Subj : Re: GNU Public Licences Revisited (again)
To   : comp.programming
From : Willem
Date : Fri Sep 02 2005 12:59 am

Randy wrote:
) If you disagree with it after opening it, you could try to 
) return it.  Some stores might balk at the return if the media 
) itself was opened (seal broken) before you got to the 
) license/contract.  Or, not being born yesterday, you know such a 
) contract will be in their /before/ you take it home, and you 
) could decide not to buy it in the first place.  :-(

I would know there would be *a* contract/licence inside, but I would have
no way of knowing what it said.

Anyway, I would assume that it's okay to play the dumb customer.  After
all, they put warning labels on plastic bags nowadays warning that kids
could choke on them.  Which, I guess, is something that came from the US.

)> I don't know about the US, but that's how it works here in the Netherlands.
)> And if I may say so, I would find it ridiculous if it were otherwise.
)
) Laws are quite often ridiculous. :-)

I'm glad I'm not in the US then. :)

) The idea that a software company will ask you to forego any 
) complaint if their package does a secure erase of every file on 
) your hard drive, despite being sold as a word processor, not a 
) security tool, is also ridiculous.  However, they /all/ do it 
) now, so if you want anything at all, you have to make such an 
) agreement to use it.  People roll over something small, 
) something bigger comes along to test it.  

I'm not sure about the US, but such claims on licences in
the Netherlands are void.  Not sure what the exact term is for it.

) It would be really nice if a few hundred million people refused 
) to agree to the Vista license agreement when it ships, and 
) returned their packages en masse for a refund.  But, the 
) lemmings will dominate, as usual.

What would really be nice would be a court case over some obscure
provision in a click-yes-to-agree-licence, that the customer wins,
thus establishing precedent that 'unreasonable provisions' in such
licences are void.


SaSW, Willem
-- 
Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for any of the statements
            made in the above text. For all I know I might be
            drugged or something..
            No I'm not paranoid. You all think I'm paranoid, don't you !
#EOT

.