By Michael Taege Modern day law and supernatural legend rarely
intersect. This does not mean correctly understanding a legal
issue is immune from aid rendered by such stories. For example,
Goethe’s Faust provides an illustrative parallel to standardized
agreements, or adhesion contracts. In Faust, the protagonist
seeks a pure moment of earthly happiness. He bargains with the
devil, named Mephistopheles, trading his soul for assistance in
achieving that moment. The underlying current in the Faust
dealing can be described as a deal with the devil. As legend
would have it, a person who agrees to this type of deal rarely
understands the contractual implications until it is too late,
and something of immeasurable value is taken through unequal
bargaining. Much like deals with the devil, the non-contract
creating party to an adhesion contract, manifested many times in
online terms and conditions, is typically considered the weaker
party to the agreement. The perception of inequality in an
adhesion contracts stems f