License for Excel Macro

[rrstudio2]

I am an end user who has developed an Excel Macro which saves end
users a lot of data manipulation time. The company which supplies the
raw data is not interested in supplying end users with a macro like
the one I have developed because they don't want to be responsible for
supporting it. There has been many other end users that are
interested in acquiring my excel macro. At this point, I think it
would be too difficult to charge other end users for this macro (lots
of red tape), so I am debating providing it to them free of charge.
If I do this, I would like to have some protection so that I can
ensure that other end users or the company will not end up selling
(thus making money) off the macro that I developed. Is there a way to
get some type of legal license on a macro? I am thinking something
like the license that freeware software comes with...basically saying
you can't charge for it, can't modify it, etc? Is there a fee that I
would have to pay to obtain a license for this? Anyone ever done
anything like this?

Thanks,
Andrew V. Romero

 

[Leith Ross]

I am an end user who has developed an Excel Macro which saves end
users a lot of data manipulation time. The company which supplies the
raw data is not interested in supplying end users with a macro like
the one I have developed because they don't want to be responsible for
supporting it. There has been many other end users that are
interested in acquiring my excel macro. At this point, I think it
would be too difficult to charge other end users for this macro (lots
of red tape), so I am debating providing it to them free of charge.
If I do this, I would like to have some protection so that I can
ensure that other end users or the company will not end up selling
(thus making money) off the macro that I developed. Is there a way to
get some type of legal license on a macro? I am thinking something
like the license that freeware software comes with...basically saying
you can't charge for it, can't modify it, etc? Is there a fee that I
would have to pay to obtain a license for this? Anyone ever done
anything like this?

Thanks,
Andrew V. Romero

Hello Andrew,

You could copy a software agreement and apply it to your macro, but to
truly protect your intellectual property rights, you should consult
with an attorney. The reason being those contracts are basically
"boiler plate" protections. Your rights and responsibilities are
governed by the state in which you produce your software. So to cover
your assets completely, you should seek legal counsel. There is no
license required by Microsoft or any of their affiliates to distribute
your macro because the end user has already signed a license agreement
when the purchase Microsoft Office.

Sincerely,
Leith Ross

 

[dsc]

Convert your macro to an add-in, then include a command button in a workbook
that calls the add-in macro. Add a worksheet that includes the text of your
"software agreement" and have an auto-open macro to activate that sheet and
also display a vbYesNo message box; write the code whereby the user must
agree or else the workbook closes. Protect the workbook and hide the
applicable worksheet w/macro, so if the user bypasses the auto-open macro,
they still cannot use the macro(s); if they click yes/agree, then have it
unhide the applicable worksheet w/macro. It's not foolproof, but it does
work for most end-users. And like Leith indicated, it may not hold up in
court.