[P1] OT: Software Licensing

[Mark Kippert]

Jack Rodgers on 7/8/03 2:34 PM wrote:

>>  ACD Systems expects me to buy two
>> copies of Canvas 9 for both computers even though I only use one
>> Canvas at a
>> time.
> 
> Software...what a thing...it has made thieves, complainers and mad
> people out of so many of us, including me.
> 
> We don't complain about nor expect to use a set of tires on more than
> one vehicle nor to be able to eat that $50 dinner more than once nor to
> watch every movie in a theater on the one ticket (some theaters have 10
> or 20 screens showing different movies) even though we might try to
> sneak into another movie. But we will complain about a $50 piece of
> software license and that we can only use it on one computer...
> 

I think what David's biggest frustration is, is that back when he bought the
application, it was OK to have it installed on two computers as long as you
only used it on one computer at a time. Now the software vendor has changed
the license and considers it illegal to have it installed on a second
computer. 

We weren't thieves with the original license agreements but now we are. We
were told it was OK to install it on two machines (as long as it was used on
one at a time) but now it is illegal to install it on two machines.

More and more people are working both at home and at work and having the
application available on two machines allows you to be more productive. To
me it makes more sense NOW to be able to install an application on two
machines (running the application on one at a time) than it did 5 or 10
years ago when most people could only afford one computer.

-Mark