Liability for defective documentation

Several companies are careless about the accuracy of their user manuals and online help, leading readers to believe that a product has characteristics that it lacks. Under American law, buyers of goods have a right to expect a manufacturer to stand behind its claims. False claims in documentation might subject the manufacturer to liability for breach of warranty, fraud, or deceptive trade practices. Warranty law has been evolving recently, with the development of the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act and revisions to the Uniform Commercial Code. Categories and Subject Descriptors K.5m [Legal Aspects of Computing]: Miscellaneous, D.2.7 [Software Engineering]: Distribution, Maintenance and Enhancement – documentation. General Terms Documentation, Human Factors, Legal Aspects, Verification. Keywords Contract, warranty, deceptive practices, fraud, UCITA, UCC, user manual.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2003
• Where: SIGDOC
• Authors: Cem Kaner
• Keywords: Legal Aspects, SIGDOC 2003, Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act, User Manual