When we a buy a book, we all pretty much understand what rights our ownership of that copy gives us. But what about software? Do we even own the copy, or does the inevitable ‘the software is licensed, not sold’ assertion in the license agreement actually deprive us of rights we would otherwise have under copyright law? It’s a question that Congress and the courts have failed to clear up, often with gruesome results. — Ed Foster. Do software customers own a copy? Technology Industry