within 24 hours of the request. Bulk emailers will also be required to demonstrate a definitive prior business relationship between the sender and the recipient. Utilizing a customer affiliate program to generate leads makes a BlackStone Networks customer responsible for the actions of its affiliates. This control includes, but is not limited to, blocking affiliate links and sending the affiliate traffic to a 404 error type page.
  7. Fraudulent Activities: Fraudulent activities includes, but is not limited to, intentional misrepresentations or misleading statements, writings or activities made with the intent that the person receiving it will act upon it; obtaining services with the intent to avoid payment; and hosting of phishing websites.
  8. Unauthorized Access: Unauthorized access includes the illegal or unauthorized access to other computers, accounts, or networks; accessing or attempting to access computer resources belonging to another party; attempting to penetrate security measures of other systems; using BlackStone Networks services not included in customer’s contract; devising ways to circumvent security in order to access unsubscribed services; using the services in a manner that encumbers disk space, processors or other system resources beyond amounts allowed by the specific type of product; and/or interfering with a service, overloading a service or attempting to disable a host not assigned to customer.
  9. Network Sabotage: Use of BlackStone Networks‘ products and services in a manner that interferes with others’ use of the Internet or BlackStone Networks‘ network.
  10. Pyramid Schemes: Use of a fraudulent system of achieving financial gain, which requires an endless stream of recruits for success.
  11. Unlawful Acts: Use of BlackStone Networks‘ products and services to violate the law or in aid of any unlawful act.
  12. Non-email Based Spamming: Posting of messages to newsgroups/blogs/services that are irrelevant, blanket posting of messages to multiple newsgroups/blogs/services, and the posting of annoying, harassing and/or threatening messages. Violation of any rules, policies or charters posted online by any search engine, subscription web service, chat area, bulletin board, webpage, or any other service accessed via the BlackStone Networks network is prohibited.
  13. Facilitating a Violation of this AUP: Advertising, transmitting, or otherwise making available any software, program, product, or service that is designed to allow a user to violate this AUP. This includes, but is not limited to, the facilitation of the means to spam, initiation of pinging, flooding, mail bombing, denial of service attacks, and piracy of software.
  14. Blacklisting: Behavior by a customer that causes blacklisting must be remedied within 48 hours of written, electronic or telephonic notice from BlackStone Networks. Activities that result in re-listing are prohibited and must be stopped immediately. Known spammers, previously unidentified, will be removed from the network once identified.

Customer Use of the BlackStone Networks Outbound Relay Service and Backup MX Service

Outbound Relays. Use of the Outbound Relay service is designed to reasonably assist business communications of our customers when no on-site mail server is available. Any use that may compromise the normal operation of the relay servers is prohibited and will result in revocation of relay server access. Prohibited uses include, but are but not limited to:

  1. The sending of unsolicited commercial email through BlackStone Networks‘ relay servers.
  2. The mass mailing of newsletters, catalogs or any other promotional material.
  3. Sending in excess of 5,000 messages per day through BlackStone Networks‘ relay servers.
  4. The intentional or unintentional sending of virus/Trojan emails, including any Postmaster bounce-type messages received by the customer that are re-transmitted.

Backup MX service. Use of the Backup MX service is made available to reasonably assist customers with email storage when the customer’s primary mail server is unavailable. Customers utilizing the Backup MX service must ensure that BlackStone Networks‘ backup MX servers are white-listed within any Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail Mitigation Service [SPAM filters] being employed on, or in front of, their main mail server. Customers blocking email from the Backup MX servers may have access to the servers removed.

Violations and Enforcement

At BlackStone Networks‘ sole and reasonable discretion, violations of any element of this AUP may result in a warning to the offender followed by suspension or termination of the affected service if customer does not cease the violation. BlackStone Networks may immediately suspend or terminate service with or without notice if BlackStone Networks reasonably determines that a violation of the AUP has occurred. BlackStone Networks will enforce this AUP according to the severity of the offense and violator’s history of prior AUP infringements. Severe and/or repeated offenses will result in immediate termination of service.

BlackStone Networks is not liable for damages of any nature suffered by any customer, end-user or any third party resulting in whole or in part from BlackStone Networks exercising its rights under this AUP. BlackStone Networks has no practical ability to monitor all communications or content that might violate this AUP prior to its transmission over the BlackStone Networks network but, where possible and necessary, may do so at its discretion. Therefore, BlackStone Networks does not assume liability for others’ violations of the AUP or failures to terminate those violations. BlackStone Networks reserves the right to assess time and materials charges to resolve customer issues that are not resolved by the customer in a timely manner.

BlackStone Networks reserves the right to modify this AUP at any time without prior notification to customers.

To report a violation of this AUP or an abuse of BlackStone Networks‘ services, please e-mail: abuse@blackstonenetworks.com

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