I. Presuppositions A. Software written for personal computers falls into three categories with regard to the conditions under which it is made available for public use. Some PC software is offered free to the public, with no expectation of remuneration to the author or publisher, and often with the stipulation that it always remain free.
Some software is made available commercially.
The proper authors and publishers of software, of whatever category, have a right to handle that software as their own intellectual property. This includes the right to avail themselves of the protection of copyright, to charge whatever fee for its purchase they deem to be appropriate, and to place conditions upon its reproduction and use. C. Most commercial software itself remains the property of the author or publisher, with only a license for use sold to the public. The right to use license is clearly presented in the material that is sold, and the distribution medium is sealed and labeled in such a way that opening the package constitutes an agreement by the purchaser to accept the conditions of use outlined in the license. While the exact conditions of the license for use can vary widely from company to company, generally it forbids, for any reason, making more than one backup copy of the software for safekeeping by the purchaser.