Please read this Code of Conduct (the “Code”) carefully before using the game Myst Online: Uru Live, and any related community features, including without limitation any chat, instant messaging, message boards, neighborhoods, guilds, fan sites, or challenge functions relating to the game (collectively, the “Game”). By using the Game, you signify your agreement with the Code. If you do not agree with any aspect of the Code, do not play or use the Game.  Cyan Worlds Inc. and TGN Inc. (collectively “Licensors”) reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to modify, alter or otherwise update the Code at any time.  Changes and/or modifications shall become effective immediately upon the posting on the Myst Online: Uru Live Website, www.gametap.com/mystonline  (the “Site”), or within the Game itself.  Throughout this Code, the term “Game” shall also include the Site and all pages and functions within the Site.  Please review this Code periodically. Your continued use of the Game following the posting of changes and/or modifications will constitute your acceptance of the Code. 

1.         Community Conduct.  You agree not to use the Game in any way that violates the rights of others (including, but not limited to, copyrights and other intellectual property rights, and rights of privacy and publicity), that is inconsistent with community standards, or in any way that may give rise to liability for Licensors, their affiliates, or their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, providers, suppliers or licensors, including, without limitation, by creating, displaying or transmitting on or through the Game any content that may violate such rights of others or that may give rise to such liability. 
 
(a)  The following are examples of the types of content or use that are prohibited under the Code:

•           Any content or use that is offensive to the online community, such as sexually explicit content, or content that promotes obscenity, pedophilia, racism, bigotry, religious intolerance, hatred or physical harm of any kind against any group or individual, regardless of whether such use or content takes place within the Game, or takes place outside the Game but relates to the Game in any manner;

•           Any content or use that harasses or advocates harassment of another person;

•           Any use that involves the transmission of “junk mail,” “chain letters,” or unsolicited mass e-mailing or “spamming”;

•           Any content that promotes information that is false, misleading or promotes illegal activities or conduct that is abusive, threatening, obscene, defamatory or libelous;

•           Any content that infringes upon or violates any third party’s rights, including but not limited to, intellectual property rights, rights of privacy, including unauthorized disclosure of a person’s name, e-mail address, physical address or phone number, and/or rights of publicity;

•           Any content that promotes or enables an illegal or unauthorized copy of another person’s copyrighted work, such as providing pirated computer programs or links to them, providing information to circumvent manufacturer-installed copy-protect devices, or providing pirated music, movies, videos, or video games,  or links, or other access thereto.

•           Any content that contains restricted or password-only access pages, or hidden pages or images (those not linked to or from another accessible page);

•           Any content that provides material that exploits people in a sexual or violent manner, or solicits personal information from anyone under 18;

•           Any content that provides instructional information about illegal activities such as making or buying illegal weapons, buying or selling illegal drugs, violating someone’s privacy, or providing or creating computer viruses;

•           Any content that contains video, photographs, or images of another person without his or her permission (or in the case of a minor, the minor’s legal guardian);

•           Any content or use that tries to gain unauthorized access to the Game, including without limitation profiles, blogs, chat rooms, communities, account information, bulletins, or other aspects of the Game or solicits passwords or personal identifying information for commercial or unlawful purposes from other users;

•           Any content or use that engages in or solicits commercial activities or sales without TGN’s prior written consent such as, without limitation, contests, gambling, betting,  sweepstakes, barter, sales advertising, investments and pyramid schemes;

•           Any content that contains viruses, time bombs, trojan horses, cancelbots, worms or other harmful, or disruptive creations, components or devices;

•           Any content or use that interferes with another user’s use and enjoyment of the Game, or any other individual’s user and enjoyment of the Game; or

•           Any content that refers to any website or URL that, in the sole discretion of Licensors, contains material that is inappropriate for the Game contains content that would be prohibited on the Game, or violates the letter or spirit of the Code, the Myst Online: Uru Live/GameTap Agreement, or the Privacy Policy.

(b)        Any access to, or use of, the Game or the computer systems used to provide the Game that is not in accordance with the express provisions of the Code is expressly unauthorized and prohibited. You must use the Game in a manner consistent with any and all applicable laws and regulations. 

 

(c)        You may not engage in advertising to, or solicitation of, other members through the Game or the Site to buy or sell any unauthorized products or services.  Although Licensors cannot monitor the conduct of its members off the Game, in order to protect our members from unwarranted advertising or solicitation, Licensors reserve the right to restrict the number of messages which a member may send to other members in any 24-hour period to a number which Licensors deem appropriate in its sole discretion.

 

(d)        You may not impersonate any Licensors’ employees or agents, customer service personnel, group leaders or administrators, any in-game characters, or other members, and you may not give false information or intentionally hide any information when registering to play the Game. 

(e)        You may not modify any part of the Game.  You may not attempt to interfere with, hack into, or decipher any transmissions to or from the clients and servers running the Game, nor may you use any game hacking, altering, or cheating software tools.  You may not use any automated scripting or “macroing” tools or software without Licensors’ prior consent.

(f)        Subject to Licensors’ privacy policy, you understand and agree that Licensors have the right at all times to disclose the identity of the persons providing information or materials on the Game.  This may include, without limitation, disclosure of the information in connection with investigation of alleged illegal activity or solicitation of illegal activity or in response to a lawful court order or subpoena.

