A backlash against Legalese

Posted by Pelle on February 05, 2007

Everyone hates them and no one reads them. Now a campaign ReasonableAgreement.org has started to fight this bullshit. Place this on your emails, t-shirts etc.:

READ CAREFULLY. By [accepting this material|accepting this payment|accepting this business-card|viewing this t-shirt|reading this sticker] you agree, on behalf of your employer, to release me from all obligations and waivers arising from any and all NON-NEGOTIATED agreements, licenses, terms-of-service, shrinkwrap, clickwrap, browsewrap, confidentiality, non-disclosure, non-compete and acceptable use policies (”BOGUS AGREEMENTS”) that I have entered into with your employer, its partners, licensors, agents and assigns, in perpetuity, without prejudice to my ongoing rights and privileges. You further represent that you have the authority to release me from any BOGUS AGREEMENTS on behalf of your employer.

Fantastic. As they say it is probably as legally unenforceable as normal click through license are and for the same reason. But that is the whole point. For a contract to be legal it has to be negotiated, all parties have to understand it and specifically give acceptance to it.