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posted by mattie_p on Saturday February 22 2014, @12:32PM   Printer-friendly
from the print-that-out-please-want-it-on-paper dept.

bob_super writes:

"After reading an article[fr] (English language version) presenting a new Google initiative to map deforestation, I encountered a surprise when globalforestwatch.org opened with a Terms Of Service page! Not a small two-line 'we're in beta' terms of service page, a full multi-page lawyer-dream EULA. And when clicked on agree, I got a pop-up asking me to agree again!

Since we all know that all information has to be proven 100% correct and safe before being published on the web, have you noticed EULAs in other no-login sites? Why are Google's lawyers getting in the way when it's about important scientific data?"

 
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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by jcd on Saturday February 22 2014, @08:27PM

    by jcd (883) on Saturday February 22 2014, @08:27PM (#4939)

    This is pretty obvious, but what we're really dealing with here is another branch of litigation culture. It's so easy to get sued that even a website about deforestation feels the need to hide their valuable info behind a javascript popup demanding you agree to a contract. We should really get past the point where every action you take requires a contract.

    Why did they do this in the first place? Other sites just have a thing in the footer saying that if you continue to use the website, then you're agreeing to their terms. Is that not actually defensible in court?

    --
    "What good's an honest soldier if he can be ordered to behave like a terrorist?"
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  • (Score: 2) by evilviper on Sunday February 23 2014, @04:30AM

    by evilviper (1760) on Sunday February 23 2014, @04:30AM (#5079) Homepage Journal

    Other sites just have a thing in the footer saying that if you continue to use the website, then you're agreeing to their terms. Is that not actually defensible in court?

    Unless it can be shows that the user has viewed and explicitly agreed to the terms, it is completely non-defensible:

    http://www.out-law.com/page-1790 [out-law.com]

    --
    Hydrogen cyanide is a delicious and necessary part of the human diet.