Here ya go...
America Online Member Agreement
The America Online Member Agreement is a legal document that details your rights and obligations as an AOL member. You cannot become an AOL Member until you have accepted the terms of the Member Agreement. The Member Agreement provides very important information about your AOL membership, so you should take the time to read and understand it. If you have questions about the Member Agreement, or about your rights and responsibilities as an AOL member, please contact us by e-mail by clicking here. You should also take the time to review the AOL Privacy Policy and the AOL Community Guidelines which reflect AOL's current policies. The Internet and online world is changing rapidly and as technology and AOL's business continue to evolve, these policies may have to be updated or revised. Since these Privacy Policies and Community Guidelines may change, you should check Keyword: TOS for the most current versions.
For the same reasons, it may be necessary for AOL to update or revise certain provisions of the Member Agreement. By joining AOL and accepting the Member Agreement you agree that AOL may change the terms of this Member Agreement. If AOL makes material changes or revisions to the Member Agreement, we will provide notice to you thirty days in advance. If you don't agree to the changes proposed by AOL, or to any of the terms in this Member Agreement, your only remedy is to cancel your AOL membership.
1. THE BASICS OF YOUR AOL MEMBERSHIP
This Agreement is your entire agreement with AOL and governs your use of the AOL Internet online service. There may be additional terms and conditions if you use affiliate services like our international areas, other AOL services or products such as AOL Instant Messenger(TM) service or third-party software and/or services. To access the AOL service you must accept the terms of this Agreement and comply with the AOL Community Guidelines. To be an AOL member, you must be at least 18 years old. If you are not yet eighteen years old, you may still use AOL, but only if the account was created and registered by your parent or guardian. Because we give out free trial offers, we reserve the right to limit you to just one free trial.
When you accept this Agreement and complete the AOL registration process, you become the "master account" holder, and AOL provides you with a limited, non-exclusive license for no more than the term of your membership to use the screen name you select for your "master account." AOL also allows you to have up to four additional "sub-accounts" or screen names of your choice. Your screen name is your online identity. You may not use a screen name that is used by someone else, and your screen name cannot be vulgar, or be used in any way that violates the other parts of the Member Agreement or the Community Guidelines.
As the master account holder, you are responsible for all activity on your account and on any of the sub-accounts, and violations or warning accrued by the sub-account can lead to termination of the master account. If warnings or violations are received by sub-accounts, the master account will also receive notification. You may also receive important notices about your membership from time to time that may not be provided to the sub-accounts, so it is important for you to regularly check your master account mailbox. Because you are responsible for all use of your account, you should supervise the use of your account by others. This is especially important when children are using the service; children are safer online and get more out of the experience with adult supervision. It is important that you not reveal your password to other users and AOL will never ask you for your password. You agree not to reveal your password to other users and you agree to indemnify and hold AOL harmless for any improper or illegal use of your account. This includes illegal or improper use by someone to whom you have given permission to use your account. Your account is at risk if you let someone use it inappropriately. If your membership is terminated for violating this Agreement or the Community Guidelines, AOL's express permission will be necessary before you are allowed to use AOL again.
2. CHARGES, BILLING AND THE FREE TRIAL
AOL reserves the right to change our fees or billing methods at any time and AOL will provide notice of any such change at least thirty days in advance in the same manner described above for changes to the Member Agreement. AOL also has the right to collect applicable taxes and impose premium surcharges for some areas of the service and these surcharges may apply even during your free trial. The answers to many common billing questions can be found by going to Keyword: Help, then selecting Accounts & Billing, going to Keyword: Billing, or by contacting an AOL customer service representative at 1-800-827-6364. If you don't like the changes in fees or billing methods, you may cancel your membership at any time, but AOL will not refund any remaining portion of the monthly fee when you cancel your membership. If you have joined AOL as a trial member, you should understand that your free trial time must be used within one month of your initial sign-on and to avoid being charged a membership fee, you must cancel your account before the end of that first month.
As the master account holder, you are responsible for all charges incurred, including applicable taxes and purchases made by you or anyone you allow to use your account or sub-accounts, including your children, other members of your family or friends. This means that, unless your account or credit card information is obtained unlawfully or fraudulently by someone other than those authorized to use your account or sub-account, you will be responsible for all usage and purchases under your account or sub-accounts.
There may be extra charges to access certain premium content on AOL. AOL will provide notice of any extra charge before you enter the premium area. You are responsible for any charges for premium content incurred using your account (including sub-accounts) and these charges apply even during the free trial. AOL's Parental Controls allow you to prevent sub-accounts from accessing premium or surcharged content. For more information go to Keyword: Parental Controls. Some Web sites charge separate fees, which are not included in the cost of your AOL membership. AOL provides access to a large number of third-party vendors, who provide content, goods and or services on the AOL service or the Internet. Any separate charges or obligations you incur in your dealings with these third-parties are your responsibility and are not part of the fee charged for your AOL membership.
Most members pay by credit card. For most billing plans we will be charging your designated card every month, but some charges may accumulate on your account before they are charged to your card. If you don't have a credit card, you can authorize AOL to make electronic fund transfers from your checking account. There is an additional surcharge for this payment option and you should go to Keyword: Billing and read about AOL's Billing Methods for more information. By selecting this billing option and providing AOL with your debit/checking account information, you authorize AOL to debit your checking account for charges incurred using AOL. Every time you use AOL, you re-affirm that AOL is authorized to charge your credit card or withdraw funds via electronic transfer from your checking account, depending on which payment method you have selected. You also agree to authorize AOL to charge purchases you make online to the credit card you supplied to AOL when you joined or to debit your checking account if you selected that option during the registration process.
