The biggest problem with software licence regulations is a lack of understanding. As of 2009, twenty seven per cent of the software being used in the United Kingdom was being done so illegally. This costs the British software economy over a billion pounds a year. A large amount in anyone’s books.
The root of the problem is that people confuse buying software and licensing software. Those who think this are wrong. When you buy software you are not buying the software itself, but a licence to use the software. Outright ownership of software is completely different.
Those who have trouble understanding this should think of it in the same way they think about their fishing licence.
Those who want to legally fish need to acquire a fishing licence. A fishing licence allows you to fish, but under certain conditions. There are a lot of regulations you must comply with.
Most people understand perfectly well that they are not buying the river where they will be fishing or its content, but buying a licence that allows them to fish on it. The same logic applies to software and software licence.
In nearly all cases you are not buying the software; you are buying a licence to use the software. You are essentially buying a fishing licence for software. You have a licence to use the software and you must comply with the specified regulations.
Software licence is all part of intellectual property law. Intellectual property laws serve a very good purpose. We must promote a greater understanding of software licence so we can repair the hole it is currently leaving in the economy.
Organisations are being educated on the matter by the British Software Association. The way forward is through education.
This does not mean that you will not be punished for neglecting your software licence. Staying on the software licence ball is your responsibility. A time will come when ignorance is not an excuse.
