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Shrinkwrapped Books

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the shrinkwrapped-lamps dept.

NortWind writes "I just saw this in the InfoWorld paper, in the "The Gripe Line" by Ed Foster. It describes how a "...book arrived wrapped in plastic with a shrinkwrap license on the front". Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse..." I wrote an essay about this a year or two ago.

2 of 402 comments (clear)

  1. Licensed Books are not New by em.a18 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Books that comes with a license are NOT new. It's not at all unusual to receive books of documentation when one signs a non-disclosure agremeent (NDA). That's not the unusual part.

    There are two new aspects to this idea. I'm not a lawyer, so perhaps the more legal minded can answer these.

    First, can I attach a shrinkwap license to anything? It seems well accepted for software. But what about apples? Can I enforce a shrinkwrap agreement that says you won't sell the apple to somebody else?

    Second, are you bound by a shrink wrap license one receives unsolicited through the mail? One is *not* bound to return anything or even acknowledge merchandise that one receives unsolicitied through the mail.

  2. charge a storage fee by dutky · · Score: 5, Interesting
    If I were to receive an unsolicited item bearing a restrictive license of this sort, I would immediately send an invoice and rental agreement to the licensor for weekly storage and handling of their merchandise at my location, payable within 15 days unless the licensor came to my location and retrieved the item forthwith. Failure to retrieve the item within 15 days would indicate acceptance of the rental agreement.

    Every month I would send a new invoice for the elapsed period, less payments, plus any late payment fees and interest.

    When the total amount owed exceeded the local small-claims limit, I would confiscate the licensors' property for auction and file suit to recover the debt.