We expect you to pay your account balance on time. We will give you 30 days from the date on your account statement to pay your bill. AOL will assess an additional 1.5% (or the highest amount allowed by law, whichever is lower) per month late charge if your payment is more than 30 days past due. That amount is also due immediately. You are responsible and liable for any fees, including attorney and collection fees, that AOL may incur in its efforts to collect any remaining balances from you. You also agree that you will be billed for and will pay any outstanding balances if you cancel your membership or are terminated. You should let us know about any billing problems or discrepancies within 90 days after they first appear on your account statement. If you do not bring them to AOL's attention within 90 days, you agree that you waive your right to dispute such problems or discrepancies.
AOL has an extensive network of access phone numbers throughout the country, but it is still possible that the nearest AOL access number might be a long distance or toll call from your location. Any telephone charges incurred connecting to AOL are your responsibility. Since these charges are your responsibility, you should contact your local telephone company if you have a question about whether an AOL access number is a long distance or toll call from your location. AOL also provides several surcharged 800 or 888 access phone numbers (for the current surcharge rate go to Keyword: Access). If you choose to use these surcharged numbers to access AOL, you agree to pay the currently applicable surcharge to AOL. If you have other questions about access phone numbers, you should consult Keyword: Access. It is important to note that you can incur long distance or toll charges or surcharges for 800 or 888 access even during your free trial.
3. ONLINE CONDUCT AND CONTENT
Content
By content, we mean the text, software, communications, images, sounds and other information provided online. Most content on the AOL service is provided by AOL, our members, our affiliates, or independent content providers under license. In general, AOL does not pre-screen content available on the AOL service. AOL does not assume any responsibility or liability for content that is provided by others. AOL does reserve the right to remove content that, in AOL's judgment, does not meet its standards or does not comply with AOL's current Community Guidelines, but AOL is not responsible for any failure or delay in removing such material. Keep in mind that AOL is not responsible for content available on the Internet, although we reserve the right to block access to any Internet area containing illegal or other harmful content or otherwise being used for purposes that are unlawful or injurious to AOL or its members.
One of the most exciting aspects of this medium is that individual members have the ability to create their own content and voice their own opinions. AOL encourages Members to participate and express their views -- after all, that is what makes your experience interactive. But it is important to remember that there are rules and standards that you must abide by as an AOL Member. These rules and standards are described in the AOL Community Guidelines. As an AOL Member, you agree to follow the AOL Community Guidelines and you acknowledge that AOL has the right to enforce them in its sole discretion. This means that if you, or anyone using your account, violate the AOL Community Guidelines, AOL may take action against your account. This can range from the issuance of a warning about a violation to the termination of your account. You understand AOL is not required to provide notice prior to terminating your account for violating these rules and standards, but it may choose to do so. Additionally, as an AOL member, you may have access to other AOL branded services, such as AOL Instant Messenger(TM) service, that are available to both AOL members and to other Internet users. When using these AOL branded services, your conduct remains subject to this Member Agreement; however, non-AOL members who use these services are not subject to this Member Agreement and as a result you understand that these other users may not be governed by the same rules or standards. Because of the changing nature of the Internet and Online Services, the Community Guidelines may change at any time. You can always find the most current version of the AOL Community Guidelines at Keyword: TOS.
Unsolicited Bulk E-mail
Your AOL membership allows you to send and receive e-mail to and from other AOL members and users of the Internet. This does not mean that you may use AOL to send unsolicited bulk e-mail or junk e-mail. Information about unsolicited bulk e-mail can be found at Keyword: Junk Mail. Your AOL membership and your authorization to use the AOL e-mail service do not allow you to send unsolicited bulk e-mail or to cause unsolicited bulk e-mail to be sent by someone else. You may not use the Member Directory or any other area of AOL to harvest or collect information, including screen names, about AOL members, and the use of such information for the purpose of sending unsolicited bulk e-mail is strictly prohibited. Any violation of these provisions can subject your AOL account to immediate termination and further legal action. If you have received junk e-mail and want to report it, simply use the Forward button on the e-mail screen and send the e-mail to screen name TOS Spam. AOL also reserves the right to take any and all legal and technical remedies to prevent unsolicited bulk e-mail from entering, utilizing or remaining within the AOL Network.
Proprietary Rights
Much of the content available on our service is owned by others, and is protected by copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights. It is very easy to copy things in cyberspace, but just because it is easy doesn't mean it is acceptable or legal. Any content that you upload or download while using the service must be authorized; this means you must have the legal right to upload or download the content. You must not copy, transmit, modify, distribute, show in public or in private or create any derivative works from any of the content you find on AOL, unless you have the legal right to. Making unauthorized copies of any content found on AOL can lead to the termination of your AOL account and may even subject you to further legal action beyond the termination of your membership. Similarly, other content owners may take criminal or civil action against you. In that event, you agree to hold harmless AOL and its subsidiaries, affiliates, related companies, employees, officers, directors and agents.
Bear in mind that some areas of AOL are "public," like message boards, forums, or the Member Directory, and other members will have access to your posted material and might copy, modify or distribute it. By submitting or posting content there, you are representing that you are the owner of such material or have authorization to distribute it. Once you post content on AOL, you expressly grant AOL the complete right to use, reproduce, modify, distribute, etc. the content in any form, anywhere.
4. AOL SOFTWARE LICENSES
AOL provides you with a limited license to use our software, which you agree to use in accordance with these rules. You may not sub-license, or charge others to use or access, our software without first obtaining written permission from us. We will occasionally provide automatic upgrades to improve your online experience, and we employ virus-screening technology to assist in the protection of our network and our members. We reserve the right to log off accounts that are inactive for an extended period of time and we prohibit the use of tools that defeat AOL's automatic log-off feature.
AOL grants to you a non-exclusive, limited license to use AOL software to connect to AOL from authorized locations in accordance with this agreement. This license is subject to the restriction that, except where expressly permitted by law, you may not translate, reverse-engineer or reverse-compile or decompile, disassemble or make derivative works from AOL software. You may not modify AOL software or use it in any way not expressly authorized by this Agreement. You understand that AOL's introduction of various technologies may not be consistent across all platforms and that the performance and some features offered by AOL may vary depending on your computer and other equipment.
