Google Chrome for Linux!

[Guest]

Google Chrome for Linux was released today, and I encourage you to try it out if you are on a Linux box. They even have nice xkcd style cartoons on the download page, and a nice name for the .html file on their server.
Google Chrome

[Super2cool]

I have tried it out and I impressed with it considering the stage it is on. I do not use Chrome as my primary browser though as it does not support the addons that I use in Firefox. Once it begans to support those addons.. I will throw Firefox in the trash and switch to Chrome.

[Guest]

I personally hope it doesn't add support for Firefox add-ons, because I want speed when I use it. I don't think Google will implement it anyway, because that would require reprogramming everything with XUL.

[Super2cool]

Chrome already supports addons and when the addons were added to Chrome it did not slow it down. This may always change though, but for right now the speed was left unaffected.

[ZekeDragon]

It's about time.

WOW these license terms are FAR more restrictive than I had previously imagined Google doing:

3. Language of the Terms

3.1 Where Google has provided you with a translation of the English language version of the Terms, then you agree that the translation is provided for your convenience only and that the English language versions of the Terms will govern your relationship with Google.

3.2 If there is any contradiction between what the English language version of the Terms says and what a translation says, then the English language version shall take precedence.

Because that's so fair to non-English speakers...

5.3 Unless you have been specifically permitted to do so in a separate agreement with Google, you agree that you will not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, trade or resell the Services for any purpose.

Sell, trade, or resell fine, but why can't I make a f***ing copy? How does that make any sense at all?!

8.2 Unless you have agreed otherwise in writing with Google, nothing in the Terms gives you a right to use any of Google’s trade names, trade marks, service marks, logos, domain names, and other distinctive brand features.

Remember, don't take screenshots of Google Chrome (it IS their logo). That's not allowed.

12. Ending your relationship with Google

12.1 The Terms will continue to apply until terminated by either you or Google as set out below.

12.2 Google may at any time, terminate its legal agreement with you if:

(A) you have breached any provision of the Terms (or have acted in manner which clearly shows that you do not intend to, or are unable to comply with the provisions of the Terms); or

(B) Google is required to do so by law (for example, where the provision of the Services to you is, or becomes, unlawful); or

(C) the partner with whom Google offered the Services to you has terminated its relationship with Google or ceased to offer the Services to you; or

(D) Google is transitioning to no longer providing the Services to users in the country in which you are resident or from which you use the service; or

(E) the provision of the Services to you by Google is, in Google’s opinion, no longer commercially viable.

12.3 Nothing in this Section shall affect Google’s rights regarding provision of Services under Section 4 of the Terms.

12.4 When these Terms come to an end, all of the legal rights, obligations and liabilities that you and Google have benefited from, been subject to (or which have accrued over time whilst the Terms have been in force) or which are expressed to continue indefinitely, shall be unaffected by this cessation, and the provisions of paragraph 19.7 shall continue to apply to such rights, obligations and liabilities indefinitely.

According to this, there is absolutely no way that exists that you can break off your agreement with Google unless they break it off with you. What?

20.3 From time to time, Google may discover an extension that violates Google developer terms or other legal agreements, laws, regulations or policies. Google Chrome will periodically download a list of such extensions from Google’s servers. You agree that Google may remotely disable or remove any such extension from user systems in its sole discretion.

Oh... no problem. :|

I hate the fact that I actually read these things...

[Guest]

@Super2cool
That's because those add-ons are made for Chrome, they aren't Firefox add-ons. Adding support for Firefox add-ons will slow it down, and I don't think Google wants to do that.

[Guest]

Wow Zeke, I think you totally misunderstood the license agreement.

For point number one, when documents are translated, they can be mistranslated, causing confusion under courts etc. Even something small can be interpreted the wrong way, which could cause Google to get in trouble for something unintended. It is better off to leave the official terms in English. The GNU GPL has the same thing.

In point two, you were reading about Google's services, not the software.

In point three, I guess you don't realize Firefox has all the same trademarks on their logo. Plus, while using Chrome, I don't see the Google logo anywhere, so screenshots are probably safe.

