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The Anti-EULA
19 years ago
End-user license agreements are bullshit. You buy a shrinkwrapped piece of software, crack it open and install it, only to discover that you've inadvertently agreed to become the company's bitch. What do you do? You can't return opened software; the best you can hope for is an exchange, and then you're back where you started. You could of course just not install the software, but then you're out however much money you paid for it. No, the only thing you CAN do is bow your head in defeat and click "I agree". Agree to whatever bewilderingly anti-user clauses are contained therein.
Well, I for one am sick of it! Telling me I can't legally work around any "technical limitations" you put in your software? That's low. I'm looking at YOU, Microsoft. Defective by design indeed!
http://www.boingboing.net/2007/01/2.....greemento.html
Heheh. I might try sending off an E-mail with that to some company the next time I become livid with rage over anti-user practices.
READ CAREFULLY. By accepting this journal you agree, on behalf of your employer, to release me from all obligations and waivers arising from any and all NON-NEGOTIATED agreements, licenses, terms-of-service, shrinkwrap, clickwrap, browsewrap, confidentiality, non-disclosure, non-compete and acceptable use policies ("BOGUS AGREEMENTS") that I have entered into with your employer, its partners, licensors, agents and assigns, in perpetuity, without prejudice to my ongoing rights and privileges. You further represent that you have the authority to release me from any BOGUS AGREEMENTS on behalf of your employer.
Well, I for one am sick of it! Telling me I can't legally work around any "technical limitations" you put in your software? That's low. I'm looking at YOU, Microsoft. Defective by design indeed!
http://www.boingboing.net/2007/01/2.....greemento.html
Heheh. I might try sending off an E-mail with that to some company the next time I become livid with rage over anti-user practices.
READ CAREFULLY. By accepting this journal you agree, on behalf of your employer, to release me from all obligations and waivers arising from any and all NON-NEGOTIATED agreements, licenses, terms-of-service, shrinkwrap, clickwrap, browsewrap, confidentiality, non-disclosure, non-compete and acceptable use policies ("BOGUS AGREEMENTS") that I have entered into with your employer, its partners, licensors, agents and assigns, in perpetuity, without prejudice to my ongoing rights and privileges. You further represent that you have the authority to release me from any BOGUS AGREEMENTS on behalf of your employer.
I love how they always seem to scream at me. Now I just need more LOLZ, U, Y and various other shorthands.
"Keep your computer protected! Just follow our wonderful 3-step process, to keep your system up to date! What's that? How does a virus work in the first place? HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
I figure that if I can click on "I agree" without having to scroll through the entire thing, I'm exempt from the most malicious parts.
Because if you owned the software, you could make copies and sell it.
I hope I'm not spouting gibberish ... I'm alarmingly tired.
So selling copies of software you licensed is right out, but they can't do much else.
In fact, they implicitly GUARANTEE users the right of resale for anything they've purchased (copyright owners are only granted the "right of FIRST sale," and anything done with the copy thereafter is none of their business). But the owner if the INTELLECTUAL property is the only one legally allowed to create new copies for the purpose of sale.
Also, you ARE legally allowed to make copies...users are specifically granted the right to the creation of archival/backup copies by law. These copies must be destroyed/transmitted when the original product is resold. The only problem is that the DMCA tramples over this right by stating that it is illegal to circumvent copy-protection software, thereby making it impossible to exercise your rights without breaking another law.
The part about right of resale doesn't matter because you don't buy the software itself. You buy a license to software plus media containing a copy of the software. Only because of the EULA can you transfer the license to someone else (in fact, some EULAs prohibit resale of the license to prevent people from opening up used software shops). Nobody owns software but the people/corporation that wrote it.
Mind you though, some of these.... capitalists.... are still in dire need of being pummeled with their 'if you click accept, you's our bitch' deals. Not the first time I heard this. Like how with some programs you agree to let them spy on you if they want.
Then again I suppose like most users who know even the remotest stuff about the workings of their comps, anyone who sells something to me can say goodbye to any legal things attached to their products, all the data therein just goes into this legal void and is never seen again by the lawful world...