5. WARRANTY
MEMBER EXPRESSLY AGREES THAT THE USE OF AOL, AOL SOFTWARE, AND THE INTERNET IS AT MEMBER'S SOLE RISK. AOL, AOL SOFTWARE, AOL PRODUCTS, THIRD-PARTY VIRUS CHECKING TECHNOLOGY AND THE INTERNET ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" FOR YOUR USE, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, UNLESS SUCH WARRANTIES ARE LEGALLY INCAPABLE OF EXCLUSION. AOL PROVIDES THE AOL SERVICE ON A COMMERCIALLY REASONABLE BASIS AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT MEMBERS WILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS OR USE THE SERVICE AT TIMES OR LOCATIONS OF THEIR CHOOSING, OR THAT AOL WILL HAVE ADEQUATE CAPACITY FOR THE SERVICE AS A WHOLE OR IN ANY SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA. AOL'S ENTIRE LIABILITY AND YOUR EXCLUSIVE REMEDY WITH RESPECT TO THE USE OF ANY SOFTWARE PROVIDED OR USED BY AOL SHALL BE THE REPLACEMENT OF ANY AOL SOFTWARE FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY FOR ANY OTHER DISPUTE WITH AOL IS THE CANCELLATION OF YOUR ACCOUNT AS DETAILED BELOW IN SECTION 7. IN NO CASE SHALL AOL BE LIABLE FOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF AOL, THE INTERNET OR FOR ANY OTHER CLAIM RELATED IN ANY WAY TO YOUR MEMBERSHIP WITH AOL. BECAUSE SOME STATES OR JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR THE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, IN SUCH STATES OR JURISDICTIONS, AOL'S LIABILITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. AOL DOES NOT ENDORSE, WARRANT OR GUARANTEE ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE OFFERED THROUGH AOL AND WILL NOT BE A PARTY TO OR IN ANY WAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING ANY TRANSACTION BETWEEN YOU AND THIRD-PARTY PROVIDERS OF PRODUCTS OR SERVICES.
6. INDEMNIFICATION
Upon a request by AOL, you agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless AOL and its affiliated subsidiaries, employees, contractors, officers, directors, telecommunications providers and content providers from all liabilities, claims and expenses, including attorneys fees, that arise from a breach of this Member Agreement for which you are responsible or from the use of AOL or the Internet, or in connection with your transmission of any Content on AOL. AOL reserves the right, at its own expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by a Member. In that event, the member shall have no further obligation to provide indemnification for AOL in that matter.
7. TERMINATION AND CANCELLATION
Either you or AOL may terminate or cancel your membership at any time. You understand and agree that the cancellation of your account is your sole right and remedy with respect to any dispute with AOL. This includes, but is not limited to, any dispute related to, or arising out of: (1) any term of this Agreement or AOL's enforcement or application of this Agreement; (2) any policy or practice of AOL, including AOL's Community Guidelines and the AOL Privacy Policy, or AOL's enforcement or application of these policies; (3) the content available through AOL or the Internet or any change in content provided through AOL; (4) your ability to access and/or use AOL; or (5) the amount or type of fees, surcharges, applicable taxes, billing methods, or any change to the fees, applicable taxes, surcharges or billing methods.
You can cancel your membership by delivering notice to AOL's Customer Service Department at 1-888-265-8008, by sending your cancellation request via US Mail to: AOL, PO Box 1600, Ogden UT 84401, or by fax at 1-801-622-7969. Cancellation will take effect within 72 hours of receipt of your request, and AOL will send you written confirmation. If you cancel near the end of your billing period and are inadvertently charged for the next month's fee contact AOL at the toll free number above to have the charges reversed. AOL reserves the right to collect fees, surcharges or costs incurred before you cancel your AOL membership. In addition, you are responsible for any charges incurred to third-party vendors or content providers prior to your cancellation.
In the event that your account is terminated or canceled, no refund, including any membership fees, will be granted; no online time or other credits (e.g., points in an online game) will be credited to you or can be converted to cash or other form of reimbursement. Active AOL Members may not allow former Members or other agents whose memberships have been terminated to use their accounts. Any delinquent or unpaid accounts or accounts with unresolved issues with the Community Action department or other AOL departments must be concluded before you may re-register with AOL, Inc.
8. LAW AND LEGAL NOTICES
The Member Agreement represents your entire agreement with AOL. You agree that this Member Agreement is not intended to confer and does not confer any rights or remedies upon any person other than the parties to this Agreement. You also understand and agree that the AOL Community Guidelines and the AOL Privacy Policy, including AOL's enforcement of those policies, are not intended to confer, and do not confer, any rights or remedies upon any person. If any part of this Agreement is held invalid or unenforceable, that portion shall be construed in a manner consistent with applicable law to reflect, as nearly as possible, the original intentions of the parties, and the remaining portions shall remain in full force and effect. The laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, excluding its conflicts-of-law rules, govern this Agreement and your membership. As noted above, member conduct may be subject to other local, state, national, and international laws. You expressly agree that exclusive jurisdiction for any claim or dispute with AOL or relating in any way to your membership or your use of AOL resides in the courts of Virginia and you further agree and expressly consent to the exercise of personal jurisdiction in the courts of Virginia in connection with any such dispute including any claim involving AOL or its affiliates, subsidiaries, employees, contractors, officers, directors, telecommunication providers and content providers.
