Q&A
Software licenses apply to machines

By Tamara E. Holmes
USA Today

Q. Am I infringing upon piracy laws when I use a friend's computer and software?

A. No. Copyright agreements have to do with the number of computers a given software program is installed on, not the number of people who use the program on the same computer. Single-license software agreements call for a program to be installed on only one computer, though a copy can be made for archival purposes. But such agreements don't forbid you from allowing someone to borrow your computer and software to work on a project, for example. They also don't stop family members who share a computer from using a particular program on that computer.

Q. If a computer I'm buying has internal speakers, I don't need to buy a separate pair of external speakers, do I?

A. External speakers are optional accessories, so you don't have to buy them. But despite the fact that internal speakers are standard to all computers, external speakers are frequently purchased. External speakers will enhance the multimedia capabilities of your computer, particularly if you plan to listen to online music, play games or access audio and video clips online.

Q. I have a Web-based e-mail account and it frequently won't accept my password the first time I type it in, but the second time it will accept my password. Do you know why?

A. There are a number of reasons why your Web-based account might occasionally reject your password. The problem could be as simple as a misspelling of your password, or it could be something more serious, such as a site outage that the e-mail provider is experiencing. If the problem continues and is a constant source of frustration, you might want to call the company's technical support representative or find another Web-based e-mail provider.

Holmes answers questions daily at www.usatoday.com