12. I have bought a lawful copy of a CD containing a computer program. Do I infringe the copyright by making a backup copy of the CD? What about installing the program on more than one computer (e.g. on my home computer and office computer)?

12. I have bought a lawful copy of a CD containing a computer program. Do I infringe the copyright by making a backup copy of the CD? What about installing the program on more than one computer (e.g. on my home computer and office computer)?

In reply to the first question, the answer is No. By virtue of section 60 of the Copyright Ordinance, a lawful user of a computer program may make a back-up copy of the program without infringing the copyright in the program if it is necessary for him to have the back-up copy for the purposes of his lawful use. However, this is all subject to the terms of the user licence for that computer program. If the user licence prescribes certain conditions for making a back-up copy, the user must comply with those conditions when making the back-up copy.

For the second question, the installation of a computer program is governed by the terms of the user licence for that computer program. You should read the user licence carefully to see if you are allowed to install the program on more than one computer.