[hackerspaces] Software Licensing

[Kive]

I definitely encourage you to keep yourself legal. Keep in mind that
Microsoft, at least, has specific programs for Windows (and MSDN!) licensing
that are dirt cheap, especially when they come with things like 5-year
software assurance. Other companies have similar offerings. Google around,
you should find them.

MSDN is -always- a per-head license, btw.

-kive

On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 1:38 PM, tetsu yatsu <tetsuharu at gmail.com> wrote:

> Members and non-members are asking that we get proprietary software on our
> systems, like Adobe CS3, Windows XP, and OSX.  I've actually been
> exclusively using open-source software the past few years, and didn't really
> consider that someone would want to run these things.
>
> Naturally, they feel that being a 'hacker'space, we have no concept of
> intellectual property and have no problems stealing software and installing
> pirated, potentially infected software on our lab computers.  But, being a
> nonprofit, we are going to get audited at some point, and I wouldn't want a
> bunch of bootleg installs of Windows to ruin our message.
>
> Likewise, a lot of people try to offer us pirated software and MSDN access.
> (Is it legal to share MSDN access? Shouldn't we just get our own MSDN
> account?)
>
> So far, I'm considering a policy where we only install software we have
> valid licenses for on lab computers, hopefully with a non-profit discount,
> but members may run whatever they want on their own machines they bring in
> since the space is not liable.
>
>
>
> I know some of you are very supportive of changes in intellectual property
> laws, but those of us following the laws until then, any advice?
>
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>
>
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