Software Copyrights

[jigneshdesai]

When you click on the "about" menu option in any Software , it will show you the period for which the Software is "Copywrited" . For example when my friend clicks on the "about" Option in his Windows Copy , it shows " Copyright" © 1981-2001 Microsoft Corporation " . When I click on the "about" menu in my McAfee VirusScan Enterprise 8.5.0i , it shows "Copyright 1995-2006 McAfee,Inc . All Rights Reserved" . What does this EXACTLY mean ?

What are the Legal implications of using a pirated product ( One which a person has not actually purchased but is using it since he somehow managed to get it's Serial Key from somewhere) while the Product is in it's Copyright Period & after the Product is in it's Copyright Period ?

What are the other issues involved ? For example , can one get regular updates on a pirated product after it's Copyright Period is over ?

 

[hang-the-9]

You can't use a "pirated" version any time legally. If updates work or not, it's up to the vendor how they allow or block them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_copyright

"Generally speaking copyright protection ends 70 years after death of author. " So if the rules used by books is used, you can use Windows 7 for free in about 2080.

 

[Ijack]

The message doesn't mean what you think it did.Copyright 1995-2006 means that some parts of the software were copyrighted in 1995, and some in 2006 (and probably other bits in the intervening years). As hang-the-9 says, copyright extends for 70 years after the death of the author. In practical terms this means that all software is copyright unless the author has specifically waived copyright.

To use it in the way that you suggest is an offence against copyright laws (not necessarily a criminal offence, but a civil suit could cost you thousands - or hundreds of thousands - of dollars in damages; not to mention legal costs).