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Browsewrap

Browsewrap is a term used in Internet law to refer to a contract or license agreement covering access to or use of materials on a web site or downloadable product. In a browse-wrap agreement, the terms and conditions of use for a website or other downloadable product are posted on the website, typically as a hyperlink at the bottom of the screen. Unlike a clickwrap agreement, where the user must manifest assent to the terms and conditions by clicking on an "I agree" box, a browse-wrap agreement does not require this type of express manifestation of assent. Rather, a web-site user purportedly gives their consent simply by using the product — such as by entering the website or downloading software.

Case law
In 2000, in Ticketmaster v. Tickets.com, the court looked at a breach of contract claim where the terms and conditions were situated at the bottom of the home page in "small print." The court ruled for the defendant in this case but did allow Ticketmaster to replead if there were facts showing that the defendant had knowledge of the terms and implicitly agreed to them. In 2002, in Specht v. Netscape, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals looked at the enforceability of a browse-wrap contract entered into on the Netscape website. In contrast, in 2014, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in Nguyen v. Barnes & Noble, Inc. that Barnes & Noble's 2011 Terms of Use agreement, presented in a browse-wrap manner via hyperlinks alone, was not enforceable since it failed to offer users reasonable notice of the terms. Similarly, in In re Zappos.com, Inc., Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, the United States District Court for the District of Nevada ruled against Zappos.com's browsewrap terms of use, describing that its presentation was not prominent, and that no reasonable user would have read the agreement. In January 2026, in the case of OCLC, Inc. v. Anna's Archive, federal district judge Michael H. Watson issued a default judgment in favor of OCLC, finding that Anna's Archive was bound by OCLC's terms delivered as browsewrap, and that Anna's Archive was a sophisticated party that accepted the terms by merely accessing the service. ==Summary==
Summary
A browse-wrap agreement can be formed by use of a web page or a hyperlink or small disclaimer on the page. It may only be enforced if the browsing user assents to it. For assent to occur the browse-wrap agreement should be conspicuous, state that there is an agreement, and provide where it can be located. Courts examine the enforceability of browse-wrap agreements on a case-by-case basis, and there are no "bright-line" rules on whether a given agreement is sufficiently conspicuous. However, based on Specht, some practitioners believe that the icon for the terms of use agreement be placed in the upper left-hand quadrant of the homepage and that all visitors be channeled through the homepage. The reason for this suggestion is that the court will take judicial notice of the fact that all Internet pages open from the upper left-hand quadrant, thus the defendant must overcome the presumption that the icon was viewed. Without this presumption, the plaintiff has the burden of proving the defendant did see the icon. ==See also==
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