Software Licenses?

Question

If it completely legal if you and your buddies pool your money to buy software, which you share..?

Also...If you were to purchase a copy of software and installed it at home and at your office would that be legal?

Answer 1

EULAs vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but in general, a license is a grant to install software on one computer only. Many EULAs (End User License Agreements) will allow the software to be transferred from one computer to another, as long as it is completely removed from one computer before it is installed on another.

Some licenses (such as OEM and upgrade licenses) do not allow the transfer of license at all. I doubt than any software license would allow sharing of software between people who "pooled" money to purchase it... pooling the money is fine, but only one of you can install it.

As for using the software at home and at work, this is perfectly legal in many cases, as long as you completely de-install it from one computer before installing it on another. This will, of course, be alot of work, but is a legal solution that works (as long as the EULA permits license transfer).

Best of luck!

Answer 2

No, both of those are illegal.

A standard software license (Other than a multi-user license) allows you to legally install the software on ONE computer only.

Some commercial software allows the SAME user to install the software on more than one computer as long as only one copy can ever be in use at the same time.

Richard