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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I recall that the license for BIAB sais that it allows for intallation on one single computer.
While I prefer to use it mainly on a stationary computer at home, there are times where it would be great to run it on my laptop, for instance to show new song-ideas to the rest of my (physical :-> ) band, while maintaining the possibility to separately mix/mute tracks.
Any chance of having a floating license, where the s/w can be installed on several computers but just not executing simultaneously?
Cheers Mikael
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thanks for your question, and welcome to the community.
This solution applies to Windows PCs; I don't know about Macs. The workaround is to install BIAB to the portable hard drive on which it comes and run it from there, moving the drive between PCs as you desire. This is feasible because BIAB does not write to the registry. You do need to install the PG fonts to each computer in order to view and print properly. I believe the HD is USB 2 compliant, so it works quite well.
If I've left anything out I know someone else will chime in soon.
HTH,
Richard
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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A. The program may only be used on a single machine.
B. ...
C. You may receive the program in more than one media. Regardless of the type or size of media you receive, you may install or use the media on a single machine. I was under the impression that the program could only be used on one machine at a time by the licensee. I don't think I will ask for clarification from PGM (ha, ha).
Last edited by Kemmrich; 07/08/13 03:57 AM.
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I thought I finally had it right, but maybe not. Miseg, better wait for a definitive answer.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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This question has come around before.
The gist of the answer is that the license can only be used by the one registered user on one machine at a time and thus it is okay to use the program on your desktop but also on your laptop as well.
--Mac
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I thought I remembered getting spanked pretty hard by the Good Doctor for making that assertion some time ago. Will the real EULA please stand up? R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Ryszard is remembering better than I methinks. From the "license.rtf" file that accompanies BiaB: PG Music Inc. License Agreement
CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS BEFORE COMPLETING THE INSTALLATION OF THIS SOFTWARE. USAGE OF THE SOFTWARE INDICATES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
LICENSE
A. The program may only be used on a single machine. B. You may transfer the program and license to another party if the other party agrees to accept the terms of this Agreement. If you transfer the program, you must either transfer all copies, whether in printed or machine readable form, to the same party, or, destroy all copies not transferred. This includes all modifications and/or portions of the program merged into other programs.
C. You may receive the program in more than one media. Regardless of the type or size of media you receive, you may install or use the media on a single machine.
D. The program (including any images, “applets,” photographs, animations, video, audio, music, and text incorporated into the program) is owned by PG Music Inc. or its suppliers, and is protected by international copyright laws and international treaty provisions.
You may not use, copy, or transfer the program, or any copy, modification or merged portion of the program, in whole or in part, except as expressly provided for in this license. If you transfer possession of any copy, modification or merged portion of the program to another party, your license is automatically terminated.
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I asked PG. Wanted to transfer to another machine. Answer was of course you can. You can only run it on one machine at a time. Fairly simple. Tou can't install it on two machines at one time. If installed and ran on the external hard drive and you transfer the hard drive from one machine to another you are running the program on only one machine at a time. What was said on the phone was use common sense. PG doesn't want you installing the program on your machine, your brother-in-laws machine and your best friends machine. I really like BIAB and have no problem supporting them with the purchase of the updates every 6 months, I don't want to cheat them out of anything and so I asked. They said fine. Best company in the music business to work with IMHO.
Dell 610 dual Monitor, win 7-10, Sonar Plat, ProTools 10 & 11, Reaper 4, BIAB/real Band 2022, Easy Drummer, Superior Drummer, Kontact Essentials, Personnel Orchestra, Korg Legacy Analog & Digital
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That's what I thought, Earl; thanks for confirming my original answer. I just hope the OP is still following the discussion. 
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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I'm with Mac's first post.
Peter answered this question 18 months or so ago and pointed out exactly what his staff told Earl. That is, "you can only use it on one machine at a time".
Peter then went on to clarify that if you are a single user and you have it installed (a) on your laptop and (b) on your desktop, it's only possible to use a "single machine at any one time" - you're either on one machine or the other. Peter said that kind of set up wasn't violating his company's license. (I think that this might fall under the category of what is considered reasonable fair usage.)
I remember reading it at the time and thinking "that's sensible" because a number of people on these forums use BIAB both at home and in live situations.
I don't remember reading a post that the interpretation of the license agreement has changed. If there was such a post, I must have missed it.
