This thread was only for US residents. Somebody who just thinks they are from the US Posted.
Look at the top down there where it says OUTLOOK.COM FORMERLY HOTMAIL.
This applies to Microsoft Email accounts as well as all other MS Accounts including windows live mail. The entire agreement is here. I'm getting these sent to me from my @live.com email accounts.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/microsoft-services-agreement
Updated June 11, 2014
Effective July 31, 2014
IF YOU LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES, SECTION 10 CONTAINS A BINDING ARBITRATION CLAUSE AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER. IT AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS ABOUT HOW TO RESOLVE ANY DISPUTE WITH MICROSOFT. PLEASE READ IT.
Thank you for choosing Microsoft!
This is an agreement between you and Microsoft Corporation (or based on where you live, one of its affiliates) that describes your rights to use the software and services identified in section 1.1. For your convenience, we have phrased some of the terms of this Agreement in a question and answer format. You should read the entire Agreement because all of the terms are important and together create a legal agreement that, once accepted by you, applies to you.
1. Scope of agreement, acceptance, and changes
1.1. What services are covered by this Agreement? Outlook.com (formerly Hotmail), OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive), Microsoft account, Microsoft Family Safety, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Writer (these services are collectively referred to as the “Windows Services”); Office.com, Microsoft Office 365 Home Premium, Microsoft Office 365 University, and other Microsoft Office-branded services that link to this Agreement through a supplemental agreement (the “Office Services”); Bing; and MSN are the primary services this Agreement covers. We refer to these services, as well as other software, websites, and services that link to this Agreement collectively as the “Services.” When using the Services, you must abide by these terms (“this Agreement”).
1.2. How do I accept this agreement? By using or accessing the Services, or by agreeing to these terms where the option is made available to you in the user interface, you agree to abide by this Agreement without modification by you. If you don't agree, you may not use the Services.
1.3. Can Microsoft change this Agreement after I've accepted it? Yes. From time to time, Microsoft may change or amend these terms. If we do, we'll notify you, either through the user interface, in an email message, or through other reasonable means. If you use the Services after the date the change becomes effective, you consent to the changed terms. If you don't agree to the changes, you must stop using the Services, cancel any paid Services by following the instructions in section 9.10, and close your Microsoft account. Otherwise, the new terms will apply to you.
1.4. What types of changes can I expect to the Services? We continuously work to improve the Services and may change the Services at any time. We may release the Services or their features in a beta version, which may not work correctly or in the same way the final version may work. From time to time we may stop providing portions of the Services. We may do so, for example, if it's no longer feasible for us to provide a Service, the technology advances, customer feedback indicates a change is needed, our agreements with third parties no longer permit us to make their material available, or external issues arise that make it imprudent or impractical to continue.
1.5. What age do I have to be to use the Services? By using the Services, you represent that you have either reached the age of “majority” where you live or have valid parent or legal guardian consent to be bound by the terms of this Agreement. If you don't know whether you have reached the age of majority where you live, or don't understand this section, please don't create an account before you have asked your parent or legal guardian for help. If you're the parent or legal guardian of a minor that creates an account, you accept this Agreement on the minor’s behalf and are responsible for all use of the accounts or Services, including purchases, whether the minor’s account is now open or created later.
