Preventing Software Piracy
What is software piracy?
When you buy software, you don't own the software, you are buying a license to use the software. Under the terms of the license you are agreeing to only use the software on one computer at a time and not produce illegal copies or install the software on friends' computers. Software piracy is the intentional or unintentional illegal reproduction and distribution of software for business or personal use. Piracy is illegal and punishable by law.
We take software piracy very seriously. We monitor online auction sites and places where our software is commonly sold. We try to notify the sellers if they are breaking the law. We notify the authorities (the auction house, our police station, the seller's police station, and the FBI) immediately when we do find blatant cases of software duplication.
How does software piracy hurt business?
For every illegal installation of software, it robs the software company of money they would normally use toward paying their employees, funding research and development, programming new software, and providing helpful documentation, advertisements, television shows, classes and more.
If you want new and improved EQ software, don't make illegal copies!
Software programs represent years of work from many people. The Electric Quilt ® software represents more than 1000 pages of programming code and 15 years of development. Have you ever written 1000 pages of anything? Wouldn't you feel robbed if someone passed around your life's work without compensation to you? We do.
How do I report software piracy?
We cannot catch every instance of software piracy, so if you are aware of someone violating the software license, please contact us at customer service. All notifications will be kept confidential.
What would an act of software piracy be?
Software piracy comes in many forms. Please do your part to cut down on the illegal reproduction and distribution of software.
- Copying or Installing the Software for Unlicensed Users - When you buy a copy of our software you are the primary user and are allowed to install the software on computers you use PROVIDED that the software is not used on more than one computer at a time. You may install it at home and at work. The license does not allow you to install the software on your sister's computer, your friend's computer or anyone else's other than your own. You are also not allowed to make copies of the software and give the CDs away to others.
- Selling or Giving Away a Previous Version When You Upgrade - When you buy an upgrade at a discount you HAVE NOT bought a new license to the software; no matter if your serial number changes or if you get a whole new program rather than just patches to your original lower numbered program. You are bound by the licensing agreement from the lowest version of the software from which you started upgrading. If you give away any version of the software you must give away your newest version and uninstall all versions from your computers. If you bought the newest version and the previous version both AT FULL PRICE (not an upgrade discount) then you have two licenses to the software and may transfer one.
- Lending a Copy of the Software as in a Library - Our software may not be used by lending libraries; college libraries, school libraries, guild libraries, or public libraries. Software is not like a book. Software is installed on a computer and still remains when the CD is returned. By keeping a copy on the shelves you are permitting hundreds of illegal copies to be made. This is a very serious offense. We sell our books to libraries, but not our software.
How can I recognize software piracy?
It is up to you to be an educated consumer. It never hurts to contact us at customer service if you suspect something wrong with a purchase you are about to make. Warning flags would include:
- Missing items - shrink wrap, books, CDs, documentation, packaging.
- Outdated versions - make sure you know what is current on the market. If the current version is EQ5 and you see EQ4 on sale on eBay, chances are the person upgraded and is selling their previous version illegally. We do not enjoy telling customers they bought an illegal copy and are not eligible for upgrades, technical support, replacement CDs or manuals. They need to buy the program AT FULL PRICE in order to be registered and their money on the illegal copy was wasted.
- Unpainted CDs - if your CD is silver, unpainted, and has a serial number written on it with a permanent marker, of course it is an illegal copy.
- Serial Numbers - if the package arrives and the serial number is hand-written that should be a warning flag.
What is permitted through the license?
- You may install the software on more than one of your personal computers provided that the software is not used on more than one computer at a time. (Installing at work and at home is allowed. Installing at your summer home and winter home is allowed. Installing on your desktop computer and laptop computer is allowed.)
- You may make one back-up copy of the software for your own personal use. This must never be used, duplicated, distributed, or installed on any computer other than your own personal computer.
- You may transfer your license of the software to someone else provided that you a) uninstall all versions of that software from all your computers; b) give them all versions, all CDs, all backup CDs, and all manuals to the software; and c) notify The Electric Quilt Company of the transfer if you have registered your software. Such a transfer terminates your license to use the software.
A Special Note to Teachers
We love the fact you are teaching our software and are happy to help you in any way we can. You may install the software on computers in a classroom or computer lab to teach your class PROVIDED that no copies of the software are given to students and all copies of the software are uninstalled from all computers at the conclusion of the class. If the computer lab technician will not install the software without a written letter of permission, please applaud their actions and give them our thanks. Then, contact us at customer service and we can send you a written letter of permission once we have all the necessary information (your name, class name, dates, times, computer lab name, etc.). Also, you may want to write our webmaster and let them know that same information, so they can advertise your class on the Classes and Tutorials page.
A Special Note to Quilt Shops
You may install a copy of the software on your store computer PROVIDED it remains the store copy and is not distributed or resold. You should register that copy through The Electric Quilt Company, because it would be eligible for an upgrade if a newer version is ever released. You are allowed to leave it running for you, your employees, and your customers to use, demo and print.
A Special Note to Libraries and Guilds
It is a serious violation of the license agreement to lend software. Software remains on the computer even after the CD has been returned. Each time the software is leant, it is an instance of software piracy.
Please contact us at customer service if you know of someone committing software piracy.
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