[License-discuss] Thoughts on the subject of ethical licenses

[VanL]

Hi John,

On Mon, Mar 9, 2020 at 12:57 PM John Cowan <cowan at ccil.org> wrote:

> IANAL, but that doesn't look right to me.  A contract to *do* something
> illegal is of course void, but a license term that says "This license is
> void if the licensee does something illegal" does not strike me as mere
> flatus vocis.  Rather, it is in the nature of a morals clause, something
> that has been repeatedly upheld in the cases of bad-boy/bad-girl athletes
> and entertainers so that a contract employer can protect itself from
> "public hatred, scorn, contempt, or ridicule".
>

Those sorts of things can be enforced, as you correctly point out. But as
drafted, the clause requires the compliance with "Human Rights Laws," not
an arbitrary standard for preservation of value, such as you specify.

Thanks,
Van
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