This has been already the case for MSN Messenger, which I never used for some reasons, including this one. But now AOL is raising privacy issues on AIM as the new term of service: they reserve the right to eavesdrop your conversation, hence use any information that goes thru their IM network for the purpose they want. This come at the same time as they start offering commercial service to other companies.

That remind me when I had that discussion with some people. They were saying how awesome product XYZ interface to MSN Messenger. Then another came and said that company ACME (not the real name), specilizing in games, did disallow all IM but MSN Messenger, for internal use beetween the employees (sic). I then raised the point of privacy for the MSN Messenger term of service that basically allow Microsoft to pretend they own all the information the goes thru their service, and said that ACME's lawyers should have a look at that. Then another person said that Microsoft would never use it... Does people really believe that and trust them ? I personnally don't. Even more when that company is know to not respect competition rules.

Looks like I'll stop using AIM then (that include Apple .Mac since it is just that Apple is a early customer of AOL commercial service). That probably include ICQ that use the same network (at least when using GAIM. I wonder if Yahoo! has the same term of service.... If they do, then I'll only have Jabber left, no regrets.