Yahoo--- Evil?

I saw something interesting yesterday that may be of interest to those of you who keep your websites on GeoCitites-- according to ZDTV, the new Yahoo agreement (that you have to agree to in order to update your site) basically gives Yahoo control over all of your content-- they own it, and can do with it whatever they please. So, before you agree to that new GeoCities/Yahoo agreement, think twice. There are plenty of other freespace providers who aren't going to try to grab your content.

An interesting of example of what Yahoo can do is this---- per the agreement, say you put up a picture of yourself on your web page. Someone from yahoo likes the picture, and decides to make a commercial for it. This guy, however, doesn't like the content on the page, so he changes it. He could change it to *anything* that he wants to, according to the new Yahoo/Geocities agreement (but only if you agree to it.) Another, even more frightening possibility that one writer proposed was that if, for example, you posted a screenplay on your Yahoo webspace, Yahoo would have a claim to the rights to make the movie, since according to the agreement, they own your content.

Here's the link to the story on ZDTV:

http://www.zdnet.com/zdtv/screensavers/participate/story/0,3656,2285816,00.html

I only bring this up because so many people use Geocities for fansites, as well as fanfics, and I don't like it when companies get greedy. Anyway, be careful out there, and fergoodnesssakes, read the fine print before clicking "Accept!"

rich.

Helen: Bureaucracy is the price we pay for impartiality.

Jake: Jefferson!

Helen: Stalin.

Then don't put your picture on the internet.

This is kinda off topic. But thanks anyway for the warning.

[email] (Laniakea) wrote:

That's not the point, though. The point is that they can take any content you *created* and then put on your GeoCities-Yahoo site, alter it however they please, and then use it to shill their products without even bothering to ask you (or pay you for providing the content for their ad.) It's just plain tacky, cheap, sleazy, whatever. I didn't even mention the tackiest part-- you also agree to take any responsibility for any claims that are brought against them for using your site in their ads. So, not only do they get free content for their ads, they can also turn around and sue *you* if they get sued, and *you* agree to indemnify them. Tacky, tacky, tacky.

Define off-topic in ATD. ;-) Actually, considering that a number of Daria fan sites are located on Geo-Yahoo-whatever, I think it's pretty important for these site owners to know about this development, considering that they may no longer be site owners in the eyes of Yahoo's lawyers.

You're welcome-- just trying to help.

BTW-- the following should not be considered legal advice, a soliciation for legal services, or anything that creates an attorney-client relationship. Should you feel you need legal advice, seek the advice of licensed Counsel in your jurisdiction. Void where prohibited. Your mileage may vary. No animals were harmed in the creation of this post.

rich.

Helen: Bureaucracy is the price we pay for impartiality.

Jake: Jefferson!

Helen: Stalin.

[email] (paperpusher) wrote:

<buncha junk about Yahoo snipped>

It seems as if Yahoo blinked/twitched/shuddered/whatever. The content agreement was modified yesterday at 3PM PDT, so your screenplays are safe.

You may now return to discussions on whether Daria and Trent should get together for the umpteenth time, ancient Asian assassination methods, haikus, puns, etc., etc., etc. ;-)

Oh, and BTW, the first ads for #306 aired last night on MTV.

rich.

Jane: All I want is to make beautiful things!

On Thu, 01 Jul 1999 05:27:11 GMT, [email] (paperpusher) wrote:

It seems that your right. Slashdot.org and Wired are reporting that they gave in after threatened boycots and complaints. Looks like they folded faster than Superman on laundry day.

Whoa, not so fast young man! When Deja-News switched to Deja.com they also changed the agreement for my-deja accounts. Whatever you post to Usenet through a my-deja account becomes the property of Deja.com. Hopefully I'm wrong or they changed it since then. For those who post through Deja.com, check the terms of service before you post. I really really really hope I'm wrong, really.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled haikus already in progress:

Deja steals content lucky monkey strong bowels be careful posting

In article ,

I just perused the "Terms of Use" for using Deja and the only thing that could be interpreted that way is as follows;

License Grant. By posting communications on or through the Web Site, you automatically grant the Company a royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, edit, translate, distribute, perform, and display the communication alone or as part of other works in any form, media, or technology whether now known or hereafter developed, and to sublicense such rights through multiple tiers of sublicensees.

Now I'm not a law talkin' guy, but this sounds like that if you post through deja, then they have the right to include your posts in their archive without compensating the poster (you can't x-no-archive-yes and they won't pay you). Rich, help

Mike Quinn wrote:

Ooookay.... (Disclaimer: the following isn't legal advice-- should you need legal advice, seek out licensed local counsel in your jusrisdiction-- sorry, have to say that.)

You're giving Deja "a royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive license"-- this doesn't give them ownership, but it is a grant of permission from you to them, and this permission gives them to ability to:

"use, reproduce, modify, publish, edit, translate, distribute, perform, and display the communication alone or as part of other works in any form, media, or technology whether now known or hereafter developed, and to sublicense such rights through multiple tiers of sublicensees."

This means that they can publish (in books or on audiotape with James Earl Jones narrating) your series of MDRRs as a collection of critical essays on "Daria," change the wording (or the content), the grades you give out, translate it into Esperanto, and sell it through the Franklin Mint for 3 easy payments of $14.99, AND NOT HAVE TO SEND YOU A DIME. (Hence the "royalty-free" part.)

