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All microsoft licences are too compicated.
Only license for microsft mouse takes 4 pages of small fonts text.
I just try to read it and it was too complicated. Maybe for lawyers it's good enough but for me is too complicated.
I vote for Complicated.
Good Luck
Alex Kucherenko
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When I was younger and I was a beginner into installing software I would read most of the License agreement, after installing a lot of software I stoped being botherd. All I check for now is where is the agree button. If you buy something why would you not install it, it is stupid not to do so. In my opinion companies that install software should check the licenses in order to be sure that they can install from the same CD as many times as it is allowed. That is they don't want to get themselves in trouble with a one of the software producers, they could take it to court and easily win the case.. 
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If the majority of people treat them as being irrelivant , and do not even read them , or if they do read them they pay them little regard , could it be argued that they carry less 'weight, than other types of agreement ? Just because people want them to be binding does not mean that they are binding. I beleive that if a law/rule has fallen into disrepute and is commonly ignored with the knowledge of the authorities , then there is a legal argument that the law is not enforceable. Could such a situation arise with software licences where people click as a means to testing the software and pay no attention to the contents of the agreement . Everyone knows the standard clauses , that is no copying , limited liability etc , so if someone put in an odd clause it could be argued that simple clicking an I agree button did not signal an agreement , only a recognition of the implementation of a basic agreement ?
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I think that an argument could be made that the puny little windows where you can only get four words across on a line, and only about 15 lines worth, are purposely devised to prevent reading, and therefore comprehension. In this day and age of user interfaces, Microsoft's EULA's are presented like something off of a teletype machine. Where's the GUI? Where's the interface that at least makes sure you scrolled through the text (I saw that done once)? Where's the online help button to help you understand the complicated wording and phraseology?
If Microsoft would make it either fun, or educational, or both, then I would at least consider reading them.
Marc
Help! I'm an AI running around in someone's f*cked up universe simulator.
Sensitivity and ethnic diversity means celebrating difference, not hiding from it. - Christian Graus
Every line of code is a liability - Taka Muraoka
Microsoft deliberately adds arbitrary layers of complexity to make it difficult to deliver Windows features on non-Windows platforms--Microsoft's "Halloween files"
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And where in the UI of the installed application can you review the license agreement?
If it's so important, then you should be able to Help->License Agreement
It's pretty obvious they don't want you to see it again.. At least in electronic format.
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I think you have a good point,
The only way for this to be tested though is in a court. And until someone decides to front up with the money to pay for this as an arguement it won't happen.
Regardz
Colin J Davies
Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin
Warning Link to the minion's animation, do not use.
It's a real shame that people as stupid as you can work out how to use a computer. said by Christian Graus in the Soapbox
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Let's face it, they all say pretty much the same thing:
If we break it, it's your fault. If you pirate it, you go to jail. We can update the software at any time, and if anything at all in your system breaks, it's your fault.
I'v read a lot of them and that's all they say basically.
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Yeah, but some give you licence on just one machine, vs. two, or perhaps unlimited. Some give you right to completely uninstall and transfer, and some don't (e.g., TurboTax).
But for the rest, you're pretty much right... "if the software destroys all your data, sets your computer on fire, and sets off your car alarm, we are not responsible."
"When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity." - Albert Einstein
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Navin wrote:
TurboTax
Grrr. I liked TurboTax for doing my taxes, but uninstalling it was a PITA. They left behind this noxious little copy protection gizmo, started by a bloody device driver, for crying out loud. I had to boot to safe mode to get rid of the damn thing.
Software Zen: delete this;
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Yeah, I used to like TurboTax too, but heard about that kind of stuff before (fortunately!) I installed it. So I went to TaxCut.
"When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity." - Albert Einstein
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From my experince, >90% of the time the software publisher will say exactly what sort of moraly questionable things that they will do to your PC. Even Kazaa, Gator, and the rest spell out exactly they things that they will do & install on your PC.
For me, if I know the company (Microsoft & other biggies) - I won't bother reading it. But if I don't know them or I suspect that they may be bundled with adware, I will read it. All of it.
I would however realy appreciate it if there was an industry standard EULA that everyone could understand.
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That begs the question - what are you doing installing any software from Gator on your computer? 
"When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity." - Albert Einstein
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Yes, Gator is a bottom feeder - but their EULA (at least the last time I checked) was very up front about the moraly objectional activities they were going to do to you.
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I always skim the license over.
