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                Date: 1998-04-30
                 
                 
                Software, Recht & Freiheit
                
                 
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      q/depesche 98.4.30 
 
Software, Recht & Freiheit 
 
Wie wirkt sich die Forderung der u.s. Software/Schreiber ums Recht auf 
Autor/schaft auf die Consumer aus? 
Bitte zergehen lassen, es ist ein kostbar Stück  
 
 
 
Date: Sat, 25 Apr 1998 01:24:33 -0600 
From: Richard Stallman <gnu@gnu.org> 
 
 
Hello, 
 
Your organization supports the freedom of programmers to write programs, 
but what about freedom for software consumers? 
 
The Uniform Commercial Code Article 2B, which has been in the drafting 
stage for several years, gives software companies the ability to screw 
over their customers. The current UCC prevents companies from taking 
consumer rights away in the fine print of contracts but article 2B will 
allow them to write anything they want into the contract.. and they will 
be able to enforce it. Software companies will take away as many 
consumer rights as they can. 
 
Here's a brief list of items that publishers will be able to put in 
their licenses (this list is taken from Cem Kaner's web site, 
http://www.badsoftware.com/ali.html): 
 
- Prohibition against publishing detailed criticisms of the software. 
- Prohibition against reverse engineering. 
- Prohibition against decompiling the software. 
- Prohibition (via the ban of reverse engineering) against developing 
  products that are interoperable with this one. 
- Restrictions on the nature or purposes of use of the product. 
- Restrictions against competition. 
- Publisher has choice of law (entirely unrestricted to whatever state 
  or country the publisher chooses) 
- Publisher has choice of forum (the publisher can choose that you 
  have to sue them in Nigeria). 
 
Cem Kaner has a web site with several papers that he has written on the 
subject: 
 
  http://www.badsoftware.com/. 
 
ZDNet has written a few articles on this subject: 
 
  http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/story/story_1992.html
                   
  http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/content/inwk/0435/161310.html
                   
 
Article 2B is a threat to anyone who uses a computer. I just wanted to 
make sure your organization is aware of it. 
 
Thanks, 
Matt 
 
--  
=================================================================== 
  Matt Samsonoff                    mailto:matt@bluelobster.com
                   
  Blue Lobster Software             http://www.bluelobster.com
                   
  Cascade Centre                    Tel : 716-546-3550 x252 
  72 Cascade Drive                  Fax : 716-546-5488 
  Rochester, NY 14614 
 
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edited by Harkank 
published on: 1998-04-30 
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