I’m updating some software, and saw this beginning to the End User Licensing Agreement (EULA), which I really like. It highlights a more business oriented approach that tries to engage with their customer base, and puts off some criticism of the one-sided nature of EULAs — at least from a PR standpoint if not a legal one — by inviting feedback:

The document that follows this paragraph is a license agreement. Why do we need such a thing? Well, to be perfectly honest, our lawyers have told us that we need to protect ourselves. We at SOFTWARE COMPANY pride ourselves on our low-key style, but the global nature of the software business means that one lawsuit from one user in a far-flung jurisdiction could put us out of business. It also means that, without this agreement, we might not have protection from people who misuse our software. We do not want to bet our entire company on such possibilities, however unlikely, because we like doing what we do and want to continue to be able to do it. And, so, we require you to read and agree to this license. We think you will find it quite reasonable. Obviously, if you disagree, click “Disagree.” But, don’t just stop there. Let us know. Send some email to SOFTWARE COMPANY EMAIL telling us what you find unacceptable about our license agreement. We can’t promise to change anything, but we will do our best to get back to you.

This entry was posted Friday, December 7th, 2007 at 7:25 am and is filed under General IP, it law. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.