Tips For Understanding Those Pesky Terms & Conditions Agreements

It’s probably safe to assume that most of you use some sort of online resource that requires you to agree to a set of terms and conditions on an almost daily basis.  It’s also probably safe to assume that over fifty percent of you don’t even read the terms and conditions.  You just click whatever button will let you move forward, and you move on.  Though this probably won’t get you into any trouble most of the time, you should be aware of what you are actually agreeing to when you click that button.  Here are a few inciteful tips that will help you to decipher those lengthy agreements more efficiently in the future.

Defining the parameters

First off, you will need to understand what the real goal of a formal set of terms and conditions actually is.  Why are the writers even bothering to set these parameters?  If you want to simplify the definition, you might say that terms and conditions are really just a set of rules you have to follow to be able to access that particular website.  They usually write up some sort of guidelines for a user’s behavior while using their website or application (among other sections).

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Making sense of all the legal jargon

The first thing you should know about these agreements are that they are most definitely legally binding.  Just because you didn’t bother to read it, or you didn’t understand it when you read it, doesn’t free you from that legally binding agreement.  So make sure to do your research, and educate yourself on the legal terminology used in all sorts of term and condition agreements.

No visible terms & conditions arrangement

This can get kind of tricky when it comes to websites that don’t visibly post their terms & conditions.  Technically, the main reason you might want to know the difference here is that there is no right to use the information or visual stimulus for educational use if there is no visible terms & conditions agreement.  It’s really only an issue if you’re planning on being an educator in the future, or you are currently teaching.  You have to cross all your t’s and dot all the i’s when you’re in that particular profession, so just keep an eye out for those legal agreements.

A hint for artists using social media

If you’re an artist, and you like to utilize social media platforms to advertise your artistic abilities, you might want to take a second look at what you’re really getting yourself into.  You should know who actually holds the rights to your work when you post it openly like that.  You should understand that yes, you do hold the rights to your work even when you post them on a chosen website.  But you must also understand that when you click ‘agree’ on that site’s terms and conditions, you are agreeing to allow them to use that work in any way that is covered under that agreement.  It would probably be wise to seek out legal advice before you put too much of yourself out there for the world to see.