Backup Copy (Bad Eula, Bad Eula! Down! Down!)

Backup Copy

From Adobe reader (for Android)’s end user license agreement:

3.3 Backup Copy.  You may make one backup copy of the Software, provided your backup copy is not installed or used other than for archival purposes.

Which leads one to inquire what, if any, point is served by a “backup” copy which can only be “installed… for archival purposes“.

7.2 Updating.  If your Device is connected to the Internet, the Software may, without additional notice, check for Updates, … that are available for automatic download and installation to your Device and let Adobe know the Software is successfully installed. [my emph]

You’re kidding, right?  Perhaps this is just bad grammar?

9.5 Indemnity.  You agree to hold Adobe and any applicable Certification Authority (except as expressly provided in its terms and conditions) harmless from any and all liabilities [etc] arising out of or relating to any use of, or any reliance on, any service of such authority…

Which leads one to wonder what, if any, point is served by using a service of a Certification Authority – which presumably is supposed to certify something – if you indemnify them when they stuff up.

I think I will click “Disagree”.  It hasn’t got good ratings anyway.

Taste of Vista, Sillyness of EULA Laws

A relative bought a new computer last week and I went around to set it up.  It was my first experience of Vista (in theory I have a copy of Vista on my home machine, but I haven’t (re)connected the hard drive since I had to remove it to install my Linux set up).   I spent most of my time setting up the hardware, rather than looking at Vista, but it seems nice enough.  I can understand why the user access controls are annoying people.  I was only on the machine for 5 minutes and was already getting annoyed at it.

Interesting from my point of view was that the machine booted straight into the desktop – no EULA was presented.  I also noticed that the 7 day anti-virus trial only had 2 days left to run.  Presumably the store had set up the machine?  The machine is a name brand (Medion, produced by Aldi).  It has an authorisation sticker on the side.  The machine comes with minimal documentation and no printed EULA.

The $64 question is – is my relative licensed to use the software?  If so, what are the licence terms?