GroupSat^® is committed to being a responsible network citizen. To assist us in protecting the usefulness and enjoyment of the Internet for our members and users, we ask that you read the following document outlining our policies on network abuse. The activities described below constitute violations of the GroupSat agreement and may, at the sole discretion of GroupSat, be grounds for the termination of an account, for the application of additional service charges, or for the involvement of law enforcement agencies.

Acceptable Use Policy

The GroupSat acceptable use policy prohibits activities that include, but are not limited to, those described below. The terms of this policy may change at any time and without prior warning. You are responsible for reporting changes to this document to the GroupSat web site at www.groupsat.com.

Electronic Mail

You may not use your GroupSat Service to:

• Transmit unsolicited commercial e-mail messages or engage in any bulk e-mailing activities which, in the sole judgment of GroupSat, causes significant disruptions or elicits complaints from other Internet users.
• Transmit chain letters or pyramid schemes under any circumstances.
• Harass other individuals or groups in any way.
• Forge the headers of your e-mail messages in any way.
• At the discretion of GroupSat, a service charge may be applied for each complaint received in regards to any of the above mailing violations conducted on your account.

Newsgroups

All posts to newsgroups must comply with the groups' FAQs or charters. When using newsgroups, you are prohibited from:

• Posting advertisements or commercial messages of any kind, unless such messages are expressly permitted by the group's charter or FAQ.
• Posting binary files (i.e. images, sounds, or programs) unless the posting of binaries is expressly permitted by the charter or FAQ.
• Posting substantially identical messages to more than 10 newsgroups.
• Harassing other individuals or groups in any way.
• Forging the headers of your news postings in any way.
  

At the discretion of GroupSat, a service charge may be applied for each complaint received in regards to any of the above prohibited commercial newsgroup postings on your account.

IRC/Chat

All use of IRC or other Internet chat servers must be in full compliance with the rules and regulations set out by the administrators of the chat server or network. While using IRC or other Internet chat systems, you may not:

• Post advertisements or commercial messages of any kind.
• Harass other individuals or groups in any way.

FTP

While using FTP and other file transfer protocols you may not transmit:

• Pirated commercial software.
• Any program or information designed to assist users in defeating the copy-protection, registration, or other anti-theft mechanisms associated with commercial or shareware software programs.
• Any program or information designed to assist in the fraudulent use of telecommunications services.

General Network

NOTE: For the purposes of this document, "Internet host" means any computer connected to the Internet.

You are prohibited from engaging in any type of communication designed, in the sole judgment of GroupSat, to:

• Analyze or penetrate an Internet host's security mechanisms.
• Cause a host to become unable to effectively service requests from other hosts.
• Use the host's resources in a manner not authorized by its administrators.

You are solely responsible for the security of your system. While connected to GroupSat, you are prohibited from any act, committed intentionally or through negligence, which may compromise the security of your host in anyway.

Definition of Network Abuse

The unsolicited and unwarranted scanning, pinging, and attempted harassment of individuals or computer hardware that contradicts GroupSat Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) in any manner or form.

Definition of SPAM

The mass electronic distribution of unsolicited e-mail to individual e-mail accounts, e-mail lists, Usenet groups, advertising, or promotions. The following actions are also considered SPAM:

• The forwarding of e-mail (chain letters)
• The advertising or promotion of pornographic web sites
• Advertising or promoting unsolicited web sites
• The harassment of individuals or groups
• The forgery of e-mail headers of your e-mail
• The promotion of unsolicited business activities.
  

Definition of Usenet SPAM

The posting of e-mail messages to any Usenet group that is prohibited by the Usenet group's charters or FAQ's and / or elicits a complaint from a Usenet group individual or administrator.

NOTE

The above definitions are NOT limited to the terms and outlines defined. The above definitions are subject to amendments at any time. This is at the reserved and sole discretion of GroupSat.