# Can I Avoid being bound by software agreements by having a minor install the software? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 3, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-avoid-being-bound-by-software-agreements-by-having-a-minor-install-the-software/519897 "2009-12-03T21:27:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-avoid-being-bound-by-software-agreements-by-having-a-minor-install-the-software/519897/41 "2009-12-04T20:46:18Z")
Right, _reasonable_ activity. What if there’s something in there whose reasonablity can be reasonably contested? Not something preposterous that is ridiculous by most measures, just something that one would reasonably and generally find to be an acceptable use of the product, but according to the terms, is not. I’m sorry if I’m hijacking this with my specific concern. Okay, I’m not sorry, but I’ll stop if this line of questioning drives things off track. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-avoid-being-bound-by-software-agreements-by-having-a-minor-install-the-software/519897/42 "2009-12-04T20:47:54Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Right, _reasonable_ activity. What if there’s something in there whose reasonablity can be reasonably contested? Not something preposterous that is ridiculous by most measures, just something that one would reasonably and generally find to be an acceptable use of the product, but according to the terms, is not. > > I’m sorry if I’m hijacking this with my specific concern. Okay, I’m not sorry, but I’ll stop if this line of questioning drives things off track. If “one would reasonably and generally find it to be an acceptable use” then I would suspect it would be an unconscionable contract/license term (i.e. it wouldn’t be enforced by the courts as a violation of the EULA). (here, i’ll help you out. A contract term in MS Word’s EULA stating that “you can’t use this product to type of Advertising copy which supports a competitor’s product” (ignoring antitrust laws, if any) would not be universally unreasonable in the sense of kiddie porn, but it would be objectively unreasonable and thus struck down as an unconscionable contract term. (At this point I really have to say that this is my opinion of how this would get resolved. And it’s only my [hopefully decently reasoned] opinion). ) ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-avoid-being-bound-by-software-agreements-by-having-a-minor-install-the-software/519897/43 "2009-12-04T22:37:21Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > No, they don’t have the legal right to eject someone at any time for any reason if you have purchased a seat to the game. They only have a right to eject you for your violation of the license they granted to you (which may or may not include an additional set of policies and procedures referenced, but not included, in your ticket license). > > Microsoft Word is private property. It’s private property owned by the purchaser according to U.S. District Court Judge Richard Jones [http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art\_aid=114662](http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=114662) Obviously the reality that it’s undecided and different jurisdictions have different laws regarding EULA’s, but you seem to be presenting information as if it’s clearly decided in favor of a license. ---
**Author:** ![Dandmb50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba9def/32.png) [@Dandmb50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandmb50)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-avoid-being-bound-by-software-agreements-by-having-a-minor-install-the-software/519897/44 "2009-12-06T17:47:23Z")
One thing I have noticed recently is a sneaky thing they are doing now. They/many are having a box already clicked/filled in which allows some extra “toolbar” added to your browser. I think that is wrong and I watch very closely when downloading anything. It use to be you always just checked ok, ok, ok, but now watch at each window because you may be downloading something else you didn’t expect. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-avoid-being-bound-by-software-agreements-by-having-a-minor-install-the-software/519897.md?page=2)