<NIC.MERIT.EDU> /nsfnet/acceptable.use.policy                 

 
        THE NSFNET BACKBONE SERVICES ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY

                            June 1992
 
 GENERAL PRINCIPLE:
 
 (1) NSFNET Backbone services are provided to support open research and
     education in and among US research and instructional institutions,
     plus research arms of for-profit firms when engaged in open
     scholarly communication and research.  Use for other purposes is
     not acceptable.
 
 SPECIFICALLY ACCEPTABLE USES:
 
 (2) Communication with foreign researchers and educators in connection
     with research or instruction, as long as any network that the
     foreign user employs for such communication provides reciprocal
     access to US researchers and educators.
 
 (3) Communication and exchange for professional development, to
     maintain currency, or to debate issues in a field or subfield of
     knowledge.
 
 (4) Use for disciplinary-society, university-association,
     government-advisory, or standards activities related to the user's
     research and instructional activities.
 
 (5) Use in applying for or administering grants or contracts for
     research or instruction, but not for other fundraising or public
     relations activities.
 
 (6) Any other administrative communications or activities in direct
     support of research and instruction.
 
 (7) Announcements of new products or services for use in research or
     instruction, but not advertising of any kind.
 
 (8) Any traffic originating from a network of another member agency of
     the Federal Networking Council if the traffic meets the acceptable
     use policy of that agency.
 
 (9) Communication incidental to otherwise acceptable use, except for
     illegal or specifically unacceptable use.
 
 UNACCEPTABLE USES:
 
 (10) Use for for-profit activities, unless covered by the General 
      Principle or as a specifically acceptable use.
 
 (11) Extensive use for private or personal business.
 
 This statement applies to use of the the NSFNET Backbone only.  NSF
 expects that connecting networks will formulate their own use
 policies.  The NSF Division of Networking and Communications Research
 and Infrastructure will resolve any questions about this Policy or its
 interpretation.