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This Web Hosting Agreement (this "Agreement") sets forth the terms and conditions of your use of RIPTIDE TECHNOLOGY ("RIPTIDECC.COM") for web hosting services. You certify that you are at least 18 years of age. To become a RIPTIDECC.COM accountholder, you must read and agree to be bound by all terms and conditions of this Agreement and any policies that are or may be published by RIPTIDECC.COM. RIPTIDECC.COM reserves the right to deny service to anyone. RIPTIDECC.COM
may modify the terms and conditions of this Agreement or the prices of its services, as well as discontinue or change the services offered. You will be bound by the modified Agreement, prices and/or policies if you continue to use the services. Customers that have paid in advance for services will not be affected by any price changes until their term is up.
1. Scope of Services and Your Obligations
1.1. This Agreement defines the terms and conditions of RIPTIDECC.COM's
services as offered by RIPTIDECC.COM and used by you, including the provision of
web hosting services on RIPTIDECC.COM's servers and connectivity to the Internet (the "Services"). RIPTIDECC.COM will provide the Services for the amount of server storage space selected in exchange for payment of fees and full compliance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement. In performing the Services, RIPTIDECC.COM
maintains control and ownership of any and all Internet protocol ("IP") numbers and addresses that may be assigned to you and reserves the right to change or remove any and all IP numbers and addresses at its sole discretion.
1.2. In connection with the Services, RIPTIDECC.COM may provide for your use certain tools and software, including, but not limited to, certain specialty scripting software and/or certain programming language software for designing websites (collectively, the "Tools"). These Tools are copyrighted and proprietary property owned by RIPTIDECC.COM. To the extent that such Tools are provided to you, you are granted a nonexclusive, nontransferable license to use the Tools in object-code form only for your internal use, solely in connection with the Services provided under this Agreement.
1.3. During the period that RIPTIDECC.COM provides the Services to you, you hereby grant to RIPTIDECC.COM a nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide right and license to digitally display and host your website and its content, and to use its trademarks, service marks, trade names, logos and other commercial or product/service designations in connection with the website and such Services.
1.4. RIPTIDECC.COM reserves the right to monitor its systems electronically and to access and disclose any information as permitted or required by any law, regulation or other governmental request to operate its systems properly, to protect itself or its accountholders or for any other reason it in good faith deems necessary. RIPTIDECC.COM will fully cooperate with law enforcement authorities in investigating suspected lawbreakers and reserves the right to report to law enforcement any suspected illegal activity it becomes aware of. It is not RIPTIDECC.COM's intention that its Services or facilities be used in contravention of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 (the "CDA") or any other applicable law.
1.5. You agree to comply with the requirements of the CDA and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (the "DMCA") and acknowledge that RIPTIDECC.COM is a "service provider" under the DMCA and is therefore immune from liability under the DMCA. Consistent with the DMCA, RIPTIDECC.COM will accommodate standard technical measures used to identify and protect copyrighted works, and, as further described herein, RIPTIDECC.COM has a policy of terminating accountholders who are repeat copyright infringers.
1.6. Websites are unmodified forums containing the personal opinions and other expressions of the persons who post entries on a wide range of topics. Neither the content of websites located on RIPTIDECC.COM's servers nor the links to other websites are screened, approved, reviewed or endorsed by RIPTIDECC.COM. The text and other material on websites are the opinion of the specific author and are not RIPTIDECC.COM's statements of advice, opinion or information.
1.7. RIPTIDECC.COM provides Traffic Reports and log files on some packages. RIPTIDECC.COM does not guarantee the availability of these services. RIPTIDECC.COM
may at times remove server log files on the server without notice to free space on the server. RIPTIDECC.COM does not guarantee log file availability. RIPTIDECC.COM
does not guarantee Traffic Report Data.
1.8. RIPTIDECC.COM does not provide development support or internal database support with any of its packages. If RIPTIDECC.COM is asked by customer to review code or review database/table/field structure by customer, then customer will be required to pay the current labor rate for such service.
