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Questions and Answers about Software Licenses
Q. What is a software licence?
When you purchase software you do not become the owner of it, you obtain the publisher's permission to install and use the software subject to the terms and conditions of the publisher. Those terms and conditions are the licence. Software on a computer that does not have a corresponding licence is illegal. Typically the licence will be for a single copy (for use by a single user on a single computer), but can also be multiple or site licences.
Note: Having a CD or DVD with the software on it is not a licence. This is simply referred to as a 'media disk' and is the actual copy of the software. Having the CD or DVD gives you no right to use the software - the licence is your 'right to install or use the software'. This is why it is illegal to simply use someone else's CD to install software on your computer
Single User:
Allows one computer to have the software you purchase. This is what you usually get when you purchase a 'boxed copy' of software (that is with a disk and manuals). It would be illegal to put this software on more than one computer unless the licence specifically allows it.
Multiple User:
Allows you to put the software on more than one PC, the number allowed being specified by the licence. You may or may not get manuals and an installation disk. If you don't they can be purchased separately.
Site Licence:
Allows you to put the software on as many PCs as you like on your premises. Again, you may not get manuals and an installation disk and will have to purchase them separately at a low cost – typically about £20 for Microsoft software disks.
Q. What are the benefits of multiple/site licences?
Purchasing software under a licensing scheme will help reduce costs of software acquisition by:
- Minimizing unit cost of software
- Simplifying and centralising management of software licences
- Reducing the number of 'boxes' around the office
- Streamlining the ordering process
Q. How do I know how many licences I have?
Licence details can be found in a number of places and you should know where all licence details are. It is often a good idea to have the licences (or photocopies of the details) in a central, easily accessible, place.
For boxed copies of software, licences can be found in the box. Keep these licences with your records.
If you buy additional licences you may get a paper licence, a piece of paper showing the licence details or a piece of paper that tells you where to find the licence details (e.g. on the website of the software vendor). These pieces of paper or paper licence should be put safely in your records.
Alternatively when you buy additional licences you may not get any details of the licence itself, but you will get an invoice that shows you have purchased x copies of the software. It may also show who holds the licences (e.g. SX3 or Viglen) and under what agreement the licences were issued (e.g. Microsoft Select Agreement). In this case you should take a photocopy of the invoice and put that with your licence records.
For the NGFL networks put in by the CSA you may not have any documentation. In this case you should insert a sheet of paper into your records to the effect that the CSA installed X computers and that these computers were supplied with Windows NT, Office Standard and Black Cat Sheffield Toolbox software and that licences for these were purchased by the CSA. You will also need to say that the server was installed through the CSA and that a licence for Windows NT Server was part of that installation. The same sort of thing should be done for any software provided by the CSA.
Q. What do I do if I want to put the software on more computers?
If you don't already have a site licence or enough spare licences to allow you to install the software on extra computers, you must buy a new licence. This can be done through software companies or third parties such as SX3 or Viglen. They will then either send a licence, invoice or other proof of purchase as above. Alternatively you can buy a full-boxed copy, but this would be the most expensive option.
(If you do not have a CD or DVD with the actual software on it you will also need to buy a 'media disk' with the software to allow installation).
Q. What happens if I don't have enough licences?
"If an organisation is using illegal copies of software, the organisation may face not only a civil suit, but corporate officials and individual employees may have criminal liability."
(Federation Against Software Theft)
"A private member's Bill passed last week gives the police rights to search business premises and seize equipment if firms are using unregistered copies of commercial software. The new Act makes it an offence punishable by a fine of up to £5000 per item to use unlicensed software."
(Computer Weekly, 1st August 2002)
It is the responsibility of the school, not the CSA, to ensure you have enough licences. You should do a software audit as a matter of urgency and then regularly thereafter to keep within the law. Someone within the establishment, perhaps the ICT co-coordinator, network manager or technician, should have responsibility for checking that all software used on computers in the school is used legitimately.
It would be unreasonable to expect schools to produce licences for all the software they currently have. Some licences may have been accidentally thrown away and others may have gone missing over the years. Unless there is evidence to the contrary, assume that any versions of Microsoft Windows on any of your computers have been licensed. Establishments should check what licences they have now and store them centrally. As new software is purchased, the licences should be filed.
If you know that you have illegal software on your computers you have only two choices – buy a licence or remove the software.
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