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A comment on BOSS – The Next Step in our Open Search Ecosystem. Parent comment

Re:BOSS – The Next Step in our Open Search Ecosystem by michaelbuckbee on Friday July 11, 2008 @01:38AM (#243283)
I agree with your interpretation (if you write positive stuff I don't think they'll complain), and I think they do have the right to just arbitrarily decide that someone is doing something bad and cut them off.

I don't like that they are saying that this is an open system, then laying down a legal trap where "everyone" who writes anything about the service would be in violation of their TOS. You can't have it both ways.

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Re:BOSS – The Next Step in our Open Search Ecosystem by IsaacSchlueter on Friday July 11, 2008 @10:57PM (#244252)
They're not trying to have it both ways.

They're saying, "Unless we have given you permission to use our IP, you don't have it."

It's not like Yahoo is claiming that BOSS is GPL'ed or anything. And even if it was FOSS, PHP has similar language in its license--you can't use the phrase "PHP" or the logo to endorse or promote any product without written permission.

Language like this in a license never trumps fair use anyhow.

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