Software Copyright Issues

Now that I've got your attention....

 

When an individual or a school district "buys" a piece of software, what is actually purchased is a LICENSE for its use. Except in the cases of site or district licenses, most software licenses give the purchaser the right to load and use the application on ONE computer at a time. (Some producers have a "home use" policy that allows the purchaser to load one copy on a school/business machine AND one copy on a home machine.)

As educators, we need to be on the forefront of actively protecting the intellectual property of others. Just as it is improper (and illegal) to plagiarize or photocopy the works of an author, or to duplicate a copyrighted videotape, it is also improper to ignore the conditions of a software license. Please familiarize yourself with the licensing of software before loading it on your computer(s) or making it available across a network. If you have any questions concerning software licenses, contact your building Media Specialist, Computer TA or the Educational Technologist.

 

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