Re: Computer Sabotage by Microsoft

[Systems Administrator <sysadmin () sunet com au>]

On Thu, 11 Sep 2003, Nicholas Weaver wrote:

> On Thu, Sep 11, 2003 at 08:30:39PM +0200, Stefan Esser composed:
> > Hi,
> >
> > well it finally happened. I came back home after work, connected my
> > XBOX to the internet and went into the XBOX-Live menu configuration.
> > Well what happened. The XBOX started automaticly downloading the new
> > crappy XBOX-Live dashboard, which is of course fixed. 
> >
> > This is IMHO an act of computer sabotage. I have never allowed MS
> > to modify my dashboard or to auto update my dashboard.
> >
> > Is any lawyer on the list who can point me to the right paragraphs?
> > I do not believe this computer sabotage is legal in any european
> > country.
>
> Read the End User Liscence Agreement that you agreed to with the X-box
> (its probably somewhere in the box).
>
> Dollars-to-doughnuts says that Microsoft maintains the right to
> update/change the software regardless of your wishes.
>
> All your Rights are belong to Bill (tm)

        IANAL, but my understanding was that, at least in some European 
countries (esp. Germany), an EULA is not binding unless you sign it before 
you buy the product.  I'm given to understand that, at least here in 
Australia, no customers are made to sign anything before they buy an 
X-box.  I suspect that this is why the original poster specifically 
mentioned Europe.  

        :)

-- 
Tim Nelson
Systems Administrator
Sunet Internet
Tel: +61 3 5241 1155
Fax: +61 3 5241 6187
Web: http://www.sunet.com.au/
Email: sysadmin () sunet com au


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