What is EULA?
When you buy or download most software, you don't own the software itself. You get a license to use it under the publisher's terms, and the EULA spells out those terms. You usually accept it during installation by clicking "I accept," and the installer won't continue until you do. Using software outside its EULA is a license violation even if you paid for it.
What a EULA typically covers
- How many devices or users may run the software, and whether it can be moved to another computer
- Permitted use, such as personal or noncommercial only
- Restrictions on copying, redistributing, reverse engineering or modifying the software
- Subscription length, renewal and what happens when the term ends
- Activation, updates and data collection
- Warranty disclaimers and limits on the publisher's liability
Common license types
| Type | What it means |
|---|---|
| Personal use | For an individual, often on a limited number of home devices; business use may be prohibited |
| Corporate (commercial) use | Licensed for business use, often bought through volume agreements |
| Per-seat | Each named user or each device needs its own license |
| Concurrent | A pool of licenses; only that many people can use the software at the same time |
| Subscription | Use is allowed only while the subscription is paid up; an expired subscription is no longer a valid license |
| Perpetual | A one-time purchase that allows use of a specific version indefinitely |
| OEM | Comes preinstalled on a new computer and generally stays with that hardware |
| Open source | Source code is available, but a license still applies. Copyleft licenses such as the GPL require you to share source code when you distribute the software or modified versions; permissive licenses such as MIT have fewer conditions. |
Compliance and audits
An organization must be able to show that every installed copy is covered by a valid, non-expired license. Software publishers can audit a customer's installations, and unlicensed copies can lead to penalties or back-payment of license fees. IT supports compliance by tracking licenses in asset management records, removing software that isn't licensed and limiting who can install software in the first place.
The EULA is the legal side of licensing. The technical side is DRM (digital rights management): product keys, activation and other controls that enforce the terms.
EULA on the CompTIA A+ exam
Licensing is Core 2 operational procedures material, grouped with DRM, valid and non-expired licenses, personal vs. corporate use licenses and open-source licenses. Typical cues:
- A user installs a home-licensed copy of an application on a work PC: a license violation (personal vs. corporate use).
- Software stops working after a renewal date passes: an expired subscription license.
- Unlicensed software turns up during a repair: follow company policy and report it through the proper channel.
- Bundled toolbars or adware the user "agreed to" in an installer's license screen are PUPs, not a license type.
- Free to download does not mean free of license terms; open-source software has licenses too.