So, while technically, you still own it, for all practical purposes, so do they.

Needless to say, this is only binding if you post through Deja. If you don't post, it's not binding, even if you use part of their services. (In best Helen voice) "Eric, that's why I told them to read the damn contract in the first place before they sign it. We don't need another lawsuit with these people. (Pause) Yes, I know we could use the money, but it makes us look bad when our clients get sued like that." ;-)

Tread carefully, folks.

Oh, and thanks for pointing that out, H-Dude-- nice to hear from you again.

rich. (Remember, this isn't legal advice, it may not be valid in your jurisdiction, there's no atty-client relationship, void where prohihbited, offer ends 5/5/98.)

Helen: Bureaucracy is the price we pay for impartiality.

Jake: Jefferson!

Helen: Stalin.

On Tue, 06 Jul 1999 18:17:11 GMT, some letters randomly coalesced from individual pixels, claiming to be from [email] (paperpusher), and it said:

Eh, posting on usenet is pretty much granting anyone who reads it (or downloads it, in the case of binary groups) the right to save it, archive it, publish it, or do whatever they want with it, anyway. Now, to publish it without at least letting the poster know would be a pretty jerk thing to do (much along the lines of collecting lists of e-mail addresses), but I can't think of any legalities that would prevent someone from doing this. Actually, I really don't know what I'm talking about. Does anyone know the legal status of the content of a usenet message? For instance, if someone took from it and called it their own, would that legally qualify as plagerism, if proven?

[email] (Tarvok) wrote:

Actually, we just recently had a discussion about the legality of publishing email written by another person from the POV of copyright law. Technically, everything that you write in an email or post on USENET is automatically copyrighted, it's just not registered with the government. (This really isn't a can of worms I feel like opening, as it's very complicated...) LSS-- your posts are protected, otherwise Deja wouldn't ask for an unlimited license to steal them. If someone stole my post and published it in a book without my permission, I'd have a very good cause of action, and it'd most likely be a slam dunk in court, even though I didn't obtain a federally-registered copyright.

naturally, blah, blah, blah, get your own local lawyer, blah, blah, blah, this isn't legal advice, blah, blah, blah, no attorney-client relationship is created or implied (especially 'cos I ain't gettin' paid.)

rich.

Helen: Bureaucracy is the price we pay for impartiality.

Jake: Jefferson!

Helen: Stalin.

On 30 Jun 1999 19:55:00 GMT, some letters randomly coalesced from individual pixels, claiming to be from [email] (Laniakea), and it said:

Hey, regulars like rich are allowed to be off topic every now and them. :)

Yahoo...

I've always thought this a strange name for a site.

With the new imformation, I guess it's safe to say they're a bunch of yahoo's. ;-)

Thanks for the warning.

Sincerely, Rev. Paul L. Vasquez

paperpusher wrote in message news:[email]...

http://www.zdnet.com/zdtv/screensavers/participate/story/0,3656,2285816,00.h tml

If anybody is looking for a better host than Geocities or Yahoo(and in my opinion that could be any other one) you should look at xoom.com. They give you unlimited space and its not bull shit.

Here's the link: http://xoom.com/join/index.xihtml?R=23&P=8

And by the way I am not a solicitor for xoom, I just like to help any body worried about losing their content or whatever.

Later y'all,

Hi

in my

Uhm ... I think that Xoom is at least as evil as GeoYahoo ... when they started their service, they promised, not to put any commercial banners on the private pages as long as they contain the Xoom-Logo ... Well, everybody knows that Xoom has now this Xoom-Frame on top of each page ....

Dominik http://asinus.home.pages.de/

On Thu, 01 Jul 1999 16:30:54 GMT, some letters randomly coalesced from individual pixels, claiming to be from Dominik Schwind , and it said:

Oooh, so evil. EEEEVILLLLL! Come on, man. It's really small, and that's a hell of a lot better than the popup window that most sites throw at people, such as Geoshittes. In addition to adding the Xoombar, they've also upped their space allowence from 6mb, to 11mb, to unlimited, currently. Can't get a better deal unless you're willing to pay for it. Unless it's just been so long since I looked for a new space provider that I've failed to notice a better one.

Does anybody else have a better deal?

Well, I don't really complain about the Xoombar, but I think it's kinda strange to say: 'We wont put any frames/pop-ups on our sites' and then do it ...

Uhm ... Convicing everybody to get WebWasher? ;-)

Dominik Schwind [email] asinus.home.pages.de

Movies don't create psychos. Movies make psychos more creative!

Well, if you live in the UK, you can get get Eidosnet, which is a free ISP, very fast, unlimited webspace, no popups/banners/html fiddlings. Soo....

*Oh no. Brimstone. Hair*

If you go back and read the story, Yahoo/Geocities did change the agreement, however the change gives the same result. Also Xoom.com and Tripod.com have always had the same agreement that was being complained about on Yahoo/Geocities. The purpose of this agreement is to make them invulnerable to being sued. It's more a matter of the lawyers being overprotective, than of the domains wanting to snatch content. Of course the examples given in previous posts could happen if they became so inclined.

On Thu, 01 Jul 1999 05:22:46 GMT, some letters randomly coalesced from individual pixels, claiming to be from "Ben Guevara" , and it said:

Heh heh, good thing you put up that disclaimer. I'm always being accused of being a professional promoter. ;)

What he said!