[ale] google docs

Richard Bronosky Richard at Bronosky.com
Tue Dec 22 10:50:55 EST 2009


That wording is likely to be a CYA that the legal department insisted
on. If someone gets access to your "Content" by either your mistake or
theirs, the wording you posted protects them from being pursued. You
have to realize that the liability of even a small fraction of the
Google Docs users suing Google over a security breach would completely
destroy the economic viability of offering such a free service.

The idea that Google could decide publish my Content publicly for
profit is unsettling. However, I choose to trust that Google does not
intend to do so. I trust that they are only protecting themselves from
me suing with some crazy accusation like:
1. You published my Content "publicly". (Even though my password was
"hacked" because it's the name of my child who I blog about all the
time, and the reason it was publicly accessible is that the "hacker"
changed my sharing preferences.)
2. You profited by showing ads on the page.
3. You allowed others to copy and steal my Content.

I could be wrong. I don't criticize you for your choice. I just want
to inject a bit of sobriety into the discussion. I don't even trust
Google completely. When I discuss a technology that I am planning to
patent, I GPG endode it the recipient and attach it. I don't even
trust Firefox plugins for that.

On Tue, Dec 22, 2009 at 10:08 AM, drifter <drifter at oppositelock.org> wrote:
> On Monday 21 December 2009 17:24:38 brian at polibyte.com wrote:
>> On Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:24:11 -0500, drifter <drifter at oppositelock.org>
>>
>> wrote:
>> > My son tried to talk me into creating an account on Google Docs.
>> >
>> > So I started down the path and my first stumble was Google's need for
>> > my
>> >
>> > birth date.  There can be no legitimate need for that data.
>> > Then I started reading the Terms Of Service.
>> >
>> > Buried within were these two paragraphs:
>> >
>> > 11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in
>> > Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services.
>>>  By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a
>>> perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive
>>> licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly
>>> perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit,
>>> post or display on or through, the Services. This licence is for the
>>> sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the
>>> Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the
>>> Additional Terms of those Services.
>>
>>
>> That's not in the Terms of Service for Google Docs.
>>
>> Section 11.1 of the Terms of Service governing Google Docs is replaced
>>  in its entirety by:
>>
>> "You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content
>> which you submit, post or display on or through, the Service. By
>> submitting, posting or displaying the Content you give Google a
>>  worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt,
>>  modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and
>>  distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through
>>  the Service for the sole purpose of enabling Google to provide you with
>>  the Service in accordance with its Privacy Policy."
>>
>> See http://www.google.com/google-d-s/addlterms.html
>>
>> All the best,
>> Brian Pitts
>
> I find this fascinating.  I copied and pasted the paragraphs I quoted
> directly from the TOS I had to "click to agree to" on Google's site.
> You have quoted a different one.  From whence did it come?
>
> Also, the explanation that Google needs the "royalty-free license to
> reproduce, . . .,publish, . . ., publicly display"  any Content I have
> elected to store on their servers is meaningless.  I would posit that they
> do not NEED to do any of that to provide the service, any more than they
> NEED my birthdate.
>
> Sean
>
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