Email Acceptable Usage Policy

1. Introduction

Exchanging email with other Internet users is generally a matter of common sense and courtesy to others

The majority of Line9 Internet UK customers are able to use their own sense of what is appropriate to guide their behaviour. From time to time however, email of unwelcome types (collectively known, along with other unwelcome activity, as NET ABUSE) is sent and received

It is not always obvious whether such mail is innocent, inadvertent, or intentional, however, certain activities will result in action being taken by Line9 Internet UK. as described in Section 3. of this document

Line9 Internet UK provides email services as part of the package of Internet Access services. Line9 Internet UK reserves the right to change this Acceptable Use Policy for email services at their sole discretion and without prior notice. Any decision made by Line9 Internet UK in relation to this service shall be final on all matters

2. What Constitutes NET ABUSE?

NET ABUSE is an abuse of Internet facilities and not necessarily abuse on the Internet. To qualify as NET ABUSE, an act must interfere with the net-use of an individual or group of individuals in some specific way. NET ABUSE also includes activities that are illegal or dishonest

Under the terms of this AUP, NET ABUSE includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Unsolicited Commercial Email (UCE)

Unsolicited Commercial Email is advertising material received by email without the recipient either requesting such information or otherwise expressing an interest in the material advertised
Since many Internet users use a dial-up connection and pay for their online time, it costs them money to receive email. Receipt of unsolicited commercial advertising therefore costs them money and is particularly unwelcome
It should be noted that a user has not expressed an interest by the mere act of posting a news article in any particular newsgroup, unless of course they have made a specific request for information to be emailed to them

Unsolicited Bulk Email (UBE)

Similar to the above UCE but not attempting to sell anything. Its sole purpose is usually to annoy
Forged headers and / or Addresses
Forging headers or messages means sending mail such that its origin appears to be another user or machine, or a non-existent machine
It is also forgery to arrange for any replies to the mail to be sent to some other user or machine
However, in either case, if prior permission has been granted to you by the other user or the administrators of the other machine, then there is no problem, and of course "null" reverse paths can be used as defined in the relevant RFCs

Mail Bombing

Mail bombing is the sending of multiple emails, or one large email, with the sole intent of annoying and / or seeking revenge on a fellow Internet user. It is wasteful of shared Internet resource as well as serving no value to the recipient
Due to the time taken to download it, sending long email to sites without prior agreement can amount to denial of service, or access to email at the receiving site. Note that if binary attachments are added to mail this may increase the size considerably. If prior arrangement has not been made, the mail will be extremely unwelcome.

Denial of Service attacks

Denial of Service is any activity designed to prevent a specific host on the Internet making full and effective use of their facilities. This includes, but is not limited to:

Mail bombing an address in such a way to make their Internet access impossible, difficult, or costly. Opening an excessive number of mail connections to the same host. Intentionally sending email designed to damage the receiver's systems when interpreted; for example, sending malicious programs or viruses attached to an email. Using a smarthost or SMTP relay without authorisation to do so

Mailing List Subscriptions

You must not subscribe anyone, other than a user on your own host, to a mail list or similar service without their permission

Illegal Content

You must not send via email any item which it is illegal to send or possess. This includes material which is prohibited under the various Acts of Parliament dealing with material sent over a public telecommunications network, notably the telephone system

Breach of Copyright or Intellectual Property

You must not send Copyright material or Intellectual Property via email unless you have permission to do so

Postmaster Email

All customers are required to accept and read email addressed to anything @ .
Mail addressed to postmaster must not be "bounced" or ignored

3. What Line9 Internet will do :

Serious NET ABUSE via Line9 Internet ACCOUNTs will result in the following action:

First offence

The offending ACCOUNT may be suspended and access will not be available. The CUSTOMER will be required to contact Sales (telephone 0844 310 1999) and convince a senior member of staff that there will be no further breaches of the Conditions of Use and Acceptable Use Policies from the ACCOUNT. If the CUSTOMER fails to contact Customer Services within 14 days, the ACCOUNT may be terminated. In no circumstances will any refund be made for the period the ACCOUNT is suspended under this AUP. Should it, in the sole opinion of Line9 Internet UK, be considered necessary, then a public announcement will be made and this will include the disclosure of the SENDER's identity

Second offence

The CUSTOMER ACCOUNT will be terminated immediately. No refund of monies paid for the ACCOUNT will be made, except as specified in the standard Conditions of Use. Should it, in the sole opinion of Line9 Internet UK, be considered necessary, then a public announcement will be made and this will include the disclosure of the SENDER's identity

4. Definitions

ACCOUNT

A single billing entity, comprising all services being supplied by Line9 Internet UK to the CUSTOMER. This may range from a single host to a complete network, depending upon the services purchased

CUSTOMER

The registered holder of the Line9 Internet ACCOUNT from which the NET ABUSE originates

NET ABUSE

Any and all email items that are in breach of the Line9 Internet MAIL-AUP

MAIL-AUP

This document

SENDER

The author of the NET ABUSE. This may or may not be the same as the CUSTOMER, however, CUSTOMERs are ultimately responsible for all Email originated from their ACCOUNT