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Acceptable Use Policy

By using the Residential Internet Service (RIS) you are agreeing to abide by all the terms and conditions laid out in this Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). If you breach these conditions, your access to the RIS may be temporarily or permanently terminated.

Definitions

RIS is the service provided by Masterpoint in your residence, which offers a connection to the Internet. The RIS is not an extension of the Campus Network. Please refer to the Masterpoint web site for further information: Home Page.

Network connection means the network outlet provided in your room which allows you to connect to the RIS.

Special Conditions means any further conditions applicable to the use of your connection to the RIS, as notified to you in accordance with point 8 below.

Responsibilities

You are responsible for all activity originating from any machine using the network connection provided in your room. In addition to this general responsibility,

You must:

  1. Notify the Masterpoint Helpdesk of any problems, faults and breaches of the AUP you detect or become aware of while using the service.
  2. Abide by relevant UK legislation. This includes (but is not limited to):
    1. The Copyright, Designs & Patents Act. This act makes it a criminal offence to transmit or store any copyright protected material without the permission of the copyright owner. Examples of copyright protected material can include music files, television programmes and films that are downloaded from the Internet.
    2. The regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. This act places strict controls on the interception and monitoring of information sent over networks. RIPA makes it a criminal offence to intercept other people’s data (e-mails, passwords, etc.) as it is transmitted over a network without their explicit permission having been given. The act also makes provision for authorised interception and monitoring to be carried out and Masterpoint reserves the right to investigate and inspect electronic communications, under the terms of the act.
    3. The Computer Misuse Act. This act makes it an offence to try to access any computer system for which authorization has not been given. Any attempt to bypass or interfere with the security controls on a system, to try to obtain the usernames or passwords of other users, or try to access or modify files belonging to other people area offences under this act.
    4. Abide by relevant University regulations, published at http://www.le.ac.uk/regulations/computing/regulationsofuse.html
    5. Ensure your computer operating system is updated to the required minimum level as defined at the time of connection.
    6. Install, run and regularly update your computer’s Anti Virus software.
    7. Install, run and regularly update your computer’s Anti Spyware software.
    8. Install and maintain an appropriate personal firewall on your computer.
    9. Abide by any other special conditions notified to you by Masterpoint needed to ensure the continued operation of the RIS.
    10. Ensure that the means of access to the Network connection and personal equipment (i.e. passwords) are kept secure and are not disclosed to third parties.
    11. Accept that Masterpoint may hold and process any personal data submitted by you for validation and statistical purposes, and for the purposes of the management of the RIS or for any other lawful purpose notified to you and they may also pass the information onto members of the University or other authorised third parties in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
    12. Ensure that any personal data submitted is accurate to the best of your knowledge, and that any changes in that personal data, will be made known to Masterpoint at the earliest possible opportunity.
    13. Accept that the RIS and the Network Connection are provided without warranty. No guarantee or warranty can be made that the RIS will be uninterrupted, error free or virus free. Any representations or warranties given by any member of Masterpoint relating to the RIS, express or implied are excluded to the maximum extent permitted by law.
    14. Meet any charges made for reconnection to the service (where appropriate).
    15. Have your machine checked by a Masterpoint Engineer in the event your machine is disconnected because of a suspected virus infection before it can be reconnected. An appointment will be made for this at an agreed time with you when you contact the Masterpoint Support Help Desk.
    16. Provide suitable contact information when calling the helpdesk and remain contactable.
    17. Provide access to your room, computer equipment and make yourself available for an engineers visit if you have reported a problem.

You must not:

  1. Use the RIS to gain, or attempt to gain, illegal or unauthorized access to data.
  2. Pass on the RIS to others, whether for commercial gain or free of charge.
  3. Simultaneously connect more than one machine to the RIS provided in your room.
  4. Connect hubs, switches or wireless networking equipment to the RIS provided in your room.
  5. Connect machines running server operating systems or services (including for example DHCP, DNS, web servers, etc.) to the RIS provided in your room.
  6. Use excessive amounts of bandwidth. Please refer to the Service Description for details. Excessive bandwidth usage is typically a result of continuous use of peer to peer file-sharing applications.
  7. Cause disruption to the normal operation of the network (internal or external) or to any devices connected to it.
  8. Use the RIS for any activities that bring Masterpoint or the University into disrepute.

Disconnection Policy

Any misuse of the RIS including, but not limited to, those described above, will be regarded as a serious disciplinary matter. Misuse will result in the immediate termination of your access to the RIS and referral to the University. The disconnection period depends upon the nature of the misuse. It may also result in disciplinary action being taken by the University, or an investigation by the police.

The following disconnection periods and reconnection charges apply:

  1. Viruses: A £35 reconnection charge will apply for reconnection after the third disconnection due to virus infection. There is no defined period of disconnection – once the virus threat has been removed, reconnection can be sought immediately.
  2. General Misuse: A £35 reconnection charge to be paid and a 14 day disconnection period.
  3. Copyright Abuse: A £60 reconnection charge to be paid and a 28 day disconnection period. Copyright abuse relates to the illegal downloading and distribution of copyrighted material irrespective of the mechanism used to do so. This is a serious offence, and the law is quite specific in this area and ignorance of the illegality of this activity is not a legitimate defense.
  4. Network Abuse: A £75 reconnection charge to be paid and a 35 day disconnection period. Examples of network abuse include, but are not limited to, port scanning, connection of hubs, switches, wireless access points, routers, and connecting unauthorized servers to the network connection in your room. Severe cases may result in the permanent removal of access to the RIS for the remainder of the year, for example where serious illegal activity has taken place or where repeated breaches occur under the terms of the AUP.
  5. Excessive Bandwidth Usage: A £35 reconnection charge will apply for reconnection after the third disconnection due to excessive bandwidth usage in any 12 month period. Excessive bandwidth usage is defined as repeatedly exceeding the 2Gb download or upload limit per week. Further details on bandwidth usage and procedures are available in the Service Description.

Disclaimers

To the extent that applicable law permits:

  1. Masterpoint Engineering Limited bears no legal responsibility to you for the accuracy or comprehensiveness of the RIS.
  2. Masterpoint Engineering Limited or the University accept no liability for, and you will not be entitled to claim against Masterpoint Engineering Limited or the University in respect of, any direct, indirect, consequential or incidental damages or losses arising from use of the network connection, or from the unavailability of, or break in access to, the RIS, for whatever reason.
  3. Masterpoint Engineering Limited shall not incur any liability to you for delay in provision of the RIS.
  4. Masterpoint Engineering Limited or the University accept no liability for, and you will not be entitled to claim against Masterpoint Engineering Limited or the University in respect of, any direct, indirect, consequential or incidental damages or losses arising from Masterpoint Staff working on your computer equipment when it has been requested by you or your representative or permission to do so has been given by you or your representative.