|
< Previous
What Do I Need to Know About Software and the U.S. Copyright Act?
The U.S. Copyright Act recognizes that all intellectual works (programs,
data, pictures, books, music, movies, television shows, drawings, etc.) are
automatically covered by copyright unless explicitly noted to the
contrary. The owner of the copyright holds exclusive rights to the reproduction
and distribution of the work. It is illegal to duplicate or distribute software
or its documentation without the permission of the copyright owner. If you have
purchased a program, however, you may make one copy of it for your own use only
in case the original fails to work.
May I Lend Software That I Have Purchased Myself?
Read the usage license agreement carefully before you use software. Some
licenses restrict use to a specific computer. Copyright law does not permit you
to use your software on two or more computers at the same time unless the
license specifically allows it. It may be legal to lend your software
to a friend temporarily as long as you do not keep a copy for yourself, which
includes not keeping a copy of the software installed on your computer. Read
the license that accompanies the software to see if this is allowed.
If Software Is Not Copy-protected, Do I Have the Right to Copy
It?
Lack of copy-protection is not the same as absence of
copyright. Lack of protection does not constitute permission to copy
software to share or to sell. Unprotected software enables you to safeguard
your investment by making a backup copy. In offering unprotected software to
you, the developer or publisher has placed a significant amount of trust in
your integrity.
Isn't It Legally ‘Fair Use’ to Copy Software If the Purpose In Sharing It
Is Purely Educational?
No. It is illegal for anyone to copy software for distribution to anyone
else if they do not have permission from the software’s author or
publisher.
May I Copy Software From Facilities on Campus So That I Can Use the
Software More Conveniently In My Own Room Or Office?
Software acquired by Dartmouth is usually licensed. The licenses restrict
how and where the software can be used legally. This applies to software
installed on the public computers and on the computers in the
instructional centers, software distributed on disks or CDs by departments, and
software available on central computers, file servers, Web sites, and networks.
Some institutional licenses permit copying for certain purposes. If you are
unsure about the use of a particular product, please contact the Computing Help
Desk at 646-2999 and select from the options provided, send electronic mail to
help@dartmouth.edu, or call your department's
computing support office.
I Have Two Computers - A Laptop and A Desktop. Can I Purchase One Copy of
Software and Install It on Both Computers?
It differs by software vendor, so read the usage license agreement carefully
to see if installing it on both computers is legal. Some licenses restrict
usage to a specific computer; others allow you to have one licensed copy on
both computers.
< Previous
|
