Compliance Plan

The following steps are planned in order to improve compliance of claims made on software products. Associations, manufacturers, importers and distributors of software will be the business sectors targeted for this plan.

1. Consultation with Industry and Consumers

Meetings with Industry and Consumer representatives will be held to obtain relevant feedback through comments and discussions on the results of the survey.

2. Corrective Actions for Non-Compliant Software

Corrective actions will be initiated with the Canadian responsible company when a software package is found to be in violation of the CPLA. Each claim is analyzed on a case by case basis to determine the status of the claim with respect to the CPLA.

The software marketplace will continue to be monitored for compliance by sampling and evaluating software products.

3. Voluntary Industry Guidelines and Consumer Information

The software industry, associations and consumer representatives will be invited to determine the need to develop industry guidelines regarding product claims, labelling and advertising of software that is offered for sale in the Canadian marketplace.

If industry guidelines are developed, two areas will be addressed. The first area relates to the validity of product claims and the second area addresses the addition of further information on packages of software. This will ensure that users of the products, both novice and expert, have enough information about the product to make an informed purchasing decision. Follow-up meetings will be held with software manufacturers, importers and distributors to discuss the completed industry guidelines.

A software purchasing information guide will be developed for Canadian consumers.

4. Recommended Solutions

There is a pressing need for claims on software packages to be complete and accurate because generally, opened software cannot be returned.

· Toll Free Numbers

When toll free numbers are provided on the outside of a package for technical support or for contacting the company, they should be valid in Canada, unless qualified.

· Shareware

If a product is shareware, the name "shareware" should be identified as a part of the common name. Consumers may not know what Shareware means, so a short description is necessary on the outside of the package.

· System Requirements

Accurate minimum and recommended system requirements should be listed on all packages. All features of the software should work on the minimum system unless otherwise specified. An acceptable disclaimer could be "No audio available on minimum system".

System Requirements include:

• processor/CPU speed, platforms
• minimum memory
• hard drive space (including cluster size)
• display requirements (video card, resolution, colour, video RAM)
• printer
• modem
• mouse
• sound equipment
• CD-ROM and CD-ROM speed
• game port, as applicable.

· "See Details Inside"

If there are any restrictions, expiry dates or additional costs for bonus offers, or if there is additional software required to run the program, this information should be stated on the outside of the package.

· "See additional information"

Any pertinent information should be provided to the consumer prior to purchase.

· "Free technical Support"

If long distance charges or any other charges apply, it should be qualified on the outside of the package.

· Claims

If a feature has restrictions, the restriction should be specified on the outside of the package; e.g. if a claim states that graphics can be imported, all graphic formats must apply, unless specific formats are indicated on the package.

· Pictorial Representations

The minimum system should be able to produce the pictorial representations provided on the package unless otherwise stated.

· Contradictory Information

Information on the outside of the package, inside the manual, the setup program and the help file should be consistent and accurate.