2. Microsoft account
2.1. What is a Microsoft account? Microsoft account is a service that lets you sign in to Microsoft products, websites and services, as well as those of select Microsoft partners. When creating a Microsoft account we ask you to provide certain information, like your name and password, birth date, certain demographic information, and security information such as an alternate email address or phone number. The email address or user name that you use to create your Microsoft account will be unique to you for as long as your Microsoft account is still active. In the event your Microsoft account is closed either by you or by Microsoft pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, the email address or user name may be recycled into our system and assigned to another user. Existing Microsoft account holders may need to provide security information to continue using their Microsoft account. To access and manage your Microsoft account and security information, you can visit the
Security info webpage (
https://account.live.com/proofs/Manage). To access the Windows Services and Office Services, you must be logged in with a Microsoft account. Please review the Privacy Statements (as defined below) to understand how Microsoft collects and uses the information associated with your Microsoft account. you're responsible for keeping your account information and password confidential and are responsible for all activity that occurs under your Microsoft account. You can use your Microsoft account to gain access to other Microsoft products, websites, or services (like Windows, Xbox Services, and Windows Phone). If you do so, the terms and conditions for those products, websites, or services, including their respective privacy statements, if different from this Agreement, may also apply to your use of those products, websites, or services. You must sign in to your Microsoft account periodically, at a minimum every year, to keep services associated with your Microsoft account active, unless provided otherwise in an offer for a paid portion of the Services. If you don't sign in during this period, we will close your account (which means you won’t have access to the Windows Services, Office Services, Content stored in your account, and any other product or service that uses Microsoft account). If your Services are canceled, we will delete information or Content (as defined below) associated with your Microsoft account, or will otherwise disassociate it from you and your Microsoft account, unless the law requires us to keep it.
2.2. What if I can't access my Microsoft account? If you've forgotten your password or otherwise can't access your Microsoft account, you can recover your Microsoft account by visiting the
Reset your password webpage (
https://account.live.com/password/reset). We'll do our best to help you recover your Microsoft account; however we can't guarantee that your Microsoft account will be restored or your Content will be recovered.
2.3. What if I obtained my Microsoft account from someone other than Microsoft? Microsoft doesn't permit users to transfer their Microsoft accounts, though in some cases, we allow you to obtain your Microsoft account through a third party, like a school, a business, an Internet service provider (ISP), or the administrator of a
managed domain (
http://www.domains.live.com). In such cases, that third party may have additional rights over your Microsoft account, like the ability to reset your password, view your account usage or profile data, read or store Content in your account, or suspend or cancel your Microsoft account. In these cases, you're subject to this Agreement and any additional terms of use from that third party, which should be made available to you by such third party. Microsoft has no responsibility in relation to third parties' additional terms of use. If you're the administrator of a managed domain, you're responsible for all activity that takes place within the accounts on that domain.
3. Content
3.1. Who owns my Content that I put on the Services? You do. Some Services enable you to communicate with others and share or store various types of files, such as photos, documents, music and video. The contents of your communications and your files are your “Content” and, except for material that we license to you that may be incorporated into your own Content (such as clip art), we don't claim ownership of the Content you provide on the Services. Your Content remains your Content, and you're responsible for it.
3.2. Who can access my Content? You have initial control over who may access your Content. However, if you share Content in public areas of the Services, through features that permit public sharing of Content, or in shared areas available to others you’ve chosen, you agree that anyone you've shared Content with may, for free, use, save, reproduce, distribute, display, and transmit that Content in connection with their use of the Services and other Microsoft, or its licensees’, products, and services. If you don't want others to have that ability, don't use the Services to share your Content. You represent and warrant that for the duration of this Agreement you have (and will have) all the rights necessary for the Content you upload or share on the Services and that the use of the Content, as contemplated in this section 3.2, won't violate any law.
3.3. What does Microsoft do with my Content? When you transmit or upload Content to the Services, you're giving Microsoft the worldwide right, without charge, to use Content as necessary: to provide the Services to you, to protect you, and to improve Microsoft products and services. Microsoft uses and protects your Content as outlined in the
Windows Services Privacy Statement (
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=253457),
Bing Privacy Statement (
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=248686),
MSN Privacy Statement (
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=248688), and
Office Services Privacy Statement (
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=327851) (collectively the “Privacy Statements”).
3.4. What types of advertising are used by the Services? Some of the Services are supported by advertising. Controls for how Microsoft personalizes advertising are available on the
Your privacy and Microsoft personalized ads website (
http://choice.microsoft.com). We don't use what you say in email, chat, video calls or voice mail, to target advertising to you. We don't use your documents, photos or other personal files to target advertising to you. Our advertising policies are covered in detail in the Privacy Statements.
