I decided to upgrade my Mac to El Capitan, but my computer said, on one condition: I must “carefully” read and agree with something. It even provided a tiny cozy display window for viewing it:

And so I did what anyone else would: I cleared my afternoon schedule and got right down to business; reading, carefully, the entire document. It turns out that I was much too pessimistic! I needed only 33 minutes.

I should note that I’m an attorney with a good understanding of license, trademark, and copyright law. I’m also a software developer with 20 years’ experience. So your own read-through may take more or less time, accordingly.

I thought it’d be a “fun” project to see what the “El Capitan License” actually says. Cool idea, huh? Kind of like spelunking through a cave that everyone says they’ve been through, but maybe no one really has. What will I find wedged in a wall or lurking in the dark around the next turn?

I can’t use the Capitan with illegal copies of anyone’s stuff. Apple didn’t sell me this software. They still own it, in fact. I’m just borrowing it. If I install more Apple software, those are on loan as well. I can use the Capitan in two virtual Machines, and on one computer. But these VM’s cannot be used for business. The only exception is for software developers (I guess they wouldn’t follow this rule anyways.) I’ve got to read the separate rules that came with the fonts, and obey them. (I can only borrow those too.) Those cool voices for the clock? — no remixing! Slideshows made with Photo; same deal, don’t even think about using them for some commercial purpose. I can’t sell access to my Mac via any kind of screen sharing. I gotta run it on Apple hardware (no Hackintoshes). I can’t help anyone else do that. I can make one copy as a backup. I can’t try to figure out the source code to any of this. I gotta follow all my local laws while I’m using it. (!) (Really? Whereever I live?) I can leave the software on the Mac if I sell it or give it away. I better not use anyone else’s hacked version. Apple isn’t responsible for my hurt feelings for anything I see on the web. If I break any of these rules, this deal is over and I must immediately delete everything. The Capitan comes as-is. I can’t send it to Sudan. I can’t operate a nuclear power plant with it. I cannot, don’t even think about it, just plain can’t, make money from MPEG/H.264/AVC videos I create. For that, I need to buy another something from somebody.

There you are. I took one for the team.

UPDATE: Thank you to everyone for the great positive response and encouragement to write more.