Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Weathering the Commercial Storm: Why Everyone Should Steer Clear of the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community
Important but technical article advising people to "steer clear" of the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA), an act governing software and information licensing and intended to set a uniform national standard for such transactions. The author sets out a series of flaws in the act, but this example is perhaps most telling: "UCITA validates post payment disclosure of contract terms by software producers and software sellers. All terms, even important terms such as warranties, can be hidden from the consumer until after the deal has been closed." What this means is that the law allows the vendor to set terms of the purchase that you can't see until after you have completed the purchase. UCITA also pre-empts existing consumer protection laws, allows the vendor to chose the forum where litigation would occur, and voids certain express warranties.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Dec 26, 2024 5:38 p.m.

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