Acceptable Use Policy

This acceptable use policy sets out the terms between you and us under which you may use the “Link Maker” site (www.linkmaker.co.uk) (our site) and services including Letter Swap. This acceptable use policy applies to all users of, and visitors to, our site and users of the services, in their own capacity as an individual and on behalf of any Organisation which they represent when using our site or our services.

Your use of our site or services means that, on your own behalf and on behalf of any Organisation which you represent when using our sites or services, you accept, and agree to abide by, all the terms of this acceptable use policy, which supplement our User Terms and our Letter Swap User Terms.

The Link Maker site , services and the community support network is operated by Link Maker Systems Limited (we or us). We are registered in England and Wales under company number 08472919 and we have our registered office at Alpha House, 159 High Street, Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 5SU. Our VAT number is 178 6941 51.

Prohibited uses

You may use our sites and services only for lawful purposes. You may not use our sites:

  • In any way that breaches any applicable local, national or international law or regulation.
  • In any way that is unlawful or fraudulent or has any unlawful or fraudulent purpose or effect.
  • For the purpose of harming or attempting to harm minors (whether or not listed on our site) in any way.
  • To send, knowingly receive, upload, download, use or re-use any material which does not comply with our content standards.
  • To transmit, or procure the sending of, any unsolicited or unauthorised advertising or promotional material or any other form of similar solicitation (spam).
  • To knowingly transmit any data, send or upload any material that contains viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time-bombs, keystroke loggers, spyware, adware or any other harmful programs or similar computer code designed to adversely affect the operation of any computer software or hardware.

You also agree:

  • Not to reproduce, duplicate, copy or re-sell any part of our sites or services in contravention of the provisions of our User Terms.
  • Not to access without authority, interfere with, damage or disrupt (or allow someone else to do so):
    • Any part of our sites or services;
    • any equipment or network on which our sites or services is stored;
    • any software used in the provision of our sites or services; or
    • any equipment or network or software owned or used by any third party.
    • Where you use Letter Swap, you must comply with any agreement you or your family have with your Organisation, and as between the relevant members of a birth family and adoptive family.

We may from time to time provide interactive services on our sites, including, without limitation:

  • Chat rooms.
  • Bulletin boards.
  • Messaging (including real time messaging).
  • Secure document exchange.
  • Social networking.
  • Dynamic forms.

Interactive services

We will do our best to assess any possible risks for users (and in particular, for children) from third parties when they use any interactive service provided on our sites, and we will decide in each case whether it is appropriate to use moderation of the relevant service (including what kind of moderation to use) in the light of those risks. However, we are under no obligation to oversee, monitor or moderate any interactive service we provide on our site, and we expressly exclude our liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of any interactive service by a user in contravention of our content standards, whether the service is moderated or not.

The use of any of our interactive services by a minor is subject to the consent of their parent or guardian and minors using the site must be supervised at all times. We advise parents and guardians who permit their children to use an interactive service that it is important that they communicate with their children about their safety online, as moderation is not fool proof. Minors who are using any interactive service should be made aware of the potential risks to them.

Where we do moderate an interactive service, we will normally provide you with a means of contacting the moderator, should a concern or difficulty arise.

Content standards:

Where you upload material to our site, or as part of any interactive services:

These content standards apply to any and all material which you contribute or upload to our site (contributions), and to any interactive services associated with it.

You must comply with the spirit and the letter of the following standards. The standards apply to each part of any contribution as well as to its whole.

Contributions must:

  • Be accurate to the best of your knowledge, having taken reasonable steps to verify such accuracy (where they state facts).
  • Be genuinely held (where they state opinions).
  • Comply with applicable law in the UK and in any country from which they are posted.

Contributions must not:

  • Reveal a child’s geographical location or contain any information, photographs or video footage likely to lead to a child being identifiable by name or geographical location (for example, street names, school logos etc).
  • In the case of child photographs/video footage, include any information identifying the photographer or film maker.
  • Include any details, photographs or video footage of any person other than the child being advertised without the written permission of that person.
  • Include nudity.
  • Contain any material which is defamatory of any person.
  • Contain any material which is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory.
  • Promote sexually explicit material.
  • Promote violence.
  • Infringe any copyright, database right or trade mark of any other person.
  • Be likely to deceive any person.
  • Be made in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence.
  • Promote any illegal activity.
  • Be threatening, abuse or invade another’s privacy, or cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety.
  • Be likely to harass, upset, embarrass, alarm or annoy any other person.
  • Be used to impersonate any person, or to misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person.
  • Give the impression that they emanate from us, if this is not the case.
  • Advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act such as (by way of example only) copyright infringement or computer misuse.

Where you send communications via Letter Swap:

These content standards apply to any and all material which you exchange when sending information via Letter Swap:

You must comply with the spirit and the letter of the following standards. The standards apply to each part of any communication..

Contributions must:

  • Comply with any requirements imposed by any agreement between the adoptive family and birth family in relation to contact and communication.
  • Comply with applicable law in the UK and in any country from which they are posted.

Contributions must not:

  • Contain any material which is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory.
  • Promote sexually explicit material.
  • Promote violence.
  • Infringe any copyright, database right or trade mark of any other person.
  • Be made in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence.
  • Promote any illegal activity.
  • Give the impression that they emanate from Link Maker or any other third party, if this is not the case.
  • Advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act such as (by way of example only) copyright infringement or computer misuse.

Suspension and termination

We will determine, at our discretion, whether there has been a breach of this acceptable use policy through your use of our site or services. When a breach of this policy has occurred, we may take such action as we deem appropriate.

Failure to comply with this acceptable use policy constitutes a material breach of the terms under which you are permitted to use our site and services, and may result in our taking all or any of the following actions:

  • Immediate, temporary or permanent withdrawal of your right to use our site and services.
  • Immediate, temporary or permanent removal of any posting or material uploaded by you to, or sent via, our site or services.
  • Issue of a warning to you.
  • Legal proceedings against you for reimbursement of all costs on an indemnity basis (including, but not limited to, reasonable administrative and legal costs) resulting from the breach.
  • Further legal action against you.
  • Disclosure of such information to law enforcement authorities as we reasonably feel is necessary.

We exclude liability for actions taken in response to breaches of this acceptable use policy. The responses described in this policy are not limited, and we may take any other action we reasonably deem appropriate.

Changes to the acceptable use policy

We may revise this acceptable use policy at any time by amending this page and notifying you. You are expected to read the updated policy and take notice of any changes we make, as they are legally binding on you. Some of the provisions contained in this acceptable use policy may also be superseded by provisions or notices published elsewhere on our site and we will notify you of this if so.