As a provider of web site hosting and other Internet-related services, Hudson Valley Host offers its customer (also known as “Subscribers”) and their customers and users the means to acquire and disseminate a wealth of public, private, commercial and non-commercial information. Hudson Valley Host respects that the Internet provides a forum for free and open discussion and dissemination of information. However, when there are competing interests at issue, Hudson Valley Host reserves the right to take certain preventive or corrective actions. In order to protect these competing interests, Hudson Valley Host has developed an Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”), which supplements and explains certain terms of each customer’s respective service agreement, and is intended as a guide to the customer’s rights and obligations when using Hudson Valley Host’ services. This AUP will be revised from time to time.
One important aspect of the Internet is that no one party owns or controls it. This fact accounts for much of the Internet’s openness and value, but it also places a high premium on the judgment and responsibility of those who use it, both in the information they acquire and in the information they disseminate to others. When subscribers obtain information through the Internet, they must keep in mind that Hudson Valley Host cannot monitor, verify, warrant or vouch for the accuracy and quality of the information they acquire. For this reason, the subscriber must exercise his or her best judgment in relying on information obtained from the Internet, and also should be aware that some material posted to the Internet may be sexually explicit or otherwise offensive. Because Hudson Valley Host cannot monitor or censor the Internet, and will not attempt to do so, Hudson Valley Host cannot accept any responsibility for injury to its subscribers resulting from inaccurate, unsuitable, offensive or illegal Internet communications.
When subscribers disseminate information from the Internet, they must keep in mind that Hudson Valley Host does not review, edit, censor or take responsibility for any information its subscribers may create. When users place information on the Internet, they have the same liability as other authors for copyright infringement, defamation and other harmful speech. Also, because the information created is carried over Hudson Valley Host’ network and may reach a large number of people, including both subscribers and non-subscribers of Hudson Valley Host, subscribers’ postings to the Internet may affect other subscribers and may affect Hudson Valley Host’ goodwill, business, reputation or operations. For these reasons, subscribers violate Hudson Valley Host policy and the Service Agreement when they, their customers, affiliates or subsidiaries engage in the following prohibited activities:
Sending unsolicited bulk and/or commercial information over the Internet. It is not only harmful because of its negative impact on consumer attitudes toward Hudson Valley Host, but also because it can overload Hudson Valley Host’ network and disrupt service to Hudson Valley Host’ subscribers. Also, maintaining an open SMTP relay is prohibited. When a complaint is received, Hudson Valley Host will investigate and shutdown the account that is spamming. A $250 charge for violating this policy will be charged to the person initiating the SPAM. Furthermore Hudson Valley Host reserves the right to prosecute for this violation. A $1.00 charge will be assessed PER EMAIL sent should Hudson Valley Host choose to pursue and prosecute.
In order to maintain a stable virtual server environment for everyone, by using our VPS service you agree not to use the equivalent of a full CPU core for yourself continuously. We allow temporarily bursting to higher than this, as we operate on a fair share CPU policy. If you require and plan to use excessive CPU usage on a long term basis, please consider upgrading to a dedicated server plan. Virtual currency miners and other forms of CPU mining are strictly prohibited on our VPS plans.
Audio/Video Streaming is not hosting friendly. As such, Hudson Valley Host does not allow any streaming of audio or video content. Offending accounts will be suspended without noticed or terminated.
Hudson Valley Host does allow adult content. You must have a disclaimer, the content must be legal within the United States of America.
Hudson Valley Host is not for file hosting and distribution – as such, customers may not host any files larger than 100MB in size that are observed to be available for the sole purpose of download. Such files include but are not limited to .ISO, audio/video files, .EXE files. If you are unsure whether your file is against this policy, please e-mail support[at]hudsonvalleyhost.com
Using Hudson Valley Host’ network to advertise, transmit, store, post, display, or otherwise make available child pornography or obscene speech or material is prohibited. Hudson Valley Host is required by law to notify law enforcement agencies when it becomes aware of the presence of child pornography on or being transmitted through its network.
Using Hudson Valley Host’ network as a means to transmit or post negative, defamatory, harassing, abusive or threatening language.
Forging or misrepresenting message headers, whether in whole or in part, to mask the originator of the message.
