While wading through new tos screen on postings, I was thinking it was unfortunate this screen had to even be added. The RIAA/MPAA situation seems to make it necessary. Some postings, including some of mine, contain copyrighted pictures which I own the copyright to, or which small businesses I'm posting for (for free btw) own the copyright themselves. I was going to send an email to Craig to suggest actually making it easier for individuals & small businesses to not only comply with copyright restrictions, but also to help them protect their own copyrighted pictures & images, but once I reached liquidated damages section, I was turned off to the whole thing.
The first couple of clauses on liquidated damages make sense, but this: d. If you post messages in violation of these Terms of Use, other than as described above, you agree to pay craigslist one hundred dollars ($100) for each such message. In its sole discretion,
is pretty outrageous & over the top. Is this a new revenue model for Craiglist? Am I going to be getting invoices & collection demands for some of my postings? If not now, what about when Craigslist is sold to some public corporation?
Just off the top of my head, someone who offers services in more than one metropolitan area is no longer allowed to post in all areas he/she offers services in (none of my posts are relevant to this example btw), even if those service offerings are legitimate, & advertise those services in more than one area. How many people actually read terms of service? Less than 10% my guess, probably a lot lower. Some studies show privacy policies getting less than a 2% read, with the terms of service probably getting even lower percentage. So someone who posts in more than one metropolitan area, say 3 additional areas, gets dunned for each of 3 areas as violations of tos whenever Craig's list has a bad revenue quarter or faces legal bills from an RIAA lawsuit?
There are a myriad of other examples that fall into a gray area, where Craig's list, as sole judge, jury, and executioner can impose these new revenue sources.
How nice.
You need money, Craig? Just enlarge the categories of chargeable ads. Be honest about it. The liquidated damages clauses are a weasel way of increasing revenue, & sounds like you are positioning Craig's list to be sold.