Software Licences & Legalities

Hobart

I am sure that this has been asked before but could somebody please give me guidance on the lsgalities of multiple installations of the same applications.

AFAIK you can legally have, for example, MS Word 2000 installed on 100 machines and only have licences for 50, provided you only use 50 simultaneously.

Am I correct?

John2002

AFAIK you can legally have, for example, MS Word 2000 installed on 100 machines and only have licences for 50, provided you only use 50 simultaneously.

I seriously doubt that. To the best of my knowledge you need a separate license for each copy of the software installed.

That said, I have come across software which would have been running on a server, that would only allow a limited no. of simultaneous log-ons, based on the number of licenses that had been purchased. This is not the case with MS Word though.

Hobart

Sorry maybe I should have been clearer. I am only using Word as an example. What would be the situation where I had Word installed on my desktop, and word installed on my laptop as a backup? Do I need 2 licences for these installations, even though I am using only 1 copy at a time.

John2002

I'd still be pretty sure that you need a license as per installed copy regardless of whether you'd only be using one install at a time.

Snaga

Licenses differ per product. You should have a copy of it with the product packaging, go read it.

leeroybrown

I don't know off hand. Licenses differ, but I would reckon that the licenses for MS's Office products would probably be on a per workstation basis and not concurrent usage.

Meh

Go read your EULA (should be in Word Help somewhere) For example, the Office XP EULA on my office desktop machine says:

Applications Software. You may install, use, access, display, run, or otherwise interact with ("RUN") one copy of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, or any prior version for the same operating system, on a single computer, workstation, terminal, handheld PC, pager, "smart phone," or other digital electronic device ("COMPUTER"). The primary user of the COMPUTER on which the SOFTWARE PRODUCT is installed may make a second copy for his or her exclusive use on a portable computer.

Your EULA may be different, especially if it's a home version.

Gyck

A good bet is to check with the software vendor, or with MS directly. You may have to upgrade any existing licenses.

Hobart

Rang Microsoft. They told me to read Eula.txt, which I did. It stated more or less what was posted above previously by MEH. reading the line:

from EULA.TXT
* Installation and use. You may install, use, access, display and run one copy of the Product on a single computer, such as a workstation, terminal or other device ("Workstation Computer").

So I guess the product allows just a single installation.