[ Thanks to Paul
Eggert for this link. ]
In a front page article, Los Angeles Times staff writer Joseph Menn writes:
“Microsoft Corp. and other powerful software companies are
quietly pushing state legislation across the nation that would
dramatically reduce consumer rights for individuals and businesses
who buy or lease software and database information.”
“The fine print of nondisclosure clauses in software packages
could be used by software makers to block the publishing of reviews
of their product.”
“Companies might move to states that pass UCITA, because they
could then choose to litigate contract disputes under its more
favorable terms. ‘Where we are in trouble is Maryland,’ said
Skip Lockwood, coordinator of the
Digital Future Coalition, a
Washington-based nonprofit group that opposes the legislation and
is backed by library, consumer and other groups.”