IF THIS e-mail is received in error, notify the sender immediately.

I always thought these types of disclaimers in emails were dumb – you can’t force someone to do something simply by the fact that you’ve emailed them something. Turns out I’m not the only one who thought so:

E-mail disclaimers are one of the minor nuisances of modern office life, along with fire drills, annual appraisals and colleagues who keep sneezing loudly. Just think of all the extra waste paper generated when messages containing such waffle are printed. They are assumed to be a wise precaution. But they are mostly, legally speaking, pointless. Lawyers and experts on internet policy say no court case has ever turned on the presence or absence of such an automatic e-mail footer in America, the most litigious of rich countries.

The Economist

So get rid of yours if you have one. Put your contact information, cheesy slogan for your business, and favourite Tony Robbins quote, but don’t fill it with legalese that doesn’t do anything for you.

Via Daringfireball