# Can an American use British software on their computer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 3, 2015, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-use-british-software-on-their-computer/716674 "2015-04-03T01:54:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-use-british-software-on-their-computer/716674/1 "2015-04-03T01:54:15Z")
I’m slowly learning CSS and while it’s interesting to use Dreamweaver at work, I’m not going to spend that kind of money for the program at home. I do want to use something with a similar interface, and I’ve run across an affordable program that looks similar enough to be worth giving a shot. But it’s manufactured in the UK. I know that DVDs are region-coded when it comes to TV shows and movies so buying a UK DVD won’t work in a US DVD player, but is there any reason to expect an issue with a data DVD? Are internal computer DVD drives region-sensitive, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-use-british-software-on-their-computer/716674/2 "2015-04-03T02:05:41Z")
> [@](#): > > I know that DVDs are region-coded when it comes to TV shows and movies so buying a UK DVD won’t work in a US DVD player, but is there any reason to expect an issue with a data DVD? I don’t _think_ so, at least not with the disc itself. It’s possible the installer for the software may refuse to install on a PC with a different regional setting but I can’t imagine that happening except maybe in niche cases. > [@](#): > > Are internal computer DVD drives region-sensitive, anyway? yes, but only to enforce region coding of _video_ DVDs. and I believe some/many drives allow you to change the region a limited number of times. ---
**Author:** ![Private\_Public](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Private\_Public](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Private_Public)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-use-british-software-on-their-computer/716674/3 "2015-04-03T02:27:04Z")
I’ve purchased software from the UK a few times, and I’ve never had any issues with it installing or running on my computer. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-use-british-software-on-their-computer/716674/4 "2015-04-03T02:32:54Z")
What software are you buying that still comes on a DVD, and isn’t available as a download? ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-use-british-software-on-their-computer/716674/5 "2015-04-03T13:44:49Z")
You will have no problem installing the software, except if the software maker explicitly doesn’t want it to run outside the UK. (I have never seen that happen anywhere.) One thing I have seen were restrictions on the license, like “may not be exported to country X” or “only for sale in countries Y and Z”; but it seems unlikely to happen in this case (UK -\> US), and anyway it would be enforced by salespeople and lawyers, not by the software itself. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-use-british-software-on-their-computer/716674/6 "2015-04-03T14:19:04Z")
> [@Heracles](#): > > You will have no problem installing the software, except if the software maker explicitly doesn’t want it to run outside the UK. (I have never seen that happen anywhere.) I’ve seen this happen once (and probably still occurs). Some spyware will check to see if the computer displays Russian text as default. If so, it will not install. This is because the spyware is being distributed from Russia; if it’s not on Russian machines, Russian authorities aren’t going to get infected and come after them. Other countries will have to convince them to prosecute, which they aren’t as likely to do if the virus isn’t causing problems in Russia. I’ve never seen it on a legitimate program, though. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-american-use-british-software-on-their-computer/716674/7 "2015-04-03T17:26:13Z")
Bear in mind that a good deal of the software on my computers is American. I always have to convince a new machine that it is British so that the keyboard works properly and it can spell our way. Come to think of it, that might be a major difference - the spelling in the instructions:)