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Web Contracts Can't Be Changed Without Notice

Posted by kdawson on from the late-binding dept.

RZG writes "The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled on July 18th that contracts posted online cannot be updated without notifying users (PDF of ruling). 'Parties to a contract have no obligation to check the terms on a periodic basis to learn whether they have been changed by the other side,' the court wrote. This ruling has consequences for many online businesses, which took for granted their right to do this (see for example item 19 in Google's Terms of Service)."

2 of 169 comments (clear)

  1. Kind of sad by CastrTroy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's kind of sad that something like this has to be decided in court, and isn't actually just common sense. I can't have someone sign a paper contract, and then go and change everything around, and them make them bound to said contract. I don't know why anybody would think an online contract would be any different. The whole idea of changing a contract after someone has already agreed it is ludicrous.

    --

    Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
  2. Re:Booh by pokerdad · · Score: 5, Funny

    If Bill Gates punctured a tyre, do you think many Linux users would feel sympathy for him?

    Nope. They would just wonder who that guy is getting out of the limo and into the helicopter.