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

Terms Used In Virginia Code 59.1-505.10

  • Aggrieved party: means a party entitled to a remedy for breach of contract. See Virginia Code 59.1-501.2
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Contract: means the total legal obligation resulting from the parties' agreement as affected by this chapter and other applicable law. See Virginia Code 59.1-501.2
  • Copy: means the medium on which information is fixed on a temporary or permanent basis and from which it can be perceived, reproduced, used, or communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. See Virginia Code 59.1-501.2
  • Financial accommodation contract: means an agreement under which a person extends a financial accommodation to a licensee and which does not create a security interest governed by Title 8. See Virginia Code 59.1-501.2
  • Financier: means a person that provides a financial accommodation to a licensee under a financial accommodation contract and either (i) becomes a licensee for the purpose of transferring or sublicensing the license to the party to which the financial accommodation is provided or (ii) obtains a contractual right under the financial accommodation contract to preclude the licensee's use of the information or informational rights under a license in the event of breach of the financial accommodation contract. See Virginia Code 59.1-501.2
  • Information: means data, text, images, sounds, mask works, or computer programs, including collections and compilations of them. See Virginia Code 59.1-501.2
  • Informational rights: include all rights in information created under laws governing patents, copyrights, mask works, trade secrets, trademarks, publicity rights, or any other law that gives a person, independently of contract, a right to control or preclude another person's use of or access to the information on the basis of the rights holder's interest in the information. See Virginia Code 59.1-501.2
  • License: means a contract that authorizes access to, or use, distribution, performance, modification, or reproduction of, information or informational rights, but expressly limits the access or uses authorized or expressly grants fewer than all rights in the information, whether or not the transferee has title to a licensed copy. See Virginia Code 59.1-501.2
  • Licensee: means a person entitled by agreement to acquire or exercise rights in, or to have access to or use of, computer information under an agreement to which this chapter applies. See Virginia Code 59.1-501.2
  • Licensor: means a person obligated by agreement to transfer or create rights in, or to give access to or use of, computer information or informational rights in it under an agreement to which this chapter applies. See Virginia Code 59.1-501.2

(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.