Abuse Policies

Webs is dedicated to the millions of users who create or are affected by sites created using our services. The Internet is a vast ocean of information that can be used to express ideas, interests, experiences, feelings and thoughts. One of our objectives here at Webs is to ensure that our presence has a positive impact on this online community.

Webs is a powerful tool enabling our users to easily express these things. It is our goal to make this experience as enjoyable as possible in a clean and respectful environment. We hope that some of these resources will be found useful to you, and will help you better understand our Abuse Policies.

Internet Safety Resources

The following links offer advice on the best practices to ensure your safety throughout online interactions, and what to do in situations that may compromise your safety:

Internet Superstars
Wired Safety
NetSmartz
    Meeting people online
    Peer Harassment
    Being Harassment
GetNetWise

Types of Abuse

Deceptive Business Practices
Copyright Violations
Trademark Violations
Defamation, Privacy and Youth
Adult or Inappropriate Content
Hacking-Related Content
Spam Violations
Third Party Content and Comment Violations

Deceptive Business Practices

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) handles complaints about deceptive or unfair business practices. To file a complaint, visit: http://www.ftc.gov/ and click on "File a Complaint Online," call 1-877-FTC-HELP, or write to:

Federal Trade Commission
CRC-240
Washington, D.C. 20580

If your complaint is against a company in another country, please file it at http://www.econsumer.gov/.

Copyright Violations

Webs respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask that subscribers of our services do the same. In connection with our services, Webs has adopted and implemented a policy respecting copyright law that provides for the termination, in appropriate circumstances, of subscribers of Webs's online services who are repeat infringers of intellectual property rights, including copyrights.

If you believe that one of our Members is, through the use of our services, unlawfully infringing the copyright(s) in a work, and wish to have the allegedly infringing material removed from a Webs-supported web site, the following information in the form of a written notification (pursuant to 17 U.S.C. � 512(c)) must be provided to Webs's designated Copyright Agent:

Identification of the copyrighted work(s) that you claim to have been infringed;
Identification of where the infringing material is located on a web site supported by Webs;
A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the objectionable material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or under the law;
A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and that under penalty of perjury, you are either the owner of the copyright that has allegedly been infringed or that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner;
Your address, telephone number, and e-mail address; and
Your physical or electronic signature.

Please note that pursuant to 17 U.S.C. � 512(f), any misrepresentation of material fact (falsities) in a written notification automatically subjects the complaining party to liability for any damages, costs and attorney�s fees incurred by Webs (Freewebs, Inc.) in connection with the written notification and allegation of copyright infringement.

The designated Copyright Agent for Webs (Freewebs, Inc.) is:

Copyright Agent
c/o Webs Abuse Department
Freewebs, Inc.
1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 801
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Should the proper information and supporting documentation be in order, please fill out the following form to report the copyright violation.

Trademark Violations

If you find a site hosted by Webs which is in violation of trademark(s) held by yourself, company, or organization, please make sure that you have the following information to submit to Webs:

The name held in trademark
The site address in violation of your trademark
The name of the page(s) that contains the content in question
Supporting documentation for the trademark, ex: Federal Trademark ID #
Method of violation (use and intent of content)

Should the proper information and supporting documentation be in order, please fill out the following form to report the trademark violation.

Defamation, Privacy and Youth

As one of the largest free Web Hosting companies in the world, with millions of sites and thousands more created daily, we are unable to catch all violations as sites are created. Our sites are also edited 24 hours a day and seven days a week, internationally, which makes the task of preventing inappropriate use of our services impossible as the content is being created.

With many young users, we take great pride in allowing these users to express their interests and communicate with others in a positive environment. We understand that many users also use our services for negative purposes, such as defamation of character in the form of libel. We are also aware that many users post information or images of others without the consent of the individuals.

Webs is aware that a person that has created an inappropriate site can do so again, either with our services or using one of the many other services on the web, should we simply delete the site. It is for this reason that we take the approach of confronting the problem in hopes of nurturing a positive reaction from the violator.

If you are a parent and are concerned about a site created by your child, please be informed that your child has full access to the account and can delete both content or the entire site at any time. Due to the many false complaints we receive, we do not freeze or delete a site unless we find a violation of our Terms-of-Service. Also, if your child has come across a Webs site which you find inappropriate, please inform us of this, but be aware that they most likely found this site after having been given the address from a friend. It might better suit your purposes to address the situation offline as well as reporting it to us.

