Terms of Service & Acceptable Use Policy

Terms of Service & Acceptable Use Policy

These Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy ("Terms") govern use of nicenic.com, NiceNIC accounts, and services supplied by NICENIC INTERNATIONAL GROUP CO., LIMITED ("NiceNIC", "we", "us"), except to the extent a product-specific agreement contains different terms.

1. Acceptance and Eligibility
By creating an account, ordering, renewing, or using a NiceNIC service, you agree to these Terms and the applicable product-specific policies.

You must have legal capacity to enter into the applicable agreement. If you act for an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind it.

2. Services and Policy Hierarchy
NiceNIC provides services that may include domain registration, transfers, renewal, DNS, reseller/API tools, privacy/proxy features where offered, email, hosting/server services, SSL, Buy Now domains, and AI-enabled features.

For domain names, mandatory law, ICANN requirements, and applicable registry rules take precedence over inconsistent NiceNIC commercial terms.

Product-specific terms apply in addition to these Terms.

3. Accounts and Security
You must:

provide accurate account information;
secure passwords, 2FA devices, API credentials, recovery contacts, and payment methods;
restrict account access to authorized persons;
promptly report suspected compromise; and
keep contact details current so NiceNIC can send important service or security notices.
NiceNIC may require additional verification for account recovery, high-risk transactions, fraud prevention, ownership/control disputes, sanctions compliance, or security.

4. Fees and Payments
You must pay applicable fees before or when due.

Prices may change for future transactions or renewals because of registry, supplier, currency, tax, promotional, or commercial changes.

A completed registration or irreversible third-party service is generally not refundable merely because the customer changes their mind, subject to the applicable product agreement and mandatory law.

Chargebacks or payment reversals do not automatically cancel amounts lawfully owed and may result in reasonable account restrictions while the payment issue is investigated.

5. Customer Responsibilities
You are responsible for:

lawful use of services;
the content and applications you control;
obtaining rights, licenses, authorizations, and consents required for your use;
maintaining required Registration Data;
independently backing up data where appropriate; and
reviewing notices sent to your account or registered contact channels.

6. Acceptable Use
You must not use NiceNIC services to engage in, facilitate, or knowingly support:

malware, ransomware, botnets, credential theft, or malicious code distribution;
phishing or pharming;
fraud, impersonation, or deceptive credential/payment collection;
unauthorized system access, brute-force attacks, DDoS attacks, or malicious scanning;
spam or unlawful unsolicited bulk communications;
child sexual abuse material or other criminal sexual exploitation;
unlawful sale/distribution of controlled goods or stolen credentials;
material infringement of intellectual-property rights;
evasion of court orders, sanctions, law-enforcement orders, or mandatory legal restrictions;
abuse of RDDS/WHOIS, APIs, payment systems, support systems, or account-creation mechanisms;
interference with NiceNIC, registry, data-center, email, DNS, network, or third-party infrastructure; or
any other activity that is unlawful in a jurisdiction lawfully applicable to the service or that violates a mandatory ICANN/registry rule.
NiceNIC does not restrict an account merely because a customer expresses criticism, submits a complaint, or makes a good-faith public comment about NiceNIC. This does not permit threats, harassment, fraud, impersonation, unlawful disclosure of personal data, or attacks on NiceNIC systems or personnel.

7. DNS Abuse
For gTLDs subject to NiceNIC's ICANN registrar obligations, "DNS Abuse" has the meaning assigned by the then-current ICANN Registrar Accreditation Agreement and applicable ICANN requirements.

As of this version, ICANN's contractual DNS Abuse categories include malware, botnets, phishing, pharming, and spam when spam is used as a delivery mechanism for the other specified forms of DNS Abuse.

NiceNIC will take reasonable and prompt steps to investigate abuse reports and, where it has actionable evidence demonstrating that a gTLD domain sponsored by NiceNIC is being used for DNS Abuse, will take reasonable and appropriate action to stop or otherwise disrupt the DNS Abuse as required by applicable ICANN obligations.

8. Abuse Reporting
NiceNIC publishes an abuse-reporting mechanism on its website and records/handles reports in accordance with applicable registrar obligations.

Reporters are encouraged to use the published abuse form or abuse email so reports can be authenticated, tracked, and processed efficiently.

Information received through another channel may be redirected to the formal abuse mechanism. NiceNIC may nevertheless act on credible information received through any channel where required by law, necessary to protect security or users, or appropriate to satisfy ICANN/registry obligations.

A report should identify the affected domain/service and include sufficient evidence, URLs, timestamps, headers/logs, screenshots, or other information reasonably necessary to evaluate the allegation.

9. Investigation and Proportionate Action
NiceNIC evaluates abuse and policy reports based on available evidence and the nature, severity, persistence, and urgency of the alleged harm.

Depending on the circumstances, NiceNIC may:

request additional evidence;
contact the customer;
require remediation;
place a domain or service under a temporary restriction;
apply clientHold, clientTransferProhibited, or another registrar status where permitted;
suspend DNS, hosting, email, API, account, or other affected functionality;
cooperate with a registry or competent authority;
preserve evidence; or
terminate service.
NiceNIC will use proportionate measures where practicable and will distinguish, where reasonably possible, between a maliciously registered resource and a legitimate resource that has been compromised.

