>>> Not weird. Downloading and using are different.
> 
>> I think what's weird is that you don't need to agree to the license
>> before you download it.
> 
> Technically they are different things. The license presumably covers terms
> of use, not terms of downloading. If there *are* terms of downloading, yes,
> there should be a separate license for it, but nobody bothers with it.

In another part of the license, it says "by downloading this software 
you agree to the terms of this license" - but you cannot *see* those 
terms until after you download it. ;-)

Of course, as you say, uninstalling the software is a pretty easy 
solution to that...

>> What's illegal about using the software without a license?
> 
> Might as well ask what's illegal about driving a car without a license.
> After all, the car runs fine for the licensed as well as the unlicensed.

Here's the thing that jumps out at me: You can *prove* that you have a 
license for a car.

I have no way of proving or even *knowing* if I have a licence for this 
software. We paid a company some money and got given a box that contains 
[amoung other things] some software. Should I assume that we are 
therefore licensed to use that software? For how many PCs? We got a 
total of 3 CDs, so does that mean 3 PCs?

If I decide to claim we're licenced to put the software on 13 PCs, can I 
prove my claim? Can the makers disprove my claim?

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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