Blog-IT-o ergo sum

	11/29/2004

Is there a God?

The laywers writing the licensing agreements for one of the planet's largest (formerly only) internet domain name registers certainly don't want to overlook the possibility:

27. FORCE MAJEURE. Neither party shall be deemed in default hereunder, nor shall it hold the other party responsible for, any cessation, interruption or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder due to earthquake, flood, fire, storm, natural disaster, act of God, war, terrorism, armed conflict, labor strike, lockout, or boycott...

Many business contracts carry the Force Majeure clause and I am just wondering when the ACLU is going to get around to this blantant encroachment of religion into our legal system. Do atheists not sign license agreements?

Perhaps there is no God, unless He might just cost someone some money? I am also wondering if earthquakes, floods and "natural disasters" are expressly called out by the laywers, what remaining events do they expect to fall under the heading, "acts of God." (capital G there in the original.)

The things to learn when you read the fine print of all those license agreements. Here is another interesting one that both Network Solutions and the Radio Userland people have covered:

"21.d The application of the United Nations Convention of Contracts for the International Sale of Goods is expressly excluded."

The US Federal Government was one of the original 11 signers of this convention back in 1981 and it went into force (at least where the US Federal Govt has authority) in 1988. It seems however that many of our State chartered corporations (and their lawyers) are no more ready to be held accountable for acts of the UN than by acts of God.

1:44:39 PM

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