What is UCITA

Simply put, UCITA does the following:

• Allow "Self help" for software vendors. Software vendors will legally be able to remotely shut down a client's software if the vendor believes the customer has violated the shrink-wrapped license. Imagine negociating with Microsoft for a better deal when you know they have the legal right to shut down your mission critical operations for any percieved breach of contract.
• No "pass alongs". You cannot sell or give away the shrink-wrapped software you buy without the software vendor's permission (oh sure they'll give you permission). Planning a merger? Remember it's possible that you'll have to buy all new copies of MS Office and other proprietary software for every desktop.
• Gives shrink wrapped licenses a legal status. Now they're automatically enforced in court. Including limitations on the customer's ability to speak or write about the product. Did someone say First Amendment?
• Allows vendors to disclaim warrantys. Now we get into legalized fraud. Simply demonstrate great software, promise great software, and sell a bug-infested mess with an in-the-box license stating there's no warranty. Bate and switch. As I read UCITA, UCITA makes this behavior legal.
• Outlaws reverse engineering. Once UCITA becomes law, your data can be, in effect, held hostage by the software vendor. This creates a financial incentive for Microsoft, the day UCITA is passed, to create a new .doc definition. Only now other vendors will not be able to reverse engineer it to import it. If that document is important to you, you must keep Microsoft Word forever. At any price. With any bugs. Microsoft Word is just one example -- this is true of all proprietary software.