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View Full Version : EULAs With Hidden Surprises



roushimsx
04-26-2007, 09:17 AM
The goal of this thread is to identify EULAs for commercial games that include interesting little snippets of otherwise unexpected gold, preferably a clause indicating that you can copy the hell out of 'em.

Descent: Freespace (http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/descent-freespace-the-great-war), Silent Threat (http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/descent-freespace-silent-threat), and Freespace 2 (http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/freespace-2) are well known for their inclusion of the following clause or similar:
http://images.roushimsx.com/EULA.jpg
(Freespace and Silent Threat actually only allowed for the copying of the Missions, which is why you need to download the Freespace mod for Freespace 2 if you want to play it free)

What other commercial games out there (especially Interplay-published games) include similar clauses that encourage openly copying and sharing software? It's important to note that I'm not looking for games that have since been released as freeware by the original developer/publisher/whatever (such as Dink Smallwood, One Must Fall 2097, Mech Commander 2, etc) or games that have always been freeware (like Kenta Cho's impressive body of minimalist action games) but for commercial games that have always had the clause buried in the EULA.

So far, I've found Die By The Sword (http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/die-by-the-sword) (EULA (http://www.roushimsx.com/sa/readme.txt); scroll down to section G) and its expansion Limb From Limb (http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/die-by-the-sword-limb-from-limb) share the same clause).

Cryomancer
04-26-2007, 12:24 PM
That, is freakin awesome.

Poofta!
04-26-2007, 01:08 PM
lol yeha that is pretty amazing. i never read a single EULA so i have no idea.

Andred
04-26-2007, 01:16 PM
I have NEVER had the urge to read a EULA.... until now.

Seriously though, I had no idea there were GOOD things in the EULA every once in a while. The cruel joke is that they probably have encryption or protection of some sort on the disc which makes it a federal crime to copy it in the US.

Borman
04-26-2007, 01:46 PM
Na, I dont think there was.

And I recall one EULA that offered a person 1000$ or something to the first person that noticed it, took a while apparently.

FantasiaWHT
04-26-2007, 02:34 PM
The US Supreme Court has never addressed the issue of whether shrink-wrapped EULA's are binding contracts. The argument goes that the contract is complete upon purchase, and anything after that is a modification of the contract that is void unless supported by consideration (they gave you something in return for agreeing to those terms).

Most of the federal circuit courts have addressed it, however, and I think all but one or two of them have said that they do form a valid contract.