Software Use and Your Legal Liabilities

4. Acquiring Software

Being careful about how you buy and install software is essential if you want to be sure it is legitimate.

4.1 Only buy software from reputable sources.

• Typically, this will be a reputable dealer, or a partner outlet recognised by the software publisher.
• If in doubt, make further checks (see 4.2), or buy the software elsewhere.
• Be particularly wary of software sold through e-auction houses, as much of it is illegal. You also risk paying for software you will never actually receive.

4.2 Carry out some basic checks to make sure the software is legitimate.

• Software packages should typically contain a licence document with a serial number, a registration card and a manual. If you are buying multiple copies of software for use on a number of computers, you may only receive one licence document. Pre-installed software supplied with computers may only have an electronic manual.
• Check the packaging. Poor quality labels, photocopied manuals and the like are often signs of pirated material.
• If you are still unsure, check the licence number with the software publisher, preferably before you buy.

4.3 Make sure the individual responsible for software policy approves all software installations.

As well as new software packages you have purchased, these approvals should include:

• Free software, or software which can be downloaded from the Internet.
• Software upgrades.
• Installation on additional computers of software you already use.
• Employees' personal software for their own use. It is probably best to ban employees from using their own software on your system.