Legal use of software.
WHAT A LICENCE GRANTS
Permission to use software, under stated conditions.
WHAT IT MAY LIMIT
Number of installations or users
Type of use: personal, educational, commercial
Duration Whether it may be transferred
WHAT COMMON MODELS ARE
Per device Per user Per concurrent user Subscription Perpetual, with a version
WHAT OPEN SOURCE LICENCES DO
Permit use and modification, under conditions varying considerably between licences.
WHY THAT MATTERS
Some require that derived work be shared under the same terms.
WHAT TO CHECK
The specific licence, not the category.
WHAT THE RISKS OF NON-COMPLIANCE ARE
Financial penalties Legal action Loss of support
WHAT TO MAINTAIN
A record of every licence: what, how many, expiry, and proof of purchase.
WHY
Compliance is demonstrated by records, not by assertion.
WHAT TO REVIEW
Licences against actual installations, annually.
WHAT TO AVOID
Unlicensed software, which is also a common malware vector.
