If a crappy software licensing agreement falls in the forest,

May 2, 2002 6:24 AM

If a crappy software licensing agreement falls in the forest, and no is there to see it, do you still have to abide by UCITA? It's a bit facile, and probably not legally effective for a hundred reasons; but it is a fun idea which gives us another way to look at a controversial feature of modern computing.
posted by machaus (3 comments total)

Amazing! I love this sort of hack.
posted by johnnydark at 6:47 AM on May 2, 2002

if not reading the contract isn't a legal basis for being excused from its terms, i doubt that willfully blocking out the agreement would be. now, if someone else put it on your computer without your knowledge, that might be a different story (maybe).

the bottom line is in this day and age, courts are going to look mostly at the reasonableness of the terms of this sort of contract. if a term is "unconscionable," the court won't enforce it. but most are not going to care if you read or had an opportunity to read it.
posted by boltman at 8:09 AM on May 2, 2002

My solution is to get really piss drunk before installing any software. That way I can claim "Altered Mental State" and the contract is non-binding. That and I get to drink a lot of beer, mmmmmmm....beeeer.
posted by plemeljr at 8:18 AM on May 2, 2002