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 the Internet to disseminate information to others.

When information is disseminated through the Internet, they also must keep in mind that SaratogaHosting.com does not review, edit, censor, or take responsibility for any information its clients 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 they create is carried over Saratoga Hosting’s network and may reach a large number of people, including both clients and non-clients of SaratogaHosting.com, clients' postings to the Internet may affect other clients and may harm Saratoga Hosting’s goodwill, business reputation, and operations. For these reasons, clients violate SaratogaHosting.com policy and the service agreement when they, their affiliates, or subsidiaries engage in the following prohibited activities:

PROHIBITED USES OF OUR SERVICES

• Spamming / Bulk Emails / Unsolicited Email Promotions
• Intellectual Property Violations
• Adult Material
• Politically Controversial / Negative Sites
• Live Chat Servers
• Defamatory or Threatening Language
• Forging of Headers
• Use of Your Own php.ini file
• Use of custom .htaccess files (in SOME cases, not all)
• Illegal or Unauthorized Access to Other Computers or Networks
• Background Running Programs
• Distribution of Internet Viruses, Worms, Trojan Horses, or Other Destructive Activities
• Facilitating a Violation of this AUP
• Export Control Violations
• Usenet Groups
• Other Illegal Activities
• Other Activities

Spamming / Unsolicited Email Marketing
Sending unsolicited marketing, promotional, bulk and/or commercial messages over the Internet (known as "spamming") to people who have not specifically asked to recieve such messages from you is STRICTLY PROHIBITED!

When a complaint is received, SaratogaHosting.com IS OBLIGATED BY OUR DATA CENTER TO SUSPEND YOUR ACCOUNT pending a determination from all of the evidence whether the e-mail recipients specifically requested to receive the message from you. Refer to our UCE/SPAM Policy for more informtion. WE HAVE ZERO TOLERANCE FOR SPAM. ACCOUNT HOLDERS THAT WILLFULLY SPAM SHALL BE TERMINIATED IMMEDIATELY.

Spam is not only harmful because of its negative impact on consumer attitudes toward SaratogaHosting.com, but also because it can overload SaratogaHosting.com's network and disrupt service to SaratogaHosting.com clients. Also, maintaining an open SMTP relay is prohibited.

IF YOU HAVE THE NEED TO SERVICE A LEGITIMATE LARGE MAILING LIST PLEASE CONTACT US FOR ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS, AS WE DO NOT ALLOW LARGE LIST MAILINGS TO BE SENT FROM OUR SERVERS.

Intellectual Property Violations
Engaging in any activity that infringes or misappropriates the intellectual property rights of others, including copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade secrets, software piracy, and patents held by individuals, corporations, or other entities. Also, engaging in activity that violates privacy, publicity, or other personal rights of others. SaratogaHosting.com is required by law to remove or block access to customer content upon receipt of a proper notice of copyright infringement. It is also Saratoga Hosting’s policy to terminate the privileges of customers who commit repeat violations of copyright laws.

Adult Material
Because the Internet is a global communication tool, and we have clients from nearly every country in the world it is difficult to dictate what is considered "adult material." However, it is not our function to discriminate against those who choose to utilize adult content or adult related material. This being said, there are still several reasons why SaratogaHosting.com has been forced to create its no adult sites policy for its virtual server users.

What does SaratogaHosting.com consider "Adult Material?"

• Photos or videos showing full-frontal human nudity for non-scientific or non-artistic purposes.
• Any site whose revenue is gained in part or whole from its adult content.
• Pornography and Porn "Link Sites"

SaratogaHosting.com reserves the right to decide what it considers "adult content", "adult material", "sexually explicit", or "sexually related". Let us know if you are unsure of the approval of your site before placing an order.

Defamatory or Abusive Language
Using Saratoga Hosting’s network as a means to transmit or post defamatory, harassing, abusive, or threatening language.

Forging of Headers
Forging or misrepresenting message headers, whether in whole or in part, to mask the originator of the message.

