Browser Wars and faulty EULAs
The browser wars have just gotten a bit more interesting with the release of Google Chrome. While I am too addicted to Firefox, Chrome appears to be an interesting experiment. However, the Chrome EULA raised some eyebrows, as it contained the following clause:
"11. Content licence from youWait a second... this is a browser, right? How on earth did someone at Google figure that they would be getting a licence for content placed on the browser?
11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights that you already hold in Content that you submit, post or display on or through the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content, you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content that you submit, post or display on or through the Services. This licence is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services."
Thankfully, the licence has now been ammended to read:
"11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights that you already hold in Content that you submit, post or display on or through the Services."Crisis averted then, but it must be said that Google's lawyers should have looked at this a bit more closely. Someone seems to be a bit too busy with the Viacom suit.
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2 comments:
What a storm in an applet. See my blog yesterday! :-P
Perhaps Google is just playing games with us and hinting at its next move : Owning all content on the planet!
Incidentally, I'm at the Edinburgh Open Day tomorrow and was wondering if you're free perhaps we could meet? I'm very interested in e-commerce law and technology in general and would like to know a little more about it.
You can get in touch at ruairidh82[AT]gmail[DOT]com
Regards,
Ruairidh Wynne-McHardy
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