1. Re: Why We Must Fight UCITA
On Wed, 02 Feb 2000, you wrote:
> Ok, so I was wrong - I just saw what looked like several inconsistencies in
> the message, and as many people who use the internet are, I am very cautious
> about listening to messages that sound like hoaxes. An interesting
> question - I live outside the US (in New Zealand), obviously American law
> does not apply here, but how could we prevent Micro$oft from electronically
> disabling our software or some such?
>
I don't know that M$ is behind this, but the commission which is writing the
model law is, according to accounts in the news, being bombarded by lobbyists
from the "large software producers." That may be the reason that the only
software that is exempt from liability claims is defined as "mass produced
shrink wrapped software".
Hopefully, New Zealand has stronger consumer protection laws than the US,
and also your lawmakers aren't as easily "swayed", so they won't eventually
pass laws allowing this kind of thing.
Just a thought: any program you bought which had the ability to be
electronically disabled would have to contact the vendor via the internet .
They can't find you - at least not those of us who have a dynamic IP address.
Some scoundrel bent on mischief might just intercept all such inbound messages
and diisable every copy of program X within a few days. That should prove
interesting.
(Bill awakes in the middle of the night to see hordes of villagers with torches
and well-sharpened farm implements storming the castle)
Regards,
Irv
