Software Policy for Allegany County Government

General Statement of Policy. It is the policy of Allegany County Government to respect all computer software copyrights and to adhere to the terms of all software licenses to which Allegany County Government is a party.

Allegany County Government users may not duplicate any licensed software or related documentation for use either on Allegany County Government premises or elsewhere unless Allegany County Government is expressly authorized to do so by agreement with the licenser. Unauthorized duplication of software may subject users and/or Allegany County Government to both civil and criminal penalties under the United States Copyright Act.

Users may not give software to any outsiders including clients, contractors, customers, and others. Allegany County Government users may use software on local area networks or on multiple machines only in accordance with applicable license agreements.

Budgeting for Software. When acquiring computer hardware and software, training must be budgeted at the same time. When purchasing software for existing computers, such purchases will be charged to the department's budget for information technology or an appropriate budget set aside for tracking software purchases.

Acquisition of Software. All software acquired by Allegany County Government must be approved through the Information Technology Coordinator. Software may not be purchased through user corporate credit cards, petty cash, travel, or entertainment budgets. Software acquisition channels are restricted to ensure that Allegany County Government has a complete record of all software that has been purchased for Allegany County Government computers and can register, support, and upgrade such software accordingly.

Registration of Software. When software is delivered, it must first be delivered to the Information Technology Coordinator so he/she can complete registration and inventory requirements. The Information Technology Coordinator is responsible for completing the registration card and returning it to the software publisher. Software must be registered in the name of Allegany County Government. Due to personnel turnover, software will never be registered in the name of the individual user.

Installation of Software. After the registration requirements above have been met, the Information Technology Division will install the software. Manuals, tutorials, and other user materials will be provided to the user. A copy of the applicable license agreement will be provided to the user. Once installed on the hard drive, the original diskettes will be kept in a safe storage area maintained by the Information Technology Coordinator.

Home Computers. Allegany County Government computers are organization-owned assets and must be kept both software legal and virus free. Only software purchased through the procedures outlined above may be used on Allegany County Government machines. Users are not permitted to bring software from home and load it onto Allegany County government computers. Generally, organization-owned software cannot be taken home and loaded on a user's home computer if it also resides on Allegany County Government computer.  If a user is to use software at home, Allegany County Government will purchase a separate package and record it as an organization-owned asset in the software register. However, some software companies provide in their license agreements that home use is permitted under certain circumstances. If a user needs to use software at home, he/she should consult with the Information Technology Coordinator to determine if appropriate licenses allow for home use.

Shareware. Shareware software is copyrighted software that is distributed freely through bulletin boards and online services. It is the policy of Allegany County Government to pay shareware authors the fee they specify for use of their products. Registration of shareware products will be handled the same way as for commercial software products.

Quarterly Audits. The Information Technology Coordinator will conduct a quarterly audit of all Allegany County Government PCs, including portables, to ensure that Allegany County Government is in compliance with all software licenses. Surprise audits may be conducted as well. Audits will be conducted using an auditing software product. Also, during the quarterly audit, Allegany County Government will search for computer viruses and eliminate any that are found. The full cooperation of all users is required during audits.

Penalties and Reprimands. According to the US Copyright Act, illegal reproduction of software is subject to civil damages of as much as US $100,000 per title infringed, and criminal penalties, including fines of as much as US $250,000 per title infringed and imprisonment of up to five years. An Allegany County Government user who makes, acquires, or uses unauthorized copies of software will be disciplined as appropriate under the circumstance. Such discipline may include termination of employment. Allegany County Government does not condone the illegal duplication of software and will not tolerate it.

User Agreement. If you have any additional questions about the above policies, address them to Information Technology Coordinator at 30l-777-2438 ext. 309 before signing this agreement.

I have read the Allegany County Government anti-piracy statement and agree to abide by it as consideration for my continued employment by Allegany County Government. I understand that violation of any above policies may result in my termination. 

Software Code of Ethics

PURPOSE

All users will use software only in accordance with its license agreement. Unless otherwise provided in the license, any duplication of copyrighted software, except for backup and archival purposes, is a violation of copyright law. In addition to violating copyright law, unauthorized duplication of software is contrary to Allegany County Government standards of conduct. The following points are to be followed to comply with software license agreements:

1. We will use all software in accordance with its license agreements.

2. Legitimate software will promptly be provided to all users who need it. No Allegany County Government user will make any unauthorized copies of any software under any circumstances. Anyone found copying software other than for backup purposes is subject to disciplinary action.

3.  We will not tolerate the use of any unauthorized copies of software in our organization. Any person illegally reproducing software can be subject to civil and criminal penalties including fines and imprisonment. We do not condone illegal copying of software under any circumstances and anyone who makes, uses, or otherwise acquires unauthorized software will be appropriately disciplined.

4. No user will give software to any outsiders including clients, customers, and others,

5. Any user who determines that there may be a misuse of software within the organization will notify the Information Technology Coordinator, department manager, or legal counsel.

6. All software used by the organization on organization-owned computers will be purchased through appropriate procedures.

 I have read the Allegany County Government software code of ethics. I am fully aware of our software compliance policies and agree to abide by those policies. I understand that violation of any above policies may result in my termination.