1.9. RIPTIDECC.COM charges over bandwidth and over disk quota charges for accounts that go over their allocated package amount. Over bandwidth charges are billed at the 1st of every month at the then-current rate per GB rounded up to the nearest GB. Over Quota charges are billed on a daily basis at the then-current rate per MB that the account is over its bandwidth allocation.
2. Limited Warranty; Limitation of Liability; Indemnification
2.1. Limited Warranty. You acknowledge that the Services are provided "as is." Neither RIPTIDECC.COM, nor any of its employees or agents, warrants that the Services will be uninterrupted, error free or free from viruses or other harmful components. RIPTIDECC.COM is not responsible for and hereby disclaims any warranties, expressed or implied, regarding the quality, accuracy, or validity of the data and/or completeness, noninfringement, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose of information available on its SERVERS or residing on or passing through its interconnecting networks. Use of information obtained from or through the Services is at your risk. Under no circumstances will RIPTIDECC.COM be liable to you or any other person for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information available on its servers or obtained through the Services.
2.2. Limitation of Liability. IN NO EVENT SHALL RIPTIDECC.COM BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR OTHER CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOST PROFITS AND DAMAGES RELATED TO CORRUPTION OR DELETION OF WEBSITE CONTENTS, EMAIL DATA AND OR DATABASE CONTENTS) ARISING OUT OF OR IN RELATION TO THIS AGREEMENT OR YOUR USE OR INABILITY TO USE RIPTIDECC.COM's SERVICES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, INOPERABILITY OF RIPTIDECC.COM's SERVERS), REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF RIPTIDECC.COM HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL RIPTIDECC.COM's MAXIMUM LIABILITY EXCEED THE TOTAL AMOUNT PAID BY YOU TO RIPTIDECC.COM
FOR THE SERVICES DURING THE PRIOR TWELVE (12) MONTHS. TO THE EXTENT APPLICABLE LAW DOES NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, RIPTIDECC.COM's LIABILITY IS LIMITED TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
2.3. Indemnification. You agree to indemnify, defend and hold RIPTIDECC.COM
and its affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents harmless from and against any liabilities, losses, damages or costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, resulting from any third-party claim, action, dispute or demand related to your use of the Services, your violation of any of the provisions of this Agreement or from your placement or transmission of any materials or content onto RIPTIDECC.COM's
servers. Such liabilities may include, but are not limited to, those arising from the following: (a) with respect to your business, (i) infringement or misappropriation of any intellectual property rights; (ii) defamation, libel, slander, obscenity, pornography, or violation of the rights of privacy or publicity; or (iii) spamming, or any other offensive, harassing or illegal conduct or violation of the acceptable uses described herein or anti-spam policy; (b) any damage or destruction to RIPTIDECC.COM's
equipment or to any other accountholder, which damage is caused by or otherwise results from acts or omissions by you, your representative(s) or your designees; (c) any personal injury or property damage arising out of your activities related to the Services, unless such injury or property damage is caused solely by RIPTIDECC.COM's
gross negligence or willful misconduct; and (d) any other damage arising from your equipment or your business.
3. Payment of Fees
3.1. RIPTIDECC.COM will publish a notice of fee increases 30 days before such increases take effect via e-mail.
3.2. You agree to provide RIPTIDECC.COM with accurate and complete billing information, including your legal name, address, telephone number, e-mail address and applicable payment date and to update this information immediately if any change occurs. Payments must be submitted in advance of receiving the Services.
3.3. Delinquent accounts are those that remain unpaid at the beginning of the next Payment Interval. The Services will be suspended if your account is delinquent. Notwithstanding any other rights RIPTIDECC.COM may have in this Agreement, all of your website contents will be destroyed if your account is delinquent for 60 days. RIPTIDECC.COM accounts continue to accrue charges while they are delinquent or if the Services are suspended.
3.4. You acknowledge responsibility for your account until payment in full is made.
4. Acceptable Uses
4.1. Use and Misuse of the Services. All complaints of abuse, violation and misuse of the Services, whether described in this Section 4 or otherwise, shall be investigated promptly. If you are not sure if your actions will be an abuse, violation or misuse, please ask first: info@riptidecc.com.