 

(g)        Your correspondence or business dealings with, or participation in promotions of, advertisers found on or through the Game, including payment and delivery of related goods or services, and any other terms, conditions, warranties or representations associated with such dealings, are solely between you and such advertiser. You agree that Licensors shall not be responsible or liable for any loss or damage of any sort incurred as the result of any such dealings or as the result of the presence of such advertisers in connection with the Game.

(h)        You understand and accept that it is possible that other registered members or users (including unauthorized users, or “hackers”) may post or transmit offensive or obscene materials on the Game and that you may be involuntarily exposed to such offensive and obscene materials. It may also be possible for others to obtain personal information about you due to your use of the Game, and that the recipient may use such information to harass or injure you. Licensors do not approve of such unauthorized uses but by using the Game you acknowledge and agree that Licensors are not responsible for the use of any personal information that you disclose on the Game. Please carefully select the type of information that you post or display on the Game.

 

(i)         Licensors reserve the right, but have no obligation, to monitor communications and any disputes between you and other members, to remove or edit any material that in its sole opinion violates, or is alleged to violate, any applicable law or either the letter or spirit of the Code, or to terminate community privileges in appropriate circumstances. Notwithstanding this right of the Licensors, YOU REMAIN SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT OF THE MATERIALS YOU TRANSMIT IN THE PUBLIC AREAS OF THE GAME AND IN YOUR PRIVATE MESSAGES TO OTHER INDIVIDUALS ON THE GAME.  If you would like to report conduct you believe is in violation of the Code, email conduct@mystonline.com  Keep in mind that reporting conduct as a violation does not mean it constitutes a violation, or that Licensors must or will take any action against such conduct or the user engaging in such conduct.  In the event Licensors do take action against any reported conduct, it has no obligation to inform the person or persons reporting such conduct.  Finally, it is a violation of the Code to knowingly make a false report against another user, or to use the reporting process to harass or intimidate a user, or to encourage others to do so.

(j)         You agree that you will follow any additions or other amendments to this Code once posted on the Site, and shall follow all reasonable instructions (to be determined in Licensors’ sole discretion) from authorized Game administrators or monitors while playing the Game and while using all official forums and communication tools.

2.         User Content.  You are responsible for any content, messages, opinions, ideas, photos, images, videos, profiles or other information that you create, transmit or display on or through the Service, or that is created, transmitted, or displayed via your account or sub-accounts (collectively, “User Content”).  By transmitting or displaying User Content on or through the Service, you grant Licensors an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, worldwide right and license to use, reproduce, publicly perform, publicly display, distribute copies and create derivative works of the User Content in any media now known or hereafter devised, and to grant and authorize sublicenses under the foregoing right and license without any compensation to you.  You represent and promise that you own all copyrights and other intellectual property rights in the User Content, or otherwise have the right to grant the foregoing right and license.  You agree that Licensors may review, edit and delete any User Content which, in their sole judgment, violates this Agreement.

 

3.         Creative Submissions/Communications.  Licensors do not accept or consider creative ideas, suggestions or materials other than those Licensors have specifically requested via the Game or otherwise.  This is to avoid the possibility of future misunderstandings when projects independently developed by Licensors or their agents might seem to others to be similar to their own creative ideas, suggestions or materials.  If you do send us or post any creative materials, suggestions, ideas, notes, drawings, concepts, including, without limitation, ideas or descriptions of how the Game, plot, or characters could be enhanced or further developed, (collectively, the “Information”), the Information shall be deemed, and shall remain the property of Licensors.  None of the Information shall be subject to any obligation on the part of Licensors and Licensors shall not be liable for any use or disclosure of any Information.  By sending or posting Information, you hereby grant Licensors a perpetual, irrevocable, nonexclusive right to use such Information in all media now known or hereafter devised throughout the universe and you agree that Licensors shall be entitled to unrestricted use of the Information for any purpose whatsoever, commercial or otherwise, without compensation to you or any other individuals or entities involved with the creation of such Information.
4.         Naming Policy.  When selecting a character, guild, city, pet, neighborhood, or object name for use on Myst Online: Uru Live, you must abide by the following Naming Policy set forth below (and in the event TGN changes it, you will abide by all changes after it is posted here. You must use your best judgment to avoid gray areas.

1. Names may not be offensive, sexually explicit, vulgar, racist, hateful, obscene, defamatory, or any other language that is offensive in nature (including common swear words, names concerned with anatomical references, and intentional misspellings, anagrams, combinations, and homonyms of these words).
2. Names may not be used that harass or damage the reputation of another player, group of players, or TGN’s employees or agents.
3. Names may not be a name or handle of any TGN’s employees or agents.
4. Avatar names may not include any reference to copyrighted or trademarked names, materials or products.
5. Names may not derive from popular culture or media references.
6. Names may not be religiously or historically sensitive.
7. Names may not be proper names of an Age, area or a NPC within Myst Online: Uru Live.
8. Names may not have a title or rank within them that would be associated with the D’ni Restoration Council (‘DRC’) or related or analogous groups.
9. Names may not contain a phrase, sentence, or any fragment of a sentence.
10. Names may not include any telephone numbers, credit card numbers, social security numbers, street addresses, or email/instant message addresses other than your own (and TGN strongly recommends that you not use your own either).
11. Names may not use misspellings or alternative spellings of names that violate any of the rules above.

5.         Privacy. Use of the Site and/or the Game is governed by our Privacy Policy which can be located at the Site. Messages sent between you and other registered members that are not readily accessible to the general public may not be considered confidential and will be treated as private by Licensors only to the extent required by applicable law (if at all).