In point four, you definitely misinterpreted this line:

12.1 The Terms will continue to apply until terminated by either you or Google as set out below.

I tried to make it more clear for you:The terms will continue to apply until you terminate the license agreement, and Google has the right to terminate it if you violate one of those terms below.

In the fifth point, yeah that is pretty much bulls***. They have control over what add-ons you choose to install.

That's the problem with English, there are too many ambiguities in it. Everyone should just learn Lojban.

[ZekeDragon]

Nope, I read it rather successfully.

For point number one, when documents are translated, they can be mistranslated, causing confusion under courts etc. Even something small can be interpreted the wrong way, which could cause Google to get in trouble for something unintended. It is better off to leave the official terms in English. The GNU GPL has the same thing.

See, there's a big problem with your citation... it's Unofficial translations. There is no official translation of the GPL for other languages, nor were they published by the Free Software Foundation, it says so on that page you cited. Google, however, did provide translations, as proven by the fact that they stipulated this in the license agreement. The GPL mentions nothing about translations.

In point two, you were reading about Google's services, not the software.

Their services ARE their software. Read the very top of the license agreement:

1.1 Your use of Google’s products, software, services and web sites (referred to collectively as the “Services” in this document and excluding any services provided to you by Google under a separate written agreement)

Services == Software produced by Google. DOT.

In point three, I guess you don't realize Firefox has all the same trademarks on their logo. Plus, while using Chrome, I don't see the Google logo anywhere, so screenshots are probably safe.

I know quite a bit about the Mozilla license terms, and in fact Mozilla's terms of using the Firefox logo are rather clearly spelled out here. They have a trademark, but have made it quite clear that you are permitted to use it for many various reasons without ramification, whereas this contract makes it clear you cannot use it for any reason. Either way, if it has NO Chrome logo (which will shortly be trademarked) then I have no quarrel here.

In point four, you definitely misinterpreted this line:

12.1 The Terms will continue to apply until terminated by either you or Google as set out below.

Actually I read it exactly as it stated: "as set out below". That is why I included the rest of the section, there IS no statement 'below' stipulating how a user was to sever the contract between themselves and Google.

So let me make it more clear for you: The terms will continue to apply until any of the conditions set below in section 12.2 to 12.4 occur, and none of them permit you to leave.

Now to what more I've learned:

These Terms of Service apply to the executable code version of Google Chrome. Source code for Google Chrome is available free of charge under open source software license agreements at Terms and Conditions - Chromium - Google Code.

Apparently the Google Chrome license terms, in this situation, only apply to the executable code version of Google Chrome. If you want to get a free version, you can get the source code as provided by the link above. Google seems to have made some considerable effort to separate Google Chrome itself from the Chromium project, where Google Chrome is built from. I'll go ahead and build it from source instead.

[Guest]

Your translation point strayed away from what I was getting at. It really doesn't matter if the translations are provided by Google or not. They still don't want the translations to have any effect on the English version because of legal issues.

You corrected me on the services part, that one is my bad. You did think this though:

Sell, trade, or resell fine, but why can't I make a f***ing copy? How does that make any sense at all?!

You had it wrong, because you can't do any of these things:

5.3 Unless you have been specifically permitted to do so in a separate agreement with Google, you agree that you will not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, trade or resell the Services for any purpose.

Which is actually more restrictive than you thought, but less confusing at the same time. Go figure.

The trademark permissions are different, like you said, but I still think you can take screenshots of the browser without any legal problems.

I think Google needs to change this:

The Terms will continue to apply until terminated by either you or Google as set out below.

It makes more sense if you do this:

The Terms will continue to apply until terminated by either you, or Google as set out below.

Like I said, either you terminate it yourself, or Google can when the below conditions occur.

I don't think there is any difference between Chrome and Chromium except the License terms, so you might as well use Chromium instead.

On the lighter side, here is something funny.

[Jordan]

Google always has some really f***ed license. If you read their AdSense license it pretty much makes every website in violation. I believe they do this to protect their selves and give them free will to terminate any google-to-website ad contract.

Anyway, I really like the extensions so far. I haven't tried Chrome for Linux yet but I've seen it on the Mac. Really sweet.

Kind of ironic that it took 15 months (since the Windows release) to get Chrome on the Mac when Apple was the one who first developed Webkit in 2002.