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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

Software Licensing FAQ

How to identify Software Licensing

Below is a description of typical software licensing terms. If you are unsure of the type of software licensing your request falls under you may need to contact the software vendor for clarification. Otherwise, choose from one of the categories below:

Site License - a type of volume purchase that usually has rules or restrictions applied. The actual "site" of the licensed software varies, e.g. lab, dept, network, multiple networks, or campus. It is rare that site licensed software may be freely distributed.

Limited License - purchases of 5 or more software licenses. Usually a limited number of licenses available. purchase of 1 license for each computer upon which the software is installed.

Concurrent License - Concurrent licenses allow a number of users to access and use a finite number of software licenses at the same time, provided that the number of simultaneous users does not exceed the total number of licenses owned. St. Cloud State University uses Sassafras KeyServer to utilize concurrent licensing.

Freeware - Freeware is covered by copyright and subject to the conditions defined by the holder of the copyright. The conditions for freeware are in direct opposition to normal copyright restrictions. In general, freeware software licenses stipulate that the software is covered by copyright but copies of the software can be made for both archival and distribution purposes but that distribution cannot be for profit and modifications to the software are allowed and encouraged.

Shareware software - When you acquire shareware software under a shareware arrangement, you are actually acquiring a license to use it, not own it. You acquire the license from the individual or company that owns the copyright. The conditions and restrictions of the license agreement vary from program to program and should be read carefully.

Academic Edition Software - Full version of a commercial software that is discounted for the education marketplace. Most manufacturers have educational discounts for both campus departments and students.