Maybe someone from PG Music will jump in and clarify the interpretation.
Noel
Last edited by Noel96; 07/08/13 10:49 PM. Reason: typos, typos and more typos
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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I can't comment on PG Music's policy, and if what is stated above is true, then it seems to comply with what I understand we are allowed to do with music we purchase (CD's, LPs, Downloads etc.).
I have an extensive library of LPs, CDs and even a few cassette tapes that I've collected over most of my life (so far). I also have a iPod that I listen to in the car (because the radio stations around here are boring to me - too much of the same stuff over and over and over and over and over and over and over again).
So I loaded almost 10,000 tunes from my library, put them on the iPod and I call it "Radio Bob". The only time Radio Bob gets played is when I'm in the car.
I'm not a copyright lawyer, but I believe I'm allowed to do that via the fair use rules.
Now if I were to give that iPod to anybody else without wiping those tunes from it, I would be breaking the law and I would also be breaking my own personal code of ethics.
Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove & Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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(because the radio stations around here are boring to me - too much of the same stuff over and over and over and over and over and over and over again).
Notes It's not just there my friend 
The bumper sticker said "I'm a veterinarian, therefore I can drive like an animal". Suddenly I realized how many proctologists are on the road.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Assuming that Mac's copy/paste of the license agreement is correct then if someone was told on the phone that the license permits a single user to run the software on more than one machine but NOT AT THE SAME TIME is clearly at odds with the plain language of the license agreement which provides no such thing.
It is GREAT that users care enough about licenses to ask the question and be willing to abide by the license's terms.
Such good folks deserve a written license agreement that conforms to the "oral history" of what it supposedly means. If PG's position is that a single licensee CAN use the software on more than one machine BUT ONLY at different times, then that's what the license agreement should provide.
As per Mac's copy, it says no such thing and in fact just the opposite. Judges are bound to strictly construe the "plain language" of a contract so long as the language is not ambiguous and there is no ambiguity in the language as written. It is not possible to install the software ONLY on a SINGLE MACHINE and yet use it on two different machines at different times.
I suggest that the license agreement should say what it means and mean what it says and that users who are honest enough to care and to ask should not be forced to rely on hearsay versions of what PG intends.
Just my 2 cents.
Best,
Jim
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My two cents is to not push it, pgmusic has proven to be lenient about such issues over the years.
And not "pushing" it works two ways, don't abuse their leniency, either.
--Mac
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..As per Mac's copy, it says no such thing and in fact just the opposite.... The language of the licensing agreement is clear to me and it is the opposite of your interpretation.
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Please, folks, lets not turn this into one of hose long argument threads.
Okay?
Thanks.
--Mac
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I'm doing allright for Country Trash ....
I used to care, but things have changed (Bob Dylan)
BIAB 2026W + RB M-Audio FastTrack C600, Rode NT2-A Digitech VoiceLive 4
Epiphone Sheraton, Ibanez 12str, Washburn 6str, Cort 6Str Nylon Yanagisawa Tenor Sax
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Please, folks, lets not turn this into one of hose long argument threads.
Okay?
Thanks.
--Mac With great respect Mac, I don't detect any arguing here. What I see is the search for the truth and a discussion of what that might be. IMHO all comments so far have been thoughtful and respectful and using "argument" to describe this thread is a stretch. Kemmrich, you are of course just as entitled to your opinion as I am mine. I can see that if you limited your inquiry to Mac's post of A. below you COULD reach the conclusion that the words "may only be used on a single machine" means "on only one machine at a time." What cannot be debated however, is the fact that the words "on only one machine at a time" do NOT appear in the text of the license agreement because they simply do not. So, you would litteraly be "putting words in the mouth" of the author of the license agreement by implying that the license means "one at a time". Since licenses are legal documents, one has to view them as a judge or jury would and the law SEVERELY RESTRICTS interpretations that are not clearly present in the plain language of the document. But when reading "A" along with "C" any hope of the "one at a time" interpretation goes out the window. "C" makes it clear that the user may only INSTALL the software "on a single machine." It is beyond doubt that if the software is only INSTALLED ON ONE MACHINE as the license requires, it cannot possibly be USED on any other machine...one at a time or ten at a time. Can we agree on that? Notwithstanding anything that I or anyone else has written, I must with great respect suggest that this thread makes two things clear: 1. That there is genuine confusion over what the license requires and; 2. That good people CARE about abiding by the terms of the license. Given those two things, I suggest with great respect, that PG owes its users...and especially those who WANT to abide by the license terms...to clarify them. And finally...Mac...I disagree with your "don't push it" advice. This is a matter that SHOULD be "pushed" since the BIAB user community should not be expected or required to keep this all hush hush and somehow operate in stealth mode hoping not to get their chops busted if PG ever decided to make an example of someone who they find to be in violation of the license terms. Best, Jim A. The program may only be used on a single machine. C. You may receive the program in more than one media. Regardless of the type or size of media you receive, you may install or use the media on a single machine.
