Les, there’s an online service somewhere that allows you to trade or sell cellphone contracts.

I thought AT&T;does pretty well without outside help to damage their reputation and it’s hard to see how this change in language isn’t intended to shut out critics.

Remember:

Your world delivered. To the NSA.

found at http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/articles-resources/terms-of-use.jsp

From AT&T;wireless:

Enforcement
AT&T;reserves the right but does not assume the obligation to strictly enforce this Agreement, including without limitation by issuing warnings, suspension, or termination of service, and/or removal, screening, or editing of posted message, data, information, text or other material ("Content"), self help and active investigation, litigation and prosecution in any court or appropriate venue. AT&T;may access, use, and disclose transaction information and Content to comply with the law (e.g., a lawful subpoena); enforce or apply our customer agreements; to initiate, render, bill, and collect for services; to protect our rights or property, or to protect users of those services and other carriers from fraudulent, abusive, or unlawful use of, or subscription to, such services. INDIRECT OR ATTEMPTED VIOLATIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY RELATED POLICY, AND ACTUAL OR ATTEMPTED VIOLATIONS BY A THIRD PARTY ON BEHALF OF AN AT&T;CUSTOMER, SHALL BE CONSIDERED VIOLATIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT BY SUCH CUSTOMER.

Specifically: AT&T;may access, use, and disclose transaction information and Content to enforce or apply our customer agreements. 

I guess if you’re a critic, they can tap your phone. 

From Trademarks and Service marks:

AT&T;trademarks, service marks, and trade dress may not be used in any manner that is likely to cause confusion among customers or in any manner that disparages or discredits AT&T;.

Sounds like the same as the ISP terms.

They’re just provoking those who are already annoyed with them, I don’t think it’s their smartest play, and it’s certainly drawn attention and damaged the reputation itself (which was a matter of time). But it is a business, so expect no better

It’s part of the whole trend of asking for the moon in essentially non-negotiable contracts and reap the benefits until someone manages to get a lawsuit through the courts that slaps it down. 

Like invention agreements many companies make you sign when you start work.  They basically lay claim to any ideas you have that you communicate in any form or fashion while at work, regardless of any relevance to the company’s line of work.  Any ideas you have outside of work that could have been influenced by your job knowledge they try to claim as well.

I forgot to copy the URL when I found it yesterday (maybe off CNET?), but someone made the interesting point that if AT&T;starts policing their servers for content critical of them, they could lose the immunity from prosecution for hosting illegal content.

After all, if they have time to read blogs, surely they have time to look for kiddie porn, yes?

Man, I’d love to see the fat b@$+@rds hoisted on that petard… My loathing of dates well before the NSA sell-out.

please let me know what is up with this. this is the first i have heard about it.  thank you jason