Canadian Startup and Video Game Law Blog
Startup and video game law, from a Canadian and U.S. perspective
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When to Update your ToS and Privacy Policy?
When your Terms of Service, End User License Agreement and Privacy Policy are first drafted they reflect how your software operates at a particular point in time. However, as software and your business changes over time, these documents are often left behind and stop reflecting how the software operates. The effectiveness of these documents is hindered when your software steps beyond their scope.
Not every change to your software requires an amendment to the ToS, EULA or PP. Where the change is encompassed by the language of the documents, no amendment is required. Conversely, if the change adds a new, or changes a current, feature, collects additional information or uses information differently and that is not reflected in these legal documents, then an amendment is likely required.
Ideally, your documents should constantly evolve, lockstep with your software’s evolution, and allow you to avoid the effort and cost involved in drafting new, or substantially amended, documents every few years. Where you believe that a software change is not reflected in your ToS, EULA or PP, I recommend consulting with your legal counsel to determine whether an amendment to these documents is needed.