You agree to abide by U.S. and other applicable export control laws and not to transfer, by electronic transmission or otherwise, any content or software subject to restrictions under such laws to a national destination prohibited under such laws, without first obtaining, and then complying with, any requisite government authorization. You further agree not to upload to AOL any data or software that cannot be exported without prior written government authorization, including, but not limited to, certain types of encryption software. This assurance and commitment shall survive termination of this agreement. Control laws currently prohibit the export of any browser with 128-bit encryption, including Internet Explorer, available through AOL. Control laws also prohibit nationals of Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria from gaining access to certain content on AOL.
Information for California Residents:
Under California Civil Code Section 1789.3, California Members are entitled to the following specific consumer rights information:
Pricing Information. Current rates for using AOL may be obtained by calling 1-800-827-6364. AOL, Inc. reserves the right to change fees, surcharges, monthly membership fees or to institute new fees at any time upon thirty (30) days prior notice, as provided for in the Member Agreement at Section 2.
Complaints. The Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs may be contacted in writing at 1020 N. Street, #501, Sacramento, CA 95814, or by telephone at 1-916-445-1254.
Information for Minnesota residents:
Minnesota Statute Chapter 325M requires Internet service providers to obtain consent from their subscribers who are Minnesota residents in connection with certain disclosures of personal information. Please read the following carefully if you are an AOL member who resides in Minnesota.
When you register for and use the AOL service, the AOL Privacy Policy explains how AOL collects, uses, and discloses personal information in connection with your AOL membership, as well as the choices AOL gives you about such uses and disclosures. You can review the current version of this policy by clicking Privacy Policy or visiting Keyword: "Privacy." By your affirmative act of either registering for AOL as a new member, or continuing to use the AOL service following your registration, you authorize the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information by AOL as provided for under AOL's then-current Privacy Policy.
AOL Community Guidelines
Like any city, we take pride in -- and are protective of -- our community. That's why our community standards are important. Communities of all sizes rely on civic pride and the duty of all citizens to help with things like picking up litter, getting out of the way of ambulances, reporting crime, and abiding by the law. These Community Guidelines tell you what you can expect from AOL, as well as the kind of online behavior we expect of you. We include some tips for protecting yourself online. Community standards are always evolving, so it's important that you periodically check these Guidelines (as well as the guidelines in your favorite areas) for updates, new information, or additional safety tips. It's all part of taking pride in and protecting the AOL community. Thanks for doing your part.
Here are the basics (read further for more detail):
* Appropriate online content.
* Proper online conduct.
* Illegal behavior.
* Unsolicited e-mail.
* Protection of copyrights and trademarks.
* Content and behavior on the Internet.
* International online areas.
* Getting help: Online resources.
Appropriate online content.
By content, we mean the information, software, communications, images, sounds, and all the material and information you see online. It is provided by AOL, our international joint ventures, our members, or under license by our content partners. We do not pre-screen content generally, but our content partners are expected to ensure that their content on the service reflects our community standards. We reserve the right to remove content that does not meet those standards. Neither AOL nor its partners assume any liability if the content is not removed. Bear in mind that we can do this only on the AOL service: we cannot do it on the Internet outside AOL. (see Content and Behavior on the Internet).
Members like you also generate content in chat rooms, message boards, Web pages, etc. It is essential that this kind of content also reflects our community standards, and we may remove it if, in our best judgment, it does not meet those standards. When we do, you may receive a warning about the violation of AOL's standards if your account (any of the screen names) was responsible for putting the objectionable content online. If it's a serious offense or you've violated our rules before, we may terminate your account.
AOL applies the same standards to its own and its partners' content that it applies to member content. Remember that community standards vary from community to community. Some chat rooms may use stronger language than others. Obviously, some online areas may deal with more adult-oriented topics, such as sexual dysfunction, rape, or infidelity, and we offer our members Parental Controls so that you may ensure that kids who use your account can't see that mature content (see Getting Help: Online Resources). In most places on AOL, vulgar language or sexually explicit conduct are no more appropriate online than they would be at Thanksgiving dinner. So while the guidelines may vary a bit depending on the online area you're in, in general, these guidelines apply:
Language: Mild expletives and non-sexual anatomical references are allowed, but strong vulgar language, crude or explicit sexual references, hate speech, etc. are not. If you see it, report it at Keyword: Notify AOL.
Nudity: Photos containing revealing attire or limited nudity in a scientific or artistic context is okay in some places (not all). Partial or full frontal nudity is not okay. If you see it, report it at Keyword: Notify AOL.
Sex/Sensuality: There is a difference between affection and vulgarity. There is also a difference between a discussion of the health or emotional aspects of sex using appropriate language, and more crude conversations about sex. The former is acceptable, the latter is not. For example, in a discussion about forms of cancer, the words "breast" or "testicular" would be acceptable, but slang versions of those words would not be acceptable anywhere.
Violence and drug abuse: Graphic images of humans being killed, such as in news accounts, may be acceptable in some areas, but blood and gore, gratuitous violence, etc., are not acceptable. Discussions about coping with drug abuse in health areas are okay, but discussions about or depictions of illegal drug abuse that imply it is acceptable are not.
Please bear in mind that these are only guidelines; there is always a "gray area." Use your best judgment. Ask yourself if this is something that you would say in a room full of people you never met, or in the workplace. However, AOL makes the final determination about whether content is objectionable or not.
With all the content posted on AOL every day by our members, we can't possibly monitor all of it, and we do not attempt to do so. Therefore, you might occasionally encounter something you don't want to see. You can ignore it, but we prefer you report it using the Keyword: Notify AOL. Good judgment is important, especially when you encounter the opinions of others. AOL doesn't endorse or oppose opinions expressed by our members, but we do sometimes take issue with the manner in which the opinion is expressed. Hate speech is never allowed.
Proper online conduct.
Online conduct should be guided by common sense and basic etiquette. You will be considered in violation of the Terms of Service if you (or others using your account) do any of the following:
* Post, transmit, promote, or distribute content that is illegal.
