What Exactly is a Software License?

Fourth Ray Software sells a license to an application which allows you to use that application with certain conditions and restrictions (see the application's license agreement).

A license is a written, legally-enforceable agreement between Fourth Ray Software and you, the user of the software application. It protects both the company, and you, and sets up certain, clearly-stated agreements. A license allows you to use the software, but you don't actually own the software. Ownership remains with Fourth Ray Software, the creator and publisher of the software. In other words, you can use the software, but you don't have the right to the source code and tools that go into generating the software, nor being able to re-distribute it.

Fourth Ray Software grants you a one-time, 21-day trial period during which you can use the product for free. After that you must pay for the license, or the right to continue to use the application. This is fundamental to the way Fourth Ray Software conducts its business, and provides income for the company to continue to enhance existing products and create new software applications (and to pay the bills, of course).

Your one-time license fee pays for all the research and development we put into the application before you downloaded it, and the time we will invest into it in the future.