There are just some weird things in Chromes EULA
Image via Wikipedia Many people are pointing out that the EULA that is for Google’s new Chrome browser has some very odd stipulations about what happens inside the browser. Specifically section 11.1 of the EULA, making it sound like anything you upload through the browser suddenly gives Google the right to use it for their own purposes.
First, what are they doing in my browser watching what I upload, or if they are not in my browser, what is chrome reporting to Google so that they know what I am uploading on my web site? I write in many places, and give those people I write for their own copyright to display the work, but they compensate me, where Google will not, and this looks like a bad syndication deal.
11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which 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 license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This license 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. Chrome EULA
So, anything I post, from pictures, to video, to audio, to all the other content I make for various people, various reasons, and varying levels of capacity. The work I do that is compensated, or that in the end I do not own the copyright to, because I am on commission to make a podcast or video for someone, this complicates matters greatly. Moreover, that sure means that if I use the browser for some of my corporate clients work, how that influences them if I am uploading private training for their company.
On the other hand, what does this do if I am busy hacking a client’s web site during an engagement, and backtracking some of the more interesting things I can find using their browser. Do those security flaws (which are tightly controlled information) suddenly belong to Google too? That would make my clients upset to find out that Google is keeping a copy of every single web site flaw that I discovered.
This looks like a ½ baked EULA that someone simply slapped on the new browser. One that is going to cause a lot of discussion today, just check out techmeme on this one.
Tags: google, chrome,browser, eula, scary, bad idea, pain, wrong
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Google has changed the EULA. Section 11 now reads
“11. Content license from you
11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services.”
which is much better.
Interesting, but still leaves the question open, what are you tracking within the browser that would have allowed 11.1 originally to be enforced, and do you still want to use/not use the data that people have/generate with the browser.
Points for chopping the verbiage down, that is great, but there are still a ton of questions, time for a town hall.