* Harass, threaten, embarrass, or do anything else to another member that is unwanted. This means: don't say bad things about them, don't keep sending them unwanted Instant Message(TM) notes, don't attack their race, heritage, etc. If you disagree with someone, respond to the subject, not the person.
* Transmit or facilitate distribution of content that is harmful, abusive, racially or ethnically offensive, vulgar, sexually explicit, or in a reasonable person's view, objectionable. Community standards may vary, but there is no place on the service where hate speech is tolerated.
* Disrupt the flow of chat in chat rooms with vulgar language, abusiveness, hitting the return key repeatedly or inputting large images so the screen goes by too fast to read, etc. This is online vandalism, and it ruins the experience for others.
* Pretend to be anyone whom you are not. You may not impersonate another member (including celebrities), an AOL employee, or a Community Leader.
* Attempt to get a password, other account information, or other private information from a member. Because a member's account is that person's online existence and persona, it is sacrosanct. Remember: AOL employees will NEVER ask for your password. Don't give your password or billing information out to anyone.
Obey the rules wherever you are. This includes the rules of other interactive services, AOL area guidelines, state, local, federal laws, or foreign or international law where appropriate. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. "Netiquette" is used all over the Internet. Whether you are on AOL or using other Internet functions, it's important to be polite. Many newsgroups, Web communities, and the like have their own community guidelines or standards, and you should consult them before interacting.
Remember that new AOL features or technologies are always subject to the Terms of Service.
Illegal behavior.
The laws that apply in the offline world must be obeyed online as well. We have zero tolerance for illegal behavior on the service. We terminate accounts and cooperate with law enforcement on such matters.
In addition to providing you with an easy way to report illegal activity, we or our partners may in some instances monitor public areas. Our Community Leaders are there to help you and to help us maintain community standards. We do not monitor private areas, such as private chat rooms, Instant Message(TM) conversations, or e-mail. Regardless of the area, AOL may be used only for lawful purposes. Just because we may not be monitoring the area you're in at that point in time doesn't mean we won't uphold our standards. In addition, AOL reserves the right to treat as public any private chat room whose directory or room name is published or becomes generally known or available.
Unsolicited e-mail.
* Unsolicited bulk e-mail is strictly prohibited.
* Chain letters and pyramid schemes are not allowed. Many such things are illegal. Even the ones that aren't illegal are annoying to most people and tie up online resources, so we don't allow them.
* You may place advertisements only in areas designated for that purpose. Unsolicited advertising is not allowed. This includes the sending of bulk e-mail. You must have permission from AOL and/or the person to whom you are sending the ad.
* You may not use the Member Directory or any other area of AOL to harvest or collect information, including screen names, about AOL members, and the use of such information for the purpose of sending unsolicited bulk e-mail is strictly prohibited. This includes collection of names on a member Web page. You must adhere to AOL's Privacy Policy.
* You can regulate the mail you receive by going to Keyword: Mail Controls.
Mail Controls allow you to:
* Block or allow all e-mail
* Block or allow e-mail from specific addresses or from the Internet
* Block domains (the sources of the mail)
* Block file attachments to e-mail
Protection of copyrights and trademarks.
Some content is owned by others and is protected by copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights. It's very easy to copy things in cyberspace, but just because it's easy doesn't mean it's acceptable or lawful. Unauthorized copying of software is illegal, and you can be subject to criminal penalties beyond the termination of your membership. We take this seriously. Similarly, other content owners may take criminal or civil action against you. All the content you transmit must either be your own or must be transmitted with express authorization for distribution on AOL.
Bear in mind that some areas of AOL are "public," like message boards, forums, or the Member Directory, and other members will have access to your posted material and might copy, modify or distribute it. By submitting content in these public areas, you grant to AOL the complete right to use, reproduce, modify, distribute, etc. the content in any part, anywhere.
Content and behavior on the Internet.
AOL provides you with access to the Internet, which is different from AOL. E-mail to or from non-AOL members, newsgroups, FTP, the World Wide Web, etc. are outside of the boundaries of AOL. However, as an AOL member you are required to follow our TOS no matter where you are on the Internet. If another ISP or Internet organization reports you to us, we will take appropriate action against your account the same as we would if you had committed a violation on the AOL service.
AOL offers Web site publishing capability to encourage you to participate in a variety of online communities on AOL. We regard such communities as part of the AOL service, and we will enforce our community guidelines for member-created Web pages.
Use of the Internet is at your own risk, and AOL cannot be responsible for the content and conduct you may encounter. If the content or behavior originates outside the AOL community, we cannot remove it and are limited in the actions we can take. In addition, not every Web site you encounter will have a privacy policy and those that do may differ from AOL's. Be very careful about giving out personal information.
Since the Internet contains goods and services that may not be appropriate for minors (or some adults!), you may want to use our Parental Controls (Keyword: Parental Controls) to block access to certain parts of the Internet for your account or sub-accounts, especially if kids are online in your home.
International online areas.
AOL also allows you to visit AOL International areas online. These areas may have slightly different rules for conducting yourself and different standards for acceptable content. You should refer to the local rules in those areas; in general, "when in Rome" do as the folks do there. For example, harmless words in the United States might take on a completely different meaning in the United Kingdom. Guides or hosts in those areas may issue you a warning, and termination is possible if you violate the rules of the international area. Bear in mind that cyberspace law is evolving, so it's a good idea to review the rules of your favorite areas frequently.
Getting help: Online resources.
Like the rest of the world, AOL may contain some material that is inappropriate for kids, young teens, or to some adults. Content in chat rooms is expressed immediately, so it can't be monitored in advance. Whether or not content is appropriate for children or for your tastes is up to you. We want to make sure that you have the ability to control what you or your children see.
AOL provides many online means of modifying the online environment, all of which can be controlled by the master account.
