Legal

This page is basically a synopsis and also further explains issues in the various other legal documents on this web site. We really want to clarify our position on legal matters so that users are not in the dark about where we stand, and also so they cannot claim we never mentioned anything.

Legal Documents

Terms of Service: This document outlines the various rules and procedures that we use to run the web site, as well as all of the network web sites.
Privacy Policy: This document outlines our stance on privacy, what information we store, and how we use said information.
Safety: This document outlines safety rules and procedures, both for young people and parents.
COPPA: This document outlines and states our stance with the Child Online Privacy Protection Act.

Clarifications

The aforementioned details privacy, safety, children, and general rules on what content we do not allow. We want to clarify what content we do not allow.

Text

Text is essentially anything that can be written, typed, or otherwise communicated in such a way that it is not video or audio. Below is a list of clarifications related to text:

There is a such thing as copyright, it isn't just something people say for fun;
When you take poetry, for example, that is copyrighted and put it on your blog, that is copyright infringement and is illegal;
If you have permission to post it, you should include that permission. If you claim it is yours, your account could be banned.
To clarify, using text that is not yours, and claiming it is yours is plagiarism.

Audio

Posting audio that you do not have permission to post is also against the law. Even though it is unfortunate that we cannot share music and must pay $12 for a CD, it is still against the law.

Video

Apparently posting music videos to the Internet is also against the law, so if you do not have rights to it, do not post it. This also includes all video that is not just music video as well. Linking to videos is fine, however if the videos demonstrate how to create or use explosives or the like, the government can come after you.

Our Service

To clarify, our service is not exactly a personal playground or a place to believe you exist outside the law or society:

Do not create blogs, groups, or the like with the intent of harassing or bullying someone.
"Save the drama for you and your mama" is one of the best statements known to humanity
If you have a problem with someone, deal with them some place else or fight them in a parking lot, The Hive is not the place to flood and spam because you hate someone.
Making threats about politicians, even as a joke, is extremely illegal -- we will ban you extremely quickly for such an offense.
Creating posts detailing how to create or use explosives, or the like is very illegal and will get you banned.
Creating posts that explain how to create or encourage the use of terrorism, explosives, murder, or the like will get you banned.

Basically, use your head. There's no reason to do anything so moronic as what is mentioned above. You know what is legal and illegal and we are not your baby sitters. End of story.