A good rule of thumb is that there must be one authorized copy of a software product for every computer upon which it is run. If your software came with a license agreement, read it carefully before you use the software. Most licenses do not permit you to run your software on two or more computers simultaneously, or to make copies for your friends, your family, or your colleagues. Software acquired by the University is usually licensed. The licenses restrict how and where the software may be legally used by members of the University community.
Some institutional licenses permit copying for certain purposes.
Consult the appropriate campus authorities if you are unsure about the use of a particular software product. In 1964 the United States Copyright Office began to register software as a form of literary expression. The Copyright Act was amended in 1980 to explicitly include computer programs. Today, according to Title 17 of the United States Code, it is illegal to make or distribute copies of copyrighted material without authorization. The only exception is the user's right to make a single backup copy for archival purposes.