Title 59.1. Trade and Commerce
Chapter 43. Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act
Part 7. Breach of Contract.
§ 59.1-507.1. Breach of contract; material breach.(a) Whether a party is in breach of contract is determined by the agreement or, in the absence of agreement, this chapter. A breach occurs if a party without legal excuse fails to perform an obligation in a timely manner, repudiates a contract, or exceeds a contractual use term, or otherwise is not in compliance with an obligation placed on it by this chapter or the agreement. A breach, whether or not material, entitles the aggrieved party to its remedies. Whether a breach of a contractual use term is an infringement or a misappropriation is determined by applicable informational property rights law.
(b) A breach of contract is material if:
(1) the contract so provides;
(2) the breach is a substantial failure to perform a term that is an essential element of the agreement; or
(3) the circumstances, including the language of the agreement, the reasonable expectations of the parties, the standards and practices of the business, trade, or industry, and the character of the breach, indicate that:
(A) the breach caused or is likely to cause substantial harm to the aggrieved party; or
(B) the breach substantially deprived or is likely substantially to deprive the aggrieved party of a significant benefit it reasonably expected under the contract.
(c) The cumulative effect of nonmaterial breaches may be material.
§ 59.1-507.2. Waiver of remedy for breach of contract.(a) A claim or right arising out of a breach of contract may be discharged in whole or part without consideration by a waiver in a record to which the party making the waiver agrees after breach, such as by manifesting assent, or which the party making the waiver authenticates and delivers to the other party.
(b) A party that accepts a performance with knowledge that the performance constitutes a breach of contract and, within a reasonable time after acceptance, does not notify the other party of the breach waives all remedies for the breach, unless acceptance was made on the reasonable assumption that the breach would be cured and it has not been seasonably cured. However, a party that seasonably notifies the other party of a reservation of rights does not waive the rights reserved.
(c) A party that refuses a performance and fails to identify a particular defect that is ascertainable by reasonable inspection waives the right to rely on that defect to justify refusal only if:
(1) the other party could have cured the defect if it were identified seasonably; or
(2) between merchants, the other party after refusal made a request in a record for a full and final statement of all defects on which the refusing party relied.
(d) Waiver of a remedy for breach of contract in one performance does not waive any remedy for the same or a similar breach in future performances unless the party making the waiver expressly so states.
(e) A waiver may not be retracted as to the performance to which the waiver applies.
(f) Except for a waiver in accordance with subsection (a) or a waiver supported by consideration, a waiver affecting an executory portion of a contract may be retracted by seasonable notice received by the other party that strict performance will be required in the future, unless the retraction would be unjust in view of a material change of position in reliance on the waiver by that party.
§ 59.1-507.3. Cure of breach of contract.(a) A party in breach of contract may cure the breach at its own expense if:
(1) the time for performance has not expired and the party in breach seasonably notifies the aggrieved party of its intent to cure and, within the time for performance, makes a conforming performance;
(2) the party in breach had reasonable grounds to believe the performance would be acceptable with or without monetary allowance, seasonably notifies the aggrieved party of its intent to cure, and provides a conforming performance within a further reasonable time after performance was due; or
(3) in a case not governed by paragraph (1) or (2), the party in breach seasonably notifies the aggrieved party of its intent to cure and promptly provides a conforming performance before cancellation by the aggrieved party.
(b) In a license other than in a mass-market transaction, if the agreement required a single delivery of a copy and the party receiving tender of delivery was required to accept a nonconforming copy because the nonconformity was not a material breach of contract, the party in breach shall promptly and in good faith make an effort to cure if:
(1) the party in breach receives seasonable notice of the specific nonconformity and a demand for cure of it; and
(2) the cost of the effort to cure does not disproportionately exceed the direct damages caused by the nonconformity to the aggrieved party.
(c) A party may not cancel a contract or refuse a performance because of a breach of contract that has been seasonably cured under subsection (a). However, notice of intent to cure does not preclude refusal or cancellation for the uncured breach.
§ 59.1-507.4. Copy; refusal of defective tender.(a) Subject to subsection (b) and § 59.1-507.5, tender of a copy that is a material breach of contract permits the party to which tender is made to:
(1) refuse the tender;
(2) accept the tender; or
(3) accept any commercially reasonable units and refuse the rest.
(b) In a mass-market transaction that calls for only a single tender of a copy, a licensee may refuse the tender if the tender does not conform to the contract.
(c) Refusal of a tender is ineffective unless:
(1) it is made before acceptance;
(2) it is made within a reasonable time after tender or completion of any permitted effort to cure; and
(3) the refusing party seasonably notifies the tendering party of the refusal.
(d) Except in a case governed by subsection (b), a party that rightfully refuses tender of a copy may cancel the contract only if the tender was a material breach of the whole contract or the agreement so provides.
§ 59.1-507.5. Copy; contract with previous vested grant of rights.If an agreement grants a right in or permission to use informational rights which precedes or is otherwise independent of the delivery of a copy, the following rules apply:
(1) A party may refuse a tender of a copy which is a material breach as to that copy, but refusal of that tender does not cancel the contract.
(2) In a case governed by paragraph (1), the tendering party may cure the breach by seasonably providing a conforming copy before the breach becomes material as to the whole contract.
(3) A breach that is material with respect to a copy allows cancellation of the contract only if the breach cannot be seasonably cured and is a material breach of the whole contract.
