Here at Sixty-Five, we understand that you don't want to
buy any more copies of software than you have to. And we also
understand that there's a certain degree of unfairness in many
software licenses that you can buy from other companies. That's
why we've worked hard to set up a product licensing model that
is fair for both you and us.
Worry-Free Licensing
There are a lot of very irritating licensing models out there,
and we know that you don't like them. So let's start by covering
some of the things we don't do with our licensing:
- No "product activation." Our software will never
"phone home" --- it will not make any attempt to verify its
licenses using the Internet, faxes, or telephone.
- No hidden expiration dates. Our software will never
"self-destruct" once you've purchased a license to it. A
license for the very first release of SpaceMonger will work
just as well for that same software in 2060 as it does in
2006. It probably won't be valid for an upgrade in 2060, but it
will still work just fine if you want to continue to use
the 2006 edition.
- No "security DLLs." Our software will not hide DLLs and
other files in system directories in the name of its own security.
It will not start invisible services for security reasons.
It is self-contained within its installation folder, and we expect
it always will be.
This is all about trust. We trust you not to steal, and
you trust us not to do anything nefarious.
How to Count Your License Needs
Many companies assume that if you install one copy of the program,
you need one license --- no matter what your circumstances. Many users
find this model annoying, so we've tried hard to come up with a better
one that lets users be flexible in how they install the program and
still not violate the license terms.
Again, we reiterate that this is about trust --- we're letting
you potentially install more copies of the program than most licenses
would normally allow, so we're also trusting you not to abuse that right.
(And remember that even though our model is more flexible, it still can
be independently verified; you can't simply lie and expect to get away
with it.)
Let's start with the basic rules. Here's how to determine how many
license keys you need to purchase:
- Count up how many people in your organization will be allowed
to use the program. Call this number "USERS".
- Count up the number of computers in your organization on which
it will be physically installed. Call this number "SERVERS".
A single computer with multiple processors only counts as 1 (one) server.
- Count up the number of USB keys, Flash drives, CDs, DVDs, floppy disks,
and other removable media devices your organization owns on which
it will be installed. Call this number "ROVING".
- Last, but not least, count up the number of computers that will be allowed
to access installations of it on your organization's servers via a network.
Call this number "CLIENTS".
- Then, to compute how many license keys you need, follow this formula:
Number of keys = min(USERS, max(SERVERS, CLIENTS, ROVING))
(This formula can also be expressed as: Take the largest of
"SERVERS", "CLIENTS", and "ROVING"; if that number is smaller than
"USERS", then take that number as the number of license keys required;
otherwise, if "USERS" is smaller, take "USERS" as the number of
license keys required.)
That's the letter of the law, but what's the spirit? The principle
behind this is simple: You should be allowed to have one copy of the program
in use per license key purchased.
Let's look at how this works in practice with several examples:
Example #1. Just you and your family and one computer. You own
one computer that you and your spouse and kids all use regularly. You only
need to buy ONE license key because the program can only practically
be in use by one person at a time.
Example #2. You're single, but you own a desktop computer and a laptop
and you use both of them regularly. Even though you'll be installing
it on two computers, you only need to buy ONE license key, because only
one copy can practically be in use at once --- you use one computer, and
then move to the other, and then back again. Even though two copies
are running, you don't have enough hands and eyes to be able to type on
both computers at once, so you only need ONE license key.
Example #3. A family of three, with two computers. You have a
computer downstairs for you and your spouse to use, and Junior has his
own computer upstairs. Even though there are only three people, you
only need TWO licenses because only two copies can be in use at once.
Example #4. A family of three, with three computers. This one's
easy --- you need three license keys.
Example #5. A company that wants to install it on all its computers so
that all employees can use it. This is simple enough: Count up the
number of computers it'll be installed on, and count up the number of
employees; whichever number is SMALLER is the number of licenses you
need.
Example #6. A company that installs it on every computer, but attaches
security so that only the IT department can use it. Since the number
of IT employees allowed to use it is small, you really shouldn't need
that many license keys. Count up the number of IT employees allowed to
use it, and presuming that that number is smaller than the number of
computers it's installed on, take that number.
Example #7. A company whose head of IT wants to keep it on a single
USB drive in case it's needed for diagnosing problems somewhere, but
who doesn't plan to use it beyond that. In this case, you only need to buy
ONE license key, since it will only be on that USB drive. It can only
practically have one copy in use at a time, so you only need one license
key.
Example #8. A company that wants to install it on a central server
so that it's usable by all employees. No matter how many other
computers there are, it can't practically be in use by more employees
than your company has, so you count up the number of employees and buy
that many license keys.
Example #9. A company that wants to install it on a central server,
but only have it usable by the IT department. Count up the number
of employees in the IT department who will be allowed to use it, and buy
that many licenses. No matter how many different computers around the
building may be physically able to access it, if only certain employees
are allowed to use it, that's the true maximum number of copies that
can simultaneously be in use.
Get the idea? If you have questions about how many license keys you
need, or you want to buy a large site license (or worldwide license)
and not worry about licensing requirements, contact us
and we'll be happy to negotiate licensing terms that are agreeable to
both of us.
How to Buy a License
Licenses may be purchased via our on-line store. If
you have special licensing needs, please feel free to
contact us and ask before you buy.
How to Use a License Key
In all of our current software, you
download the program and then buy a license to it afterward. The
license comes in the form of a "key" that looks like this:
<![CDATA[User name: john_smith@yoyodyne.com
Organization: Yoyodyne, Inc.
License Key: AAAAAAA-BBBBBBB-CCCCCCC-DDDDDDD
EEEEEEE-FFFFFFF-GGGGGGG-HHHHHHH]]>
Your license key will arrive in your e-mail after you have
purchased it. (And the license key above is obviously fake.)
To register a program with a given license, simply copy the
information in the license key into the program's "License Box."
For example, to register SpaceMonger, you would click on the
SpaceMonger logo in the upper-right corner of its window, and then
click on "License Box." Then copy and paste the license key into
the "License Box" and you're done. The information in the license
key will be stored in your personal configuration file and nowhere
else. The "User name" and "Organization" are required, as the
program checks them against the license key to ensure that the key
is only usable by its buyer.
