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Terms of Service

Privacy and Accountability

We protect our users privacy. We support Freedom of Speech. None of our services brand a users IP to any outgoing data. We shield from those who would use that information to harass when they do not agree with the speech, from those who want to stalk, and from those who want to buy and sell your soul.

However, our accounts are privacy shielded, not anonymous. If a user pulls a bonehead move, that gets them into legal trouble, they will have to deal with the consequences. We operate under the laws of the United States.

We do keep access logs. They are on a five day rotation, meaning they are over-written every five days. We will surrender logs we have upon subpoena. But we will first notify our user upon receipt of subpoena and allow them 14 days to respond legally prior to turning over information (Please see notes below for exceptions).

There are some exceptions to this:

  • If a user sends a bomb threat, death threat, or threat of bodily harm, we will just hand over the information to the proper authorities upon their request and we will not notify the user.

    We do NOT tolerate the use of our services in this manner!

  • It is possible that if a user gets into trouble with the US government that we may be gagged and unable to notify them for 90 days about an active investigation or pending subpoena (we will still notify our user before actually turning over requested information if not barred from doing so). If concerned about this, do not use these services.



We will not share any details without a subpoena. If you are a lawyer, or pretending to be one, and are after one of our users for saying something somewhere that somebody didn't like, don't send threatening e-mails, the proper form of communication is by certified mail. Send the subpoena, we'll contact our user, and you both can work it out legally.

Packetderm, LLC
210 Park Ave #308
Worcester, MA 01609
Please click here and read our Liability Disclaimer



Service Specific policies:

Mail and Usenet:

Please note that for privacy reasons we do not back up users e-mail or web space. It is up to users to maintain adequate backups. Please be aware that if you fail to do so, you may lose information should we have a major hardware failure. This also means that if you delete something, it is gone and there are no copies "floating" around. Trash and spam folders are on a 30 day rotation and will only keep the last 30 days of mail. We do not allow the use of our mail forwarders to set up mail for others so that our filters can be applied to to non-subscribers e-mail. Cotse accounts are single user accounts, accounts found to have multiple users (including via forwarders) will be terminated.

We are strict on spam and will terminate an account for spamming. We hate spam. Spam through us and it will be more expensive than any return you may get out of the spam. E-mail spam is bulk unsolicited mail. Spam runs will be charged $1000/incident plus clean-up. Cotse is owned and operated by top dollar consultants, this means that clean-up will be very expensive, don't spam.

If a user is requested to stop sending personal e-mail to another person and they continue, we will terminate the account. If you are requesting one of our users to stop sending you personal mail, you must mail them the request and copy abuse@cotse.com with that request. If any more mail is sent to you after that point, we will term the account.

We allow our users to set a custom bounce message when rejecting mail, if you are mailing our user and getting a bounce you don't like, this does not count as our user sending you mail. Stop mailing our user and you won't see the rejected mail message anymore (If you are not sending mail to our user but are getting a bounce message please contact abuse so we can look into it.) If you are a member of a mailing list and our user has a reject message replying to that mailing list, please contact abuse as we will not allow that to continue.

Please see below for issues relating to Usenet posting.

Usenet abuse FAQ

NOTE: Fraudulent complaints received may copied to the account that is the target of the complaint. By mailing a complaint about a user that does not violate our policies you agree to the user receiving a copy. If the user is violating our policies, the account will be termed without warning.

Table of Contents

Q: Will we terminate an account for spamming?

A: Yes, if it is really spam. Our definition of spam is lots of messages essentially saying the same thing. We judge against the Breidbart Index. We will terminate an account for BI 20.

We will not take action because a user posted something someone thinks violates a FAQ and therefore have labeled the post spam. We will take action if the user is flooding a newsgroup.

If the user is posting a URL or advertisement:

We will take action if it is posted to many groups. We will also take action if it is a commercial advertisement posted to groups where the general topic of the group is completely unrelated. Affiliate links count as unrelated.

Users:
If you are selling something and want to ask the newsgroup you hang in if they want it, prefix it with FS: in the subject. But if you continually place for sale ads in a group that does not want them, we will tell you to stop.
Q: Will we terminate an account for forging?

A: Yes. If it really is a forge. A forge is not having the same name, it is having the same e-mail address. If a user is posting with your e-mail address in their from line we will terminate the account.

In extreme circumstances (it must be obvious and it is our judgment that is used) we will terminate an account if a user is deliberately spoofing you to cause trouble, but we will first warn that user to stop.

Please note that we do not act on third party complaints for spoofing.
Q: Will we terminate an account for posting something someone found offensive?

A: No. Usenet is a global unmoderated discussion forum, there is such a vast range of who finds what offensive that there will always be something someone finds offensive in this type of environment. The answer to this is to ignore what you find offensive.
Q: Will we terminate an account for using filthy language?

A: No. It is a subjective term that becomes even more so in a global environment.
Q: Will we terminate an account for trolling?

A: No. It takes two parties to troll, one to post a troll message and one to reply. Both those that post the initial message _AND_ those that reply are responsible for the trolling. Nearly every time we have investigated a complaint it is near impossible to tell who is trolling who, so we do not involve ourselves in these situations.

