Software contracts and the CISG

Whether a software contract falls into the 1980 Sales Convention's scope of application can appear questionable on a number of grounds: Is software a "good" under Art. 1(1) CISG? Does it make a difference whether the software is being transferred in physical form (on a data carrier like a CD or DVD) or being downloaded? Is a software contract a contract of sale, or is it a licence and therefore not governed by the Convention? Does the respective contract call for the software to be adapted to the "buyer's" wishes and specific requirements to such a degree that it triggers the exception in Art. 3(2) CISG?

Software contracts which were held to be subject to the CISG

Industrial ink-jet printers case I
Oberlandesgericht Koblenz (Court of Appeal Koblenz)
Germany, 17 September 1993 – 2 U 1230/91, CISG-online 91

The term "goods” in Art. 1(1) CISG is to be interpreted widely and comprises all objects that can be the subject of a commercial sale, including computer software

Software case II
Handelsgericht des Kantons Zürich (Commercial Court Canton Zurich)
Switzerland, 17 February 2000 – HG 980472, CISG-online 637

Computer programs (software) are "goods" in the sense of the Sales Convention

Software case III
Oberster Gerichtshof (Austrian Supreme Court)
Austria, 21 June 2005 – 5 Ob 45/05m, CISG-online 1047

The permanent transfer of a standard software stored on a data carrier against a one-time payment is regarded as a sale of a movable good and is therefore governed by the CISG.

Silicon Biomedical Instruments B.V. v. Erich Jaeger GmbH
Rechtbank Arnhem (District Court Arnhem)
Netherlands, 28 June 2006 – 82879 / HA ZA 02-105, CISG-online 1265

Software is a movable "good" in the sense of the Sales Convention

Corporate Web Solutions Ltd. v. Vendorlink B.V.
Rechtbank Midden-Nederland (District Court Midden-Nederland)
Netherlands, 25 March 2015 – C/16/364668 / HA ZA 14-217, CISG-online 2591

A software licence agreement can be regarded as a “contract for the sale of goods” within the meaning of Art. 1(1) CISG

Cases that touched on software contracts but did not decide on the applicability of the CISG

X-steel software case
Rechtbank Arnhem (District Court Arnhem)
Netherlands, 15 January 2007 – 444360\CV EXPL 06-3872, CISG-online 4692

The software-contract was not qualified and the applicability of the CISG not discussed, as the court declared itself not to be compentent for other reasons

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