I’ve got a friend who works for a major university who can get software through the university at an incredible discount (up to 90% in some cases). What I want to know is if I get him to buy me a program I need, and I use it for work, is that a violation of the various copyright/license laws out there? (He wouldn’t be keeping a copy of the software for himself. I’d be the only one with the software.)
It would almost certainly be a violation of the license, which restricts discounted sales to educational and gubbermint use.
It depends on the license the software comes with. If it were a book, music CD, DVD movie or some such, then after the first sale, your friend can sell it, throw it away, whatever, no problem. But frequently software comes with restrictive licenses concerning resale. In general, the bigger the company, the bigger jerks they are about this. Some claim, in their licenses, that your friend is only getting the right to use the software with no right of resale whatsoever. Many people (including me) don’t think such licenses would stand up in court. Imagine if Paramount tried to pull the same stunt with DVDs. But until a court actually decides the issue, they can sic their hellhounds on you and make your life miserable.
So check the license, see what it says. (You can all stop laughing now. I know that you can’t read the license until you buy and open up the product. In many cases they won’t show you the license until after you install the product. Hilarious, right?)
Note that there might also be restrictions between the retailer and buyer as well. That in particular, the buyer won’t do exactly what you are suggesting.