The Internet has become an important competitive factor for software vendors.
More software requires mass marketing and distribution techniques.
These factors, as well as the other changing business conditions described below, continue to impact software licensing practices and legal protection for software. The World Wide Web is an increasingly important marketing and distribution channel Software vendors must continue to integrate the Internet into their business in a wide variety of ways in order to maintain their competitive position. This integration will continue to grow as bandwidth expands and network security improves. The World Wide Web has become an important source of product and related information and is often the first place a potential customer looks for information about a vendor or product. The Web enables a powerful method of direct distribution which, however, can conflict with existing distribution channels.