Posted September 05, 2011
I know, I know. Most folks don't read EULAs. I'll give you some highlights.
First off, it's a stock EA EULA. This means a great deal of effort is put in to tell us what we are and aren't allowed to do with Origin or with the game's content editors, despite the fact that both are irrelevant to Ultima IV. Section 1.B even goes so far as to warn us that we may need an EA/Origin account in order to access the software.
I haven't yet installed the game, but I find that very unlikely.
I also highly doubt Ultima IV will be reporting back a great deal of my computer's data. If it were distributed through EA proper, I would expect DRM just for that sort of purpose, but this is GOG. It just doesn't work that way here.
And then of course there's the standard legal vomit induction in the form of "WE WILL STOMP ALL OVER YOUR MOTHER'S GRAVE AND YOU'LL BE REQUIRED TO SELL YOUR SOUL IN SERVICE TO OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT'S HOME OFFICE IN PERDITION IF ANYBODY ELSE SUES US UNLESS YOUR PETTY LAWS STOP US. IF THIS SOFTWARE DOESN'T WORK, YOU SHOULD MOVE TO A COUNTRY WHERE IT DOES. UNLESS YOUR SO-CALLED LEGAL RIGHTS INDICATE OTHERWISE, WE CAN KILL YOUR BABY WITH IMPUNITY. AND FIRE." Wording mine, emphasis in the form of screaming caps theirs. Go ahead, look, you'll see it.
"...If this specific provision is found to be unenforceable, then the entirety of this dispute resolution/arbitration provision shall be null and void."
I've never seen this before. Wonder what happened to make them suddenly feel strongly about that part of their EULA. Generally speaking, every bit of a EULA is desperately, agonizingly backed up and restated such that it's immune to precisely this kind of veto, but here EA is explicitly writing in a veto on an entire section if something doesn't go their way.
Sorry, just find that interesting. Back to it.
Intriguing! Now we reach the Good Old Games portion of the EULA.
"You may not transfer, distribute, rent, sub-license, or lease the Program or documentation, except as provided herein; alter, modify, or adapt the Program or documentation, or portions thereof including, but not limited to, translation, decompiling or disassembling." (Emphasis added.)
So if you wanted the music, or the improved graphics, I'm afraid that means they can do bad things to you later if they so wish.
This is odd to me. I don't think they really mean it, but I thought I recalled past GOG EULAs being a bit more benevolent and laissez-faire on this note.
Anyway, there's at least five companies represented in this EULA. Crazy, eh? And most say, "Dude, you can never sue us. Ever." That, more or less, is the cliff notes version.
First off, it's a stock EA EULA. This means a great deal of effort is put in to tell us what we are and aren't allowed to do with Origin or with the game's content editors, despite the fact that both are irrelevant to Ultima IV. Section 1.B even goes so far as to warn us that we may need an EA/Origin account in order to access the software.
I haven't yet installed the game, but I find that very unlikely.
I also highly doubt Ultima IV will be reporting back a great deal of my computer's data. If it were distributed through EA proper, I would expect DRM just for that sort of purpose, but this is GOG. It just doesn't work that way here.
And then of course there's the standard legal vomit induction in the form of "WE WILL STOMP ALL OVER YOUR MOTHER'S GRAVE AND YOU'LL BE REQUIRED TO SELL YOUR SOUL IN SERVICE TO OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT'S HOME OFFICE IN PERDITION IF ANYBODY ELSE SUES US UNLESS YOUR PETTY LAWS STOP US. IF THIS SOFTWARE DOESN'T WORK, YOU SHOULD MOVE TO A COUNTRY WHERE IT DOES. UNLESS YOUR SO-CALLED LEGAL RIGHTS INDICATE OTHERWISE, WE CAN KILL YOUR BABY WITH IMPUNITY. AND FIRE." Wording mine, emphasis in the form of screaming caps theirs. Go ahead, look, you'll see it.
"...If this specific provision is found to be unenforceable, then the entirety of this dispute resolution/arbitration provision shall be null and void."
I've never seen this before. Wonder what happened to make them suddenly feel strongly about that part of their EULA. Generally speaking, every bit of a EULA is desperately, agonizingly backed up and restated such that it's immune to precisely this kind of veto, but here EA is explicitly writing in a veto on an entire section if something doesn't go their way.
Sorry, just find that interesting. Back to it.
Intriguing! Now we reach the Good Old Games portion of the EULA.
"You may not transfer, distribute, rent, sub-license, or lease the Program or documentation, except as provided herein; alter, modify, or adapt the Program or documentation, or portions thereof including, but not limited to, translation, decompiling or disassembling." (Emphasis added.)
So if you wanted the music, or the improved graphics, I'm afraid that means they can do bad things to you later if they so wish.
This is odd to me. I don't think they really mean it, but I thought I recalled past GOG EULAs being a bit more benevolent and laissez-faire on this note.
Anyway, there's at least five companies represented in this EULA. Crazy, eh? And most say, "Dude, you can never sue us. Ever." That, more or less, is the cliff notes version.
Post edited September 05, 2011 by MackieStingray
