I want to write a legal virus...

[SineSwiper]

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>With the advent of spyware and "legal viruses" (like FriendGreetings.com), I think I could get away with a virus that will:

Install a program, with a EULA attached.
Have the Finish screen of the install include "Run the program now" defaulted checked
When the program is run, it spams everybody with every address it found, while the program is "checking your system".
After the program is finished, it will proceed to format your hard drive.

This would be legal. Why? Because buried in the EULA, it includes the text that agrees for you to spam everybody and format the hard drive.</div>

[Kupek]

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>I'm not certain - there are certain rights that you can not give away in a contract. Someone might be able to make a case for destruction of data, but I can't.</div>

[Tessian]

<div style='font: 11pt Dominion; text-align: left; '>I doubt that would hold up in a court</div>

[Gentz]

<div style='font: 11pt arial; text-align: left; '>Sorry, Sine, but a contract can't be intentionally deceitful, nor can it bind you to break the law.</div>

[SineSwiper]

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>What part of that is breaking the law?</div>

[Gentz]

<div style='font: 11pt arial; text-align: left; '>Yeah, you're right. Scratch that part. The part about "intentional deceit" would still apply though. Still, can you legally bind someone to destroy their own property? I dunno. Seems like a grey area.</div>

[Flip]

<div style='font: 12pt "Cooper Black"; text-align: left; '>Besides, how are you going to get people to DL this thing? You'll have to advertise it with what it does or you'll get introuble for that.</div>

[Kupek]

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>I don't see why that is. There's plenty of spyware out there that isn't honest about what it does.</div>

[Ishamael]

<div style='font: 14pt "Sans Serif"; text-align: justify; padding: 0% 15% 0% 15%; '>You can't go around destroying people's personal property because of small print. And even worse, you can't go around destroying their *addresses'* personal property because of some so-called EULA that is probably less legally binding than a mattress tag...</div>

[G-man Joe]

<div style='font: 11pt "Fine Hand"; text-align: left; '>Why not just give me your money? Less headaches compared to being sued into poverty. =8^)</div>

[SineSwiper]

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>The EULA is legally binding and has already been accepted by a judge (EQ vs. cheaters).</div>

[SineSwiper]

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>Hell, instead of formatting the hard drive, I could have it farm the Windows registry for personal information to sell to spam groups.</div>

[Tessian]

<div style='font: 11pt Dominion; text-align: left; '>it can be and you can also bet it is up to the judge's descretion-- if you think a judge would allow what you're suggesting I got some swamp land to sell ya</div>

[Ishamael]

<div style='font: 14pt "Sans Serif"; text-align: justify; padding: 0% 15% 0% 15%; '>I guarauntee you that a EULA that gives you the right to destroy a "customer's" hard drive as well as all the hard drives of everyone in their address book is not legally binding. Just because something is in writing does not make it legal....</div>

[G-man Joe]

<div style='font: 11pt "Fine Hand"; text-align: left; '>Sine has apparently moved up from weed to crack cocaine and heroine. =8^)</div>

[Kupek]

<div style='font: 10pt verdana; text-align: left; padding: 0% 10% 0% 10%; '>The EULA is considered a contract, and if I signed a contract that said "Sine has the right to kill me," it is not legally binding. There are certain rights you can not sign away in a contract.</div>

[Ishamael]

<div style='font: 14pt "Sans Serif"; text-align: justify; padding: 0% 15% 0% 15%; '>Aaah, that explains it! I think I detect just a dash of GHB in there too. :)</div>