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Microsoft Media Player "Security Patch" Changes EULA Big Time
MobyTurbo writes "In an article on BSD Vault a careful reader posts that in the latest Windows Media Player security patch, the EULA (the "license agreement" you click on) says that you give MS the right to install digital rights management software, and the right to disable any other programs which may circumvent DRM on your computer." So if you want your machine secure,
you also want microsoft to have free reign on your PC.
I routinely fail to read Microsoft EULAs on the grounds that all but the most obvious provisions of such a licence are, at least, challengable under the normal provisions of English Law. (No, I'm not a lawyer, do your own checks).
A EULA can quite reasonably restrict me from abuses such as reselling the software or copying it onto 5000 systems but, if I want to use a video viewer, only a lawyer can think that I should be obliged to give the author unrestricted rights to my machine in exchange.
If MY application has a security problem, WHO THE HELL IS MICROSOFT to decide THEY will prevent people from using MY software? It should be MY COMPANY'S problem to solve. But then again, Bill Gates seems to think his company owns EVERYTHING which runs under the Win32 API.....
Yet another reason to GET THE HELL OFF WINDOWS. ASAP. IMHO.
BTW, I do not write applications for MS Windows.
LoB
"Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
its that simple, not to mention it sucks and occupies too much screen realestate. i have my winamp window "clipped" in a corner where i can get it all the time
UCITA gives it all that 100%-All-American Bought and Paid For Congressional Stamp of Approval. Some democracy we have, huh?
Complain all you want about UCITA or whatever other laws, but keep your stinking paws off of democracy.
The lawmakers at the state and national levels who have voted for those laws you disagree with were all rightfully elected. They're doing their jobs: making difficult decisions for us. If you don't like the way those decisions were made, then, first, get educated. If you don't know as much about the issue-- all sides of it-- as your Senator or Congressman, then you need to read more. If you know all about it and you're still unhappy, join the other guy's campaign. Even better, put your own name down and run for election yourself.
Your post came across as pretty darned arrogant. If you're so sure you know what's right and what's wrong, maybe you should stop complaining and do something constructive, instead of just criticizing the system. Representative democracy works best when people actually participate in it.