What is Agency Licensed software? What do I need to understand before moving a site/application with it?

Web pages / Web Applications / All hosted services almost all include several licensed pieces of software from various companies or authors to provide core functionality, on top of which your application is custom built.

In the past, some of these were typically purchased one-time-only during the initial build of your web page or application. However, fast forward to pretty much anything post 2010, and most of these require a software license renewal fee to be paid every 12 months. In order to effectively control these ongoing costs, agencies can usually purchase an “Agency License” for common software modules that will typically cover 50, 100, or unlimited client sites on their servers for client’s sites, at a cheaper rate than a single user license for one site. Agencies then pay one large renewal on each piece of software and in return that software is updated regularly by the company that wrote it, keeping the sites secure from future problems with compatibility / hacking / improvements of all sorts. The agency can then choose how best to bill clients for the 12 months renewals, some invoicing them annually and some choosing to wear the ongoings in their managed hosting arrangements.

What if I Move my site away from my previous agency’s hosting?

If you are changing hosts, ask your agency how best to handle the licensing issue. Possible resolutions include:

1. Remove all agency licensed software
   This will often completely cripple your site/application but it can be repaired as follows:
   You will need to purchase your own single licenses for each piece of software and simply reinstall them to restore you site to full functionality. You should now keep a careful eye on maintaining updates and licensing fees in future to keep your site legal and running smoothly
2. Leave agency software in and elect to have separate billing for it annually from your existing agency
   This solution unfortunately does not work with all software, you may need to be physically on that agencies server to be legal here also
3. Change your agency licensing to your new agency’s licenses
   If your new agency pays the same licensing for their client sites on the same packages – they will be able to include you under their licensing
   ***Potential Danger*** Be absolutely sure your new agency is legitimately paying these licenses. Some of our agency licenses are hundreds of dollars per month each – we have many – is your new off-shore developer really likely paying out $10,000 a year in real licensing? In our experience most overseas contractors pirate everything, pirated software is responsible for 98% of all hacking activity on hosting servers and web pages. The adverse effects of which can be catastrophic. Hence Shipwreck Studio DO NOT allow any unlicensed software of any type on our server network
4. Contract a fresh rebuild of your site which does not require your current agency licenses

What if my new developer says he can simply steal my presently licensed software from the server it’s on now?

Technically, he can steal it. But of course your present agency is required to remove all agency licensed sites from each of their respective authoring companies dashboards, cutting your pirated software off from all future security and updates, and automatically adding you to the authoring companies watch lists for piracy. Most authors observe a grace period of 30 days for your new host to pay your licensing and re-register you, before reporting your site/business to BSA (reporting-aus.bsa.org/r/report) who work in unison with Attorneys and Federal Government anti-piracy departments across a lot of countries such as USA, Europe, Australia and many more, to pursue pirate sites seeking legal action, prosecution and compensation payouts. It’s best just to remove affected software before a site migration and allow the new host to reinstall their licensed version of the same. Many software companies will simply disable your pirated software remotely at a later date as it contacts their servers daily checking for updates and license validity – resulting in a crippled web page shortly down the track