You are responsible for all use of your website, with or without your knowledge or consent.
You agree to use the Services only for lawful purposes, in compliance with all applicable laws. Illegality includes, but is not limited to, drug dealing; attempting without authorization to access a computer system; pirating (distributing copyrighted material in violation of copyright law, specifically MP3s, MPEGs, ROMs, and ROM emulators); gambling; schemes to defraud; trafficking in obscene material; sending a message or having content that is obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, or indecent with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass another person; threatening bodily harm or damage to individuals or groups; violating S.A. export restrictions; stalking; or violating other law, such as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, or the Economic Espionage Act. Linking to illegal material is also prohibited.
When RIPTIDECC.COM becomes aware of possible violations of this Agreement, RIPTIDECC.COM
may initiate an investigation that may include gathering information from you and the complaining party, if any, and examination of material on RIPTIDECC.COM's servers.
It is against Riptide Technology policy for any individual to swear at or make degrading comments to Riptide Technology employees. If an individual deliberately directs any inappropriate or obscene expletive towards Riptide Technology and or its employees, will constitute termination of service without refund.
RIPTIDECC.COM, in its sole discretion, will determine what action will be taken in response to a violation on a case-by-case basis. Violations of this Agreement could subject you to criminal or civil liability.
BY ACCEPTING THIS AGREEMENT, YOU AGREE TO WAIVE AND HOLD RIPTIDECC.COM HARMLESS FROM ANY CLAIMS RELATING TO ANY ACTION TAKEN BY RIPTIDECC.COM AS PART OF ITS INVESTIGATION OF A SUSPECTED VIOLATION OF THIS AGREEMENT OR AS A RESULT OF ITS CONCLUSION THAT A VIOLATION OF THIS AGREEMENT HAS OCCURRED. THIS MEANS THAT YOU CANNOT SUE OR RECOVER ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER FROM RIPTIDECC.COM AS A RESULT OF RIPTIDECC.COM's DECISION TO REMOVE MATERIAL FROM ITS SERVERS, WARN YOU, SUSPEND OR TERMINATE YOUR ACCOUNT, OR TAKE ANY OTHER ACTION DURING THE INVESTIGATION OF A SUSPECTED VIOLATION OR AS A RESULT OF RIPTIDECC.COM's CONCLUSION THAT A VIOLATION HAS OCCURRED. THIS WAIVER APPLIES TO ALL VIOLATIONS DESCRIBED IN THIS AGREEMENT.
4.2. Use and Misuse of Materials. Materials in the public domain (e.g., images, text, and programs) may be downloaded or uploaded using the Services. You may also re-distribute materials in the public domain. You assume all risks regarding the determination of whether the material is in the public domain.
You are prohibited from storing, distributing or transmitting any unlawful material through the Services. Examples of unlawful material include, but are not limited to, threats of physical harm, child pornography, and copyrighted, trademarked and other proprietary material used without proper authorization. Pornography and sex-related merchandising, or links to such material, even if legal, are not acceptable uses of RIPTIDECC.COM's servers. You may not post, upload or otherwise distribute copyrighted material on RIPTIDECC.COM's servers without the consent of the copyright holder.
Unacceptable uses of website content also include the presence of the following programs or the activities associated with them, regardless of whether or not any actual intrusion results in the corruption or loss of data: server broadcast messages or any message sent on an intrusive basis to any directly or indirectly attached network; attempts to circumvent any user authentication or security of host, network, or account; accessing data not intended for user; probing the security of any network; spawning dozens of processes; port scans, ping floods, packet spoofing, and forging router information; denial of service attacks, sniffers, flooding, spoofing, ping bombing, smurfs, winnuke, land and teardrop; promulgation of viruses; and IRC bots, such as eggdrop or BitchX.
