licensing : Java Glossary

by Roedy Green ©1996-2009 Canadian Mind Products
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licensing

There are many ways of paying for software. The idea of software as a service like phone service or cable TV service has not yet caught on. Instead software is sold as if it were a piece of furniture with restrictions on how you may use it. The sorts of licence you will most commonly see are:

Single computer
The program may be installed on at most one computer. Any number of people using that computer may use it. If a computer is replaced, you can move the software to the replacement computer. You can move it from computer to computer, so long as you uninstall it on the computer you are not using it on.
Single person
The program may be installed on several computers, but only one person is allowed to use the program. If the person leaves, you can designate a new person.
Floating licence
The program may be installed on several computers, but only one person at a time by use the program.
Site licence
Anyone in one building may use the program on their computer.
Per seat licence
You must buy a license for each computer (seat) that ever uses the program. These is usually also a base fee. This is common in database software.

Most licenses include the preposterous requirement that you only make one backup of the program. The only sensible way to interpret that is you may make only one backup of the original CD to store offsite, not that you are prohibited of making more than one image backup (Ghost-style backup) of your hard disk.

You may or may not be permitted to sell your licence.

Enforcing licenses used to be difficult, but now that most computers are attached to the Internet, software can tattle back to central usage monitoring software to tip off the lawyers to gross violations. It is now common for software to be branded with the owner’s name in a tamper-proof way.

installer

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licensing : Java Glossary

Single computer

Single person

Floating licence

Site licence

Per seat licence