Terms of Service
ARCHIVED 2013-01-17, DATE APPROXIMATE · VERSION 20130117_rev01 · COMPARED WITH 20121105_rev01
Full text changes — 20121105_rev01 to 20130117_rev01
COLOUR MARKS THE SEVERITY OF A FLAGGED CLAUSE · + AND − MARK ADDED AND REMOVED
| 1 | For the critically unhip who don't know their way around even the simplest of hip-hop slang, RapGenius is something of a translator, cataloging the ins and outs of the genre's jargon, and spoon-feeding it to squares like me. And what could be more packed with impenetrable slang [than the "lyrics" to the iTunes Terms of Service agreement](http://rapgenius.com/Apple-itunes-terms-of-service-lyrics)? | |
| 1 | Because it's the holidays and people will sue anything and everything is horrible, a California Instagram user [has filed a class action lawsuit](http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/24/us-instagram-lawsuit-idUSBRE8BN0JI20121224) over that [terms of service kerfuffle](http://gizmodo.com/5969221/stop-whining-about-your-personal-data-on-instagram-you-little-whiny-baby) last week. Needless to say, this is dumb. | |
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| 3 | I'm going to go out on a limb here and say the iTunes TOS (by the Hella Apple Lawyers) doesn't have much flow, but that hasn't stopped someone from [throwing it up on RapGenius for a much needed explanation, yo](http://rapgenius.com/Apple-itunes-terms-of-service-lyrics). Don't expect a particularly straight-faced interpretation of legalese here, but rather a more cynical and profanity-laden interpretation of the mammoth TOS. You know, [the kind of interpretation you need](http://rapgenius.com/Apple-itunes-terms-of-service-lyrics). And the wiki-based system means it'll only get better with time. | |
| 3 | While Instagram likely overreached by claiming it could receive compensation by selling your photos for companies who may want to advertise with them, it [quickly recanted](http://gizmodo.com/5970364/instagram-is-going-back-to-the-old-terms-of-service). Not only that, but the terms of service that users took such issue with never even had a chance to go into effect. | |
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| 5 | The iTunes TOS isn't the only non-rap on RapGenius. You can check out a (less funny) translation of the [transcript from the first presidential debate](http://rapgenius.com/Barack-obama-first-presidential-debate-of-2012-lyrics), too. That said, the Hella Apple Lawyers drop the sickest rhymes; I can't wait for their next single, "Scroll down to read the updated agreement." \[[RapGenius](http://rapgenius.com/Apple-itunes-terms-of-service-lyrics) via [CNET](http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57531881-1/itunes-terms-of-service-gets-the-rapgenius-treatment-hilarity-ensues/)\] | |
| 5 | So why the suit? Because Instagram is still insisting that it might-heavens forbid-show you ads. And if you decide to leave the service over it, you forfeit all your old photos. | |
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| 7 | Let's be clear about one thing: there's no way this lawsuit goes anywhere. At all. Instagram is a company, not a public utility. Serving you ads is the only way it can make money. It's the price you pay for all those fancy filters. If you don't like it, leave. The end. \[[Reuters](http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/24/us-instagram-lawsuit-idUSBRE8BN0JI20121224)\] |