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Code of Virginia

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Code of Virginia
Title 59.1. Trade and Commerce
Chapter 43. Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act
11/24/2024

Part 5. Transfer of Interests and Rights.

§ 59.1-505.1. Ownership of informational rights.

(a) If an agreement provides for conveyance of ownership of informational rights in a computer program, ownership passes at the time and place specified by the agreement but does not pass until the program is in existence and identified to the contract. If the agreement does not specify a different time, ownership passes when the program and the informational rights are in existence and identified to the contract.

(b) Transfer of a copy does not transfer ownership of informational rights.

2000, cc. 101, 996.

§ 59.1-505.2. Title to copy.

(a) In a license:

(1) title to a copy is determined by the license;

(2) a licensee's right under the license to possession or control of a copy is governed by the license and does not depend solely on title to the copy; and

(3) if a licensor reserves title to a copy, the licensor retains title to that copy and any copies made of it, unless the license grants the licensee a right to make and sell copies to others, in which case the reservation of title applies only to copies delivered to the licensee by the licensor.

(b) If an agreement provides for transfer of title to a copy, title passes:

(1) at the time and place specified in the agreement; or

(2) if the agreement does not specify a time and place:

(A) with respect to delivery of a copy on a tangible medium, at the time and place the licensor completed its obligations with respect to tender of the copy; or

(B) with respect to electronic delivery of a copy, if a first sale occurs under federal copyright law, at the time and place at which the licensor completed its obligations with respect to tender of the copy.

(c) If the party to which title passes under the contract refuses delivery of the copy or rejects the terms of the agreement, title revests in the licensor.

2000, cc. 101, 996.

§ 59.1-505.3. Transfer of contractual interest.

The following rules apply to a transfer of a contractual interest:

(1) A party's contractual interest may be transferred unless the transfer:

(A) is prohibited by other law; or

(B) except as otherwise provided in paragraph (3), would materially change the duty of the other party, materially increase the burden or risk imposed on the other party, or materially impair the other party's property or its likelihood or expectation of obtaining return performance.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (3) and § 59.1-505.8 (a) (1) (B), a term prohibiting transfer of a party's contractual interest is enforceable, and a transfer made in violation of that term is a breach of contract and is ineffective to create contractual rights in the transferee against the nontransferring party, except to the extent that:

(A) the contract is a license for incorporation or use of the licensed information or informational rights with information or informational rights from other sources in a combined work for public distribution or public performance and the transfer is of the completed, combined work;

(B) the transfer is of a right to payment arising out of the transferor's due performance of less than its entire obligation and the transfer would be enforceable under paragraph (1) in the absence of the term prohibiting transfer; or

(C) the term is in a mass-market license, the transfer is made along with a computer, and the transfer is a gift or a donation (i) to a public elementary or secondary school, (ii) to a public library, (iii) to an organization exempt from taxation under § 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or (iv) from a consumer to another consumer.

(D) [Repealed.]

(3) A right to damages for breach of the whole contract or a right to payment arising out of the transferor's due performance of its entire obligation may be transferred notwithstanding an agreement otherwise.

(4) A term that prohibits transfer of a contractual interest under a mass-market license by the licensee must be conspicuous.

2000, cc. 101, 996; 2001, cc. 762, 763; 2002, c. 403.

§ 59.1-505.4. Effect of transfer of contractual interest.

(a) A transfer of "the contract" or of "all my rights under the contract," or a transfer in similar general terms, is a transfer of all contractual interests under the contract. Whether the transfer is effective is determined by §§ 59.1-505.3 and 59.1-505.8 (a) (1) (B).

(b) The following rules apply to a transfer of a party's contractual interests:

(1) The transferee is subject to all contractual use terms.

(2) Unless the language or circumstances otherwise indicate, as in a transfer as security, the transfer delegates the duties of the transferor and transfers its rights.

(3) Acceptance of the transfer is a promise by the transferee to perform the delegated duties. The promise is enforceable by the transferor and any other party to the original contract.

(4) The transfer does not relieve the transferor of any duty to perform, or of liability for breach of contract, unless the other party to the original contract agrees that the transfer has that effect.

(c) A party to the original contract, other than the transferor, may treat a transfer that conveys a right or duty of performance without its consent as creating reasonable grounds for insecurity and, without prejudice to the party's rights against the transferor, may demand assurances from the transferee under § 59.1-507.8.

2000, cc. 101, 996.

§ 59.1-505.5. Performance by delegate; subcontract.

(a) A party may perform its contractual duties or exercise its contractual rights through a delegate or a subcontract unless:

(1) the contract prohibits delegation or subcontracting; or

(2) the other party has a substantial interest in having the original promisor perform or control the performance.

(b) Delegating or subcontracting performance does not relieve the delegating party of a duty to perform or of liability for breach.

(c) An attempted delegation that violates a term prohibiting delegation is not effective.

2000, cc. 101, 996.

§ 59.1-505.6. Transfer by licensee.

(a) If all or any part of a licensee's interest in a license is transferred, voluntarily or involuntarily, the transferee does not acquire an interest in information, copies, or the contractual or informational rights of the licensee unless the transfer is effective under § 59.1-505.3 or § 59.1-505.8 (a) (1) (B). If the transfer is effective, the transferee takes subject to the terms of the license.

(b) Except as otherwise provided under trade secret law, a transferee acquires no more than the contractual interest or other rights that the transferor was authorized to transfer.

