dslreports logo
 story category
Google Changes Controversial Chrome TOS
Google no longer 'irrevocably' owns everything you do..
One of the biggest criticisms of Google's new browser was its ridiculously broad license agreement, which upon first glimpse appeared to give the search giant unlimited rights to do whatever they'd like with any data entered into the browser. According to the Google TOS, using the browser gives Google "a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services." After some backlash to this concept, it appears that Google has reworded that portion of the TOS to read: "You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services."
view:
topics flat nest 

MemphisPCGuy
Taking Care Business
Premium Member
join:2004-05-09
Memphis, TN

1 edit

MemphisPCGuy

Premium Member

Chrome phone home?

So, has anyone sniffed chrome to see if it is actually forwarding your internet cache to Google Corp? Why else would they make such a broad TOS statement if some form of tracking was not going on?

jester121
Premium Member
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL

jester121

Premium Member

Re: Chrome phone home?

So they could do it later if they want to?

cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

cdru to MemphisPCGuy

MVM

to MemphisPCGuy
Supposedly the offending TOS section was just copy/pasted from other Google services. It wasn't that Google was snooping through your cache, rather they were just sloppy with their legalese.
Garius0
join:2002-04-18

Garius0

Member

Unconscionable?

Isn't there a such thing as an unconscionable contract? Whereas a contract can legally be deemed void if a court reads the thing and realizes that's it so one-sided as to be ridiculous? The original wording makes it nearly parody.

Doctor Four
My other vehicle is a TARDIS
Premium Member
join:2000-09-05
Dallas, TX

Doctor Four

Premium Member

Re: Unconscionable?

said by Garius0:

Isn't there a such thing as an unconscionable contract? Whereas a contract can legally be deemed void if a court reads the thing and realizes that's it so one-sided as to be ridiculous? The original wording makes it nearly parody.
A Washington State judge ruled AT&T's contract unconscionable,
saying that it went against several State consumer protection statutes.

One sided agreements such as this are practically
unenforceable, and when challenged in court like AT&T's
was, they usually fail entirely.

Millenniumle
join:2007-11-11
Fredonia, NY

Millenniumle

Member

...

And if we don't have it copyrighted, which I presume in most cases is everything done on the browser, then it's back to the original "perpetual do anything Google likes."
dualsub2006
join:2007-07-18
Newport, KY

dualsub2006

Member

Re: ...

The way that copyright law reads, the minute you create it you own "it". Whatever "it" is. It needs to be registered within 90 days of first publication if you would like to sue and actually get damages.

ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium Member
join:2005-03-14
Woodstock, CT

ptrowski

Premium Member

Nice move....

I am glad to see they got rid of that crap so quick.

DaveDude
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey

DaveDude

Member

Mass uninstalls

Last night i removed all google programs from my machine. I am sure some computer at google saw what was going on. So i am sure the mass uninstalls last night sent the right message.

MTBikerChris
Premium Member
join:2001-08-28
Erie, CO

MTBikerChris

Premium Member

Re: Mass uninstalls

I did the same last night.

Jehu
Premium Member
join:2002-09-13
MA

Jehu to DaveDude

Premium Member

to DaveDude
x3

AnonProxy
Premium Member
join:2001-05-12

AnonProxy

Premium Member

Re: Mass uninstalls

x4

aaronwt
Premium Member
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA
Asus RT-AX89

1 edit

aaronwt to DaveDude

Premium Member

to DaveDude
said by DaveDude:

Last night i removed all google programs from my machine. I am sure some computer at google saw what was going on. So i am sure the mass uninstalls last night sent the right message.
I installed Chrome on two more PCs last night to continue trying it out.

And I use Google search 95% of the time and that is not going to change.

Millenniumle
join:2007-11-11
Fredonia, NY

Millenniumle

Member

Re: Mass uninstalls

I've found that Google's search engine is going down hill. The first one or two pages of search results are filled with "free patent" sites. Maybe they should keep their paid listings on the top and along the side.

I'm no Microsoft lover, but I've been using Live Search the last few days and liking it. Of course, Google started great too.
Expand your moderator at work

cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

cdru to DaveDude

MVM

to DaveDude
That'll stick it to them. Think of the thousands of dollars in lost licensing revenue that they won't have now.

I presume that you'll be using Yahoo and MSN Live search now and won't be visiting Google, YouTube, GMail, or any other Google related site.

DaveDude
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey

DaveDude

Member

Re: Mass uninstalls

said by cdru:

That'll stick it to them. Think of the thousands of dollars in lost licensing revenue that they won't have now.

I presume that you'll be using Yahoo and MSN Live search now and won't be visiting Google, YouTube, GMail, or any other Google related site.
Actually i have always like yahoo search better. But the problem was obvious, i dont want robots on my machine, and the google everything agreement was too much.

GlobalMind
Domino Dude, POWER Systems Guy
Premium Member
join:2001-10-29
Indianapolis, IN

GlobalMind

Premium Member

Wouldn't stand anyway...

The original TOS would have only stood up as long as it took to have someone challenge it.

There was a comment on another site that the copyright to GOOG would apply even if you didn't own the copyright yourself. That's just not possible. I can't transfer copyright to GOOG on content I don't own the copyright to.

TechyDad
Premium Member
join:2001-07-13
USA

1 recommendation

TechyDad

Premium Member

Re: Wouldn't stand anyway...

said by GlobalMind:

The original TOS would have only stood up as long as it took to have someone challenge it.

