[link|http://news.com.com/2100-1023-947182.html?tag=fd_top|Here's hoping]

Excerpt:

Among the amendments being debated in Tucson:

\ufffd Self-Help: As UCITA now stands, software licenses can thwart lawsuits against vendors by outlining binding alternatives to litigation. These so-called self-help measures have let software companies shut down a piece of software if they have not been paid for or if they claim a breach of contract. According to NCCUSL, a proposed change to UCITA would abolish provisions for self-help. The ALA claims it would still permit loopholes for self-help.

\ufffd Opting In, Opting Out: A proposed change removes a section of UCITA that limited licensees' ability to opt in or out of UCITA.

\ufffd Known Defects: Critics lambasted UCITA for relieving software vendors of liability for selling software with known defects. A new section "expressly clarifies the applicability of other law to provide appropriate remedies for cases where known material defects are undisclosed," according to NCCUSL.

\ufffd Consumer Protection: Consumer advocates charged that UCITA would strip people of legal protections they enjoy under current state law. A new section would spell out that existing consumer protection law trumps UCITA when the two come into conflict.

\ufffd Public Criticism: Free-speech advocates complained that UCITA let software makers prohibit public criticism of their products. A new section says that any provision limiting criticism rights is not enforceable, according to NCCUSL.

\ufffd Reverse Engineering: A new section spells out that reverse engineering is permissible for the purpose of making products interoperable with each other. The amendment was a sine qua non for Sun Microsystems, NCCUSL said.