2000, cc. 101, 996.

§ 59.1-505.7. Financing if financier does not become licensee.

If a financier does not become a licensee in connection with its financial accommodation contract, the following rules apply:

(1) The financier does not receive the benefits or burdens of the license.

(2) The licensee's rights and obligations with respect to the information and informational rights are governed by:

(A) the license;

(B) any rights of the licensor under other law; and

(C) to the extent not inconsistent with subparagraphs (A) and (B), any financial accommodation contract between the financier and the licensee, which may add additional conditions to the licensee's right to use the licensed information or informational rights.

2000, cc. 101, 996.

§ 59.1-505.8. Finance licenses.

(a) If a financier becomes a licensee in connection with its financial accommodation contract and then transfers its contractual interest under the license, or sublicenses the licensed computer information or informational rights, to a licensee receiving the financial accommodation, the following rules apply:

(1) The transfer or sublicense to the accommodated licensee is not effective unless:

(A) the transfer or sublicense is effective under § 59.1-505.3; or

(B) the following conditions are fulfilled:

(i) before the licensor delivered the information or granted the license to the financier, the licensor received notice in a record from the financier giving the name and location of the accommodated licensee and clearly indicating that the license was being obtained in order to transfer the contractual interest or sublicense the licensed information or informational rights to the accommodated licensee;

(ii) the financier became a licensee solely to make the financial accommodation; and

(iii) the accommodated licensee adopts the terms of the license, which terms may be supplemented by the financial accommodation contract, to the extent the terms of the financial accommodation contract are not inconsistent with the license and any rights of the licensor under other law.

(2) A financier that makes a transfer that is effective under paragraph (1) (B) may make only the single transfer or sublicense contemplated by the notice unless the licensor consents to a later transfer.

(b) If a financier makes an effective transfer of its contractual interest in a license, or an effective sublicense of the licensed information or informational rights, to an accommodated licensee, the following rules apply:

(1) The accommodated licensee's rights and obligations are governed by:

(A) the license;

(B) any rights of the licensor under other law; and

(C) to the extent not inconsistent with subparagraphs (A) and (B), the financial accommodation contract, which may impose additional conditions to the licensee's right to use the licensed information or informational rights.

(2) The financier does not make warranties to the accommodated licensee other than the warranty under § 59.1-504.1 (b) (1) and any express warranties in the financial accommodation contract.

2000, cc. 101, 996.

§ 59.1-505.9. Financing arrangements; obligations irrevocable.

Unless the accommodated licensee is a consumer, a term in a financial accommodation contract providing that the accommodated licensee's obligations to the financier are irrevocable and independent is enforceable. The obligations become irrevocable and independent upon the licensee's acceptance of the license or the financier's giving of value, whichever occurs first.

2000, cc. 101, 996.

§ 59.1-505.10. Financing arrangements; remedies or enforcement.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), on material breach of a financial accommodation contract by the accommodated licensee, the following rules apply:

(1) The financier may cancel the financial accommodation contract.

(2) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), the financier may pursue its remedies against the accommodated licensee under the financial accommodation contract.

(3) If the financier became a licensee and made a transfer or sublicense that was effective under § 59.1-505.8, it may exercise the remedies of a licensor for breach, including the rights of an aggrieved party under § 59.1-508.15, subject to the limitations of § 59.1-508.16.

(4) If the financier did not become a licensee or did not make a transfer that was effective under § 59.1-505.8, it may enforce a contractual right contained in the financial accommodation contract to preclude the licensee's further use of the information. However, the following rules apply:

(A) The financier has no right to take possession of copies, use the information or informational rights, or transfer any contractual interest in the license.

(B) If the accommodated licensee agreed to transfer possession of copies to the financier in the event of material breach of the financial accommodation contract, the financier may enforce that contractual right only if permitted to do so under subsection (b) (1) and § 59.1-505.3.

(b) The following additional limitations apply to a financier's remedies under subsection (a):

(1) A financier described in subsection (a) (3) which is entitled under the financial accommodation contract to take possession or prevent use of information, copies, or related materials may do so only if the licensor consents or if doing so would not result in a material adverse change of the duty of the licensor, materially increase the burden or risk imposed on the licensor, disclose or threaten to disclose trade secrets or confidential material of the licensor, or materially impair the licensor's likelihood or expectation of obtaining return performance.

(2) The financier may not otherwise exercise control over, have access to, or sell, transfer, or otherwise use the information or copies without the consent of the licensor unless the financier or transferee is subject to the terms of the license and:

(A) the licensee owns the licensed copy, the license does not preclude transfer of the licensee's contractual rights, and the transfer complies with federal copyright law for the owner of a copy to make the transfer; or

(B) the license is transferable by its express terms and the financier fulfills any conditions to, or complies with any restrictions on, transfer.

(3) The financier's remedies under the financial accommodation contract are subject to the licensor's rights and the terms of the license.

2000, cc. 101, 996.

§ 59.1-505.11. Financing arrangements; effect on licensor's rights.

(a) The creation of a financier's interest does not place any obligations on or alter the rights of a licensor.

(b) A financier's interest does not attach to any intellectual property rights of the licensor unless the licensor expressly consents to such attachment in a license or another record.

2000, cc. 101, 996.

§ 59.1-505.12. Reserved.

Reserved.