For most software packages, a separate license is required for every computer that the software package is installed upon. It is the responsibility of each member of the faculty and staff to make sure that the software applications they are using are properly and legally licensed.

Most license agreements also specify that the package purchased by the University must be used on University owned computers, and not personally owned ones. Purchasing a license for a software package for a University owned machine does not automatically give you rights to install the same package on a personally owned home computer. The license agreement for the package must be checked to verify that “home use” or “work at home” rights are specifically granted as part of the license purchased by the University.

The purchase of a license generally gives the user rights for a specific version of the software. It does not guarantee that you can upgrade to later versions of the software at no charge. You should inquire about annual maintenance agreements that would enable you to upgrade the software package when newer versions are released. If you do not have a maintenance agreement in place, you generally have to purchase an upgrade license or purchase a totally new license to move to a newer version of the software package.