>Hi Rick,
>
>>Then it makes it potentially legal for him to do and use, along with potentially other Chinese.
>>
>>It is illegal for people in the U.S. to download and use, and probably also illegal for most other countries with commerce treaties with the U.S., including European countries.
>
>There are significant differences between European countries and the US in regards of what is specified in EULA. E.g.
>https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=d1ff4369-afcc-4879-97fa-7a8afd8b3380
>https://www.destructoid.com/eu-court-rejects-eulas-says-digital-games-can-be-resold-230641.phtml

It would be great if the U.S. adopted similar laws.

>I'm convinced that US EULAs in China hold little to no value.
>
>The Chinese government even wants the source code to be available to them if you enter the Chinese market. We have been looking into this the last 12 months.

I do not agree with Microsoft's EULA philosophy at all. But it is law.

Microsoft's mishandling of consumers / its user base is the reason I began writing my own OS in the 90s, am working on Visual FreePro, am writing my own gcc-like compiler suite to draw people away from Visual Studio, etc.

But what they have and what we agree to in accepting the EULA is law in the U.S. It is illegal to violate the terms of that EULA, including receiving and using what Chen has done on his own in China.

I would also argue that for conscience' sake, everyone who clicks "I Accept" is self-bound by your own word and honor to obey what you agreed to.

It's why we should band together and write free and open alternatives that do not entangle or ensnare us in legalese.