10. Circumstances Requiring or Justifying Immediate Action
NiceNIC may act without prior customer notice where reasonably necessary to:

comply with a court order, law, ICANN policy, registry requirement, UDRP/URS obligation, or binding governmental requirement;
stop or disrupt well-evidenced DNS Abuse;
address active malware, phishing, credential theft, attacks, child-safety threats, or other serious illegal activity;
protect account/domain security after suspected compromise;
prevent material harm to NiceNIC, a registry, customers, or internet users; or
preserve the integrity or availability of systems.
Where lawful and practicable, NiceNIC will provide an explanation after action is taken.

11. Abuse Contact and Law-Enforcement Requests
NiceNIC maintains the abuse contact(s) and dedicated authority contact(s) required by its applicable registrar obligations.

Well-founded reports from qualifying law-enforcement, consumer-protection, governmental, or similar authorities will be handled within the timelines required by applicable registrar obligations.

12. Appeals and Remediation
A customer affected by a NiceNIC discretionary abuse or policy action may request review through the published support/appeal channel and should provide:

the domain/service;
the relevant NiceNIC notice;
evidence of remediation;
evidence that the report was incorrect, outdated, or related to a compromised resource; and
any other relevant technical or legal information.
An appeal does not stay an action required by law, court order, registry rule, UDRP/URS procedure, or ICANN policy.

13. Domain-Specific Requirements
Domain registration services are additionally governed by:

the Domain Name Registration Service Agreement;
the Domain Transfer Policy;
the Expired Domain Renewal, Redemption, and Auction Policy;
UDRP/URS or applicable ccTLD dispute policy;
the Privacy Policy;
registry-specific terms; and
applicable ICANN policies.

14. Third-Party Services
Some NiceNIC services depend on registries, certificate authorities, payment processors, data centers, network providers, email platforms, AI providers, or other third parties.

NiceNIC is not responsible for a third party's independent acts beyond NiceNIC's reasonable control, but this clause does not exclude NiceNIC's own contractual or legal responsibility.

15. Service Changes and Maintenance
NiceNIC may perform maintenance, security updates, migrations, or reasonable service changes.

NiceNIC may discontinue a non-domain product or feature with reasonable notice where practicable. Domain-name lifecycle rights remain subject to applicable registrar and registry obligations.

16. Intellectual Property
NiceNIC and its licensors retain rights in NiceNIC software, websites, documentation, trademarks, and proprietary service components.

Customers retain rights in their lawful content, subject to limited licenses necessary for NiceNIC to provide the service.

17. Privacy
Personal data is handled under the NiceNIC Privacy Policy and applicable law.

Registration Data is additionally subject to applicable ICANN and registry requirements.

18. Suspension and Termination
NiceNIC may restrict, suspend, or terminate an account or service for:

material or repeated breach;
non-payment;
fraud or unauthorized payment;
security compromise;
unlawful use;
abuse or DNS Abuse;
sanctions/legal restrictions;
misuse of NiceNIC systems; or
a mandatory ICANN, registry, court, or governmental requirement.
Where circumstances permit, NiceNIC will provide notice and a reasonable opportunity to cure.

NiceNIC will not use account suspension solely to suppress good-faith criticism or a legitimate customer complaint.

19. Disclaimers
Except for express commitments in an applicable product agreement, NiceNIC does not guarantee:

uninterrupted or error-free service;
availability of a domain until registry confirmation;
future domain value, traffic, ranking, or profitability;
uninterrupted operation of third-party networks; or
that every external email, DNS, payment, or provider system will accept a transaction.
Nothing excludes warranties or rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

20. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, NiceNIC is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, punitive, or consequential losses, including loss of profit, revenue, goodwill, anticipated savings, or business opportunity.

Unless a product-specific agreement states a different lawful cap, NiceNIC's aggregate contractual liability for an affected paid service will not exceed the amount paid to NiceNIC for that affected service during the twelve months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

These limitations do not apply to liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

21. Indemnity
To the extent permitted by law, you will indemnify NiceNIC against third-party claims and reasonable costs arising from your unlawful use, content, infringement, or material breach of these Terms, except to the extent caused by NiceNIC's fraud or wilful misconduct.

22. Changes to Terms
NiceNIC may update these Terms to reflect changes in law, ICANN/registry requirements, security, services, or business operations.

Changes required by law, ICANN, or a registry may take effect on the required date. For other material changes, NiceNIC will provide reasonable notice where practicable.

23. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Subject to:

mandatory consumer or other applicable law;
the jurisdiction provisions required by an applicable domain-registration agreement;
UDRP, URS, TDRP, or ccTLD dispute procedures; and
binding court or governmental requirements,
the courts of Hong Kong have non-exclusive jurisdiction.

24. General
If a provision is invalid or unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary and the remaining Terms remain effective.

Failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver.

The English version controls to the extent permitted by applicable law.