OT: AOL Claims Property on AIM Messages

[Atrocities]

Additionally, to the legal aspect of what they are attempting to do, when people use their service they have a resonable expectation to privicy. Now that AOL claims ownership over the content of their converstation people will be far less likely to communicate ideas, talk shop, communicate private materials ans such. Theoretically if I were to send someone a BMP via AIM, they would, by their defination, now own that material. That alone would NEVER stand up in court. It simply is communication piracy along the same lines as the RIAA is now fighting. All because you use a privately owned IM network does not give that company the right to "own" the content of your messages. If that were the case and it were to hold up in court, then the USPS would "own" your mail and the content contained in it. Or the bank would "own" your money because you have it deposited in their bank. Or the phone company would own your phone converstations.

This AOL policy violates the Due Process and will never hold up in court. I fear that no one will challenge this in court and that other companies, quite possibly email companies like Hot mail or Gmail will do simular things and claim ownership over your emails.

No this is worthy of a blog all its own and a world wide movement to STOP the greedy bastards at AOL.