Re: Software 'licensing' <RANT>

[at217@chebucto.ns.ca (Michael Hackett)]

Dark_Dude (Dark_Dude@darkcastle.ecore.fnet.org) wrote:

> But suppose you are married, and you have 2 machines..
> a 286 and a 386, and 2 children who need a computer. Would anyone
> buy WP two times to use it on both machines? Think of a normal family
> situation... How many people can really afford 2 copies of each program?

Just as you cannot legally steal a second computer because you can't
afford to buy it, if you cannot afford to buy two copies, you'll have to 
make due with one. The rules are the same despite the easier duplication
of software.

Now, this only means that you can't run the copies =at the same time=.
Unless the software license says otherwise, you are perfectly entitled
to put copies on different machines provided you can be sure that no
two copies will ever be in use at the same time. If you are the sole
user of the software, that's easy to demonstrate. If you and your wife
both use the same program but on different machines possibly at the
same time, you should buy a second copy. At least that's how I interpret
the laws.

If a license specifically forbids this, I'd look for another program
without such a restriction. However, I think there is some debate over
whether these licenses are even valid, especially when they try to
restrict the rights you are otherwise given by the copyright laws.
But I'll leave that for the lawyers to deal with.