Heh.
Apple’s forthcoming news app has been criticised over claims the company is hoodwinking bloggers into accepting its terms and conditions.
An unsolicited email from Apple inviting publishers to join the service presumes acceptance of the terms, unless they actively opt out.
It requires them to cover Apple if legal issues arise, among other things.
[…]
Other terms in the email allow Apple to place adverts next to publishers’ publicly available content without paying them.
So even though I didn’t ask them to redistribute my content, they will do so, hold me liable for any lawsuits, and not compensate me despite their being compensated for my content?
No thanks.
I agree with this guy.
And, in a blogpost entitled I Do Not Agree To Your Terms, he took issue with the requirement to opt out.
He wrote: “Let me get this straight, Apple: you send me an email outlining the terms under which you will redistribute my content, and you will just assume that I agree to your terms unless I opt out?
“You’re going to consider me bound to terms you just declared to me in an email as long as I don’t respond? That’s completely crazy. You don’t even know if I received the email!”
Totally agree. This is uncharacteristically shady. Wonder how long before they change it?