Terms & Conditions / Spam Policy
Direct Conect Terms and Conditions are as follow:
These are the terms and conditions for use of the Internet services provided
by Direct Conect. By purchasing services from Direct Conect, you (Customer)
agree to abide by these terms and conditions. We reserve the right to change
this agreement at any time without notice.
Lawful Use - You are responsible for conforming to all federal, state,
and local laws regarding the Internet and electronic communication. You must
respect the intellectual property and copyrights of resources provided by others
on the net. You may not participate in any illegal activities while using your
account. You must obey the laws of the United States and other countries that
you communicate with over the net. We cannot and do not monitor or control
traffic content to/from our service. You are responsible for keeping your
activities legal, and for censoring yourself and colleagues. Customer is not
permitted to post any material that is illegal, libelous, tortuous, or likely to
result in retaliation against Direct Conect. Should the posted material fall
into this category, we reserves the right to immediately refuse or terminate
service.
Data & Backup - While we do back up our system files, we do not back up
domain files uploaded by our customers. This means that if you upload web pages
or other personal files to our system, you must keep a backup on your own
machine. Customer agrees that Direct Conect has the right to delete all data,
files, or other information that is stored on Direct Conect's computers upon
termination of services, or cancellation of account due to non-payment.
Unsolicited Advertising - Unsolicited advertising (spam) via E-mail or
newsgroups is prohibited and shall result in immediate account dismissal.
"Spamming", including (but not limited to) mass-E-mailing, cross-posting, or
otherwise causing abuse to others on the net is prohibited and will be grounds
for account dismissal. Any actions construed to be negligent, malicious, or a
denial-of-service attack is strictly prohibited.
Billing Policy - Approximately 10 days prior to the end of the month,
Direct Conect will e-mail Customer invoice to the e-mail billing address in
Customer's company profile. Customer is responsibility for keeping the billing
e-mail address current. Payment is due upon receipt. We accept payment with
cash, check, money order or credit card. Any unpaid accounts will be suspended
at noon on the 15th day of the month. Any late payments could result in
discontinuation of service and nullification of this agreement. There will be a
$25 service charge for all returned checks.
Network Security - Customer is expected to keep all passwords secret. Passwords
allow access to your private messages and billing information. If Direct Conect
believes a Customer's password has been compromised, we reserve the right to
change the Customer's password without notice.
Domain Names - Customer is responsible for registering Domain Names with
InterNIC. Domain names can be registered online at Network Solutions (www.networksolutions.com)
or any authorized 3rd party.
IP Addresses - Customer will be assigned IP addresses by Direct Conect, and must
return to Direct Conect the rights to same when service is discontinued.
Assignment or Transfer - Customer shall not assign or transfer the rights or
obligations associated with this assignment, in whole or in part, without Direct
Conect's written consent.
Cancellation - Customer or Direct Conect may cancel this agreement at any
time with 30-day written notice. Direct Conect reserves the right to terminate
or refuse service to anyone. Falsification of contact information is grounds for
immediate termination.
Price Adjustments - Customer will have 30 days from notification of price
increases to cancel affected service without penalty. Prices may be reduced or
new services and options may be put into effect without advance notice.
Limitations of Warranty and Assumption of Risk - Customer uses Direct Conect's
services at Customer's own risk. Direct Conect makes no warranty, expressed or
implied. Direct Conect shall not be liable for any loss or other damage,
including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or punitive
damages, resulting from any failure to provide service or from any termination
of service. This service is provided as is. We are not responsible for hardware
or software damage, loss of wages, or any other financial or personal loss
resulting from the use of, or inability to use, this service. Any liabilities
are strictly limited to the amount of the fee paid for services rendered. Direct
Conect shall not be liable for claims of damages made by any third party for any
cause whatsoever.
Hold Harmless - Customer will indemnify and hold Direct Conect harmless
(including officers, employees, agents, and shareholders) of any and all claims,
costs, expenses or liability resulting from any damage to Customer's business,
service, equipment, network, operations, or reputation resulting from Direct
Conect's actions. Indemnification includes, but is not limited to, any
government actions, acts of vandalism or other retaliation, and any claims of
libel, unfair competition, infringement of any patent, copyright, trademark,
service mark, or other intellectual property right, violation of privacy, or
other tort.
Arbitration - If any portion of this agreement is found to contradict
federal, state, or local laws, the remaining portions will remain in full force
until account termination. Both parties agree to submit any dispute relating to
the subject matter of this Agreement to binding arbitration, pursuant to the
commercial rules of the American Arbitration Association. The parties surrender
and waive the right to submit any abatable dispute to a court or jury, or to
appeal to a higher court. The arbitrator(s) shall not have the power to award
punitive, consequential, indirect, or special damages. The arbitrator shall have
the power to award costs and reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party.
These terms and conditions are current as of 1/1/2001.
If you have any questions regarding these terms,
please contact Direct Conect by phone at 619 561-5133.
© Copyright 2001 All Rights Reserved
Our policy regarding
e-mail and spam is as follows:
Direct Conect operates under a strict No Spam policy. The sending of
any unsolicited email advertising messages to this domain will result in the
imposition of civil liability against you in accordance with California Business
& Professions Code Section 17538.45.
