# read the fine print **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 23, 1999, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-the-fine-print/2120 "1999-07-23T12:54:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 1999, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-the-fine-print/2120/1 "1999-07-23T12:54:00Z")
How much protection can company X expect to get by flashing some 10 to 15 lines of (very) fine print of legal jargon in the last five seconds of a T.V. commercial? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 1999, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-the-fine-print/2120/2 "1999-07-23T14:43:00Z")
Similar question to the above: It seems to me that the fine print flashes by a lot faster than it did 10 or 20 years ago. My guess is that there used to be a legal formula for how long it needed to stay on-screen, say X seconds per word or something, but that this legal requirement was dropped when VCRs became popular, figuring that concerned individuals could watch the tape over and over till they read the thing. Has anyone else noticed that these noticed go by faster than they used to? Can anyone confirm or disprove any of this? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 1999, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/read-the-fine-print/2120/3 "1999-07-23T16:56:00Z")
Reeves: Not sure it speeds by faster than it used to. I would suspect it varies from one company to another and depends on the actual contents of this (close to subliminal :)) message. The less you want the viewer to absorb - for obvious reasons - the faster it will zoom by.