Parental Controls (Keyword: Parental Controls). Our Parental Controls allow the master account holder to adjust the online access of children on that account as they mature. You can designate each screen name as a child, young teen, mature teen, or 18+ account. Designating an account as a child or young teen account restricts your child's access to certain areas on AOL and the Internet (when accessed through AOL) and to Internet services available through America Online, such as online transactions. Each of these restrictions can be customized. But remember: No system of controls makes up for good old-fashioned parental supervision. We recommend that you monitor your child's use of AOL and that you make sure that your children understand AOL's Safety Tips.
Web Controls (Keyword: Parental Controls). Web Controls let you restrict your child's access to the World Wide Web. You can set controls to allow your child to go only to pre-approved sites, or prevent your teen from going to identified pornographic sites on the Web.
Mail Controls (Keyword: Mail Controls). Mail Controls allow you to:
* Block or allow all e-mail
* Block or allow e-mail from specific addresses or from the Internet
* Block domains (the sources of the mail)
* Block file attachments to e-mail
Marketing Preferences (Keyword: Marketing Preferences). AOL occasionally makes our membership mailing list available to companies whose products or services may be of interest to you. Marketing Preferences allows you to tell us if you do not want your name to be released to other organizations. You can also tell us if you do not want to receive member offers from AOL.
For more information about online safety and security, check out the following:
Neighborhood Watch (Keyword: Neighborhood Watch). Neighborhood Watch is your online area for information about online safety and security, dealing with issues such as viruses, keeping your account secure, reporting violations, or online conduct.
Member Services (Keyword: Help). This area has answers to a wide range of questions about AOL's service.
How to Notify AOL of Problems Online
There are two ways to inform AOL's Community Action Team (CAT) of violations you have either seen or been subject to online. AOL's CAT is a highly trained group responsible for educating and empowering members and for enforcing AOL's content and conduct standards. CAT can issue written warnings and, should the violation(s) be serious enough, terminate an account.
You can notify AOL of a violation by going to Keyword: Notify AOL or Keyword: I Need Help. Using Keywords: TOS or Keyword: Terms of Service allows you to review these guidelines.
When in a chat room, you can also click the Notify AOL button. This allows you to report a problem without having to leave your chat room.
We regard our members' privacy as one of our most important values. We want you to know how we protect member information and what choices you have about its use. We believe AOL's Privacy Policy should give you confidence whenever you use AOL or AOL.COM -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year.
We have organized our policy into three parts:
(1) We outline our Eight Principles of Privacy, our core commitment to protect your privacy.
(2) We explain how we implement each principle. You can click on any principle to read the policy.
(3) We provide Helpful Tips on how you can better protect your privacy in cyberspace.
AOL'S PRIVACY COMMITMENT:
THE EIGHT PRINCIPLES OF PRIVACY
We are committed to protecting your personal privacy. Our Eight Principles of Privacy summarize and clarify that commitment: how we safeguard your privacy, how we treat personal information, and what choices you have. We understand that for you to take full advantage of the benefits of this interactive medium, we must do everything we can to ensure that your privacy is secure.
1. We do not read your private online communications.
2. We do not use any information about where you personally go on AOL or the Web, and we do not give it out to others.
3. We do not give out your telephone number, credit card information or screen names, unless you authorize us to do so. And we give you the opportunity to correct your personal contact and billing information at any time.
4. We may use information about the kinds of products you buy from AOL to make other marketing offers to you, unless you tell us not to. We do not give out this purchase data to others.
5. We give you choices about how AOL uses your personal information.
6. We take extra steps to protect the safety and privacy of children.
7. We use secure technology, privacy protection controls and restrictions on employee access in order to safeguard your personal information.
8. We will keep you informed, clearly and prominently, about what we do with your personal information, and we will advise you if we change our policy.
(1) We do not read your private online communications.
AOL honors the confidentiality of its members' private communications in private chat rooms, e-mail (including downloads), and Instant Message(TM) conversations, as well as any profile data you may create, such as a stock portfolio. AOL does not read or disclose private communications except to comply with valid legal process such as a search warrant, subpoena or court order, to protect the company's rights and property, or during emergencies when we believe physical safety is at risk. Of course, what you write or post in public or member chat rooms and message boards is available not only to AOL, but to all members.
(2) We do not use any information about where you personally go on AOL or the Web, and we do not give it out to others.
Our system automatically gathers information about the areas you visit on our service.
We do not use any of this navigational data about where you -- as an individual member -- go on the service. Nor do we share any of this data with outside companies.
We do use navigational information in the aggregate to understand how our members as a group use the service so that we can make AOL better. We may also share this statistical information with our partners or other outside companies, but in doing so, we don't disclose individual names or personal navigational information.
We do not keep track of where you personally go on the World Wide Web.
We may use cookies to improve your online experience. Cookies are small text files placed on your computer through your browser when you visit a Web site or see particular advertisements on that site. Cookies are commonly used to remember the preferences or customized settings you may have selected. You may control cookies through your browser's preference settings.
We may use cookies to personalize and enhance your experience on our service, including to:
· Maintain information that you voluntarily give us about your preferences, such as your personal interests or horoscope
· Personalize features of the AOL service, like providing you with your local weather forecast or custom news bulletins
· Validate participation in select online activities, such as making sure that each person only votes in an online poll once
· Authenticate your access to your personal information for added security.
AOL and its advertisers may use cookie technology to determine on an anonymous basis which advertisements members have seen and how members responded to them. For example, these cookies may be used to help ensure members don't see the same advertisement too many times, to show the next advertisement in a series, or to tell whether an anonymous member responded to a particular ad. These cookies are not used to collect personally identifiable information unless you give us permission to do so.
AOL and its advertisers may also use small pieces of code called "web beacons" or "clear gifs" to collect anonymous and aggregate advertising metrics, such as counting page views, promotion views, or advertising responses. These "web beacons" may be used to deliver cookies that conform to our anonymous cookie policy. AOL does not allow advertisers or their advertising networks to use these technologies on AOL to compile profiles about the different Web sites that a particular member visits.
