|
|
Author
|
Topic: Software license agreements
|
John Walsh
Film God
![](http://www.film-tech.com/ubbmembers/168.jpg)
Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999
|
posted 01-18-2003 04:48 AM
A friend of mine is the accountant for the condo assocation where he lives, and they use Turbotax to maintain their finances.
In the Turbotax license agreement, it actually states that it includes 'spyware,' (separate software that records where you go on the internet and sends that info to someone else without you knowing.)
Personally, I think this is a new 'low' in companies screwing customers. It already annoys me that, technically, you can not even use any MS Windows OS on anything other than the computer it came with. People I know have bought 2-3 PCs within the last five years, and have to buy a new copy of Win98SE even though the old PC was dumped.
With Turbotax, it's especially crappy because people now have all their data entered, (with no easy way to export it) and then Intuit pulls this stunt. And, of course, they do this at the end of year, when people would be very reluctant to change to another application. I was surprised to see the spyware was written by Macrovision, the same people that reduce the quality of your VHS tapes and DVDs.
Apparently, courts have upheld this concept, but I think it's getting out of hand. I mean, if the agreement said they could flatten your car tires if you didn't do such-and-such, would that be OK?
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
Mark Lensenmayer
Phenomenal Film Handler
![](http://www.film-tech.com/ubbmembers/134a.jpg)
Posts: 1605
From: Upper Arlington, OH
Registered: Sep 1999
|
posted 01-18-2003 08:16 AM
The "spyware" is called C-DILLA by the fine folks at Macrovision, and it is more of a copy protection scheme than a spyware program, locking the program to one computer, only. In any event, it is NOT something I want on my computer. What is especially devious is that once installed, it is very difficult to remove, even if you uninstall TurboTax.
Here is an excellent link (with an embedded link to a lame response from Intuit):
ExtremeTech on TurboTax
I have used TurboTax in the past, but this year I have purchased TAXCUT from HR BLOCK. It has no software restrictions, it reads old TurboTax data (box says it does...I haven't confirmed it yet), and has a couple of other features that should be very helpful to me.
I am planning on writing a letter to the marketing department of Intuit, stating that they have lost this customer until they remove all such predatory programs from their software.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Scott Norwood
Film God
![](http://www.film-tech.com/ubbmembers/30f.jpg)
Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
|
posted 01-19-2003 12:00 AM
This brings up the whole issue of End User License Agreements (EULAs), which are those envelopes full of small type that say "by opening this envelope (which contains software media), you agree to these conditions of sale." In the US, there is some question as to whether these EULAs are legally binding, however, because they are essentially contracts, but they are not agreed to by both parties (at least in the usual sense). I don't believe that this has been tested in court.
The OEM Windows licenses do state that they only apply to the "computer" with which the OEM license was purchased, but they don't specify what constitutes a "computer." What if you replace the disks, motherboard, memory, network card, sound card, graphics card, power supply, and case, all at different times? Is it still the same "computer" or not? The easiest way around this is to get the full retail box version of the product and not buy the OEM version (though it can be difficult to buy brand-name prebuilt x86 computer hardware without the OEM windows license). Or choose a different OS. The corporate Windows licenses are even more Draconian: they require that users submit to license audits upon demand.
As for Macrovision, it's basically useless for preventing piracy, since the aberrations that it introduces in the sync signal can be eliminated completely with a time-base corrector. At least this was true with older versions; maybe there is a newer variant which isn't as easily defeatable. Regardless, history has shown that software copy-protection schemes don't prevent piracy, but annoy and inconvenience legitimate users.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
John Walsh
Film God
![](http://www.film-tech.com/ubbmembers/168.jpg)
Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999
|
posted 08-27-2003 07:12 PM
Bump...
I keep getting a "Dell Support Alert" icon on my taskbar, probably to tell me about the MSblast virus or some thing I already know about. Can anyone tell me how to get rid of it?
As a side note: When you click on it, you get a software agreement screen, which says in part:
"If you are a commercial customer of Dell or a Dell affiliate, you hereby grant Dell, or an agent selected by Dell, the right to perform an audit of your use of the Software during normal business hours, you agree to cooperate with Dell in such audit, and you agree to provide Dell with all records reasonably related to your use of the Software."
Of course, when I select, "I do not agree" the OK button will not highlight, so I can't get out of it. I can only agree or cancel, leaving the icon. Such crap.
I saw a student version of Word (I think) and it said that when you cease to be a student, you can no longer use the software. More crap.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|