RIPTIDECC.COM supports free speech on the Internet and will not suspend or cancel your account simply because it disagrees with your views expressed at your website. However, examples of unacceptable activities include posting private information about a person without his or her consent, defaming a person or business, and knowingly making available code that will have a deleterious effect on third-party computers. Where there are allegations that your on-line activity has violated the legal rights of a third party, RIPTIDECC.COM will not substitute itself for a court of law in deciding tort claims raised by the third party.
Examples of unacceptable material on all Shared servers include:
IRC Bots, Proxy Scripts / Anonymizers, Pirated Software / Warez, image, filedump, mirror, or banner-ad services (similar to rapidshare, photobucket, or commercial banner ad rotation), affiliate servers, topsites, commercial audio streaming (more than one or two streams), Escrow, High-Yield Interest Programs (HYIP) or related sites, Investment sites (FOREX, egold exchange), sale of any controlled substance without prior proof of appropriate permit(s), AutoSurf sites, Bank Debentures, Bank Debenture Trading Programs, Prime Banks Programs, lottery sites, muds / rpg's, hate sites, hacker focused sites/archives/programs, or sites promoting illegal activities, IP Scanners, Brute Force Programs, Mail Bombers and Spam Scripts. Forums and or websites that distribute or link to warez content are prohibited.
Offering video and/or audio streaming or downloads, MP3 Files, Games and shareware is also not permitted on any
RIPTIDECC.COM server.
Using a shared account as a backup/storage device is not permitted, with the exception of one cPanel/HELM backup of the same account.
4.3. Email Use. Unacceptable affronts to netiquette and unacceptable activities include, but are not limited to, the following: spamming (sending unsolicited advertising to those with which you have no existing business relationship and posting off-topic advertising in newsgroups); spoofing (using a return email address that is not the valid reply address of the sender or sending an email message that does not contain enough information to enable the recipient to identify you); passive spamming (promoting a website hosted by RIPTIDECC.COM by spamming from some other source); trolling (posting controversial messages in newsgroups to generate responses); mail bombing (inundating a user with email without any serious intent to correspond or sending large or multiple files to a user); generating a higher volume of outgoing mail than a normal user (over 10% of available system resources); propagating chain letters; and subscribing someone else to an electronic mailing list without that person's permission. A message is considered unsolicited if it is posted in violation of a newsgroup charter or sent to a recipient who has not requested the message. Making an email address available to the public does not constitute a request to receive messages. Distribution of mass emailing programs is also prohibited. All recipients on a mailing list must have personally subscribed. Mailing lists may not be used to distribute unsolicited email. If you are repeatedly mail bombed or attract such behavior, the Services will be terminated.
You should not send email to any user who does not wish to receive it, either at RIPTIDECC.COM or elsewhere. RIPTIDECC.COM recognizes that email is an informal medium; however, you must refrain from sending further email to a user after receiving a request to stop.
You may not alter the headers of email messages to disguise their identity or to prevent users from responding to the messages. RIPTIDECC.COM may disclose the usernames of accounts responsible for forged email messages to system administrators or users requesting the information.
You may not use RIPTIDECC.COM e-mail servers/systems for e-mail membership services such as allowing anyone to signup for an e-mail account with your domain name that wishes. Your e-mail server/services are intended to be used for you, departments and employees within your organization/company. If you need e-mail membership services RIPTIDECC.COM can recommend a few companies that offer this service.
Violations of the RIPTIDECC.COM policies outlined herein can sometimes result in massive numbers of email responses. If you receive so much email that RIPTIDECC.COM
resources are affected, RIPTIDECC.COM staff may shut down your mailbox.
You may not use RIPTIDECC.COM mail services, servers or components to send out mail
from other sites or services that are not hosted with RIPTIDECC.COM. You may not
use RIPTIDECC.COM mail services, servers or components to send out mail advertisements for other sites not pertaining to the website you are hosting with RIPTIDECC.COM.
You may not use RIPTIDECC.COM mail servers for bulk e-mailing unless arrangements have been made prior to each mail submission. RIPTIDECC.COM staff may shut down your mailbox /site without warning if this occurs.
