Should Developers Be Liable For Their Code? 517
Glyn Moody writes "They might be, if a new European Commission consumer protection proposal, which suggests 'licensing should guarantee consumers the same basic rights as when they purchase a good: the right to get a product that works with fair commercial conditions,' becomes law. The idea of making Microsoft pay for the billions of dollars of damage caused by flaws in its products is certainly attractive, but where would this idea leave free software coders?"
Not my fault (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Where would this idea leave free software coder (Score:5, Funny)
Going to medical school.
umm... to avoid being sued?
Re:Stupid Idea (Score:5, Funny)
Perfect costs a great deal of money, probably 4X
With free software, it's even more than 4X. Maybe even 10X.
Re:gpl comes with a license (Score:5, Funny)
A good analogy is like a map that lets you see a wider view of the terrain. A bad analogy is like the wrong sort of petrol in your car.
Re:gpl comes with a license (Score:3, Funny)
Re:gpl comes with a license (Score:5, Funny)
I know a joke based on this:
If food makers used the same licenses as software makers, then in a opaque box, there would be a license agreement:
1. The manufacturer does not guarantee that this item can be used for food and is not liable if it is not suitable for eating.
2. The user is not allowed to examine the contents of this item (for example to look if it had rat tails in it).
3. The user has a right to use (eat) the product, but does not become its owner.
4. The right to use (eat) the product gets only one person.
5. The user does not have a right to sell of give away the product to third parties.
6. The manufacturer does not guarantee that the product is free of hazardous materials (for example, rat poison, dioxin etc).
7. The manufacturer is not liable for any health risk to the user because of the product.
8. The manufacturer guarantees that the box is made of high quality materials and, if there is a flaw in it, will replace the box. This does not extend to the product that is in the box.
9. By opening the box and reading this agreement the user automatically agrees to it.
Re:Not my fault (Score:5, Funny)
It worked on my box.
Re:Not my fault (Score:5, Funny)
Think of the mess when people start suing developers of web applications!
App Developer: Its the browser!
Browser developer: its the JavaScript library!
JavaScript library Dev: its the VM developers!
user again: Yeah lets sue Sun!
Javascript developer: JavaScript is not
User can't find Sun and sues Microsoft for VBScript because its the closest thing to it.
Microsoft: Oracle bought Sun.
Oracle: Hell I knew I shouldn't have bought Sun, anyway, Java is OpenSourced so I have no control over it.
Java developers: JavaScript is not Java!
User: Why am I here?
Java developers: I don't know, but if there is anything wrong, its usually Microsoft's fault.
Microsoft:
Microsoft Lawyer: Lets counter suit the chair manufacturers for not anticipating our use case.
Fast forward to court date after every software and furniture manufacturer under the sun gets involved in the case....
User's lawyer: What do you mean you got windows off of pirate bay? You could have mentioned this small detail before I took on your case!
RIAA Lawyer: Don't worry, you can plead insanity, and I can take it from here.
TPB: Argh! We be hosting the tracker only mate! not the software! the software be hosted in china.
After a very long court proceeding which involved everybody under the sun and caused three world wars, two nuclear stand-offs, and countless bus parties... a strange group of people came crashing into the courthouse
Guys in red:Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!
and it starts to go downhill from here!
Re:"May Contain Bugs" (Score:5, Funny)
> I'm looking at a silica packet that is labled, "Do not eat."
I followed those instructions and nearly starved to death!
My lawyer advised suing for "negligence causing anorexia."
Re:Not my fault (Score:5, Funny)
Insurance company: Did the contract specifically say you could use that menu item while wearing a green shirt?
Clients: Well no, not specifically, but...
Insurance company: DENIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re:gpl comes with a license (Score:3, Funny)
What if somebody sent the message, "Don't eat that banana, it's poisoned". But your Gmail clone loses some words and the other side gets, "eat that banana" only?
Re:Not my fault (Score:3, Funny)
I like your style. ^^
Got an humoristic blog? With an URL for me?