Steps to Ensure Licencing Compliance

Illegal software is against the law and can have very costly consequences for your school.

Illegal software is more likely to fail, rendering your computers and their information useless. You can expect no warranties or support for illegal software, leaving your school on its own to deal with such a failure. Illegal software is also one of the prime sources of computer viruses that can destroy valuable data throughout a school.

There are legal penalties as well, including stiff penalties and criminal prosecutions, for every act of software piracy.

The risks associated with illegal software means that no legitimate business can truly benefit from buying or using illegal software.

There are a number of common misconceptions regarding software use. As a general principle, you must have one licence for every piece of software installed on a computer or for every user of that software on a network.

You can significantly reduce the risk of buying or using illegal software by adopting these eight easy procedures:-

1 Buy from a recognised dealer
Illegal software can be disguised in many forms. Some suppliers sell it as low priced special offers; others load it as part of a complete installation; and others offer full price counterfeits which look exactly like the real thing.

Your first step in reducing the risk of buying illegal software is to check that your dealer is a recognised dealer. Check that the dealer has available up-to-date sales material from the software vendor. Some vendors even authorise their dealers, so in certain cases you should be able to see certificates of authorisation. Overall, satisfy yourself that you are buying from a reputable company. Click here for Software Cental list of suppliers. 

2 Understand what you are buying
Take time to find out about the products that you are buying, and the people you are buying them from. Read reviews and talk to colleagues to build up your knowledge of both the product and the supplier. Your school probably has a growing dependency on information technology. It is, therefore, essential to consider what would happen if illegal software was purchased and it failed to operate as expected.

3 Check the prices
The software industry is competitive and you will inevitably find price variations between dealers. However, you should be wary of a price that seems too attractive. As a guide, check the offer against the publisher's recommended retail price. If you are buying a complete system, ask for the hardware and software to be separately itemised on the quotation and the receipt. It is also good practice to source at least three quotes from competing sellers.

4 Be sure that you're given a licence
Every legal software package is supplied with a licence. This applies whether you are acquiring software for use on one machine, software to be networked across a number of machines, or software that's pre-installed as part of a system. You should securely save these documents and scan or photocopy them  as a backup. A NCTE Software License Advice sheet which helps to clarify the different types of licenses can be found here.


5 Retain the original media
When you buy legal software, the package will usually contain the original media (either diskettes or CDs) plus documentation such as user instructions. You should be suspicious if they are not given to you.

6 Opt for multiple-user licences
Don't let your growing school get the better of your legal status. Opt for multiple-user licences (check with your vendor) which give you the room to grow organically without worrying about whether you have paid for the products your school is using.

7 Register your software immediately
Registering your software not only gives you additional assurance, but ensures that you can take advantage of all upgrade deals and other money-saving offers from your software-vendor.

8 Implement school-wide software management
 The initial purchase of software is only part of your investment. The only sure way to ensure against random and negligent copying is to implement a sound management structure - as you would manage any other aspect of your school's operations. You should look at procedures to prevent unauthorised downloading of programs from the Internet and from other media by students and other teaching staff.

Software management saves time, money,  keeps software and information compatible throughout the school, and makes it easier for your school to adapt to change.

BSA's website at www.bsa.org offers a variety of information on software management, policy, initiatives and copyright issues around the globe. Thay also have some free utilities to help with your Software management.

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