By way of a Twitter post1, developers may become liable for damages caused by known bugs in released software. This is an issue that all developers need to pay attention to because it has a very broad range of implications for the industry. Could you imagine if NVIDIA, Apple or Microsoft were required to not only disclose all bugs in each build but also to close them before a release was possible? What time was spent on Vista could double or triple easily with this law. What about developers who focus on XBLIG and/or iPhone Apps? These small (one person) teams are in dangerous waters now and could face suits that they cannot financially defend.
While I agree developers should not be held responsible for serious damages (can a buggy driver burn down your house?), tying down the industry and its workhorse (developers) is not the way to go.
Notes:
1: @nuvm RT @a_williams: RT @cwoodruff: RT @atomicobject: Developers to be held accountable for shipping buggy software: http://bit.ly/Yhax3