Risky Business

Google Chrome: Bad for Business?

By Matthew Bandyk

Posted: September 3, 2008

Google is one of those companies that can do no wrong in the eyes of a lot of people. And for good reason: Its track record has been pretty spotless so far, and almost everyone who has used an Internet connection can say that Google has made their lives much easier. But could Google finally have a blemish with the recent release of its Web browser Google Chrome?

Web entrepreneur John Crickett found a little tidbit in the fine print of Google Chrome's licensing agreement that might make it a particularly unattractive option for business people:

...the EULA grants Google:

'a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content that you submit, post or display on or through'

The problems should be clear. If you're uploading material for your website that you'd like to use commercially, like logos, you don't want to give Google a right to do whatever it will with that content.

To anyone who has tried out Chrome: Does this licensing agreement outweigh the benefits of using the supposedly faster, better designed browser?

eula updated..:-)chillz

vatsal4 @ Sep 04, 2008 13:46:30 PM

Not there anymore

Google has removed that section from the EULA.

of IL @ Sep 03, 2008 18:19:54 PM

Seriously?

Like most casual users, I never read the fine print for Google Chrome licensing permissions. Thanks for bringing this point up, I'd hope Google is going to address this apparent loophole immediately or they are going to lose many more users than just myself.

R Yates of DC @ Sep 03, 2008 18:14:57 PM

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Risky Business

Risky Business

Matt Bandyk, a reporter for U.S. News, explores capitalism from where it all begins, with the entrepreneur, whose risk taking and experimentation provide the roots from which the rest of the economy grows. As much courage as it takes to create one's own business, even the entrepreneur needs some help, and this blog will look at news, trends, and practical advice for starting and running a small business.

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