You may not use RIPTIDECC.COM shared mail servers as an email storage facility. By storing your email on RIPTIDECC.COM servers you do so at your own risk. RIPTIDECC.COM
suggests you download all mail content off of RIPTIDECC.COM shared mail servers at the time of retrieval. As per section 1.5 RIPTIDECC.COM does not backup mail data and is not responsible for loss mail data under any circumstances.
You may not use Riptide Technology’s shared mail servers for a domain not hosted
with Riptide Technology for email only unless the domain is the main domain of any plan, otherwise the domain that email service is being supplied to must be pointed to Riptide Technology’s network.
List Server Lists are permitted on certain packages. Large lists of more than 500 members are not permitted without first consulting RIPTIDECC.COM for approval. Use of this service is AS IS. RIPTIDECC.COM does not provide support on the List Server
service. RIPTIDECC.COM will provide you with the URL of the List Server provider to review help and knowledge base articles to guide you with this service.
Information sharing
Riptide Technology only shares personal information with other companies or individuals outside of Riptide Technology in the following limited circumstances:
- We have your consent. We require opt-in consent for the sharing of any sensitive personal information.
- We provide such information to our subsidiaries, affiliated companies or other trusted businesses or persons for the purpose of processing personal information on our behalf. We require that these parties agree to process such information based on our instructions and in compliance with this Policy and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures.
- We have a good faith belief that access, use, preservation or disclosure of such information is reasonably necessary to (a) satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request, (b) enforce applicable Terms of Service, including investigation of potential violations thereof, (c) detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, or (d) protect against imminent harm to the rights, property or safety of Riptide Technology,
its users or the public as required or permitted by law.
If Riptide Technology becomes involved in a merger, acquisition, or any form of sale of some or all of its assets, we will provide notice before personal information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
Information security
We take appropriate security measures to protect against unauthorized access to or unauthorized alteration, disclosure or destruction of data. These include internal reviews of our data collection, storage and processing practices and security measures, as well as physical security measures to guard against unauthorized access to systems where we store personal data.
We restrict access to personal information to Riptide Technology employees, contractors and agents who need to know that information in order to operate, develop or improve our services. These individuals are bound by confidentiality obligations and may be subject to discipline, including termination and criminal prosecution, if they fail to meet these obligations.
4.4. System Security. You are prohibited from utilizing the Services to compromise the security of system resources or accounts on servers at RIPTIDECC.COM
or at any other site. Use or distribution of tools designed for compromising security or containing viruses or Trojans are prohibited. Examples of these tools include, but are not limited to, password guessing programs, cracking tools or network probing tools.
If you are involved in violations of system security, RIPTIDECC.COM reserves the right to release all usernames of users involved in such violations to system administrators at other sites in order to assist them in resolving security incidents. RIPTIDECC.COM
will also fully cooperate with law enforcement authorities in investigating suspected lawbreakers.
4.5. System Resources. System abuse includes any use of RIPTIDECC.COM resources that disrupts the normal use of its servers or services for others. Examples of system abuse include running excessive numbers of processes or consuming excessive amounts of CPU time, memory or disk space.
4.6. MySQL / MSSQL / Database Server. MySQL / MSSQL Server Databases are provided on some packages on an As IS basis. All database management and data management must be done by customer thorough an interface provided by customer or through the web interface provided by RIPTIDECC.COM. Any additional services that are not available through customers interface or the RIPTIDECC.COM web interface may be done by RIPTIDECC.COM
at the current hourly rate for these additional services. Any work, not limited to programming and repair, that is required of RIPTIDECC.COM on customer database(s), other than database creation, is subject to the current hourly rate for these services. You are prohibited from using RIPTIDECC.COM's SQL / Data servers from remote servers. Using RIPTIDECC.COM's sql servers from remote servers is a violation of RIPTIDECC.COM's
terms and conditions. One example of the violation is you have a website hosted at another location and you are using RIPTIDECC.COM's sql servers for storing the data. Connections outside our Network are not permitted unless it is a program used to create and maintain your database like Enterprise Manger or comparable application.
