ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


C &RL N e w s  ■  S e p t e m b e r  2 0 0 0  / 7 0 9

W a s h i n g t o n  H o t l i n e L y n n e  E. B ra d le y

W h at is UCITA?
T h e  U n ifo rm  C o m p u te r In fo rm a tio n  T ran sac­

tion s A c t (U C IT A ) is a p r o p o s e d  state con tract 

la w  d e v e lo p e d  to  regu la te  transactions in  in ­

ta n g ib le  g o o d s , such  as c o m p u te r s oftw a re , 

o n lin e  databases, a n d  o th e r in fo rm a tio n  p ro d ­

ucts in d igita l form .

W hy are libraries concerned?
U C IT A  w o u ld  valid ate term s in  sh rin k w rap  and 

c lic k a b le  lic en s es  that restrict uses b y  libraries 

that are o th e rw is e  a llo w e d  u n d er c op yrig h t law. 

C u rre n tly, m a n y  s o ftw a r e  a n d  in fo r m a tio n  

p rod u cts are s o ld  as s h rin k -w ra p p e d  p a c k a ges  

o r  as p r o d u c t s  d o w n l o a d e d  t h r o u g h  th e  

In tern et fro m  a v e n d o r ’s w e b  site.

O b ta in in g  s o ftw a re  a n d  in fo rm a tio n  p r o d ­

ucts th ro u gh  th e  In tern et is a c o n v e n ie n c e  fo r  

e v e r y o n e , lib raries in clu d ed . H o w e v e r , w h e n  

a b u y e r b rea k s th e w r a p p in g  o r  click s “o k ” 

w ith  his o r  h e r m o u s e , that b u y e r is e n te rin g  

in to  a con tract o r  lic e n s e  w ith  term s that m a y  

restrict o th e rw is e  le g itim a te  uses o f  th e  p r o d ­

uct, such  as le g a lly  tran sferrin g th e  s o ftw a re  o r  

d igita l w o rk s ; p u b lic ly  d iscu ssin g th e  p rod u ct; 

o r  p r o v id in g  access to  o th e r users.

M o r e o v e r, u n lik e  w ith  con tracts that are 

a c tiv e ly  n e g o tia te d , th e  b u y e r lik e ly  d o e s  n o t 

e v e n  k n o w  that h e  o r  sh e has a g r e e d  to  th o se 

con tract term s. In  o th e r w o rd s , U C IT A  w o u ld  

a llo w  an  e n d  run a ro u n d  cu rren tly le gitim a te  

p ractices u n d e r th e c o p y rig h t e x c e p tio n s  fo r  

fair use, first sale, an d  p reserva tio n .

W here did it come from ?
U C IT A  w a s  o rig in a lly  in te n d e d  to  b e  a r e v i­

s ion  to  A rtic le  2 o f  th e U n ifo rm  C o m m e rc ia l 

C o d e  (U C C ), w h ic h  has b e e n  a d o p te d  in  al­

m o st all o f  the states an d  territories o f  the U n ited  

States a n d  w h ic h  ensu res con sisten t rules g o v ­

e rn in g  con tract la w  fro m  state to  state. T h e  

N a tio n a l o f  C om m is s ion e rs  o n  U n ifo rm  State 

L aw s  (N C C U S L ) a n d  th e  A m e ric a n  L a w  Insti­

tute ( A L I ) are c h a rg e d  w ith  d raftin g c h a n g es  to 

th e U C C. B e ca u s e  A L I a n d  N C C U S L  fa ile d  in

1999 to  a g re e  o n  a draft, th e p r o p o s e d  statute

Lynne E. Bradley is O ffice  o f  G o ve rn m e n t Relations d ire c to r 
o f  ALA's W a s h in g to n  O ffice; e -m ail: leb@ alaw ash.org

is b e in g  in tro d u c e d  in e a c h  state as a stan d ­

a lo n e  a d d itio n  to  th e  state’s le g a l c od e s.

W ho are th e  proponents and the 
opponents o f UCITA?
P u b lish ers a n d  la rg e  s o ftw a re  p ro d u ce rs  are 

th e  p rim a ry  s u p p o rters o f  U C IT A . Libraries, 

c o n s u m e r p ro te c tio n  gro u p s , a n d  a n u m b e r o f  

b u sin esses h a v e  o p p o s e d  th e  en a ctm e n t o f  

U C IT A  as it has b e e n  in tro d u c e d  in sev era l 

states starting in th e fa ll o f  1999.

W h a t can academic librarians do?
D o n ’t w a it u n til U C IT A  has b e e n  in tro d u c e d  

in  y o u r  state! C o n ta c t y o u r  state le gisla to rs , 

y o u r  state’s a tto rn e y  g e n e ra l, a n d  o th e rs  to  

fin d  o u t w h a t m a y  b e  h a p p e n in g  in  y o u r  state 

before th e  le gisla tiv e  p ro p o s a l g ets in trod u ced . 
B e h in d -th e -s c e n e s  w o r k  b y  s u p p o r te r s  o f  

U C IT A  has o ft e n  p r e v a ile d  w ith  state le g is la ­

tors.

O n c e  U C IT A  is o n  th e  h o riz o n  o r  in tro ­

d u c ed , g e t in v o lv e d  in th e  a d v o c a c y  e ffo rts  to 

d efea t o r  a m en d  th e legislation. W o rk  w ith  y o u r 

state lib rary associatio n  to  d e v e lo p  a c oa lition . 

M e e t w ith  y o u r  state le gisla to rs a n d  e x p la in  

h o w  U C IT A  w ill im p ac t libraries, universities, 

s ch o o ls, a n d  o th ers in  y o u r  state.

W h a t is ALA doing?
A lth o u g h  U C IT A  m ust b e  a state-by-state e f­

fort, th e A L A  O ffic e  o f  G o v e rn m e n t R elation s 

is w o r k in g  to  c o o rd in a te  a n d  h e lp  state a d v o ­

cates share in fo rm atio n . (C h e c k  th e  A L A  W e b  

site at h ttp://w w w .ala.org/w ash off/u cita.htm l.) 

A L A  w ill c o n d u c t th re e  w o rk s h o p s  at th e f o l­

lo w in g  re g io n a l lib rary c o n fe re n c e s : N e w  E n­

g la n d  L ib ra ry  A s s o c ia tio n , O c t o b e r  1 -3 , in 

W o rch ester, M assachusetts; S ou th eastern  L i­

b ra ry A s s o c ia tio n , O c to b e r  1 1-1 3  at J ek yll Is­

land, G e o rg ia .; an d  M ou n ta in  Plain s Library 

A s s o c ia tio n , O c to b e r  2 5 -2 8  in  O m a h a , N e ­

braska, as w e ll as at th e  A L A  M id w in te r M e e t­

in g  in W ash in gton , D .C ., in January 2001.

C h e c k  o n  th e status o f  y o u r  state o n  th e 

W e b  site ( h ttp://w w w .4cite.org/H otN ew s.h tm l)  

o f  th e  c o a litio n  4 C IT E  (F o r  a C o m p e titiv e  In ­

form ation  an d  T e c h n o lo g y  E c o n o m y ), to  w h ic h  

A L A  a n d  o th e r lib rary association s b e lo n g . ■

http://www.ala.org/washoff/ucita.html
http://www.4cite.org/HotNews.html
mailto:leb@alawash.org


7 1 0  / C&RL N e w s  ■  S e p t e m b e r  2 0 0 0