Illegal to copy operating systems?

Every job I've been at, I've seen people left and right making copies of windows software(including myself). The idea is that it's alright since noone is copying the actual keys. Is this correct? Because it's what I generally do when I come across an operating system disc that I don't have in my kit.

I can't imagine doing my job without them.

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Comments

royal

Media copying is fine as long as the system you install it on has a valid software license for it.

JDMurray

royal wrote:

Media copying is fine as long as the system you install it on has a valid software license for it.

...and the owner/distributer of the media allows it to be copied. Some owners only allow a single archive copy to be made, while others require that copies must be obtained only through an authorized distributer. Make sure you know your license policy for copying and redistribution of any media.

KGhaleon

I see, thanks.

binarysoul

Conventinal copyright laws don't apply to software, especailly when it comes to 'empire' software companies. I would say copyright should be respected only to the point until a company becomes an empire. If we wree to allow a company to become more than an empire, we undermine social justice and equality whereby a single company will swallow an entire industry and play God

JDMurray

binarysoul wrote:

Conventinal copyright laws don't apply to software

It's a good thing that statement doesn't apply down here in the US of A. It doesn't make sense that anything I write is automatically protected by copyright except for software.

Software copyright
Copyright infringement of software

binarysoul

JD, I agree with you 100%. You might be interested to know though that Canada's law are very liberal when it comes to copyright laws that pertains digital media (DVDs, MP3s, TV time shifting and etc)

Today's news article below should shed some lights. My take is that the law of land should be repsected. The critics of a proposed copyright law argue that there should be a balance between the rights of copyright holders and public interest:

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/12/10/tech-copyright.html[/url]