I read the licenses:
1) If I'm not in a hurry
AND/OR
2) If there is something I want to do which not all licenses allow, but some do.
I always abide by the licenses if:
1) I remember their terms
2) I have read them
If I haven't read the license/don't remember the license terms, I assume that they at least have the basic reasonable use terms and abide by those:
1) You may only use the software on one computer at any given time
2) You may make one copy for backup purposes only
3) You may not reverse-engineer or decompile the software
etc.....
Then I look at the license if I want to know anything more specific about a particular license.
I like GPL - one license that I've already read that applies to a number of different products.
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." - Jesus
"An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind." - Mahatma Gandhi
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pretty much the same here. the way i use software is usually me on my machine, maybe an extra copy for my own backup. So I figure based on that, i can use the software without consequence. Ergo, I don't bother to read, unless I'm really Really bored.
BW
"I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific."
- Lily Tomlin
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I rated this article 2 by mistake. It deserves more. I wanted to get to the second page... - vjedlicka 3:33 25 Nov '02
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They are both too long and too complicated.
Unless they are the sun's online licence where the user was able to enter their own license and then click accept on the form. http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/29908.html[^]
I am still waiting for sun to send me my royalties since my license said that I own the rights to all their products and that they are required to pay me royalties for every product they sell.
John
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Update: SUN changed the license form. Now you can not edit the terms. The license was given in an edit box in which you could enter any terms that you wanted and then click on accept.
John
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You're not guilty unless you're caught.
Besides, why would I want to know how many different ways I am or shortly will be breaking the law?
Marc
Help! I'm an AI running around in someone's f*cked up universe simulator.
Sensitivity and ethnic diversity means celebrating difference, not hiding from it. - Christian Graus
Every line of code is a liability - Taka Muraoka
Microsoft deliberately adds arbitrary layers of complexity to make it difficult to deliver Windows features on non-Windows platforms--Microsoft's "Halloween files"
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Marc Clifton wrote:
why would I want to know how many different ways I am or shortly will be breaking the law?
 So true...
Steve
McLenithan
Is Bert Evil?
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Ignorance is bliss.
--
I was quite impressed until I hit the floor
Isn't that what friends are for?
Pain looks great on other people
That's what they're for
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I read the ones I write, but only skim through the other ones for basics information such as whether it is licensed to the user of the workstation, how many copies, etc. If a products comes with a printed license I will usually read that in it's entirety, mainly out of interest than anything else, but reading lots of monotyped text out of a small text box on a computer display is not easy to do.
I do abide by them though, as far as I know, with one exception I can think of where I installed a software applciation on both my PC and my laptop so I could use it from another room while watching telly, but I'm not expecting Interpol to bust in my door just yet. 
David Wulff
What the hell did I ever do to anyone?
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I tend to skim it as you said - to get basic information, such as:
![Green Alien | [Alien]](https://codeproject.global.ssl.fastly.net/script/Forums/Images/alien.gif) How many copies can I install
Is the license transferrable (e.g., can I uninstall completley, and give/sell the program to somebody else when I'm done?)
Anything else weird that might be in there.
I never write license agreements (we have a legal team that does all of that). I think I may have read one once..
"When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity." - Albert Einstein
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David Wulff wrote:
where I installed a software applciation on both my PC and my laptop
I've noticed several license agreements that allow you to install the software on one portable device as well.
Marc
Help! I'm an AI running around in someone's f*cked up universe simulator.
Sensitivity and ethnic diversity means celebrating difference, not hiding from it. - Christian Graus
Every line of code is a liability - Taka Muraoka
Microsoft deliberately adds arbitrary layers of complexity to make it difficult to deliver Windows features on non-Windows platforms--Microsoft's "Halloween files"
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David Wulff wrote:
but only skim through the other ones for basics information such as whether it is licensed to the user of the workstation, how many copies, etc.
It would be nice, if a (short) license summary would be displayed in the setup dialog (right in front of the long license text), so you can take the few seconds to read the summary and getting all the informations you really need.
David Wulff wrote:
If a products comes with a printed license I will usually read that in it's entirety
When downloading Software from the internet, you do not have a printed copy of the license. A
print button in the license dialog would be a nice add-on (Hey, maybe anybody from the makers of Installshield is reading this? Maybe you can add this feature to the next version of your product. If it already is, I'll apologize ).
Also sometimes I am missing an additional license file (aside from the license text in the setup dialog), where I can read some specifics on the license again ...
Erik.
--
The opinion expressed here is solely mine.
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