Using US software in the UK
- Thread starter Bes
- Start date
In most cases legally you cannot.
Most software comes with a "territory license" and the license can only be used within that territory.
This is especially the case with the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, Autodesk and the like.
Territory's will include: Europe, Asia, USA, Canada
It is of course all about the money.
These company's do not want you buying your licenses from say the US and then using them in the UK.
So for that reason you will be breaking the license agreement.
If you are a company that of course is a bad thing.
If you get audited by MS then the licenses purchased in the wrong territory will not count.
The fine is based upon the maximum number of years you could have been using that product.
So for example.
You use a US Office 2007 license and get audited my MS.
The fine for this would be:
4x Yearly cost to correctly license UK Office 2007.
If you're an individual, well of course the chance of an audit by MS or whoever is quite slim.
However you are breaking the license agreement and are actually no more license legal than somebody who downloads an illegal copy.
So, if you're going to go down the "breaking license agreement" route then you might just as well warez it - you'll be just as legal.
Most software comes with a "territory license" and the license can only be used within that territory.
This is especially the case with the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, Autodesk and the like.
Territory's will include: Europe, Asia, USA, Canada
It is of course all about the money.
These company's do not want you buying your licenses from say the US and then using them in the UK.
So for that reason you will be breaking the license agreement.
If you are a company that of course is a bad thing.
If you get audited by MS then the licenses purchased in the wrong territory will not count.
The fine is based upon the maximum number of years you could have been using that product.
So for example.
You use a US Office 2007 license and get audited my MS.
The fine for this would be:
4x Yearly cost to correctly license UK Office 2007.
If you're an individual, well of course the chance of an audit by MS or whoever is quite slim.
However you are breaking the license agreement and are actually no more license legal than somebody who downloads an illegal copy.
So, if you're going to go down the "breaking license agreement" route then you might just as well warez it - you'll be just as legal.
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 15 Mar 2004
- Posts
- 28,140
- Location
- Liverpool
Always been curious about this, say I wasn't really aware that large software companies territorialise their licenses. Say I buy a copy of Photoshop from the USA only to then find out that I shouldn't be using it in the UK, would the UK arm of Adobe be tolerant of my mistake, and say allow me to pay the difference? Or would I have to fork out the full price for a European licence?
Are you sure this matters? If I buy a copy of Windows while living in the US, and move to the UK, do you think that makes my use of that software illegal? I think not.
For instance, there are several ways to get microsoft software via legal downloads (including directly from microsoft) - these can be bought in every region and have the same EULA. Windows often has a European and a US version, the only difference being one has media player - but you can buy either wherever you live (or get them both as part of the same deal).
I expect it's the same with other publishers - they don't care where you buy it or use it. There may be packaging differences for different markets, but the software can be used wherever you want it.
Soldato
- Joined
- 31 May 2009
- Posts
- 21,468
Adobe would not find out.
They are too busy ignoring complaints about random crashes and flash being riddled with poo. Their legal department is all tied up into two divisons, divison 1 denign and division 2 ignore.
They very much care where the softwrae is bought and used.
I'm not talking about the small companies, but the large ones do.
Microsoft, Adobe, Macromedia, Autodesk to name a few all have "Territory" licenses.
The EULA will state in which territory you can use that license.
The example you use - I'm afraid yes, if you bought software in the US and then moved to the UK there is a good chance that you are no longer license legal.
When a company offers a download you agree to the License agreement for your conutry.
Look in the back of any license booklet and you'll see agreements for different countries and territories.
You maybe downloading the same physical software but your license agreement is different.
There is no difference between OEM, Retail, OVS versions of Windows.
However the license agreement for each one is considerably different.
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 17 Nov 2003
- Posts
- 36,747
- Location
- Southampton, UK
FYI, Windows 7 doesn't have a territory restriction, except if it's without IE or Windows Media Player which can only be activated in the EU. I think the same is for Office.
Hmmm. There licenses are in different languages, so they need separate sections. But I have never bought software with a different license for UK and USA: it's always, "English".
I know Windows and Office licenses are identical. Can you provide any actual evidence of differences in other software?