R
RoetherB
Guest
What is the name of your state? Kentucky
if a person were to legitimately purchase a piece of software, then lose the serial number or unlock key required to install it on a computer, could that person legally go out on the internet, find someone else's key on a web site somewhere and use it to install the software?
My friend's argument is that it would be fine, since the software is copyrighted and the serial number is not. My argument is that the serial number is part of the software itself, since it is required to use the software within its intended capacity, thus this would be piracy.
It is my understanding that a copy of software rarely "belongs" to the end user, rather the author has merely granted them permission or a "license" to use it under specified conditions and in exchange for a fee.
My friend also claims that if you find a way to unpack and install the software whilst never clicking on the end user license agreement during installation, you are not bound to its content. Considering that you can't tell a police officer "I'm sorry, I didn't know the speed limit was only 25..." and not get a ticket, that sounds very fishy to me... Granted, a law and a contract are two different things.
Please direct me to some statutes or precedents on the web if you don't mind... This debate has been haunting me for nearly a week!
Regards,
Brad Roether
if a person were to legitimately purchase a piece of software, then lose the serial number or unlock key required to install it on a computer, could that person legally go out on the internet, find someone else's key on a web site somewhere and use it to install the software?
My friend's argument is that it would be fine, since the software is copyrighted and the serial number is not. My argument is that the serial number is part of the software itself, since it is required to use the software within its intended capacity, thus this would be piracy.
It is my understanding that a copy of software rarely "belongs" to the end user, rather the author has merely granted them permission or a "license" to use it under specified conditions and in exchange for a fee.
My friend also claims that if you find a way to unpack and install the software whilst never clicking on the end user license agreement during installation, you are not bound to its content. Considering that you can't tell a police officer "I'm sorry, I didn't know the speed limit was only 25..." and not get a ticket, that sounds very fishy to me... Granted, a law and a contract are two different things.
Please direct me to some statutes or precedents on the web if you don't mind... This debate has been haunting me for nearly a week!
Regards,
Brad Roether
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