Re: It's Your Call: Which E-mail Disclaimer is Best?

Subject: Re: It's Your Call: Which E-mail Disclaimer is Best?
From: Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 12:30:19 -0700

Gordon Graham wrote:

> Often my clients believe the company lawyers have the final word on
> everything, or otherwise the sky will cave in and the company will get sued
> into the ground. But sometimes we writers need to fight to overrule the
> lawyers and put out something that our users or customers can actually
> understand. This looks to me like one of those times.

There are two separate issues here: the need for legal thoroughness, and
the desire for clarity. The trouble is, almost nobody distinguishes the
two.

If a company is worried about legal protection, then asking its lawyers
to comment is sensible. However, many corporate lawyers have the
mistaken belief that properly protective content can only be delivered
with a certain set of stock phrases, or at least with a certain style.
However, focusing on the effort for clarity can ignore the legal issues,
too.

It's much harder to write with both legal thoroughness and clarity in
mind, but that's what is needed. One by itself won't do.

--
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com

"And the court gave them justice
As justice is given by well-mannered thugs."
-Geoff Pearson, "If They Come In the Morning"

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