The Web sites you visit, including those of AOL's advertisers and partners, have their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of Web sites before providing them with any of your personal information.
(3) We do not give out your telephone number, credit card information or screen names, unless you authorize us to do so. And we give you the opportunity to correct your personal contact and billing information at any time.
When you join AOL, we ask you for your name, address, telephone number, and billing information-including the credit card, checking account, or debit card used to pay for your account -- and the various screen names you want to use on your account. Here is how we protect that information:
· AOL will not give out your telephone number or screen names (e-mail addresses), except where needed to deliver a product or service you ordered.
· We will not give out your credit or debit card number or checking account information unless you authorize it, for example, during an online purchase.
· We will not give out information that would link your screen names with your actual name.
We make lists of members' names and addresses available to pre-screened companies who have specific direct mail product and service offers we think may be of interest to you. We also sometimes combine these lists with publicly available information or segment them based on other information, such as when a member joined AOL or a member's computer system type. These lists are never based on a member's online activities.
You may choose to remove your name and address from the mailing lists we provide to other companies. For more information about your choices, please see Principle 5.
We also collect and use other information for internal purposes. For example, we keep records in your account history of your complaints about other members' online behavior, your contact with AOL Member Services and any reported violations of our Terms of Service (TOS) that you or someone on your account may have committed. AOL automatically queries your computer for information about your computer system such as the speed of your modem, error messages you may have received, or whether you use Macintosh(TM) or Windows(TM) software -- to help us fit the service to your individual needs and to help us diagnose problems you may be having with your system. Finally, we sometimes use information about your geographical location to provide localized service. For example, we may use your zip code or the time zone you are in to make sure the weather information or TV listings you see are accurate for you.
We have two exceptions to these policies: We will release specific information about your account only to comply with valid legal process such as a search warrant, subpoena or court order, or in special cases such as a physical threat to you or others.
We provide you with the opportunity to update or correct your contact and billing information that we have on file. Just as you want to make sure that information AOL has about you is accurate, we want to keep only the most up-to-date information about your account. Therefore, whenever you believe that your contact or billing information needs updating, you can go to Keyword: Billing and make the necessary changes.
(4) We may use information about the kinds of products you buy from AOL to make other marketing offers to you, unless you tell us not to. We do not give out this purchase data to others.
Your Purchases From AOL
AOL offers our members the opportunity to buy AOL store merchandise, such as computer hardware and software, and products that carry the AOL brand. Like other retailers and direct marketers, we record information about such purchases. When you buy from us online, our system automatically gathers purchase data, and we also record information about purchases made through our telemarketing, mail order and other marketing operations.
We use this information in two ways:
1) We review what kinds of products and services appeal most to our members as a group. This statistical information helps us improve our offerings in the same way that other companies change their catalog based on what sells best.
2) We use information such as the number of purchases members make and the categories of goods and services they buy to make offers to you that we believe will interest you. In addition, we use other information such as when members joined AOL, how often they use the service or their type of computer system to make such offers. We also use publicly available consumer data to help us decide which marketing offers to make and which advertising they see.
You may choose not to receive marketing offers from AOL. For more information about your choices, please see Principle 5.
We do not give out any information about what you, as an individual, purchase from AOL, except to complete your transactions, or to comply with valid legal process such as a search warrant, subpoena or court order. We share with outside companies only statistical information about what AOL products or services our members -- as a group -- buy.
Your Purchases From AOL Certified Merchants
AOL Certified Merchants are required to provide a secure and safe environment for credit card purchases and will abide by AOL's privacy policy when handling any personal information given to them online by our members. These Certified Merchants will carry our AOL Guarantee Seal that tells you that you can conduct online business through AOL safely with them. Every time you make an online purchase from any AOL Certified Merchant, you are protected against liability in the unlikely event of credit card fraud. Simply follow your credit card company's reporting procedures, and AOL will reimburse you up to $50 for any remaining liability for unauthorized charges. Learn more at Keyword: Guarantee.
Your Other Online Purchases Through Our Service
For all other online purchases, be sure to review the merchants' privacy policies and contact them directly if you have any questions. They may have privacy terms that differ from AOL's privacy policy, and they may use personal information which you may provide them differently than our policy permits.
AOL may be involved in facilitating your purchases from these other companies, but this individual data is not used for any other purpose.
(5) We give you choices about how AOL uses your personal information.
You have choices about how the information you have provided may be used by us to make special offers to you. And you can direct us to remove your name and address from mailing lists we provide to selected, pre-screened companies.
To activate any of these marketing preferences, go to Keyword: Marketing Preferences or Keyword: Choice.
· You may choose not to receive marketing offers from AOL by U.S. mail.
· You may choose not to receive marketing offers from AOL by telephone.
· You may choose not to receive marketing offers from AOL by e-mail.
· You may choose not to receive marketing offers from AOL through online "pop-up screens."
· You may choose to have your name and address removed from any mailing lists that we provide to other companies.
(6) We take extra steps to protect the safety and privacy of children.
Young people need special safeguards and privacy protection. We realize they may not understand all the provisions of our policy or be able to make thoughtful decisions about the choices available to adult members. So we have special privacy policies to protect kids and teens using areas on the service specifically designed for them, including our Kids Only Channel. And we urge all parents to teach their children about protecting their personal information while online.
· In areas on the service designed for children 12 and under, AOL and its partners require prior parental consent (for example, by sending in a permission form by regular mail or by fax) before collecting or using names, addresses, telephone numbers or other information that identifies a child offline. In addition, prior to children using screen names on the AOL service, we require parental (master account) consent at the time the subaccount screen name is created. We do this so that parents are aware of and consent to how their children may use their screen names; for example, using the screen name to request an online newsletter, to post a message on a message board or to participate in a chat room. Please read our important note to parents to learn more about AOL's practices regarding children's online privacy.
