• Users must keep their Login ID confidential and must not make it available for use by any other person.
• Use only the Login ID account and communication facilities which you are authorized to use, and use them only for the purposes for which they were intended.
• If you suspect that your Login ID information has been compromised, contact the ThinkSharp Help Desk at helpdesk@ThinkSharp.com. Choose a password that's difficult to guess (i.e., not your name or birth date).

• Do not forge messages by hiding your identity or impersonating another individual.
• Do not impede, interfere with, impair, or otherwise cause harm to others (by forwarding chain mail, for example).
• Do not send unwanted or unsolicited mail. This may be regarded as harassment, threatening, and abusive.
• Do not download or post material that is illegal, proprietary, or damaging to ThinkSharp (for example, launching a computer virus or distributing child pornography via the web). See section on Intellectual Rights: Ethical and Legal Issues" above.
• Do not harass or threaten other ThinkSharp students
  

1. Unauthorized copying of software is illegal. Copyright law protects software authors and publishers, just as patent law protects inventors.
2. Unauthorized copying of software by individuals can harm the entire academic community. If unauthorized copying proliferates on a campus, the institution may incur a legal liability. Also, the institution may find it more difficult to negotiate agreements that would make software more widely and less expensively available to members of the academic community.
3. Unauthorized copying of software can deprive developers of a fair return for their work, increase prices, reduce the level of future support and enhancement, and inhibit the development of new software products.

A. What do I need to know about software and the U.S. Copyright Act?
Unless it has been placed in the public domain, software is protected by copyright law. The owner of a copyright holds exclusive right to the reproduction and distribution of his or her work. Therefore, it is illegal to duplicate or distribute software or its documentation without the permission of the copyright owner. If you have purchased your copy, however, you may make a back-up for your own use in case the original is destroyed or fails to work.
B. Can I loan software I have purchased myself?
If your software came with a clearly visible license agreement, or if you signed a registration card, read the licence carefully before you use the software. Some licenses may restrict use to a specific computer. Copyright law does not permit you to run your software on two or more computers simultaneously unless the license agreement specifically allows it. It may, however, be legal to loan your software to a friend temporarily as long as you do not keep a copy.
C. If software is not copy-protected, do I have the right to copy it?
Lack of copy-protection does not constitute permission to copy software in order to share or sell it. "Non-copy-protected" software enables you to protect your investment by making a back-up copy. In offering non-copy-protected software to you, the developer or publisher has demonstrated significant trust in your integrity.
D. May I copy software that is available through facilities on my campus, so that I can use it more conveniently in my own room?
Software acquired by colleges and universities is usually licensed. The licenses restrict how and where the software may be legally used by members of the community. This applies to software installed on hard disks in microcomputer clusters, software distributed on disks by a campus lending library, and software available on a campus mainframe or network. Some institutional licenses permit copying for certain purposes. Consult your campus authorities if you are unsure about the use of a particular software product.
E. Isn't it legally "fair use" to copy software if the purpose in sharing it is purely educational?
No. It is illegal for a faculty member or student to copy software for distribution among the members of a class, without permission of the author or publisher.

2. Alternatives to Explore
Software can be expensive. You may think that you cannot afford to purchase certain programs that you need. But there are legal alternatives to unauthorized copying.
3. Site Licensed and Bulk-Purchased Software
Your institution may have negotiated agreements that make software available either to use or to purchase at special prices. Consult your campus computing office for information. Software available through institutional site licenses or bulk purchases is subject to copyright and license restrictions, and you may not make or distribute copies without authorization.
4. Shareware
Shareware, or "user-supported" software, is copyrighted software that the developer encourages you to copy and distribute to others. This permission is explicitly stated in the documentation or displayed on the computer screen. The developer of shareware generally asks for a small donation or registration fee if you like the software and plan to use it. By registering, you may receive further documentation, updates and enhancements. You are also supporting future software development.
5. Public Domain Software
Sometimes authors dedicate their software to the public domain, which means that the software is not subject to any copyright restrictions. It can be copied and shared freely.
Software without copyright notice is often, but not necessarily, in the public domain. Before you copy or distribute software that is not explicitly in the public domain, check with your campus computing office.
6. A Final Note
Restrictions on the use of software are far from uniform. You should check carefully each piece of software and the accompanying documentation yourself. In general, you do not have the right to:

• Receive and use unauthorized copies of software, or
• Make unauthorized copies of software for others.