Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ecsvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!ecsvax!phco From: phco@ecsvax.UUCP (John Miller) Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: The next generation of software licences Message-ID: <303@ecsvax.UUCP> Date: Thu, 22-Aug-85 21:52:32 EDT Article-I.D.: ecsvax.303 Posted: Thu Aug 22 21:52:32 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 25-Aug-85 06:19:14 EDT References: <1222@ubc-cs.UUCP> Reply-To: phco@ecsvax.UUCP (John Miller) Organization: Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Lines: 70 In article <1222@ubc-cs.UUCP> manis@ubc-cs.UUCP (Vince Manis) writes: > > *HEY, SCUZZBAG* > *IF YOU OPEN THIS PACKAGE, YOU AGREE* > *TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS.* > >1. Flubber Systems Inc. (THE VENDOR) provides this program for use on a > single machine, insofar as it may be used on any machine at all. > >2. THE VENDOR does not warrant that this program will perform the function > or functions it is advertised to perform, that it will perform any function > at all, that the documentation is correct, or that there is even a > diskette and/or documentation (PROGRAM MATERIALS) in the box. The > purchaser assumes all responsibility for determining whether he or she > got rooked or not. > >3. THIS PRODUCT IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING > BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS > FOR A GIVEN PURPOSE. SHOULD THE PRODUCT PROVE DEFECTIVE, IT IS UP TO THE > PURCHASER TO DETERMINE THAT THE PROGRAM IS DEFECTIVE AND PROVIDE TO THE > VENDOR THE SOURCE CODE CHANGES NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT THE PROGRAM > FUNCTIONS CORRECTLY. > >4. In respect of condition 4, THE VENDOR will not furnish any source code > to the purchaser even should the purchaser be willing to repair PROGRAM > MATERIALS at his/her own cost. > >5. THE VENDOR agrees to provide technical support at a scale of fees to be > determined once THE VENDOR has written the software. Such technical support > shall consist of telephone support conducted from an unlisted number in > Malawi. THE VENDOR does not warrant that such support will be responsive, > or that any advice furnished to the purchaser shall be correct, complete, > or even vaguely useful. > >6. This agreement shall remain in force until THE VENDOR gets tired of it. > At the termination of the agreement, the purchaser agrees to destroy > all PROGRAM MATERIALS, and to give to THE VENDOR the results of all use > of said PROGRAM MATERIALS. THE VENDOR may choose to give or sell such > results to any person, but assumes no liability for the correctness or > usefulness of such results; all liability remains with the original > purchaser. > >7. The following actions, or similar, shall result in immediate termination > of this agreement, as provided under condition 6: unauthorised duplication > of the software (even for backup purposes); possession of any program > whose purpose is to defeat copy protection mechanisms; advocacy of > so-called ''consumer protection'' legislation, which restricts the > freedoms of software vendors; any public or private utterance which > disparages THE VENDOR, the PROGRAM MATERIALS, any other product marketed > by or endorsed by THE VENDOR, or the software industry in general. > >8. This agreement shall be governed by the laws of The Republic of Albania, and > by the philosophy of its now-departed leader, Enver Hoxha. > >BY READING THIS FAR, YOU HAVE ALREADY CONSENTED TO THIS AGREEMENT. IT'S TOO >LATE NOW, SUCKER! I must have missed something. How does this differ from the license agreements currently prevailing? (;-) Seriously, though, the old saw applies as much to today's high tech market as it ever did to anything: CAVEAT EMPTOR! -- John Miller (ecsvax!phco) Dept. of Pharmacology, Univ. of N.C.-Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27514 (919) 966-4628