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Please, folks, lets not turn this into one of hose long argument threads.
Okay?
Thanks.
--Mac With great respect Mac, I don't detect any arguing here. What I see is the search for the truth and a discussion of what that might be. IMHO all comments so far have been thoughtful and respectful and using "argument" to describe this thread is a stretch. Kemmrich, you are of course just as entitled to your opinion as I am mine. I can see that if you limited your inquiry to Mac's post of A. below you COULD reach the conclusion that the words "may only be used on a single machine" means "on only one machine at a time." What cannot be debated however, is the fact that the words "on only one machine at a time" do NOT appear in the text of the license agreement because they simply do not. So, you would litteraly be "putting words in the mouth" of the author of the license agreement by implying that the license means "one at a time". Since licenses are legal documents, one has to view them as a judge or jury would and the law SEVERELY RESTRICTS interpretations that are not clearly present in the plain language of the document. But when reading "A" along with "C" any hope of the "one at a time" interpretation goes out the window. "C" makes it clear that the user may only INSTALL the software "on a single machine." It is beyond doubt that if the software is only INSTALLED ON ONE MACHINE as the license requires, it cannot possibly be USED on any other machine...one at a time or ten at a time. Can we agree on that? Notwithstanding anything that I or anyone else has written, I must with great respect suggest that this thread makes two things clear: 1. That there is genuine confusion over what the license requires and; 2. That good people CARE about abiding by the terms of the license. Given those two things, I suggest with great respect, that PG owes its users...and especially those who WANT to abide by the license terms...to clarify them. And finally...Mac...I disagree with your "don't push it" advice. This is a matter that SHOULD be "pushed" since the BIAB user community should not be expected or required to keep this all hush hush and somehow operate in stealth mode hoping not to get their chops busted if PG ever decided to make an example of someone who they find to be in violation of the license terms. Best, Jim A. The program may only be used on a single machine. C. You may receive the program in more than one media. Regardless of the type or size of media you receive, you may install or use the media on a single machine. Well said Jim. This is a matter that PG should clarify. And if they do not, we are limited to following the letter of their license agreement, not interpreting it to suit what we think it should/could/might mean! I miss the simple Borland philosophy on this subject... "Borland was known for its practical and creative approach towards software piracy and intellectual property (IP), introducing its "Borland no-nonsense license agreement". This allowed the developer/user to utilize its products "just like a book"; he or she was allowed to make multiple copies of a program, as long as only one copy was in use at any point in time."
Last edited by JohnJohnJohn; 07/13/13 01:40 AM.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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A. The program may only be used on a single machine.
B. ...
C. You may receive the program in more than one media. Regardless of the type or size of media you receive, you may install or use the media on a single machine. But when reading "A" along with "C" any hope of the "one at a time" interpretation goes out the window. "C" makes it clear that the user may only INSTALL the software "on a single machine." Yes, I don't see this as arguing either. Let's look at "A" first. What does "single machine" mean? ... and what time frame as we discussing? What happens if your machine dies and you buy another PC -- can you install your copy of BIAB on that. Of course, so "single machine" is meaningful only in the context of time. What about the transfer of the license? Since you can do that, the phrase "single machine" again takes on another context. In "C", we have that big word "OR", which allows us some leeway. It is true that some companies are moving towards a stricter "install" license thing. MS Office has a version that allows only two on-line activations of a license and on-line activation is required. If there wasn't a history of "one machine at a time", I might agree with you on your interpretation. In any case, we all understand the "spirit of the law" even if the "letter of the law" is not really definable by us.
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Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
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