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Reviewing End-User License Agreements
Before accepting an end-user license agreement, make sure you
understand and are comfortable with the terms of the agreement.
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What is an end-user license agreement?
An end-user license agreement (EULA) is a contract between you and the
software's vendor or developer. Some software packages state that by
simply removing the shrink-wrap on the package, you agree to the
contract. However, you may be more familiar with the type of EULA that
is presented as a dialog box that appears the first time you open the
software. It usually requires you to accept the conditions of the
contract before you can proceed. Some EULAs only apply to certain
features of the software, so you may only encounter them when you
attempt to use those features.
Unfortunately, many users don't read EULAs before accepting them. The
terms of each contract differ, and you may be agreeing to conditions
that you later consider unfair or that expose you to security risks
you didn't expect.
What terms may be included?
EULAs are legal contracts, and the vendor or developer may include
almost any conditions. These conditions are often designed to protect
the developer or vendor against liability, but they may also include
additional terms that give the vendor some control over your
computer. The following topics are often covered in EULAs:
- Distribution - There are often limitations placed on the
number of times you are allowed to install the software and
restrictions about reproducing the software for distribution (see Avoiding
Copyright Infringement for more information about copyright
issues).
- Warranty - Developers or vendors often include
disclaimers that they are not liable for any problem that results from
the software being used incorrectly. They may also protect themselves
from liability for software flaws, software failure, or
incompatibility with other programs on your computer.
The following topics, while not standard, are examples of other
conditions that have been included in EULAs. They present security
implications that you should consider before accepting the agreement.
- Monitoring - Agreeing to the EULA may give the vendor
permission to monitor your computer activity and communicate the
information back to the vendor or to another third party. Depending on
what information is being collected, this type of monitoring could
have both security and privacy implications.
- Software installation - Some agreements allow the vendor
to install additional software on your computer. This may include
updated versions of the software program you installed (the
determination of which version you are running may be a result of the
monitoring described above). Vendors may also incorporate statements
that allow them or other third parties to install additional software
programs on your computer. This software may be unnecessary, may
affect the functionality of other programs on your computer, and may
introduce security risks.
Author: Mindi McDowell
Copyright 2005 Carnegie Mellon University. Terms of use
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Last
updated
March 5, 2008
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