Academic software is sold at significantly discounted prices to students, faculty members and educational institutions. Do not list academic copies of software on eBay unless you are authorised to do so as an educational reseller, an educational institution, a student or a faculty member.
Janel purchased an academic version of Microsoft Word from her school bookstore when she was a student. Now, two years after graduation, she wants to sell her copy of Microsoft Word. Unless she verifies with Microsoft that she is allowed to resell her software, she cannot list her copy of Word on eBay because it violates eBay's academic software policy.
Software companies may have different policies regarding the sale, resale or transfer of academic products. In general, sellers may list academic copies of software on eBay if they are an authorised educational reseller for that company. Students and faculty are also sometimes allowed to resell academic software. Check with your school or software company for more information.
Sellers who want to find out if they are allowed to resell their academic software should start by looking at the software maker’s About Mepage on the eBay site. Sellers can also try to contact the software maker directly.
Under copyright laws, the owner of a copyrighted work is generally entitled to resell the copy they own. If a seller has licensed the right to use a particular copyrighted item (as is the case with most software), they should review the license and consult with a lawyer to determine whether they can resell the item.
Sellers authorised to sell academic software should state this in their listing.
Why does eBay have this policy?
Software usually has licensing restrictions that limit where and when the software can be sold. It is illegal and against eBay policy to violate the software’s licensing agreement.
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