Draggletail Posted September 3, 2006 Share Posted September 3, 2006 Is it illegal to zip software that you own and have a license key for? The reason I ask, I had a thread pulled tonight. My question was with regard to zipping some software that I own, paid for etc and have the licence key for. I wanted to zip it and put it up to my webspace to use next time we are in Aus. I don't want to take the CD because: A: I may forget B: Space is of a premium with a toddler (yes, even a CD) C: Cyberspace rocks Why take something with you when you can 'have it out there' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluePolo Posted September 3, 2006 Share Posted September 3, 2006 Do the terms & conditions for the software prohibit copying? If so, it may be illegal to zip it because zipping is a form of copying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr craig Posted September 3, 2006 Share Posted September 3, 2006 I'd say go for it, either that or get yourself someone to post the CD's to you in AUS (If thats possible). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggletail Posted September 4, 2006 Author Share Posted September 4, 2006 I'd say go for it, either that or get yourself someone to post the CD's to you in AUS (If thats possible). Well I could post a copy of the CD myself I suppose, but it's more a question of why my post got pulled re my question of zipping software that I already own. Is zipping it illegal? ..... Surely not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeP Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 Apart from saying the usual 'Approach the Helpdesk' I saw the posts concerned and there were actually a couple of compaints concerned about why people might do this. If you copy the CD - even of a program you own - in some cases you are contravening the T&Cs of the software publisher. In some cases they will allow a copy of the media to be made for safety purposes, but will frequently regard zipping a CD up into a single file as a modification of the distribution, and might suggest that it is a contravention of their T&Cs. It's an awkward one, and I'll admit we tend to be a bit 'blunt instrument' with regard to copying of commercial software. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 T&C's can say what they like, but they can't modify the law or your statuatory rights. So making a backup of a cd that you legally own cannot be prohibited or made illegal by the T&C's of a software license. However, that said, chances are that you have a license for a single installation of that software. So if you leave it installed at home, then technically you cannot install it on another pc elsewhere. A better solution might be to leave your home pc on and use remote desktop to access it from wherever you are. As hosting and downloading a cd's worth of data will be difficult and slow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeP Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 T&C's can say what they like, but they can't modify the law or your statuatory rights. So making a backup of a cd that you legally own cannot be prohibited or made illegal by the T&C's of a software license. However, that said, chances are that you have a license for a single installation of that software. So if you leave it installed at home, then technically you cannot install it on another pc elsewhere. A better solution might be to leave your home pc on and use remote desktop to access it from wherever you are. As hosting and downloading a cd's worth of data will be difficult and slow. Modifying the distribution might be viewed differently to making a straight backup - it's prodcing a 'derived work'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 Not really, a derived work would be different software. Nothing says that a backup must be uncompressed or on the same media. A license to the software is just that, it's a license to install and use the software. If you wish to take the original cd and transpose the contents on 600 floppy disks, or put it on your harddrive as an iso and destroy the cd, that's completely within your rights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeP Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 Good point, Cyclone! Not thought of it quite like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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