Terms of service
Terms of service (commonly abbreviated as ToS or TOS[1] and also known as Terms of Use, Terms & Conditions) are rules which one must agree to abide by in order to use a service. Unless in violation of consumer protection laws, such terms are usually legally binding.[citation needed] Terms of Service can also be referred to as Terms of Use or sometimes merely a Disclaimer, especially regarding the use of websites.
Certain websites are noted for having carefully designed terms of service, particularly eBay and PayPal, which need to maintain a high level of community trust because of transactions involving money. Terms of service can cover a range of issues, including acceptable user behavior online, a company's marketing policies,[1] and copyright notices.[2] Some organizations, such as Yahoo!,[3] can change their terms of service without notice to the user base.[3]
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[edit] Internet service providers
Most Internet service providers have terms of service—notably AOL—which many have perceived to be very strict.[1] Many users do not read the terms of service.[citation needed]
[edit] Video games
As video games move online, many of them are also adopting terms of service, separate from the software license agreement required to utilize the client software. These Terms of Service generally specify behaviors that are disallowed within the video game's virtual world, generally to prevent a player from disrupting another player's game experience. For example, many online games disallow the use of racist speech through communication channels provided by the game. Many MMORPGs also disallow the trading of in-game items with "real world" money.
[edit] Violation
A ToS violation can result in myriad consequences towards those who are guilty depending on the service and the severity of the violation. Most organizations reserve the right to restrict a user's access to the service if they violate the terms in the agreement. In more serious cases, the user will have his or her account terminated.
In 2011, George Hotz and others were sued by Sony corporation. Sony claimed that by violating the Terms of Service of the Playstation network, Hotz & others were committing a violation of the law known as a Breach of Contract.[4]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Kornblum, Janet (1997-07-29). "AOL dumps new member policy". http://news.com.com/AOL+dumps+new+member+policy/2100-1023_3-201927.html. Retrieved 2006-12-24.
- ^ Apple.com (September 2008). "iTunes Store - Terms of Service". http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/us/service.html. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
- ^ a b Yahoo.com (2008). "Yahoo! Terms of Service". http://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
- ^ Nilay Patel (January 12, 2011). "Sony follows up, officially sues Geohot and fail0verflow over PS3 jailbreak". engadget.com. http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/12/sony-follows-up-officially-sues-geohot-and-fail0verflow-over-ps/. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
