Start with the work being done
The useful decision is whether a particular person or device can use a particular software edition for the studio’s current work. An invoice helps establish what was bought, but does not explain every permitted use. Successful activation is also not a substitute for reading the applicable licence. Start with tools used for client drawings, layouts and renders, including separately licensed plug-ins, then expand to other business software.
Hong Kong’s Intellectual Property Department explains in Q2 of its copyright amendment FAQ that knowingly possessing infringing copies of computer software for business use attracts criminal liability, covering individuals and organisations whether profit-making or not. That older FAQ remains linked from its business-user guidance page. This supports careful investigation, not declaring every missing receipt or inventory mismatch a proved offence. Check uncertain entitlement with the vendor or a legal adviser.
Build a traceable worksheet
Use one row for each installation or user assignment, linked to a common entitlement reference where rows share a purchase. This avoids counting the same invoice repeatedly as extra capacity. Administration can locate orders while the device manager confirms installed versions. Record the clause or written vendor confirmation supporting the intended use, with its date and document location. Keep evidence in a restricted company folder; do not put passwords or full activation keys in a broadly shared sheet.
| Product and version | Exact product, edition, version and separately licensed plug-ins |
|---|---|
| Device or user | Asset ID or assigned user; actual task; relevant shared or remote use |
| Purchase evidence | Order or invoice, purchasing entity, entitlement reference, quantity and assignments |
| Permitted-use terms | Dated terms or confirmation covering business use, version, user/device limits and relevant expiry or transfer rules |
| Owner and review | Internal owner, evidence location, reviewer and check date |
| Exception and action | Confirmed match, missing evidence or possible mismatch; question, interim use decision, action owner and follow-up date |
Compare the measure used by the licence: named users, devices and concurrent sessions are different questions. An installation count alone may mislead. For an older purchase, recover the applicable terms instead of relying on today’s pricing page. Free software also needs an identifiable licence covering the intended business activity. A shared worksheet and document folder are enough to begin; buying an inventory platform does not resolve unclear rights.
Check the spare workstation before buying
Consider a fictional architecture studio. A designer uses a modelling application on a main workstation; a spare computer has the same edition installed. Administration finds one purchase record but incomplete assignment evidence. Neither two installations nor one invoice settles whether another purchase is needed. The owner checks the licence measure and whether the spare is for the same person or another colleague. Pending clarification, urgent work uses an arrangement whose entitlement has already been checked.
The studio sends the vendor the order reference, edition and intended usage, asking for written clarification. If permitted, the reply and assignment evidence close the row. Otherwise, compare an authorised reassignment, additional rights or removing an unnecessary installation after preserving project files. Buying a new licence does not itself settle earlier use. These are proposed handling choices in a fictional example, not a reported client outcome or a conclusion about any particular product.
Resolve the gap and assign the next action
A paperwork gap may be resolved by recovering evidence without spending. A confirmed shortfall needs a different decision: reassignment depends on transfer rules, extra rights add cost, and replacement tools need tests of drawing fidelity, plug-in compatibility and client deliverables. Even an apparently unused version may be needed to open an old project. A deadline should shape the temporary workflow rather than turn an unresolved entry into a confirmed entitlement.
At the next team review, choose one active project and complete the worksheet for all tools needed to deliver it. Give every unresolved row an owner, interim decision and follow-up date before approving related purchases. Recheck affected rows when versions, devices, assignments or terms change. For a wider acquisition or supplier review, Astera’s technology due diligence guide helps separate technical evidence from contractual questions. IPD’s business-user page also links a company circular template for communicating expectations to staff.
Read the technology due diligence guideIPD guidance and company circular templateBefore you proceed
- Can each installation or assignment be traced to the right edition and entitlement record?
- Do the terms cover actual business use and the relevant user or device allocation?
- Does every unresolved item have an owner, interim decision and follow-up date?
- Have clarification, permitted reassignment, purchase and removal been considered before spending?