In areas designed for teens 13 through 15, AOL and its partners may not collect names, addresses, telephone numbers or other personally identifiable information without disclosing how that information will be used and notifying teens that they should obtain permission from their parents before providing any information.
· Another way parents can control their child's experience online is AOL's Parental Controls (Keyword: Parental Controls). These simple, flexible tools allow parents to customize content and functionality to their child's maturity level.
Since one master account may have up to seven screen names, we encourage all parents to use their master account to create separate screen names for each child. This allows the parent to customize AOL to their child's maturity level and content needs: Kids Only (recommended for children 12 and under); Young Teen (recommended for ages 13-15); or Mature Teen (recommended for ages 16-17).
Using Parental Controls, parents can also choose to activate the AOL Guardian feature to receive regular e-mail updates about the child's online activities using his or her AOL screen name, such as the Web sites that the child visited or attempted to visit; number of e-mail and Instant Messages sent; or contacts in the child's address book and Buddy List.
AOL notifies both the parent's master account and the child's screen name when AOL Guardian is activated. AOL Guardian reports are intended solely for the parent's master account, and are not otherwise used or disclosed by AOL except to comply with valid legal process (such as search warrant, subpoena, or court order), or in special cases such as threatened harm to a child.
· Unsolicited e-mail is a problem for everyone, but it is particularly a problem for children. This includes mail that could contain content you may not want your children to see, or mail that may ask for information you would not want your children to give out.
If you want to minimize the unsolicited e-mail your children receive, you can use Mail Controls (Keyword: Mail Controls) to block all e-mail from the Internet or to select the e-mail addresses from which you wish to allow your children to receive e-mail. Remember that screen names and information voluntarily given by children and teens in public chat rooms, e-mail exchanges, message boards, the Member Directory, and other online communications are publicly available and may be used by other parties to generate unsolicited e-mail.
You can learn more about how to ensure a safe and enjoyable online experience for you and your family at Keyword: Neighborhood Watch.
(7) We use secure technology, privacy protection controls and restrictions on employee access in order to safeguard your personal information.
We use state-of-the-art technology to keep your personal information-including your billing and account information -- as secure as possible. We also have put in place privacy protection control systems designed to ensure that your personal data remain safe and private.
Each and every AOL employee must abide by AOL's privacy policy. Only authorized AOL employees are permitted to have access to your personal information and such access is limited by need. For example, if you call our Member Services department with a concern or complaint, the representative is allowed to access only the personal information that he or she needs to address your concern. In addition, any company with which AOL contracts to be our agent in conducting our business is required to adhere to confidentiality agreements to ensure that your information remains safe and secure.
All AOL employees are required to acknowledge that they understand and will comply with this privacy policy. Employees who violate our privacy policies are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
We strongly encourage our content, commerce and advertising partners to post clearly their own privacy policies and to have privacy control systems in place to protect your personal information. Be sure to review their privacy policies and contact them directly if you have any questions.
(8) We will keep you informed, clearly and prominently, about what we do with your personal information, and we will advise you if we change our policy.
A key part of AOL's commitment to protecting your privacy is explaining to you how we may use your personal information. This privacy policy serves that purpose, and it is accessible through several means within our service. When you register for our service, you are presented with our privacy policy and should familiarize yourself with this and all other AOL policies at that time. In addition, this policy is easily located in our Terms of Service area (Keyword: TOS), and by using Keyword: Privacy, you can view AOL's privacy policy.
Whenever we change our policy, we will give you 30 days' notice of those changes through prominent disclosures, including notification on our front screen. If policy changes are substantial, we will notify each of our members individually through pop-up screens or e-mails. Since pop-ups last only for a limited time, however, you should sign on to your account regularly for these and other important announcements.
If you'd like to comment on or have questions about our privacy policy, or if you have a concern or policy violation you wish to report, please go to Keyword: Privacy Questions.
TEN TIPS TO HELP YOU PROTECT
YOUR PRIVACY AND SECURITY ONLINE
You can take the responsibility to protect your personal privacy online. Here is a checklist that will help safeguard your privacy and protect the integrity of your computer and AOL account. We urge you to print these tips and post them near your computer for you and your children.
_____ (1) Never give your password to anyone online. Never give your billing information except to facilitate a purchase.
_____ (2) Make your password at least 6 characters in length. Create a password that includes a combination of numbers and letters (such as sun8ray or bel3jar2 or 12hat93). Be sure to use different passwords for each screen name on your account.
_____ (3) If you have fallen for an online scam and given out your password, change your password right away. Before you sign off, go to Keyword: Password and create a new password for your screen name. Also, change the passwords for any other screen names on your account.
_____ (4) Setting up a Member Profile about yourself can be a good way of connecting with communities of AOL members. But be aware that Member Profiles are public. It's a good idea to avoid including information that could allow people to find you offline, such as your phone number or exact street address.
_____ (5) Use AOL's Mail Controls(TM) feature to control the e-mail you and your children receive. You can block e-mail from the Internet, entire domain names and specific e-mail addresses. You can even block the exchange of attached files or pictures in e-mail.
_____ (6) Your computer cannot catch a virus by opening a piece of e-mail. But if the e-mail asks for a password or billing information, or contains a file attachment from someone you don't know, go to Keyword: Notify AOL to learn how to report it.
_____ (7) Never download files unless you know what they are and who sent them to you. Computer viruses and destructive programs that could cause your computer to divulge personal information are often transferred in cleverly disguised files.
_____ (8) When you leave the AOL environment to go on the Web, you may want to check the sites you visit to see if they have a privacy policy. Take special care to protect your personal information and your screen name, since the operators of Web sites are not bound by AOL's privacy policy.
_____ (9) Explain to your children that som
Facebook
Twitter