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Comment by nneonneo | Hacker News Reader

I mean, IANAL but there seems to be a trivial loophole here: have the company lawyer read the license, lawyer determines there’s a trapdoor, and conveys the contents to someone else. Nobody but the lawyer has to read it; everyone but the lawyer can use the software. The license specifically refers to people and not organizations...

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I suspect you're right, but I also suspect that the company lawyer would immediately strongly advise you not to please not rely on the license and just purchase a standard license from the original author.

Debatable. The lawyer is working for his clients therefore his reading of the file binds the company to its conditions.

Alternative: Publish a blog about the spite license, and then anyone who reads the blog knows the contents, but has not read the license itself!

License-rolling?

Surely only if the lawyer agrees to it? Otherwise this would mean just reading contracts to check them out for validity would end up being binding - which is a bit much.

Kinda reminds me of https://youtu.be/JSTpRCscfKI?t=187

> This video contains content from Sony Pictures Movies & Shows, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds.

I think the general idea would work, but not for employees of the same organisation because they're both operating for the same legal entity (the same "licensee" in the language of the license).

It won't because the person reading it may be reading the contract but they don't have full agency for the company to enter a contract/license agreement for the company. It would never hold up in court.

And of course the "randos" on the Internet do not have lawyers. Many of them do read licenses and are screwed.

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