Flash NewsGroups TOS

[dcac]

I recently purchased Flash NewsGroups service and just read the Acceptable Use Policy. Here are a couple of sections that I wonder about:

"A direct subscriber is a repeat copyright infringer if Flash NewsGroups receives notification from a copyright owner that the direct subscriber has, on more than one occasion, posted infringing material on the same newsgroup within a one year period."

Since this talks about a subscriber POSTING infringing material, does that imply downloading infringing material as well?

"Flagrant abuse of the service (in our opinion) will result in an additional "cleanup charge" to your credit card in the amount of $50.00 per hour for our time spent cancelling the offending post(s) and dealing with the email complaints we will receive, or killing processes due to automated programs."

Does that mean constant use of NewsLeecher to download material will result in termination?

And finally:

"Improper use of automated unattended posting and retrieval news programs may result in termination of your membership or interruption of service without notice. We will disable memberships of any customers that abuse the system with these (or other) commercial, automated unattended news posting and retrieval programs. Flash NewsGroups Usenet membership services are designed and priced for individual use only; they are NOT for commercial level archiving, newsfeeding, news sucking, or testing experimental software."

Not to sound naive, but anyone currently in my situation with Flashnewsgroups (download via Newsleecher pretty consistently) and have any problems? Thanks guys...

Update: k, so I signed up for NewsHosting as there is nothing in the TOS or AUP about "automated unattending posting and retrieval news programs, that I can see). Your experience? Thanks!

[jpope]

I've been a Flashnewsgroups user of several years. I've downloaded over 650 GB (not MB) over the last 4 months without any problems. Remember, these are newsgroups that they are hosting for the paying customers so they can download from them. They just put that legal mumbo jumbo in there to deflect lawsuits.

[top25]

This is the first i have heard of this Newsgroup.

[psxcite]

They are referring to POSTING. Meaning you uploading stuff to usenet on their server. If, for some reason or another, the MPAA or RIAA finds a post you uploaded and reports it the the provider as a copyright violation, they will remove it and put the charge to you for the time required to clean up your dumb post (that probably had your real email address attached to it).

Whew. My english teacher would die right now if she could see that last sentence.