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User:CBeard:Fx2 EULA Requirements

Revision as of 16:26, 1 March 2006 by Cypherpunks (talk | contribs)

End-User License Agreement (EULA) Requirements for Firefox 2

DRAFT PROPOSED cbeard v2

We must provide a mechanism by which the Mozilla End-User License Agreement (EULA) is displayed on first run in order to meet certain legal requirements for some distribution channels, e.g. for cases where an end-user is not directly involved in installing software; Firefox is installed silently by a meta installer, or as part of a software preload.

Product Requirements

  • EULA must be displayed on first run of the application for each new end-user profile that did not click to accept the EULA during the install process
  • EULA must be displayed in a modal dialog in substantially the same form as it is within the Firefox 1.5 installer, and must only include options to either accept or not accept the terms of the license
    • The two options presented with radio buttons must be:
      • "I do NOT accept the terms of the License Agreement" (DEFAULT)
      • "I accept the terms of the License Agreement"
  • EULA should be presented with a localized unofficial reference version of the legal text with clear indication that the en-US version is authorative and legally binding
  • EULA must allow for different text inclusions based upon distribution channel.
  • EULA must at a minimum include the complete en-US version of the legal text, as posted at http://www.mozilla.org/foundation/EULA/firefox-en.txt
  • If the end-user does not click to accept the EULA, the application must not continue to run and should terminate normally
  • If the end-user accepts the EULA, the EULA screen must be dismissed and the application must continue normal execution

Other Considerations

  • NEEDS INPUT: Extensions must have the option of displaying and having a EULA agreed to prior to either the downloading, installation or execution of an Extension.
  • Capability must be present to allow for a EULA to be displayed prior to either downloading or applying a patch to the application through any software update mechanism (including but not limited to application and extensions updates).
    • The default position is that no such EULA will need to be displayed.
    • If and when a EULA is required, it must be agreed to prior to any software updates are applied.

Technical Specification

  • TBD

Feedback from a random user

This is a bad idea. This is necessary for proprietary software, where the EULA makes stronger provisions than copyright law (e.g. no reverse-engineering, etc.). In the case where the EULA is weaker than copyright law (as in MPL or GPL), if the user does not accept the EULA, they are still bound by copyright law, so a click-through license is not required. Basic copyright law gives the user the right to run the software, but not to copy it, or do much else with it. If the user does not accept the EULA, his rights are specifically weaker than under the MPL or GPL.

See GPL V2, section 5, or GPL V3, section 9. You can also download the speech from Eben Moglen at the unveiling of GPLV3, which is one of the places the legal theory is explained better than I can.

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