If you find a site hosted by Webs which is defaming your character, someone you know, your company, or organization, please make sure that you have the following information to submit to Webs.

The site address in violation
The name of the page(s) that contains the content in question
The specific location of the violation
The method of violation (image or text)

Should the proper information be in order, please fill out the following form to report the violation.

Adult or Inappropriate Content

Pornographic, obscene, nude, graphically violent, and other inappropriate content is strictly prohibited.

Webs treats all abuse violations on a case by case basis. Violations which fall into this category sometimes cannot be determined by expressing a definition, but there are some guidelines which can be used to determine if the content on a site is in violation of our Terms.

Please review the following guidelines:

Adult images are any nude images of the human or humanoid form which depict the nude body in a manner other than in the classical style (i.e. the Statue of David, Venus de Milo, Da Vinci Man Figure, etc). Contemporary nude "art" is considered adult content and is in violation of our Term-of-Service.
Artistic nudes in the classical style must be content specific. If such an image is used, it must fall in line with the theme of the site. Alterations of the work for any purpose will be considered a violation of our Terms-of-Service.
Any text which describes, refers to, or alludes to services, stories, or products of an adult or sexual nature is a violation of our terms.

Hacking-Related Content

There are several definitions which can be applied to hacking related content. Please review the following to better understand the issue and what constitutes hacking related content.

Unauthorized use, or attempts to circumvent or bypass the security mechanisms of an information system or network.
Means unauthorized access to a computer, its files and programs.
Use, create, or distribution or tools or programs intended to alter or enhance the experience of a game or program opposed to the intended use or function of that game or program.

Webs does not allow any program to be hosted on an account which is in violation of copyrights of the creator of the game or program to which the hack is intended. Distribution of legal hacks which may be distributed by the creator of a game or program cannot be hosted without express permission from the copyright holder.

If you find a site hosted by Webs which is using or distributing content in violation of the above definitions, please make sure that you have the following information to submit to Webs.

The site address in violation
The name of the page(s) that contains the content in question
The specific location of the violation
Method of violation (distribution, tutorial)

Should the proper information be in order, please fill out the following form to report the violation.

Spam Violations

Webs sells email accounts through third-party providers, and also allows our users to send emails through internal systems. We are aware of the growing problem that spam has become on the internet. We are strictly against all spam activity, including mass Emailing, repeated Emailing, multiple posts or mass posting into forums, and flooding of forums or chatrooms with the intent of promoting a site.

To better understand how to define spam, or to report spam activity, please refer to these external links:

    SpamCop.net
    SpamAbuse.net
    JunkEmail.org
    CAUCE

For Webs to take the proper steps to monitor the spamming activity of our users, we require proper verification of this activity. For proper verification, please report the activity to one of the above sites, and to the Email Service provider from which the spam is coming (if other than Webs). First time violators will be warned of the activity. Repeat verified violators will have their sites removed from our system.

Please also send us notification of spam abuse by submitting this form to report the violation.

Third Party Content and Comment Violations

Visitors to some Webs-hosted content may post and upload content of their own, including images, text, and links. Violations fall into two categories. Please review the information pertaining to the violation you require assistance with.

Inappropriate material in someone else's Content
Webs takes abuse of services provided very seriously. All parts of a site, however, may contain content posted by someone other than the Site Owner.

Webs receives many complaints that content on a Guestbook is a violation of our Terms-of-Service, mainly due to defaming, vulgar, or otherwise inappropriate content. We have found that the individual complaining about the content is often the same individual posting the abusive content in hopes of having a site deleted. Since the Site Manager is not the one posting this content, Webs will notify the user in hopes that they will better monitor the content in the Guestbook.

Should you be a concerned parent, school official, or law enforcement officer investigating content on a site, please use the proper form to obtain information.

Inappropriate materials in your own Site
Webs allows site owners to enable the upload and posting of content by other visitors. If you, as a site owner, are concerned about material posted to your own web site, Webs currently offers the ability to moderate, delete, and restrict third-party generated content on your Webs site. Please make appropriate adjustments to your content settings to ensure that unwanted content may not be uploaded, and report repeated abuse by filling out the proper form as necessary.