Backup to CD

[Richard Mateosian <srm -at- C2 -dot- ORG>]

I originally sent this to Geoff Hart <geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA>. He asked me to
post it to the list with a paraphrase of his reply.

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>On the same CD, we'll be storing the same version of the operating system
>and applications (Windows 3.1, AmiPro and Corel) that created the material.

You may have a software licensing issue to deal with.  ...RM
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The gist of Geoff's reply:

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  1. Most software licenses now permit users to make at least one backup
     copy. The intention of licensing is usually to get people to pay for
     using software, not to prevent them from protecting their investment,
     and since the CD version would never be used simultaneously with the
     current licensed version, this should fall within the guidelines.

  2. Even where the license doesn't explicitly permit backups or
     explicitly prohibits them, I've read (don't recall where) that such
     licenses are generally impossible to enforce legally... even if the
     developers could catch you.
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Anyone have anything to add?   ...RM

Richard Mateosian                               President, Berkeley STC
Freelance Technical Writer     srm -at- c2 -dot- org     Review Editor, IEEE Micro