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Apple Forced To Clean Up Its Fine Print

Barence writes "Apple has been forced to tidy up its online terms and conditions, at the behest of the UK's Office of Fair Trading. The company has redrafted its Ts & Cs so that it now accepts liability for faulty or misdescribed goods sold from its website or the iTunes store. Apple must also ensure that its conditions are 'drafted in plain or intelligible language' and that they 'do not potentially allow changes to be made to products and prices after an agreement is made.'"

6 of 127 comments (clear)

  1. Good news... by click2005 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    do not potentially allow changes to be made to products and prices after an agreement is made.

    As I've said numerous times, this is why EULAs are unenforcable in the UK. It does not stop Apple from adding a feature or function in the future and requiring the user to agree to new T&Cs. It also means they cant force an upgrade with new T&Cs without giving the buyer the option of a refund.

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  2. oh, that by overcaffein8d · · Score: 5, Funny

    you mean, the iTunes clause:

    You also agree that you will not use these products for any purposes prohibited by United States law, including, without limitation, the development, design, manufacture or production of nuclear, missiles, or chemical or biological weapons.

    ??

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    1. Re:oh, that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Y'know, the Microsoft JVM EULA (or maybe it was the Windows 98 EULA?) had a clause almost identical to that for years before iTunes was even a concept. It bugs me every time I hear someone call it the "iTunes clause"...

      So you're saying we have evidence that Apple copy stuff from Microsoft.

  3. Misdescribed Goods by Donkey_Hotey · · Score: 5, Funny

    iTunes lists rap stars as recording artists . Would that fall under the "faulty or misdescribed goods" part?

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  4. Including fitness for a particular purpose by dirkdodgers · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've always loved the absurdity of these phrases. Apple disclaims all implied warranties including the implied warranties that their products are what they claim to be and are suitable for the purpose they are advertised for.

    In other words, as far as Apple is concerned, if you open your new Macbook Pro box and find a boat anchor instead of a laptop, tough luck.

  5. Re:Does such a fabled place truly exist? by badzilla · · Score: 5, Funny

    A Brit friend was visiting the USA and phoned the operator (could have been the internal operator at his large company) to ask which international dialling prefix he should use to call home. A short silence then... "United Kingdom? Is that an amusement park?"

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