3.5. Does Microsoft have voice enabled services? Yes. If you use a Service that is voice enabled, you consent to Microsoft recording and collecting your voice input for use by Microsoft to improve the quality and accuracy of voice enabled services and as further described in the Privacy Statements.
3.6. What type of Content or actions aren't permitted? In order to protect our customers and the Services, we have established this Code of Conduct governing the use of the Services. Content or actions that violate this Agreement aren't permitted.
- i. Don't use the Services to do anything illegal.
- ii. Don't engage in any activity that exploits, harms, or threatens to harm children.
- iii. Don't send spam or use your account to help others send spam. Spam is unsolicited bulk email, postings or instant messages.
- iv. Don't publicly display inappropriate images (e.g. nudity, bestiality, pornography).
- v. Don't engage in activity that is false or misleading (e.g. attempts to ask for money under false pretenses, impersonating someone else).
- vi. Don't engage in activity that is harmful to the Services or others (e.g. viruses, stalking, hate speech, advocating violence against others).
- vii. Don't infringe upon the rights of others (e.g. unauthorized sharing of copyrighted music, resale or other distribution of Bing maps, photographs and other Content).
- viii. Don't engage in activity that violates the privacy of others.
In many cases Microsoft is alerted to violations of the Code of Conduct through customer complaints, but we also deploy automated technologies to detect child pornography or abusive behavior that might harm the system, our customers, or others. When investigating these matters, Microsoft or its agents will review Content in order to resolve the issue. This is in addition to the uses we describe in this Agreement and the Privacy Statements.
3.7. Can Microsoft remove my Content from the Services? Yes. Microsoft will remove, limit distribution of, or disable access to your Content if we determine it's in violation of this Agreement, we receive a complaint from another user, we receive a notice of intellectual property infringement, or other legal instruction for removal. We may also block delivery of a communication (like email or instant message) to or from the Services as part of our effort to protect the Services or our customers, or otherwise enforce the terms of this Agreement.
4. Services cancellation
4.1. What happens if I don't abide by this Agreement? If you violate this Agreement, there are a range of actions we may take including removing your Content from the Services, suspending or canceling your access to the Services, disabling or terminating your Microsoft account (which means you may no longer have access to those Microsoft products, services, or Content connected to your Microsoft account), and/or referring such activity to appropriate authorities. Content that is deleted may be irretrievable.
4.2. Are there other ways I could lose access to the Services? Yes. Failing to sign in to your Microsoft account (whether through Outlook.com, OneDrive, or any other service that uses Microsoft account) at least once every year (see section 2.1) means that you won’t be able to access the Services and you'll lose your Content (unless provided otherwise in an offer for paid Services). Additionally, Microsoft may stop providing portions of the Services, in accordance with section 1.4. If you sign up for a paid portion of the Services and fail to make an on-time payment, we may suspend or cancel that Service (see section 9.1 for more details).
4.3. How can I terminate the Services? You may terminate the Services associated with your Microsoft account at any time and for any reason by going to your
Account webpage (
https://account.live.com/closeaccount.aspx). To cancel a paid portion of the Services, see section 9.10. If you're canceling your Services, the quickest means of eliminating your Content on the Services is to manually remove it from the various components of the Services (for example, manually delete your email). However, please note that while Content you've deleted or that is associated with a closed account may not be accessible to you, it may still remain on our systems for a period of time. Please see the Privacy Statements for more information about Microsoft’s retention practices.
4.4. What happens if my Services are canceled or terminated? If your Services are canceled or terminated (whether by you or us), your right to use the Services stops immediately and your license to use the software related to the Services ends. You must then uninstall that software, or, alternatively, we may disable it. If your Microsoft account is closed (whether by you or us), your right to use your Microsoft account stops immediately. If any your Services are canceled or terminated, or if your Microsoft account is closed, we will delete information or Content associated with your Microsoft account or will otherwise disassociate it from you and your Microsoft account. We are under no obligation to return Content to you.
