UCITA, oh my! was Re: Software licensing, etc

Jon, Chris,

Do either of you have any "good" urls for UCITA? This seems like
something we should all be aware of, as you have shown that there are
two sides by your comments, and the subject matter obviously affects
all of us on this list...

Thank you in advance.

Ballendo

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., Jon Elson <elson@p...> wrote:
> ccs@M... wrote:
>
> > "IMService" wrote:
> >
> > >The customer has no "rights" to future maintenance, as we are not
> > >selling that with the Vector license sale.
> >
> > I would like to point out that the exact nature of
software 'sales' or
> > 'licensing' and exact rights and responsabilities of the customer
and
> > vendor with regards to correction of defects, etc is an evolving
area
> > of law. In many cases, current law does not appear to support
some of
> > the claims and practices of the software industry. Partly due to
> > this, publisher organizations are pushing a 'model' state law
called
> > the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) which
would
> > give legal foundation for common license provisions and
disclaimers.
> > A few states have passed a version of this, but most have not due
in
> > part to the organized and vocal objection of individuals and
> > businesses who buy software.
>
> Gasp! UCITA also gives the producers of software enormous rights,
> which go WAY beyond what even the 'new' department of justice has!
> The software vendor would OWN the software, and could enter your
> premises without a court order and remove the software from your
> computer, at their discrecion, and examine all files on your
computer.
> It would be legal for a software vendor to enter your computer
through
> network connections and examine files on the computer, remotely
> disable their software, or remotely disable the entire computer! I
can't
> believe ANY state could pass such legislation, except by not
actually
> reading it!
>
> Jon