Adding a php.ini file to your account is PROHIBITED because PHP directives are handled automatically on modern servers and should never be bypassed. If you require a custom PHP setting or directive simply contact us and we'll make the settings on your account.
User uploaded php.ini files will be automatically removed from your account without notice.

Using Custom .htacess File In Your Account
Certain custom .htaccess files ARE allowed on the server, BUT if they attempt to bypass our server / security settings the files will be deleted from the server without notice, to prevent security breaches and resource issues. NOTE - .htaccess files cannot contain any PHP directives or your site will not function. Contact us if you need custom htaccess settings and are unsure of what is allowed to be added or modified in htaccess.

Illegal or Unauthorized Access to Other Computers or Networks
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 might be used as a precursor to an attempted system penetration (i.e. port scan, stealth scan, or other information gathering activity).

Background Running Programs
Background Daemons in general are prohibited on SaratogaHosting.com servers, including, but not limited to, IRC bots, eggdrop, BitchX, XiRCON, warez sites and any other program that interferes with normal server operation.

SaratogaHosting.com will be the sole arbitor of what consitutes a violation of the above policy.

Distribution of Internet Viruses, Worms, Trojan Horses, or Other Destructive Activities
Distributing information regarding the creation of and sending Internet viruses, worms, Trojan horses, pinging, flooding, mailbombing, 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.

Facilitating a Violation of this AUP
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, mailbombing, denial of service attacks, and piracy of software.

Export Control Violations
Exporting encryption software over the Internet or otherwise, to points outside the United States.

Usenet Groups
SaratogaHosting.com reserves the right not to accept postings from newsgroups where we have actual knowledge that the content of the newsgroup violates the AUP.

Other Illegal Activities
Engaging in activities that are determined to be illegal, including advertising, transmitting, or otherwise making available ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, fraudulently charging credit cards, and pirating software.

Other Activities
Engaging in activities, whether lawful or unlawful, that SaratogaHosting.com determines to be harmful to its clients, operations, reputation, goodwill, or customer relations.

As we have pointed out, the responsibility for avoiding the harmful activities just described rests primarily with the client. SaratogaHosting.com will not, as an ordinary practice, monitor the communications of its client to ensure that they comply with SaratogaHosting.com policy or applicable law. When SaratogaHosting.com becomes aware of harmful activities, however, it may take any action to stop the harmful activity, including but not limited to, removing information, shutting down a web site, implementing screening software designed to block offending transmissions, denying access to the Internet, or take any other action it deems appropriate.

SaratogaHosting.com also is concerned with the privacy of on-line communications and web sites. In general, the Internet is neither more nor less secure than other means of communication, including mail, facsimile, and voice telephone service, all of which can be intercepted and otherwise compromised. As a matter of prudence, however, SaratogaHosting.com urges its clients to assume that all of their on-line communications are insecure. SaratogaHosting.com cannot take any responsibility for the security of information transmitted over Saratoga Hosting’s facilities.

SaratogaHosting.com will not intentionally monitor private electronic mail messages sent or received by its clients unless required to do so by law, governmental authority, or when public safety is at stake. SaratogaHosting.com may, however, monitor its service electronically to determine that its facilities are operating satisfactorily. Also, SaratogaHosting.com may disclose information, including but not limited to, information concerning a client, 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. SaratogaHosting.com assumes no obligation to inform the client that client information has been provided and in some cases may be prohibited by law from giving such notice. Finally, SaratogaHosting.com may disclose client information or information transmitted over its network where necessary to protect SaratogaHosting.com and others from harm, or where such disclosure is necessary to the proper operation of the system.

We hope this AUP is helpful in clarifying the obligations of Internet users, including SaratogaHosting.com and its clients, as responsible members of the Internet. Any complaints about a client's violation of this AUP should be sent to abuse@SaratogaHosting.com.

No Live Chat Servers Run Locally
Due to the frequent abuse and exploitation of live chat server software and the strain they put on system resources, you may not install live chat software on your hosting account. You can, however, use one of the many remotely hosted chat plugins that are available out there, such as http://www.parachat.com, which provide you with a simple code to copy/paste into any page of your web site to have your own live chat room.