CYPHER
Terms of Service

The rules for using CYPHER.

Last updated: April 23, 2026

By using CYPHER you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, don't use the service — it's that simple. If you're using CYPHER on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to accept these terms for that organization.

1. What CYPHER is

CYPHER is a search and discovery layer over publicly available hip-hop culture podcast content. We index metadata and transcripts from shows that publish to YouTube and other public platforms, and we let you search across them. We do not host the underlying video or audio — playback happens on the original platform (YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast) via embeds and deep links.

2. Your account

You must provide a valid email address to create an account. You're responsible for what happens through your account. Don't share your magic link. If you think your account has been compromised, email support@cyphertheculture.com and we'll invalidate your sessions.

You must be at least 13 years old to use CYPHER. If you're in a jurisdiction with a higher age of digital consent (such as the EU where it varies 13–16), you must meet that age.

3. Acceptable use

Don't do any of the following while using CYPHER:

  • Attempt to scrape, mirror, or bulk-extract content from our APIs. Rate limits are enforced.
  • Attempt to bypass the free-tier usage quota by creating multiple accounts.
  • Probe for security vulnerabilities without responsible disclosure (see section 11).
  • Use CYPHER to harass or target individual creators or guests featured in the content.
  • Resell, redistribute, or republish substantial portions of the indexed content as if it were your own.
  • Use any automated means (bots, headless browsers, etc.) beyond individual human use.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these rules. For clear cases (bot abuse, payment fraud) we act immediately. For borderline cases we'll reach out first.

4. Content we index

We do not own the podcasts, episodes, transcripts, or likenesses indexed on CYPHER. All copyright in that content remains with its creators. We claim no rights in that content and our use is limited to creating a searchable index with deep links back to the creator's chosen platform — the same way a search engine works.

If you are a creator and want your show's content removed from the index, email support@cyphertheculture.com with proof of ownership. We'll remove it within 7 days.

If you believe content on CYPHER infringes your copyright, send a DMCA notice to the email above with (a) identification of the copyrighted work, (b) identification of the allegedly infringing material with enough detail to find it, (c) your contact info, (d) a good-faith statement, (e) a statement under penalty of perjury, and (f) your signature.

5. Paid plans (Cypher Pass)

Pricing

Cypher Pass is pay-what-you-can with a $2.99 minimum floor on the monthly plan. We also offer a 6-month plan and an annual plan at a discount. Exact prices are shown on the pricing page at the time you subscribe.

Billing

Stripe processes all payments. Your chosen plan renews automatically at the end of each period at the same price you selected, unless you cancel beforehand. We'll send an email before the first renewal to remind you.

Cancellation

You can cancel any time through the billing portal (linked from your profile). You keep access through the end of the current period. We don't pro-rate refunds on cancellation.

Refunds

If you cancel within 14 days of first subscribing and you haven't used more than 10 Deep Rabbit Searches, we'll refund you. Email support@cyphertheculture.com. Beyond that, refunds are at our discretion, but we're reasonable — if something went wrong, tell us.

Price changes

We'll give you 30 days notice by email before raising the price of your plan. You can cancel before the new price takes effect.

6. Free tier limits

The free tier includes unlimited basic search and one Deep Rabbit Search per day (UTC midnight rollover). These limits exist because Deep Rabbit Search uses significant compute — we'd rather keep the floor low and accessible than charge a higher price. If a higher free allowance becomes sustainable we'll raise it.

7. Availability

We aim for 99.5% uptime but CYPHER is a small product and we don't provide a formal SLA. If we have extended downtime affecting paid subscribers, we'll credit affected accounts.

We may change, suspend, or discontinue features with notice where reasonably possible. If we discontinue Cypher Pass entirely, we'll pro-rate refunds for the remaining period of your plan.

8. Intellectual property

The CYPHER name, logo, and the original UI/UX and software we've built are ours. You can't copy, rebrand, or redistribute the product itself. You can share individual search results, deep links, and screenshots freely — that's the point.

9. Disclaimer of warranties

CYPHER is provided "as is" and "as available." We make no warranties — express or implied — about the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of search results, transcript matches, timestamps, or episode metadata. Transcripts are machine-generated and will contain errors. Always verify against the source before relying on a quote or claim.

10. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, CYPHER and its operators are not liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the service. Our aggregate liability to you for any claim is limited to the greater of (a) the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim, or (b) $50 USD.

Some jurisdictions don't allow these limitations — in that case, these limitations apply to the fullest extent permitted by the law of your jurisdiction.

11. Security reports

If you find a security issue, email security@cyphertheculture.com with a description of the issue and steps to reproduce. We'll acknowledge within 48 hours. Please don't publicly disclose the issue until we've had a reasonable chance to patch it. We don't have a formal bug bounty yet but we'll credit responsible reporters publicly if they want.

12. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, USA, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in New York County, New York, and you consent to personal jurisdiction there.

13. Changes to these terms

If we make material changes we'll post the new version here with an updated date and notify signed-in users by email at least 14 days before they take effect. Continuing to use CYPHER after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the new terms.

14. Contact

Support: support@cyphertheculture.com
Privacy: privacy@cyphertheculture.com
Security: security@cyphertheculture.com

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