[Fwd: [ALA-WO:794] INFO/UCITA: UCITA Fails to Receive ABA Approval]

["Olga Francois" <ofrancois@xxxxxxxx>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [ALA-WO:794] INFO/UCITA: UCITA Fails to Receive ABA Approval
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 14:05:39 -0500
From: "ALAWASH E-MAIL" <ALAWASH@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: ALA Washington Office Newsline <ala-wo@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 12, Number 14
February 11, 2003

In This Issue: UCITA fails to receive American Bar Association
approval

On February 10, 2003, a resolution recommending approval of UCITA (the
Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act) by the American Bar
Association (ABA) House of Delegates  was withdrawn by the National
Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL), the body
responsible for drafting UCITA. The ABA delegates were asked to vote on
a resolution approving UCITA's readiness for consideration by state
legislatures. A positive ABA vote is  a customary step in the process of
successfully passing proposed uniform laws such as UCITA.

The withdrawal of the UCITA resolution followed in the wake of
increasing  opposition to this controversial act  within the ABA.  Prior
to the opening of the ABA Midyear Meeting in Seattle this weekend, UCITA
failed to garner support from six ABA sections, including the Business
Law, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Torts and Insurance Practice and
Science and Technology sections. In addition, two committees , the
Section Officers' Council's Technology Committee and the ABA Standing
Committee on Law and National Security failed to support passage of the
resolution. Seven of the nine members of the ABA  Working Group
appointed  to review UCITA in 2001advised the House of Delegates that
recent amendments to UCITA still did not make UCITA appropriate for
approval at this time. 

The withdrawal of the resolution indicates that UCITA lacks the
consensus and support needed for successful passage of a uniform state
law. Currently, UCITA is an active bill  in Oklahoma.

ALA joined with the  Association of Research Libraries, the American
Association of Law Libraries, the Special Libraries Association, the
Medical Libraries Association, the Art Libraries Society of North
American and  the Association of American Universities in sending a
joint letter to all of the House of Delegates members last week. 
(http://www.ala.org/washoff/ucita/ABAltr0203.pdf) The library
associations were founding members of AFFECT, Americans for Fair
Electronic Commerce Transactions, the national coalition of businesses,
financial institutions, consumer advocates and technology professionals
that has been the leading force in opposing UCITA.

For more information contact Carol Ashworth,  ALA UCITA Grassroots
Coordinator cashworth@xxxxxxxxxxx
www.ala.org/washoff/ucita.html 

******
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