5. RIPTIDECC.COM's Right to Terminate Agreement
(a) RIPTIDECC.COM reserves the right to suspend or terminate the Services to you and remove or prevent access to any material from your website at any time, without prior notice or liability, for any conduct that RIPTIDECC.COM, in its sole discretion, believes violates this Agreement or is otherwise harmful to RIPTIDECC.COM's
interests or the interests of other accountholders. (b) RIPTIDECC.COM
also reserves the right to comply with the take-down provisions of the DMCA and to seek injunctive, declaratory, interpleader or other judicial or equitable relief (and, pending such action, to suspend all access to your website) if any third-party claim is made that your website content or use violates any of the acceptable uses or your obligations or representations described in this Agreement.
6. Cancellation of Accounts
6.1. All RIPTIDECC.COM accounts must be paid in full before the cancellation will be considered complete.
6.2. When canceling an account, cancellations take effect immediately and do not continue for the amount of your term left on your account. RIPTIDECC.COM
does not give refunds on the remaining term left on an account that was canceled after the charges have been billed. Customer must inform RIPTIDECC.COM of cancellation prior to the new billing date. Any charges that incurred after the billing date and cancellation are non-refundable. It is customer's responsibility to make sure that RIPTIDECC.COM has accurate e-mail address / billing information on file for the invoices to reach you.
6.3. If your account is suspended or terminated for any reason permitted by this Agreement, RIPTIDECC.COM may, at its sole discretion, permanently delete your website contents from RIPTIDECC.COM servers, and RIPTIDECC.COM will not be able to reopen or restore such content. If your account has been canceled or suspended due to a violation of our Terms and Conditions and Acceptable use policy no refunds will be given on any pre-paid term.
7. Arbitration; Governing Law
7.1. Except for RIPTIDECC.COM's compliance with take-down provisions of the DMCA or injunctive or other equitable actions initiated by RIPTIDECC.COM pursuant to Section 5(b), if any controversy or dispute arises in connection with this Agreement, the Services or your use of RIPTIDECC.COM's servers, such controversy or dispute shall first be presented for resolution by RIPTIDECC.COM and you. If no resolution is reached within 7 days thereafter, then such controversy or dispute shall be resolved by binding arbitration in Bloemfontein, Free State, under the then-current rules of commercial arbitration of the High Court of South Africa. Each party shall select an arbitrator with expertise in computer law and the Internet, and these two arbitrators shall select the third arbitrator with such expertise. The validity, terms, performance and enforcement of this Agreement shall be governed and construed by its provisions and in accordance with the laws of the Court of South Africa (without regard to conflicts of laws principles).
7.2. You hereby irrevocably and unconditionally consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the High Court of South Africa, for any action, suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to Section 5(b) of this Agreement and the arbitration contemplated by this Section 7.
8. Miscellaneous
You may not assign your rights and obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of RIPTIDECC.COM, which may be withheld at RIPTIDECC.COM's
discretion. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as creating any agency, partnership, or other form of joint enterprise between the parties. The failure of RIPTIDECC.COM to require your performance of any provision hereof shall not affect the right to require such performance thereafter; nor shall the waiver by RIPTIDECC.COM of a breach of any provision hereof be taken or held to be a waiver of the provision itself. Any action for any claim arising under, or in connection with, this Agreement must be commenced by you within one year after the alleged cause of action has accrued or after the date of termination of this Agreement, whichever is earlier. In the event that any provision of this Agreement is deemed unenforceable or invalid, such unenforceability or invalidity shall not affect the remainder of this Agreement. Such provision may be amended or replaced with one that is valid and enforceable and which achieves, to the extent possible, the original objectives and intent of the parties as reflected in the original provision. No provision of this Agreement may be amended or modified by you except by means of a written document signed or expressly assented to by RIPTIDECC.COM. All terms and conditions of this Agreement that should by their nature survive termination of this Agreement shall so survive. This Agreement and the Online Order form, together with all amendments or modifications to any of them, constitute the complete and exclusive agreement between you and RIPTIDECC.COM and supersede and govern all prior proposals, agreements, or other communications.
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