§ 59.1-507.6. Copy; duties upon rightful refusal.(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, after rightful refusal or revocation of acceptance of a copy, the following rules apply:
(1) If the refusing party rightfully cancels the contract, § 59.1-508.2 applies and all contractual use terms continue.
(2) If the contract is not canceled, the parties remain bound by all contractual obligations.
(b) On rightful refusal or revocation of acceptance of a copy, the following rules apply to the extent consistent with § 59.1-508.2:
(1) Any use, sale, display, performance, or transfer of the copy or information it contains, or any failure to comply with a contractual use term, is a breach of contract. The licensee shall pay the licensor the reasonable value of any use. However, use for a limited time within contractual use terms is not a breach, and is not an acceptance under § 59.1-506.9 (a) (5), if it:
(A) occurs after the tendering party is seasonably notified of refusal;
(B) is not for distribution and is solely part of measures reasonable under the circumstances to avoid or reduce loss; and
(C) is not contrary to instructions concerning disposition of the copy received from the party in breach.
(2) A party that refuses a copy shall:
(A) deliver the copy and all copies made of it, all access materials, and documentation pertaining to the refused information to the tendering party or hold them with reasonable care for a reasonable time for disposal at that party's instructions; and
(B) follow reasonable instructions of the tendering party for returning or delivering copies, access material, and documentation, but instructions are not reasonable if the tendering party does not arrange for payment of or reimbursement for reasonable expenses of complying with the instructions.
(3) If the tendering party does not give instructions within a reasonable time after being notified of refusal, the refusing party, in a reasonable manner to reduce or avoid loss, may store the copies, access material, and documentation for the tendering party's account or ship them to the tendering party and is entitled to reimbursement for reasonable costs of storage and shipment.
(4) Both parties remain bound by all contractual use terms that would have been enforceable had the performance not been refused.
(5) In complying with this section, the refusing party shall act in good faith. Conduct in good faith under this section is not acceptance or conversion and may not be a ground for an action for damages under the contract.
§ 59.1-507.7. Copy; revocation of acceptance.(a) A party that accepts a nonconforming tender of a copy may revoke acceptance only if the nonconformity is a material breach of contract and the party accepted it:
(1) on the reasonable assumption that the nonconformity would be cured, and the nonconformity was not seasonably cured;
(2) during a continuing effort by the party in breach at adjustment and cure, and the breach was not seasonably cured; or
(3) without discovery of the nonconformity, if acceptance was reasonably induced either by the other party's assurances or by the difficulty of discovery before acceptance.
(b) Revocation of acceptance is not effective until the revoking party notifies the other party of the revocation.
(c) Revocation of acceptance of a copy is precluded if:
(1) it does not occur within a reasonable time after the party attempting to revoke discovers or should have discovered the grounds for it;
(2) it occurs after a substantial change in condition not caused by defects in the information, such as after the party commingles the information in a manner that makes its return impossible; or
(3) the party attempting to revoke received a substantial benefit or value from the information, and the benefit or value cannot be returned.
(d) A party that rightfully revokes has the same duties and is under the same restrictions as if the party had refused tender of the copy.
§ 59.1-507.8. Adequate assurance of performance.(a) A contract imposes an obligation on each party not to impair the other's expectation of receiving due performance. If reasonable grounds for insecurity arise with respect to the performance of either party, the aggrieved party may:
(1) demand in a record adequate assurance of due performance; and
(2) until that assurance is received, if commercially reasonable, suspend any performance, other than with respect to contractual use terms, for which the agreed return performance has not been received.
(b) Between merchants, the reasonableness of grounds for insecurity and the adequacy of any assurance offered is determined according to commercial standards.
(c) Acceptance of any improper delivery or payment does not impair an aggrieved party's right to demand adequate assurance of future performance.
(d) After receipt of a justified demand under subsection (a), failure, within a reasonable time not exceeding thirty days, to provide assurance of due performance which is adequate under the circumstances of the particular case is a repudiation of the contract under § 59.1-507.9.
§ 59.1-507.9. Anticipatory repudiation.(a) If a party to a contract repudiates a performance not yet due and the loss of performance will substantially impair the value of the contract to the other party, the aggrieved party may:
(1) await performance by the repudiating party for a commercially reasonable time or resort to any remedy for breach of contract, even if it has urged the repudiating party to retract the repudiation or has notified the repudiating party that it would await its performance; and
(2) in either case, suspend its own performance or proceed in accordance with § 59.1-508.12 or § 59.1-508.13, as applicable.
(b) Repudiation includes language that one party will not or cannot make a performance still due under the contract or voluntary, affirmative conduct that reasonably appears to the other party to make a future performance impossible.
§ 59.1-507.10. Retraction of anticipatory repudiation.(a) A repudiating party may retract its repudiation until its next performance is due unless the aggrieved party, after the repudiation, has canceled the contract, materially changed its position, or otherwise indicated that it considers the repudiation final.
(b) A retraction may be by any method that clearly indicates to the aggrieved party that the repudiating party intends to perform the contract. However, a retraction must contain any assurance justifiably demanded under § 59.1-507.8.
(c) Retraction restores a repudiating party's rights under the contract with due excuse and allowance to the aggrieved party for any delay caused by the repudiation.
§ 59.1-507.11. Reserved.Reserved.