http://www.licensinghandbook.com The companion site to the Software Licensing Handbook Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:32:12 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Ken Adams has a great discussion going on over at his blog, AdamsDrafting on license grant language.  Ken's general concern is that a license grant is overly complex language, redudant at best and confusing at worst.  This follows his general feelings regarding contract language (that we need to simplify and ... http://www.licensinghandbook.com/2008/08/19/license-grant-discussion-at-adamsdrafting/ A recent advertisement pointed out the simple truth that people are consistently wanting Nordstrom service at JC Penny prices. They note that lowering your rate to perform your services is not a good idea. Rather, you need to find ways to increase your speed and thus your productivity. ... http://www.licensinghandbook.com/2008/08/19/five-productivity-boosters/ Wired Magazine has posted an article by Jennifer Granick regarding a few California cases (state and federal) where the judge has decided that the terms of the EULA aren't as ironclad as they have been for the last 12 years.  Generally speaking, the state court ruled that the terms of ... http://www.licensinghandbook.com/2008/08/14/cracking-the-eulas-shell/ Down in the general terms of most contracts (sometimes hidden in the termination clause), there is usually a section called "Survival".  No, we're not talking about an over-baked reality tv-show.  Rather, we're taking about what sections of a contract would survive termination of the agreement.  At first blush, this seems ... http://www.licensinghandbook.com/2008/08/05/night-of-the-living-dead-contracts/ Last Saturday, I sent out an RFP to a bunch of graphic designers looking for ideas on the cover to the Software Licensing Handbook, Second Edition (due in September). I don't know why I didn't think to ask all of you, too.  So here I am, humbled by my oversight.  Please ... http://www.licensinghandbook.com/2008/08/04/cover-contest/ Brian Sommer over at Software Safari posted a nice review of my Software Licensing Handbook today. Brian: thank you for taking the time to read the whole book and write the review! What Jeff has done is dismantle a standard software contract. He has dissected its component parts into easy to understand ... http://www.licensinghandbook.com/2008/07/29/briansommer-software-licensing-handbook-review/ Jason Busch over on SpendMatters was talking recently about consortiums.  He was pretty positive about them - and praised their use as the "easiest way to save money while improving internal customer satisfaction inside a company". I'm not as convinced. A few years ago, I was working for an organization that wanted ... http://www.licensinghandbook.com/2008/07/29/consortia-the-other-side/ Sorry to anyone who tried to visit yesterday... a server-side setting was somehow changed during server maintenance.  It's fixed now ... and there will be a new post on Tuesday.  Enjoy your Sunday! http://www.licensinghandbook.com/2008/07/27/server-problem/ Thanks to the folks over at ContractsProf Blog (one of whom teaches at my alma mater) for finding this (and thanks to Flight of the Conchords for writing/recording it)! [The underlying humor on this is the concept of consideration - that there has to be a mutuality to the arrangement.  It's ... http://www.licensinghandbook.com/2008/07/24/a-kiss-is-not-a-contract/ When you buy a ticket to fly, you actually are saddled with an adhesion contract for carriage.  You know it as your ticket.  It's an adhesion contract because you can't fly without accepting the terms - and the terms are non-negotiable.  And while you may have seen the brief version ... http://www.licensinghandbook.com/2008/07/23/airline-service-and-contracts/