Re: Documentation Issues: Lawsuits, Regulatory Actions

["Gene Kim-Eng" <techwr -at- genek -dot- com>]

There's a whole world of products out there besides software, and
most of them can't limit their liability in this manner.  If you manufacture
a set of brakes for a motor vehicle or a turbine for a 757's jet engine,
just try to claim that these are "not recommended as fit for any specific
purpose."  No amount of clauses in your product documentation will
ever save you from liability if your defective product is identified as
the cause of an event that produces "losses or damage."

Gene Kim-Eng



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Edwin Skau" <eddy -dot- skau -at- gmail -dot- com>


All software licenses I have come across include a limited liability clause.
The text is actually very discouraging to buyers (if they take it
seriously), and states unequivocally that the software and associated
documentation are not recommended as fit for any specific purpose and that
the vendor may not be held responsible for any losses or damage, financial
or otherwise, that may arise from the use of that software.

If your product doesn't have such a clause, your legal department is
napping.  this is a standard clause and doesn't discourage customers from
buying the software, using it and suffering losses :).

Interestingly, there only one other industry that popularly refers to its
end customers as "users".
:)

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