There was a comment on another site that the copyright to GOOG would apply even if you didn't own the copyright yourself. That's just not possible. I can't transfer copyright to GOOG on content I don't own the copyright to.
Rats. There went my idea to use Google Chrome to submit music files, thus assigning the copyrights to Google and turning Google into a music powerhouse big enough to take on the RIAA.

RARPSL
join:1999-12-08
Suffern, NY

RARPSL to GlobalMind

Member

to GlobalMind
said by GlobalMind:

There was a comment on another site that the copyright to GOOG would apply even if you didn't own the copyright yourself. That's just not possible. I can't transfer copyright to GOOG on content I don't own the copyright to.
If you reread the original terms, you are not transferring your copyright to Google but only giving them the right to do with it what they want (ie: A use license). This still, as you point out, does not cover those cases where you so not own the original copyright (although in that case, the original copyright owner has probably given you a license and thus probably includes the passing of the license terms to a 3rd party (but no more than you have been granted - ie: If it is a limited use license, so is what you pass on to Google).

Sammuels
@stockholm.se

Sammuels

Anon

Chrome

Google Chrome and Google based search engine www.treehoo.com are a perfect combination if you want to save the planet while surfing...

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: Chrome

said by Sammuels :

Google Chrome and Google based search engine www.treehoo.com are a perfect combination if you want to save the planet while surfing...
Sure. Let's slow down your Google searches by routing every search thru Sweden 1st.

Cmdr Sue London

Anon

Apparently I Need to Learn to Read Again

For years I compulsively read those TOS statements, but there are a ton of them and they wear you down. So I happily clicked through the Chrome TOS to get to what my friend had promised was a really cool new browser. My reaction to Chrome? Eh, whatever. My reaction to hearing about their TOS? WTF!?!?!?!?

So says the Commander.
Thoughts That Get Stuck in My Head
netnerd6
join:2007-04-14
Oakland, CA

netnerd6

Member

it really not that good!

i tried google chrome, and i'm back to Microsoft Explorer!
google chrome is like a lite version of internet explorer!

StraitShoot
Who Loves Ya Baby? - Theo Kojak
Premium Member
join:2003-02-08
Clinton, MA

StraitShoot

Premium Member

I wrote them a VERY Nasty feedback.

Nothing stupid or anything like that. I just told them that Netscape 8 & 9 died a quick death with TOS's like that, I don't need their s**T & i'LL Stay with Firefox.

How could they expect to embrace those who embrace open source programming with ridiculous TOS's like that.

Sounds like "God"gles lawyers used to work for Microsoft...
ctggzg
Premium Member
join:2005-02-11
USA

ctggzg

Premium Member

Get a grip, people

You're all paranoid. Get over it.
Ikarasu
join:2004-01-09
Port Coquitlam, BC

Ikarasu

Member

Re: Get a grip, people

I hate to say it, but your right.

Paranoia... Google never meant the TOS to be the way you guys are perceiving it. Its just their standardish type TOS that they overlooked, which is why they're changing it... Not because of backlash or complaints, but because it wasn't ever the way they intended it to be.

Either way, it doesn't matter. don't like googles TOS? Chrome is Open source... »build.chromium.org/build ··· -rel-xp/ and your only bound by the open source TOS, and it isnt even google branded.

Chrome is a nice browser - I like it, but it's lacking a few features for me to 100% switch yet. Then again, I always preffered IE7 + IE7 pro over Firefox.. so my preferences might not mean much :P

anonanonanon1
@comcast.net

anonanonanon1

Anon

Re: Get a grip, people

Congratulations Ikarasu! You win the prize for most intelligent post!

You even get bonus points for being open source savvy and still using IE7 because you prefer it. (I prefer Firefox, but I hate Firefox fanboyism, or fanboyism in general for that matter)

Food for thought everyone: Can anyone show me a case of Google ABUSING this, or any other TOS? And I'm expecting blatant abuse here, not misguided decision making.

ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium Member
join:2005-03-14
Woodstock, CT

ptrowski to ctggzg

Premium Member

to ctggzg
said by ctggzg:

You're all paranoid. Get over it.
Maybe, but the way it WAS written basically handed everything over to them. Obviously many others like me felt that way or Google would not have changed it.
Fishie
join:2003-01-14
Riverside, CA

Fishie

Member

Doesn't change anything.

I doubt people hold previous copyrights to EVERYTHING they type into the browser. In fact, most people don't have nay copyrights to anything. This just covers a picture, file, etc. NOT search data, demographic data, habitual data, etc.

zteardrop
join:2005-12-20
Brooklyn, NY

zteardrop

Member

Re: Doesn't change anything.

Google is getting up there to be the pinnacle of slimy-ness.

•••••••

SEGATRON
join:2007-01-05
22190

1 recommendation

SEGATRON

Member

Business is business

They are all powered by the same technology Evil Lawyers.

I doubt there's a company out there that doesn't try to get all it can from customers, specially when the service is free.

This is the part that got my attention, but I installed it anyway because it seems fair in exchange for a good service.

17. Advertisements

17.1 Some of the Services are supported by advertising revenue and may display advertisements and promotions. These advertisements may be targeted to the content of information stored on the Services, queries made through the Services or other information.

17.2 The manner, mode and extent of advertising by Google on the Services are subject to change without specific notice to you.

17.3 In consideration for Google granting you access to and use of the Services, you agree that Google may place such advertising on the Services.

theyreevil folks

Anon

Why are they loading memory-resident applications?

After their chrome application installed itself, it also installed a memory-resident application (googleupdate) in the registry startup folder. So now, every time I boot the machine it is loading their application. Further, the thing is locking up my computer; whereas previously before installation it was fine.