Fight 'Tool Piracy': EULA for Tools!

I am not kidding about this, a company has cooked up an end-user lisencing agreement for its jig tool. The tool is licensed, not sold, and customers cannot sell it or lend it to others. Nor can they sell or lend the jigs they make with it.

This is too sad to even comment on....

A FAQ document on the Stots website explains that the license is necessary because “the purpose of the TemplateMaster is to clone itself. Therefore we are verifying your honesty that only you will use the tool and you will not be passing it around to others to use for free. It is exactly the same as the ‘shrink wrap’ agreement that comes with almost all computer software. Please help us fight ‘tool piracy’.”

Source: http://www.gripe2ed.com/scoop/story/...0/22/221921/32

[Knothead]

Simple: Don't buy it.

I happen to be familiar with this tool, and basically, their competition has them beat all hollow.

So I guess the same faulty logic that propelled them to market this deeply flawed tool, now has these geniuses trying to "not sell" it. Pleh.

I agree with the simple solution. It just scares me to actually see a company attempt this with a physical product like a simple woodworking tool.

What is next? Will I be lisencing my next car "purchase"? Imagine this.... "Sorry Mr. Richmond, but you can not resell your Pontiac, you must trade it in on a new Pontiac, as spelled out in our EULA."

[Knothead]

Heh, why stop there, Rob?

"By authorizing the birth procedures employed by our doctors to enable the birth of your child, you acknowledge the procedures remain the intellectual property of Godzilla Medical Industries Hospital, and therefore, your child is deemed the irrefutable and legally bound property of same Hospital, to whom you voluntarily have approached."

[Gait_Keeper]

Holy-Moly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[crouse]

Yeah..........

about time for the people of the world to revoke stupid IP laws and patents, and stomp out the REALLY stupid EULA's while they are at it. Information should be free, and limit's on patents and copyrights should be 5 or 10 years. Innovate or die........ the rest of us would like to advance instead of stagnate because of those flawed laws.

EULA should not be able to be as restrictive as they are..... (even though several we all know of probably wouldn't hold up in court anyway.)... they shouldn't be allowed to be worded like they are too "scare" people into submission.

EULA ............. for a freakin woodworking tool.

If you really want to fight this and have the company recind it's stupid EULA write these guys:
Fine Woodworking - fw@taunton.com
Wood Magazine - support@woodmagazine.com
This Old House Magazine - TOH_Letters@thisoldhouse.com
Woodsmith - www.woodsmith.com/main/orders.html
Woodworker's Journal - editor@woodworkersjournal.com
Popular Woodworking - steve.shanesy@fwpubs.com
ShopNotes - www.shopnotes.com/main/orders.html

and tell them what you think of this company's EULA ..... and how rediculous you think it is.

Then while your at it............. post a little note on this company's site telling them directley what you think of their EULA
The EULA is here http://www.stots.com/agree.htm
The form to submit a comment is here: http://www.stots.com/form02.htm (256 char limit on the form)

................. what is this world coming too ?????