Animated Characters can't disparage Microsoft, according to Microsoft EULA

[James Packard Love <love@cptech.org>]

James Gleick forwarded me an interesting section of the Microsoft End
User License Agreement (EULA) for Microsoft Agent.  Microsoft agent is
described as a "set of software services that supports the presentation
of software agents as interactive personalities within the Microsoft
Windows interface."  These are cute animated figures that talk to you. 
(http://www.microsoft.com/intdev/agent/).  Microsoft also says the 
"conversational interface approach facilitated by the Microsoft Agent
services is an extension and enhancement of the existing interactive
modalities of the Windows interface," so I guess its part of Windows,
the OS, in some way, but it requires a special license for developers
who use it.  

This End User License Agreement for Microsoft Agent included the
following provision:

<Start>
....
....
....

  You may create scripts or programs that use the Microsoft Agent API
to animate the character and static or animated images that are
provided by Microsoft to enable the end-user selection of an animated
image, provided, however, that you do not: (a) use the Character
Animation Data and Image Files to disparage Microsoft, its products or
services or for promotional goods or for products which, in Microsoft's
reasonable judgment, may diminish or otherwise damage Microsoft's
goodwill in the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, including but not limited to uses
which could be deemed under applicable law to be obscene or
pornographic, uses which are excessively violent, unlawful, or which
purpose is to encourage unlawful activities;

...
...
...
<End>
-- 
James Love
Consumer Project on Technology
P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
love@cptech.org | http://www.cptech.org
202.387.8030, fax 202.234.5176