What are your rights? The reason behind software licensing is that it exempts those who publish it from all liability under ‘consumer protection laws’.
There is no actual tactile product involved. The purchaser of the software has not rights and none are placed on the publisher either. Nor are there any requirements which state that the program even works.
When you purchase software you are buying the privilege to use it, in accordance with certain conditions contained in the licence. This privilege can be revoked by the software publisher at anytime, even without any just cause and if the publisher decides that they no longer want to support their product, or issue more licences, there is no recourse for the customer which leaves them in a sticky situation and might even force them to do something illegal, just to keep their systems running.
This is a very one way contract which is law. This law reduces the client’s right while affording new rights to software publishers who are able to invade computers and computer networks without permission. Publishers are also able to disable use of their product if they believe any infraction to the licence has been done, whether real or not.
In business, ethics as well as the cost of licence compliance must be evaluated as well as the cost of the risks if compliance is not adhered to. A business is in peril if they do not adhere to this compliance in every detail. Larger companies understand these risks and have found the consequences of infraction unacceptable, so in order to prevent penalties or worse, they have established strong licence compliance policies amongst users. This leaves the ‘licence police’ looking at the more defenceless smaller organisations instead.
Outsourcing your IT support enables you to leave these worries behind as your IT support company can look after the legalities and all licensing issues. That leaves you to get on with running your business.
