A controversial proposal to draw common software and other information technology transaction licensing rules has been approved by a group that works to unify state laws.
Critics of the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act say it would hold information tech companies "hostage to the whim of software vendors," while software vendors argue they need a law which affects their product licenses directly, according to the IDG Online Network, which follows the information technology scene.
The act would deregulate product licensing and covers software, multimedia interactive products, data and databases, and the Internet and online information, IDG says. It also lets vendors disable software remotely as a means for repossessing products, prevents license transfers from one to another without vendor approval, and lets vendors disclaim warranties.
"We think that this will extend the rights of end users," law professor Ray Nimmer, one of the law's drafters, tells IDG. But software developer/lawyer/author Cem Kaner says the law is going to "be bad for industry and the country."
"It redefines intellectual property law in a way that transfers huge amounts of power from the public," Kaner tells IDG.
UCITA now needs draft legislation to be approved by a majority of the states present when the vote was taken by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. That majority must include representatives from at least twenty states.
The vote count included 43 states supporting the proposal, six against, two abstaining and two not present. Voters include all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
