Sunday, November 05, 2006

The Million Dollar Comma

See this story in "the register" about how the interpretation of some gramatical rules could end up costing Rogers Communications 1 million dollars.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/26/the_case_of_the_million_dollar_comma/

The thing I found a amusing was this quote from the commission researching the case:

The Commission sided with Aliant, describing the clause as "clear an unambiguous". Had the intention been to limit the right to terminate at the end of the current and any renewal term, clear wording would have been included specifying by what date the notice was required, it said.


You think that a commission looking into the the meaning of a comma in a contract would take the time to correctly state "clear and unambiguous"? Note: I guess this could be the register's error.

You might also enjoy this link about the Oxford English Dictionary:
Cyber-Neologoliferation: Cyber-Neologoliferation:
http://nytimes.com/2006/11/05/magazine/05cyber.html