The $2 million comma

Steve Safran August 7th, 2006

The next time someone tells you grammar doesn’t count, point them to this article. Rogers Communications may be out more than $2 million because of an errant comma in a contract with Aliant, Inc. The clause in question: The agreement “shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.” The problem? That second comma changes the meaning of the sentence from its intent of enforcing the deal for the first five years and then giving a one-year out afterwards. (Go back and look.) Now it would seem to give the one-year out immediately, and Aliant has exercized that right. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has ruled that the comma does indeed change the meaning of the contract. Watch your punctuation. (Via Corante)