This policy, which is also part of our Acceptable Use Policy has been formulated
with the following goals in mind:
Ensure security, reliability and privacy of Direct Conect systems and network,
and the networks and systems of others.
Avoid situations that may cause Direct Conect to incur civil liability.
Maintain the image and reputation of Direct Conect as a responsible provider.
Preserve the value of Internet resources as a conduit for free expression.
Encourage the responsible use of net resources, discouraging practices which
degrade the usability of network resources and thus the value of Internet
services.
Preserve the privacy and security of individual users.
Harassment, whether through language, frequency, or size of messages, is
prohibited.
Customers may not send e-mail to any person who does not wish to receive it. If
a recipient asks to stop receiving email, the customer must not send that person
any further e-mail. Customers are explicitly prohibited from sending unsolicited
bulk e-mail messages ("junk mail" or "spam"). This includes, but is not limited
to, bulk-mailing of commercial advertising, informational announcements, and
political tracts. Such material may only be sent to those who have explicitly
requested it.
Customers may not forward or otherwise propagate chain letters, whether or not
the recipient wishes to receive such mailings.
Malicious e-mail, including but not limited to "mailbombing" (flooding a user or
site with very large or numerous pieces of email), is prohibited.
Any attempts to send e-mail messages or transmit any electronic communications
using a name or address of someone other than yourself for purposes of deception
is prohibited.
Any attempt to impersonate someone else by altering your source IP address
information or by using forged headers or other identifying information is
prohibited.
Any attempt to fraudulently conceal, forge, or otherwise falsify your identity
in connection with your use of the Service is prohibited.
Any use of another party's electronic mail server to relay e-mail without
express permission from that is prohibited.
Direct Conect accounts or services may not be used to collect replies to
messages sent from another Internet Service Provider, where those messages
violate this Acceptable Use Policy or the Acceptable Use Policy of that other
provider.
Customers are explicitly prohibited from using products or services purchased
from Direct Conect with other third party individuals or companies which send
unsolicited bulk e-mail messages ("junk mail" or "spam"). This includes, but is
not limited to, bulk-mailing of commercial advertising, informational
announcements, and political tracts. Such material may only be sent to those who
have explicitly requested it. Direct Conect maintains a list of approved third
party companies which provide opt-in mailing services. Use of products or
services purchased from Direct Conect with these approved third party companies
is allowed as long as no other provisions of our Acceptable Use Policy are
violated. This list of approved third party companies is subject to change
without notice. Please contact our office for current information.
Customers further agree to comply with any current Federal or State laws
regarding the sending of unsolicited bulk e-mail messages to those who do not
wish to receive it.
If a customer is found to be in violation of these policies, customers account
and services may be terminated or modified without notice and no refunds will be
given. Direct Conect may bill for any resulting support charges.
Rules under California Business & Professions Code Section 17538.45
17538.4. (a) No person or entity conducting business in this state shall
facsimile (fax) or cause to be faxed, or electronically mail (e-mail) or cause
to be e-mailed, documents consisting of unsolicited advertising material for the
lease, sale, rental, gift offer, or other disposition of any realty, goods,
services, or extension of credit unless:
(1) In the case of a fax, that person or entity establishes a toll-free
telephone number that a recipient of the unsolicited faxed documents may call to
notify the sender not to fax the recipient any further unsolicited documents.
(2) In the case of e-mail, that person or entity establishes a toll-free
telephone number or valid sender operated return e-mail address that the
recipient of the unsolicited documents may call or e-mail to notify the sender
not to e-mail any further unsolicited documents.
(b) All unsolicited faxed or e-mailed documents subject to this section shall
include a statement informing the recipient of the toll-free telephone number
that the recipient may call, or a valid return address to which the recipient
may write or e-mail, as the case may be, notifying the sender not to fax or
e-mail the recipient any further unsolicited documents to the fax number, or
numbers, or e-mail address, or addresses, specified by the recipient. In the
case of faxed material, the statement shall be in at least nine-point type. In
the case of e-mail, the statement shall be the first text in the body of the
message and shall be of the same size as the majority of the text of the
message.
(c) Upon notification by a recipient of his or her request not to receive any
further unsolicited faxed or e-mailed documents, no person or entity conducting
business in this state shall fax or cause to be faxed or e-mail or cause to be
e-mailed any unsolicited documents to that recipient.
(d) In the case of e-mail, this section shall apply when the unsolicited
e-mailed documents are delivered to a California resident via an electronic mail
service provider's service or equipment located in this state. For these
purposes "electronic mail service provider" means any business or organization
qualified to do business in this state that provides individuals, corporations,
or other entities the ability to send or receive electronic mail through
equipment located in this state and that is an intermediary in sending or
receiving electronic mail.
(e) As used in this section, "unsolicited e-mailed documents" means any e-mailed
document or documents consisting of advertising material for the lease, sale,
rental, gift offer, or other disposition of any realty, goods, services, or
extension of credit that meet both of the following requirements:
(1) The documents are addressed to a recipient with whom the initiator does not
have an existing business or personal relationship.
