Yesterday’s big news was that Google released their own “open source” browser called Google Chrome. They released only the binaries for Windows, and even thought they claim to be open source, I don’t see where I can get the source code yet.
But what really bothers me is the license agreements for Chrome:
11. Content license from you
11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.
This means that if you publish a blog post, upload a photo or release a song or software, Google has the right to use it for whatever they want, royalty-free.
Photo Creative Commons by WeMeantDemocracy
So this makes Google more than a Big Brother, which only watches your every move. This one can commercialize what you do as well.
I advice you, as always, to read your license agreements when you install software, or better yet, use free software.
I’ll stick with Mozilla Firefox, which besides of a good licence, has major benefits for me with all its extensions. I can forgive a few crashes in exchange of openness and in keeping my data mine.
6 replies on “Chrome license makes Google more than the new Big Brother”
That I didn’t know.
Good thing I’m using Linux, but still installing Chrome on my windows partition would of been a vanity thing more than a necessity.
if you looking for the Source code look here:
http://dev.chromium.org/
If the source of chrome is free we can do the same the google or not?
I read the LICENCE content in the code and tell this:
//Copyright (c) 2006-2008 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
//
// Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
// modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
// met:
// * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
// notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
// * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above
// copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer
// in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
// distribution.
// * Neither the name of Google Inc. nor the names of its
// contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from
// this software without specific prior written permission.
//
// THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
// “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
// LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
// A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
// OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
// SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
// LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
// DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
// THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
// (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
// OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
I think this browsers is open source because we can do a modifications and we can redistribute or not?
Grettings!
They have updated the eula, basically eliminating this clause
http://www.google.com/chrome/eula.html
get the source at http://dev.chromium.org/developers/
They’ve retracted their EULA. Now it just says:
11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services.
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