However, if one of our users is in a group primarily to cause disruption above and beyond what looks to us to be normal for the group, we will warn our user and term if the behavior continues. We support freedom of speech to disagree, not to just be disruptive.
Q: Do we condone trolling?

A: No.
Q: Will we terminate an account for posting binary messages in a non-binary group?

A: We will first ask them to stop. If they refuse we will terminate.
Q: Will we terminate an account for posting child pornography or links to advertise child pornography?

A: Yes.
Q: Will we terminate an account for flaming?

A: No. Discussions often degenerate into flamefests on Usenet when there are disagreements. We do not take sides in a flamefest.

Q: Will we terminate an account for posting personal information about another?

A: Yes if our user continues to do it deliberately to harass. While it is not illegal to post publicly available info, if they are doing it as a means to harass and attack we will terminate the account. Please note that personal info means name and address or phone, not name alone. E-mail address does not count as personal information.

Please note that we do not act on third party complaints regarding personal information.
Q: Will we terminate an account for posting off topic?

A: No.
Q: Will we terminate an account for posting racist messages?

A: No. One of the things we promote is freedom of speech. Although many find some views offensive, it is just a viewpoint. It is when that view becomes an action that causes harm that it should not be tolerated. Harm does not mean someone getting converted to that view.

If you are being attacked or harmed, it has crossed into a legal issue, then you should be pursuing this in a legal forum, we will comply with a subpoena for our logs.

There are instances, however, that we feel cross bounds and we will act on, that is deliberately posting racist messages just to stir things up rather than debate.
Q: Will we terminate an account for posting against the charter?

A: For the most part charters are a guide, especially in the alt hierarchy. We will not terminate an account for posting against some FAQ someone decided to post as rules in an alt group nor will we for posting off charter in an alt group. We are more strict regarding the big 8 and may issue a warning if someone refuses to abide by the charter when the majority in the group do.
Q: Will we terminate an account for forging approval headers or cancels?

A: You can't forge these headers from within Cotse Webmail.
Q: Will we terminate an account for excessive morphing to evade kill files?

A: We will first warn them and if they do not stop, we will term the account. Please note that morphing involves changing the e-mail address. Simply changing the from name is not morphing. You should be kill filing on e-mail address, not name.
Q: Will we terminate an account for libel?

A: If it is proven in the court of law, yes. We are unable to judge whether something is libel. Only a court can judge libel. We will comply with a subpoena for our logs.
Q: Will we terminate an account for hacking?

A: If it originated from our machines, yes. If the attack did not come from one of our machines, you should be pursuing this with the ISP where the attack originated.

If the attack came from our machines please include all relevant logs including your time zone information. We cannot act without proper logs.

If the crack originated from one of our machines we will give the admin of the server attacked the IP that came to us.
Q: Will we terminate an account for being annoying?

A: No. Usenet spans all race, age, sex, ideological, and cultural boundaries. It is a place where children act like adults and adults act like children.

This is why kill files exist. If someone annoys you by what they say, ignore them.
Final notes:

If you have questions about the BI or feel that these policies are unfair then visit news.admin.net-abuse.usenet. If they feel something in our policies is wrong, we will adjust it.
Disclaimers

While we believe we have covered most issues in our policies, there is always the possibility we have missed something. Therefore we reserve the right to refuse service or cancel service to/for anyone for any reason, or no reason, at our sole discretion.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER

PACKETDERM, LLC AND/OR ITS RESPECTIVE SUPPLIERS MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE SUITABILITY, RELIABILITY, AVAILABILITY, TIMELINESS, LACK OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS AND ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS CONTAINED WITHIN THE SERVICES FOR ANY PURPOSE. ALL SUCH INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.

YOU SPECIFICALLY AGREE THAT PACKETDERM, LLC SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR DATA, ANY MATERIAL OR DATA SENT OR RECEIVED OR NOT SENT OR RECEIVED, OR ANY TRANSACTIONS ENTERED INTO THROUGH THE SITE/SERVICE. YOU SPECIFICALLY AGREE THAT PACKETDERM, LLC IS NOT RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY THREATENING, DEFAMATORY, OBSCENE, OFFENSIVE OR ILLEGAL CONTENT OR CONDUCT OF ANY OTHER PARTY OR ANY INFRINGEMENT OF ANOTHER'S RIGHTS, INCLUDING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. YOU SPECIFICALLY AGREE THAT PACKETDERM, LLC IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CONTENT SENT USING AND/OR INCLUDED IN THE SITE/SERVICE BY ANY THIRD PARTY.

IN NO EVENT SHALL PACKETDERM, LLC AND/OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE SITE/SERVICE, WITH THE DELAY OR INABILITY TO USE THE SITE OR RELATED SERVICES, THE PROVISION OF OR FAILURE TO PROVIDE SERVICES, OR FOR ANY INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS OBTAINED THROUGH THE SITE/SERVICE, OR OTHERWISE ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE SITE/SERVICE, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF PACKETDERM, LLC OR ANY OF ITS SUPPLIERS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGES. BECAUSE SOME STATES/JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IF YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH ANY PORTION OF THE SITE/SERVICE, OR WITH ANY OF THESE TERMS OF USE, YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY IS TO DISCONTINUE USING THE SITE/SERVICE.


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