1. Introduction

1.1. Purpose

This document constitutes the Software Use Policy for the School of Information. It clarifies the rules of using software on SI-owned machines, and using SI-licensed software on personal machines.

1.2. Audience

All SI faculty, students, and staff.

1.3. Rationale

Computers that are owned by the School of Information must comply with all University of Michigan Standard Practice Guidelines and policies as well as applicable state and federal laws.

Except in very rare instances, purchasing a piece of software does not mean acquiring full ownership of the software, but rather a right to use it under specified conditions, as specified by the terms of the license. It is important to know the terms of the license agreements before using pieces of software, as these agreements are protected by U.S. copyright laws. For more information, see the Ethical and Legal Use of Software, A Guide for Students, Faculty, and Staff at the University of Michigan, Reference R1174

2. Stipulations

§ Software purchased (licensed) for use at SI is managed by SI Computing, which is responsible for making sure that license terms are followed. All such software should be delivered to, and installed by, SI Computing staff.

§ Software licensed by the university or SI can only be installed on university- or SI-owned computers. There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as when licenses specifically allow for installation on personally owned machines, e.g. Mulberry (e-mail client) or VirusScan (anti-virus program)

§ Personally owned software should not be installed on SI-owned computers, with the exception of laptops for which users requested and were granted administrative privileges. To request these privileges, users must read and sign the Administrative Rights Service Level Agreement. This form must then also be signed by one of the following:

• Supervisor: for staff, and masters students working for a faculty or staff member
• A Dean: for faculty members
• A faculty advisor: for doctoral students

§ In order to keep track of the number of licenses of any software in use at SI, and ensure compliance with license terms, SI Computing uses Keyserver technology. All licensed software must be keyed prior to installation, and only the keyed version may be installed on the client's computer. There are two exceptions:

• Free software with no restrictions on who may install it.
  Examples: Firefox (browser); Thunderbird (e-mail client); Skype (IM client)
• Software for which SI or UM has a full site license, with no restrictions on the number of licenses installed. Examples: Microsoft Office; Mulberry (e-mail client)

§ SI Computing purchases software in order to enable SI students, faculty, and Staff to do work that supports the mission of the School. Software accepted for purchase must meet one of the following conditions:

• Software will be used by a substantially large segment of the SI community
• Software will be used for courses

§ Requests (with justifications) for software purchases can be made by:

• School’s administrators
• Faculty
• SISA

Students requesting new software should contact SISA or the faculty to make a request on their behalf.

§ Software may occasionally be purchased with non-SI Computing funds, e.g. for specific research projects, and installed by the end user, rather than SI Computing. The person(s) installing and using such software are responsible for making sure that they are in compliance with the software’s license, and with UM guidelines and this policy. SI Computing is available for consultation regarding licensing terms and use policies.