Windows XP EULA in plain English

Ever wondered what all that legal gibberish really means? My cynicism may be showing here, but I was hardly surprised by any of it. I’m not even sure if I’m really surprised by this:

If the DRM Software’s security has been compromised, owners of Secure Content (”Secure Content Owners”) may request that Microsoft revoke the DRM Software’s right to copy, display and/or play Secure Content. Revocation does not alter the DRM Software’s ability to play unprotected content. A list of revoked DRM Software is sent to your computer whenever you download a license for Secure Content from the Internet. You therefore agree that Microsoft may, in conjunction with such license, also download revocation lists onto your computer on behalf of Secure Content Owners.

which translates to:

You agree that at any time, and at the request of “content providers” Microsoft may disable certain features on your computer, such as the ability to play your music or movie files.

I guess I just didn’t realize they could do that already — I thought those kind of shenanigans were new for Vista. Thank the IPU for Linux, eh?

Tags: Geeky