Accessing, illegally or without authorization, computers, accounts or networks belonging to another party, or attempting to penetrate security measures of another individual’s system (often known as “hacking”). Also, any activity that may be used as a precursor to an attempted system penetration (i.e., port scan, stealth scan or other information-gathering activity).
Distributing information regarding the creation of and sending Internet viruses, worms, Trojan horses, pinging, flooding, mail bombing or denial of service attacks. Also, activities that disrupt the use of or interfere with the ability of others to effectively use the network or any connected network, system, service or equipment.
Advertising, transmitting or otherwise making available any software, program, product or service that is designed to violate this AUP, which includes the facilitation of the means to spam, initiation of pinging, flooding, mail bombing, denial of service attacks and piracy of software.
Exporting encryption software over the Internet or otherwise, to points outside the United States.
Hudson Valley Host reserves the right not to accept postings from newsgroups where we have actual knowledge that the content of the newsgroup violates the AUP.
Engaging in activities that are determined to be illegal, including, but not limited to, advertising, transmitting or otherwise making available ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, fraudulently charging credit cards and pirating software.
Engaging in activities, whether lawful or unlawful, that Hudson Valley Host determines to be harmful to its subscribers, operations, reputation, goodwill or customer relations.
As we have pointed out, the responsibility for avoiding harmful activities just described rests primarily with the subscriber. Hudson Valley Host will not, as an ordinary practice, monitor the communications of its subscribers to ensure that the comply with Hudson Valley Host’ policy or applicable law. However, when Hudson Valley Host becomes aware of harmful activities, it may take any action to stop the harmful activity, including, but not limited to, removal of information, shutting down a web site, implementing screening software designed to block offending transmissions, denying access to the Internet, or any other action deemed appropriate by Hudson Valley Host..
Hudson Valley Host is also aware that many of its subscribers are themselves providers of Internet services, and that information reaching Hudson Valley Host’ facilities from those subscribers may have originated from a customer of the subscriber or from another third party. Hudson Valley Host does not require its subscribers who offer Internet services to monitor or censor transmissions or web sites created by customers of its subscribers. Hudson Valley Host reserves the right to directly take action against a customer of its subscribers. Also, Hudson Valley Host may take action against the Hudson Valley Host’ subscriber because of activities of a customer of the subscriber, even though the action may affect other customers of the subscriber. Similarly, Hudson Valley Host anticipates that subscribers who offer Internet services will cooperate with Hudson Valley Host in any corrective or preventive action that Hudson Valley Host deems necessary. Failure to cooperate with such corrective or preventive measures is a violation of Hudson Valley Host policy.
Hudson Valley Host will not intentionally monitor private electronic mail messages sent or receive by its subscribers, unless required to do so by law, governmental authority or when public safety is at stake. Hudson Valley Host may, however, monitor its service electronically to determine that its facilities are operating satisfactorily. Also, Hudson Valley Host may disclose information, including, but not limited to, information concerning a subscriber, a transmission made using our network, or a web site, in order to comply with a court order, subpoena, summons, discovery request, warrant, statute, regulation or governmental request. Hudson Valley Host assumes not obligation to inform the subscriber that subscriber information has been provided and, in some cases, may be prohibited by law from giving such notice. Finally, Hudson Valley Host may disclose subscriber information or information transmitted over its network where necessary to protect Hudson Valley Host and others from harm, or where such disclosure is necessary to the proper operation of the system. However, Hudson Valley Host will never sell information to other services or outside companies.
Hudson Valley Host expects that its subscribers who provide Internet services to others will comply fully with all applicable laws concerning the privacy of online communications. A subscriber’s failure to comply with those laws will violate Hudson Valley Host policy. Finally, Hudson Valley Host wishes to emphasize that, in signing the Service Agreement, subscribers indemnify Hudson Valley Host for any violation of the Service Agreement, law or Hudson Valley Host policy resulting in loss to Hudson Valley Host or the bringing of any claim against Hudson Valley Host by any third party. This means that, if Hudson Valley Host is sued because of a subscriber’s or customer of a subscriber’s activity, the subscriber will be responsible for payment of any damages awarded against Hudson Valley Host, plus costs and reasonable attorney’s fees.
We hope this AUP is helpful in clarifying the obligations of Internet users, including Hudson Valley Host and its subscribers, as responsible members of the Internet. Any complaints about a subscriber’s violation of this AUP should be sent to support[at]hudsonvalleyhost.co
