And This Surprises Who?
The BBC reports on findings that Computer software terms ‘unfair’
Some of the world’s biggest computer firms have been accused of imposing unfair contracts on customers who buy their software.
The National Consumer Council (NCC) has accused 17 firms, including Microsoft, Adobe and Symantec, of using unfair “end user licence agreements” (EULAs).
The NCC has asked the Office of Fair Trading to launch an investigation.
The NCC said the firms’ EULAs were misleading customers into “signing away legal rights”.
“Software rights-holders are shifting the legal burden on to consumers who buy computer programmes, leaving them with less protection than when they buy a cheap Biro,” said Carl Belgrove of the NCC.
[“Biro” is British for ballpoint pen, after the company that is the biggest manufacturer.]
You were once guaranteed that the media [diskette, CD, etc.] was without defect, but downloads have eliminated that problem. They also once provided manuals, but that was so “twentieth century”, that now you spend major dollars to tie up your computer and Internet connection for a major time span, and are not guaranteed anything. You certainly are not guaranteed that your hundreds of dollars with provide you with a program that does what they told you it would do, or anything else. About the only thing guaranteed is that if they suspect you may have copied their nonexistent program you have forfeited all of your worldly goods onto the seventh generation following.
4 comments
Off topic…but, Neoclassical is a good theme pick. I’m not just saying that because that is what I use. I’ve used allot of other themes and Neoclassical is structured to be easily read by google and other search engines thereby increasing your traffic. I’ve seen it proven statistically with my page hits over the course of this year.
My reasons were the serif main font, which I find much more readable, the twin side bars so I could include the recent comments and posts widgets, and the ability to update WordPress without mucking about with Kubrick again.
The structure is easier modify because it hasn’t been repeatedly hacked by multiple people and is consistent.
Big deal. I been saying that for years! Ask LadyMin! LOL She bitches about the weather, I bitch about the BFC software companies (B=big, F=, C=Crooks). Nobody ever makes $12mill/day honestly and fairly.
And Gates is still, and always will be, a total dweeb. 🙂
I was once accused of “stealing” software. Threat of a counter-suit along with a folder filled with receipts, an OEM contract for the software, and box of valid and registered copies of the software ended that foolishness.
I’m tired of dealing with corporate paranoia.