(2) The documents are not sent at the request of, or with the express consent
of, the recipient.
(f) As used in this section, "fax" or "cause to be faxed" or "e-mail" or "cause
to be e-mailed" does not include or refer to the transmission of any documents
by a telecommunications utility or Internet service provider to the extent that
the telecommunications utility or Internet service provider merely carries that
transmission over its network.
(g) In the case of e-mail that consists of unsolicited advertising material for
the lease, sale, rental, gift offer, or other disposition of any realty, goods,
services, or extension of credit, the subject line of each and every message
shall include "ADV:" as the first four characters. If these messages contain
information that consists of unsolicited advertising material for the lease,
sale, rental, gift offer, or other disposition of any realty, goods, services,
or extension of credit, that may only be viewed, purchased, rented, leased, or
held in possession by an individual 18 years of age and older, the subject line
of each and every message shall include "ADV:ADLT" as the first eight
characters.
(h) An employer who is the registered owner of more than one e-mail address may
notify the person or entity conducting business in this state e-mailing or
causing to be e-mailed, documents consisting of unsolicited advertising material
for the lease, sale, rental, gift offer, or other disposition of any realty,
goods, services, or extension of credit of the desire to cease e-mailing on
behalf of all of the employees who may use employer-provided and
employer-controlled e-mail addresses.
(i) This section, or any part of this section, shall become inoperative on and
after the date that federal law is enacted that prohibits or otherwise regulates
the transmission of unsolicited advertising by electronic mail (e-mail).
17538.45. (a) For purposes of this section, the following words have the
following meanings:
(1) "Electronic mail advertisement" means any electronic mail message, the
principal purpose of which is to promote, directly or indirectly, the sale or
other distribution of goods or services to the recipient.
(2) "Unsolicited electronic mail advertisement" means any electronic mail
advertisement that meets both of the following requirements:
(A) It is addressed to a recipient with whom the initiator does not have an
existing business or personal relationship.
(B) It is not sent at the request of or with the express consent of the
recipient.
(3) "Electronic mail service provider" means any business or organization
qualified to do business in California that provides registered users the
ability to send or receive electronic mail through equipment located in this
state and that is an intermediary in sending or receiving electronic mail.
(4) "Initiation" of an unsolicited electronic mail advertisement refers to the
action by the initial sender of the electronic mail advertisement. It does not
refer to the actions of any intervening electronic mail service provider that
may handle or retransmit the electronic message.
(5) "Registered user" means any individual, corporation, or other entity that
maintains an electronic mail address with an electronic mail service provider.
(b) No registered user of an electronic mail service provider shall use or cause
to be used that electronic mail service provider's equipment located in this
state in violation of that electronic mail service provider's policy prohibiting
or restricting the use of its service or equipment for the initiation of
unsolicited electronic mail advertisements.
(c) No individual, corporation, or other entity shall use or cause to be used,
by initiating an unsolicited electronic mail advertisement, an electronic mail
service provider's equipment located in this state in violation of that
electronic mail service provider's policy prohibiting or restricting the use of
its equipment to deliver unsolicited electronic mail advertisements to its
registered users.
(d) An electronic mail service provider shall not be required to create a policy
prohibiting or restricting the use of its equipment for the initiation or
delivery of unsolicited electronic mail advertisements.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit or restrict the rights
of an electronic mail service provider under Section 230(c)(1) of Title 47 of
the United States Code, or any decision of an electronic mail service provider
to permit or to restrict access to or use of its system, or any exercise of its
editorial function.
(f) (1) In addition to any other action available under law, any electronic mail
service provider whose policy on unsolicited electronic mail advertisements is
violated as provided in this section may bring a civil action to recover the
actual monetary loss suffered by that provider by reason of that violation, or
liquidated damages of fifty dollars ($50) for each electronic mail message
initiated or delivered in violation of this section, up to a maximum of
twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) per day, whichever amount is greater.
(2) In any action brought pursuant to paragraph
(1), the court may award reasonable attorney's fees to a prevailing party.
(3) (A) In any action brought pursuant to paragraph (1), the electronic mail
service provider shall be required to establish as an element of its cause of
action that prior to the alleged violation, the defendant had actual notice of
both of the following:
(i) The electronic mail service provider's policy on unsolicited electronic mail
advertising.
(ii) The fact that the defendant's unsolicited electronic mail advertisements
would use or cause to be used the electronic mail service provider's equipment
located in this state.
(B) In this regard, the Legislature finds that with rapid advances in Internet
technology, and electronic mail technology in particular, Internet service
providers are already experimenting with embedding policy statements directly
into the software running on the computers used to provide electronic mail
services in a manner that displays the policy statements every time an
electronic mail delivery is requested. While the state of the technology does
not support such a finding at present, the Legislature believes that, in a given
case at some future date, a showing that notice was supplied via electronic
means between the sending and receiving computers could be held to constitute
actual notice to the sender for purposes of this paragraph.
(4) A violation of this section shall not be subject to Section 17534.