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Would you e-mail a press release with an automated signature stating, 'Fowarding this message is prohibited?'
The current fashion is to append disclaimers to e-mail. Everyone wants confidentiality and protection from liability, and disclaimers seem like an easy, obvious way to protect your business. Think twice; they may not be as great as they seem.
While I'm not a lawyer and can't give legal advice, it's pretty clear that many common disclaimers contradict themselves in ways that could make them unenforceable. In a dispute, it could be argued that a disclaimer is so ridiculous, it would be impossible for any reader to be accountable. Because of that, it could be argued that your messages have zero legal protection.
Still, disclaimers can be useful. The key is to use them in the right way.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Let's take this example of a typical e-mail signature:
"The content is only intended for the recipient, any forwarding or copying is prohibited. Unless you're the intended recipient, you may not take action, read or forward this message. If you're not the intended recipient, please notify the sender. This message only reflects the sender's opinion and not this company's official policy."
In this statement there's no...