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From: dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady)
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Your software rights are in danger
Message-ID: <963@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Dec-85 12:11:11 EST
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.963
Posted: Fri Dec 20 12:11:11 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 22-Dec-85 01:28:48 EST
References: <9400009@uiucuxa> <9400010@uiucuxa> <290@yetti.UUCP>
Reply-To: dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady)
Organization: Duke U Comp Ctr
Lines: 24

Several posters have lamented the poor warranties accompanying most
software products for the micro market.  It's worth looking at this from
the publisher's point of view:  In our litigious age warranting the
performance of software invites lawsuits for millions of dollars in
consequential damages.  Would you be willing to bet your whole company
that a complicated program you sell is completely free from any and all
bugs, that the documentation is in no respect misleading, etc. etc.
etc.??

On the other hand, I certainly do think that software that fails to
perform up to the publisher's claims should be returnable for a full and
immediate refund.  And contrary to what someone suggested, there is a
great deal of software sold on this basis (Mark DeSmet C springs to
mind).  We should encourage these publishers and work for legislation
extending the Magnusson-Moss "implied warranty of merchantability or
fitness for a particular purpose" to all software.

By the way, most of these comments have pertained to US law.  How are
things elsewhere?
-- 
D Gary Grady
Duke U Comp Center, Durham, NC  27706
(919) 684-3695
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